This is the Account of Shem, Ham and Japheth,
Sons of Noah

10: 1

This is the account of Shem, Ham and Japheth, Noah’s sons, who themselves had sons after the Flood. This is what became of the sons of Noah. His three sons had no children before the Flood; all their children were born after the Flood. All humanity comes from these three sons. Most likely, the three sons went their separate ways after the traumatic events of 9:20-27, coming together again only to share in the burial ceremony of their father Noah. Shem had apparently taken over the task of recording the genealogies of the three families in the meantime. He continued until the time of the confusion of languages at Babel, after which he seems to have lost touch with his brothers.184 Because the lineage in that patriarchal society was traced through the men, only the names of the men and their sons are listed in this chapter, leaving the names of their wives and daughters unknown to the biblical record.