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9:24 And Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his youngest son had done unto him. 9:25 And he said, Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren. THE TABLE OF NATIONS
THREE FAMILIES AND THEIR FUTURE
Chapter 21
The curse of Canaan has actually been fulfilled. Both Semitic and Japhetic nations are said here in this Noahic predictory curse to be involved in bringing the curse and resulting servitude on the posterity of Canaan. White racists have no hope in this passage, though they have often misused it to justify their prejudice. The curse on Canaanite people (see below in Genesis 10:15-19) was fulfilled when about the same time (1400 b.c.)the Israelite invasion into Canaan and the combined forces of Cimmerian, Tiberanian, and the Mushki destroyed Hittite civilization and each group enslaved the survivors. Canaanites were cursed and became the servants of Semitic and Japhetic people. This is an incredible prophecy as neither Noah who spoke nor Moses who wrote this prophecy could have known the far reaching implications. For a fuller and more detailed and documented account of the destruction and subjugation of Canaanite civilization see: Christian Attitudes and Racial Problems; publ. 1975, by Fred P. Miller; revised edition pub. 1993.
9:26 And he said, Blessed be the LORD God of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant.
Blessed be The God of Shem: This prophecy in brief form as indication of the special relationship of Yahweh (the God who is) and the Semitic people to the exclusion of other races for many centuries is startling in its accuracy and simplicity. Yahweh was exclusively the God of Semitic people, and not Hamitic and Japhetic people, for many centuries.
9:27 God shall enlarge Japheth, and he shall dwell in the tents of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant.
Enlarge Japheth: The unusually widespread distribution of Caucasian nations and their power over their fellow men as well as the greatness of their number could hardly have been foreseen by Noah who spoke or Moses who wrote these words, without the aid of divine inspiration. Only the major part of Africa, the Middle East and South Asia have been left for Shem and Ham, while Japhetic nations are not absent from those territories either.
Dwell in the tents of Shem: This prediction of Japheth moving into Shem's habitation is more likely fulfilled in Japhetic nations becoming the spokesmen for Yahweh through the Gospel of Jesus Christ than in any territorial event. Japheth has become the spokesman for God to Semitic and Hamitic nations and in that sense has moved into the house of Shem. It may further be seen that Caucasian nations look to their past as a Judeo-Christian past. When they tell stories of the heroes of their past they are not those of their barbarian ancestry but rather the heroes of the sons of Jacob-- Joseph and his brothers, Moses in the bulrushes, Elijah fed by Ravens, David the sweet psalmist of Israel, and on and on. Japheth dwells in the tents of Shem in several ways. Stated simply but so plainly, this outline of the races is indeed wonderful.
The Nations Divided According to Family
10:1 Now these are the generations of the sons of Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth: and unto them were sons born after the flood. 10:2 The sons of Japheth; Gomer, and Magog, and Madai, and Javan, and Tubal, and Meshech, and Tiras.
Japheth: The seven sons of Japheth are understood by many to be the nations which normally are called Caucasian. That is the white race, although not all are fair skinned. (1) From Gomer to Assyrian Gimmer, Greek Kimmer, English Cimmer, with related word of Crimea, Gauls, to the Celtic race (pronounced Keltic) is philologically confusing but historically and ethnologically accurate. Celts, dispersed after the destruction of Troy circa 1400 B.C., are still basic racial stock of much of France, the British Isles including Eire, as well as portions of Italy and Spain. (2) Magog, the inhabitants of the Ukrainian Steppe, long called Scythians by the Greeks and Tartars in modern Russia. The land of Magog is to play a part in the battle of Armageddon. See Ezek. 38, 39; especially 39:6 and Rev. 20:8. (3) Madai is simply a translation of the Hebrew for Medes or Media. The nations included are Medes, Persians and related groups, perhaps Elamites. Modern Iran continues the line. (4) Javan is the Hebrew name for Hellenic nations we call Greek. For instance in Daniel 8:21 "the King of Grecia" is rendered from Hebrew "King of Javan." (5, 6) Tubal and Meshech are placed here together because in ancient times to the present the classical historians have so spoken of them. From Muski of the Assyrians, Meshki of other Semite sources, Moschoi of all Greeks (Herodotus, Strabo, and Procopius) whose descriptions span over 1000 years in the Caucasus. These people cooperated unknowingly with the Kimmeroi (Celts) during their migrations 1200 to 1400 B.C. in accomplishing the extermination of the Hittite race in the Taurus Mountains in central Asia Minor. This actually fulfills the portion of the Noahic curse on Canaan (Hittites) that relates to Japhetic nations) Tubal and Meshech can be traced from the Caucasus to migrations to Siberian and European Russia respectively from 700 to 900 A.D. There is little doubt that the names survive in the names of Moscow and Tobolsk. (7) Tiras is the least well known and is thought to be related to Thracian nations. That is, racial stock originally settled in what we call the Balkans, Rumania, Bulgaria, Moravia, etc. Although "God has enlarged" these nations and they are spread far abroad and have mixed with other races, they are still identifiable to anthropologists and ethnologists and historians.
10:3 And the sons of Gomer; Ashkenaz, and Riphath, and Togarmah.
Gomer: The further subdividing of Japheth into Caucasoid groups of Gomer and Javan and their varied offspring is shown here. Of particular interest is Togarmah taken by many to refer to the Turkic peoples, mentioned in Ezekiel 38 as the house of Togarmah of the north parts (not the Turks of Asia Minor) which are associated with Russia in the prophecy. (See the corresponding chapter in this book on Ezekiel 38, 39). It is of interest therefore to note that there are four states or republics within the USSR which are Turkic. Azerbaijanis are Turkic as are also, Uzbekistan, Khazachstan, and Turkmania.
10:4 And the sons of Javan; Elishah, and Tarshish, Kittim,and Dodanim.
Javan (Greeks): The Javanic names have traces of ancient families, as Helles or Hellenic is easily derived from Elisha and the classical Greek writers and Septuagint translators always put Carthage for the Hebrew "Tarshish." Although Carthage was Phoenecian by 200 BC and trade competition brought on the Phoenecian (Punic) wars, Greek origins are indicated for pre-Punic Carthage.
10:5 By these were the isles of the Gentiles divided in their lands; every one after his tongue, after their families, in their nations.
Isles: Notice the use of the word "isles" used here to refer to nationalistic groups. "Isles" as a poetically descriptive word is common in prophetic material, as in Ezekiel 39:6 which describes indifference among different national groups to the knowledge of God. Rev. 6:14 and 16:20 therefore would refer to great events affecting nations, the former to disruption of boundaries and displacement of people while the latter speaks of a time when the borders disappear and the national distinctions are no more.
In their Nations: The nations outlined here are incredibly still identifiable in large part in spite of migrations, race mixing, change of populations etc.
10:6 And the sons of Ham; Cush, and Mizraim, and Phut, and Canaan.
Ham: The Hebrew word Ham or Cham means "hot." Hamitic nations are those who are responsible for the first civilizations. Sumer, the first civilization, was Hamitic according to historians. They simply support the Biblical account. Egypt and Ethiopia, responsible for the glories of ancient civilizations including the pyramids and the ancient cities of Mesopotamia, were Hamitic.
Cush: Cush is always Ethiopia when referring to a nation. The word itself means "black." Jeremiah writes of Cush, "Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard his spots?" Jeremiah 13:23.
Mizraim: Mizraim, in all other places, is rendered Egypt in the KJV. That Egypt is to be categorized under Hamitic nations is seen in Psalms 106:22, where speaking of the ten plagues the psalmist said, "He (God) did wonders in the land of Ham." Egypt is called the Land of Ham also in Psalms 78:51; 105:23,27.
Phut: There is less help in the classical writers for Phut but this family is taken to be Libya by some who make an attempt at identification. There is little evidence to confirm this. The classical writers used the word Libya to refer to all black Africa. But it is not easy to make the connection with Phut and present day Libya from any classical writings.
Canaan: Canaanite nations were the original inhabitants of Palestine. The seven nations making up this group are the posterity of Canaan named under the prophetic curse of Noah. The inhabitants of Palestine were enslaved or exterminated when the nation of Israel invaded under the leadership of Joshua. Hittites living in the Taurus Mountains of central Asia Minor attained a high level of civilization approaching that of the contemporary Egyptians. The Hittites as a civilization were exterminated and enslaved between 1200 to 1400 B.C. by marauding Mushki and Cimmerian tribal groups who were in migration. Garstang, British archeologist, is the authority on this history, while his nephew, O. R. Gurney, has done most of the more recent writing on the Hittites. (See chapter on Origins of the Russian People and the Bibliography).
10:7 And the sons of Cush; Seba, and Havilah, and Sabtah, and Raamah, and Sabtechah: and the sons of Raamah; Sheba, and Dedan. 10:8 And to Cush was born Nimrod: he began to be a mighty one in the earth.
Nimrod: Nimrod is introduced here as an Ethiopian and therefore Hamitic. "He began to be..." The text here means that Nimrod was the first of the heroic conquerors, a long line of whom would follow through the centuries. The coincidence between this brief outline of the first of the great men (Hebrew gibor) of this world and his budding civilization is parallel to what we know of the birth of civilization in the Mesopotamian Valley. Sumerians who established the first civilization in Mesopotamia were Hamitic. Among the first cities were Erech, Ur and Babel. Nimrod is not introduced here as an evil entity as some have laboriously drawn from this simple text. He is no more evil than the genre of which he is listed here as being the first. Men of the world are considered great when they conquer other men -- when they mass armies -- and command men to kill others. Such like are Alexander the Great, the Caesar Napoleon and others. Nimrod simply is the first of these conquerors who was able to mass men in groups and force them to be civilized! His name survived for centuries in the fortress city of Calah, the major entrance city to Nineveh. Calah was known locally as Nimrud.
10:9 He was a mighty hunter before the LORD: wherefore it is said, Even as Nimrod the mighty hunter before the LORD. Mighty hunter before the LORD: There is nothing in the word in Hebrew to indicate that Nimrod was "against" the Lord. The attempt to link Nimrod with particularly sinister Babylonian mysteries consciously opposing Jehovah has little to support it. I hesitate to add that racist prejudices have attached themselves to these questionable interpretations about Nimrod.
10:10 And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar. Babel: Began his kingdom by uniting already pre-existing cities. He did not establish Babel. The history of the establishing of Babel as the first of cities is in Gen. 11, the next chapter after this one. Babel existed as (1) a city (2) a city state (3) a city within a kingdom (4) a kingdom [under Hammurabi] (5) an empire under the Chaldeans. Approximate dates may be given for the above. (1) No one places Sumer earlier than 4,500 B.C. (2) 3,500 - 3,000 B.C. (3) about 3,000 - 2500 B.C. [Nimrod] (4) 2,000 - 1800 B.C. [Hammurabi]. It would remain a kingdom among kingdoms, sometimes independent and sometimes dependent on other kingdoms (as Assyria), until (5) 606 B.C.
Accad: The mention of Accad may be a clue to dating the time of Nimrod. The text says that Nimrod brought together cities into a kingdom that he began. It is safe to consider his kingdom largely Hamitic. However, Accad is a Semitic national label. Semitic Accadians would ultimately be those who would displace the Sumerians in southern Mesopotamia. Conflict between Sumer and Accad is as well documented by historians as is possible for events of this period. If Nimrod brought Semites under his conquests it would indicate a late Sumerian period for his kingdom, about 3,000 - 2,500 B.C.
Shinar: What should be seen here is that the scripture text is supported by what is known of the historical beginnings of civilization. That is, that the land of Shinar is where most historians point to as the beginning place. Books like Mesopotamia, a Light That Did not Fail, or History Begins at Sumer, corroborate the scriptural account,-- that the first of civilizations were Hamitic and began in the Mesopotamian Valley and civilization was dispersed from there. The cities mentioned in Genesis 10 as being first have been so found to be by the archeologist's spade. This amazing correspondence deserves the wonder afforded to the book by believers. The disdain offered by non-believers is not worthy of those who count themselves objective.
10:11 Out of that land went forth Asshur, and built Nineveh, and the city Rehoboth, and Calah, 10:12 And Resen between Nineveh and Calah: the same is a great city. 10:13 And to Mizraim was born Ludim, and Anamim, and Lehabim, and Naphtuhim,
Out of that land went forth Asshur: Asshur went out of that land to establish Nineveh. This could not be more historically accurate. Sumerian culture grew in Mesopotamia for many centuries under the oversight and development wrought by the Hamitic nations there. Semitic invaders about 2300 B.C. forced the already ongoing emigration (for the most part to the African continent) of the Hamitic stock. The first of the Semitic Kings, Sargon I, adopted the culture of the earlier Sumerians. Hammurabi shortly after would establish the kingdom of Babylon. He also was a Semitic king building on the earlier Sumerian foundations
. Those Semites who followed did the same, adopting the cuneiform style of writing, much of the language, religion and astrological beliefs as well as the sciences of mathematics and astronomy. Semites came into Shinar as conquerors of a superior culture. They would later "go out of that land and build Nineveh."Calah: Calah is a fortress city about twenty miles from the site of Nineveh. There have been extensive and historically productive excavations. A two volume set of books containing photos of the excavation and hundreds of artifacts under the title Nimrud is available. Calah, or Nimrud as it later was known, was destroyed by the Chaldeans in the overthrow of Nineveh in 605 B.C.
10:14 And Pathrusim, and Casluhim, (out of whom came Philistim,) and Caphtorim.
Philistim: If this is meant to give the derivation of Philistines then they too are Hamitic and are a subnation of Egypt.
10:15 And Canaan was born Sidon his firstborn, and Heth,
Heth is singular of Hittites. Hebrew "th" is hardened in sound and doubled when adding a syllable. The Hittites were not only known in Palestine, they also established a kingdom in central Asia Minor which reached high levels of civilization, contemporary with the Egyptian culture which it rivaled in arts and science. Carchemish was controlled by Hittite powers about 1200 to 1400 B.C. Hittite power and civilization came to an abrupt halt in Asia minor about 1200 B.C. Hittites and related tribes in Palestine lost their ethnic and political identity about the same time to the invading nation of Israel. Hittites and other Canaanites made some notable additions to the nation of Israel. Rebekah grieved lest Jacob marry Hittite girls of the land they lived in (see Gen.27:46) and thereby persuaded Esau to seek Ishmaelite wives after he had already married two Hittite girls. (see Gen.25:34). Judah married a Canaanite girl by whom he had two sons, although they did not leave issue. The most notable Canaanite addition to the Messianic line is Rahab the harlot, a Canaanitess of Jerico to whom were born the ancestors of David and Jesus.
10:16 And the Jebusite, and the Amorite, and the Girgasite, 10:17 And the Hivite, and the Arkite, and the Sinite, 10:18 And the Arvadite, and the Zemarite, and the Hamathite: and afterward were the families of the Canaanites spread abroad. 10:19 And the border of the Canaanites was from Sidon, as you come to Gerar, unto Gaza; as you go, unto Sodom, and Gomorrah, and Admah, and Zeboim, even unto Lasha.
The borders here trace the Holy Land. From Lebanon (Sidon) down the Mediterranean coast where Gaza borders Egypt, then eastward to the valley where the Dead Sea now covers the site of Sodom and Gomorrah. From there northward up the Jordan valley to the site of Dan (Lasha) just under Mount Herman, turning westward takes you to the starting place at Sidon.
10:20 These are the sons of Ham, after their families, after their tongues, in their countries, and in their nations. 10:21 To Shem also, the father of all the children of Eber, the brother of Japheth the elder, even to him were children born.
Children of Eber: Eber is the fourth generation after Shem. He is the last patriarch in the Shemetic line of longevity. It is for this reason that his descendants are called Hebrews The name Hebrew is most likely derived from this Semitic name. It is a wide ranging name among Semitic tribes and not just descriptive of the children of Israel. Abraham was a Hebrew, one among many. [See below under 11:15-17]
Japheth the elder: If Japheth is the elder and Ham the younger then Shem is not first-born. The order in which they are mentioned however is usually Shem, Ham and Japheth.
10:22 The children of Shem; Elam, and Asshur, and Arphaxad, and Lud, and Aram.
Shemetic Nations: The nations descended from Shem are not all easily identified. Some still have the same name. As Aram is still the Semitic name of Syria, so Aramaic is the language of Syria, closely akin to Hebrew. It was the language of New Testament Palestine. Jesus spoke Aramaic, not Hebrew. Assyria was a great nation for many centuries; with its capital at Nineveh it was the mightiest kingdom in the world at that time. Elam is a more ancient nation contemporary with Hammurabi. Arphaxad son of Shem carries the Messianic line.
10:23 And the children of Aram; Uz, and Hul, and Gether, and Mash. 10:24 And Arphaxad was born Salah; and to Salah was born Eber. 10:25 And to Eber were born two sons: the name of one was Peleg; for in his days was the earth divided; and his brother's name was Joktan. Peleg: The Messianic line is through Peleg not Joktan, see below.
10:26 And Joktan was born Almodad, and Sheleph, and Hazarmaveth, and Jerah, 10:27 And Hadoram, and Uzal, and Diklah, 10:28 And Obal, and Abimael, and Sheba, 10:29 And Ophir, and Havilah, and Jobab: all these were the sons of Joktan. 10:30 And their dwelling was from Mesha, as you go to Sephar a mount of the east.
Sephar: The Hebrew word "sephar" means "book."
10:31 These are the sons of Shem, after their families, after their tongues, in their lands, after their nations. 10:32 These are the families of the sons of Noah, after their generations, in their nations: and by these were the nations divided in the earth after the flood. 11:1 And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech.
One Language Unity of the Nations: One should note that there is nothing like this document called the table of the nations in any other national tradition. Every other attempt to tell where the nations derived or where one nation derived, which comes from the time of Christ or before, is hopelessly naive and filled with impossibilities and myths. There is nothing from the period that can remotely compare with this incredible document as to accuracy and detail.
There are problems, however, due to our lack of knowledge. The major one is where the Asian nations derive. Where are China, Japan, India, in this list? China is an enigma largely because it is not an ancient nation. It did not exist when the document was written. Nor did Japan. Chinese dynasties date to only about 1000 B.C. India is a mixed race.
Style: This is a good example of the style of the writing of Genesis. That is, the larger picture being presented first and then starting all over again with the specific, more narrow, concept in view. It was Moses' plan, led by the Holy Spirit of course, to tell his readers where the nation of Israel came from. To do that he had to tell where Abraham, Isaac and Jacob came from. To do that he had to tell where Eber and Shem came from. To do that he had to give the history of Noah. To really do it right he had to start "In the beginning..." In this chapter and the one preceding, Moses follows the plan of presenting first the larger picture of all the nations and then retraces the beginnings of nations and carries on through the family of Shem. The genealogy of Shem which follows has one purpose, to bring us to Abraham. In doing so, Moses has briefly covered in eleven chapters several thousand years. The information given is remarkable. All things able to be tested are verified. In the light of such accuracy the doubters of the historicity of the first eleven chapters of Genesis must be seen as just that -- doubters. The rest of the 39 chapters of Genesis covers four generations -- Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and the sons of Jacob.
11:2 And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar; and they dwelt there. 11:3 And they said one to another, Come on, let us make brick, and burn them thoroughly. And they had brick< for stone, and slime had they for mortar.
From the east: There is no attempt in Genesis to trace the steps of the family of Noah from Mount Ararat where the ark touched down until they reached the plain of Shinar. How many years did it take to develop into a group large enough to attempt the building of a city with a tower reaching to heaven is not told. Only that they were still migrating together and that they came from the east into the plain of Shinar which, as we have mentioned, most historians see as the cradle of civilization
. Brick: A perfectly fitting description of the building materials in Shinar through the centuries. Even the beautiful walls of Babylon to be built some 2,000 in the future to this time would be built of brick and ceramic. There is no stone in Mesopotamia (Shinar).
Slime: The Septuagint here reads "asphaltus," a petroleum by-product which was in abundance if used for mortar. The location is oil rich to this day.
11:4 And they said, Come on, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach to heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth. 11:5 And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men were building. 11:6 And the LORD said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do.
Nothing be restrained: There is no indication here that God naively thought men might actually build a brick tower to heaven. However He divided them to impede their scientific progress, in order to give time for his plan to work among men. Apparently after a united human race found that they could not build a tower to heaven they would imagine another way. Ultimately they may have lighted upon the solution. Can the human mind find a way to physically penetrate the fourth dimension? It would appear that God sought to put off the attempt to reach the day of progressing to that degree.
11:7 Come on, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech. 11:8 So the LORD scattered them abroad from there upon the face of all the earth: and they left off building the city. 11:9 Therefore is the name of it called Babel; because the LORD there confounded the language of all the earth: and from there the LORD scattered them abroad upon the face of all the earth.
From there: The dispersion of civilization from the Mesopotamian Valley is a fact to which most historians subscribe. Moses is simply making those facts plain. The secular historian presents facts from which he concludes that civilization spread from Mesopotamia some 3,000 to 4,000 years before Christ. The Bible says the same thing!
11:10 These are the generations of Shem: Shem was a hundred years old, and to him was born Arphaxad two years after the flood:
Two years after the flood: This would place the birth of Shem and Ham, who was the youngest, after the call of Noah as a preacher and prophet of the then impending flood. Noah would have been preaching for 22 years by the time of the birth of Shem. An age is not given for Japheth the eldest, but he was probably born in the 500th year of Noah's life. See Gen. 5:22; and 6:3.
11:11 And Shem lived after he begot Arphaxad five hundred years, and to him were born sons and daughters. 11:12 And Arphaxad lived five and thirty years, and begot Salah: 11:13 And Arphaxad lived after he had begotten Salah four hundred and three years, and to him were born sons and daughters. 11:14 And Salah lived thirty years, and to him was born Eber:
Hebrew: The line is traced through Shem, Arphaxad, Salah, to Eber. Eber is the last patriarch of longevity. Each of these four lived to approximately 500 years of age. There is a marked decrease in length of life after Eber who would have outlived most of his children and grandchildren and great grandchildren. Being the last of the long lived patriarchs of the Semitic line it is not without reason that many would be known as children of Eber or Hebrews.
11:15 And Salah lived after he had begotten Eber four hundred and three years, and to him were born sons and daughters. 11:16 And Eber lived four and thirty years, and begot Peleg:
The Line of Eber to Abraham: Eber lived to be 460 years old. Those who immediately follow lived only 239 years, 237 years, 230 years, 148, years respectively, and Terah Abraham's father was 70 years old when his three sons were already born. From this time on ages of 120 to 160 are attained for some time. However by 1000 years later the proverbial three score and ten had been reached as the norm while the strong would make 80 plus or minus a few years. Considering the ecological changes caused by the flood catastrophe this is not hard to comprehend. It is the unreasonable critic who insists that the earth's ecology has always been subject to very minor changes over vast eons of time. It is really harder to believe that. It seems certain that the disappearance of the vapor barrier surrounding the outer atmosphere took away the protection from the cosmic and ultra violet rays which increased the aging process as is noted by the progressive decline in age in the patriarchs
11:17 And Eber lived after he had begotten Peleg four hundred and thirty years, and to him were born sons and daughters. 11:18 And Peleg lived thirty years, and to him was born Reu: 11:19 And Peleg lived after he had begotten Reu two hundred and nine years, and to him were born sons and daughters. 11:20 And Reu lived two and thirty years, and to him was born Serug: 11:21 And Reu lived after he had begotten Serug two hundred and seven years, and to him were born sons and daughters. 11:22 And Serug lived thirty years, and to him was born Nahor: 11:23 And Serug lived after he had begotten Nahor two hundred years, and to him were born sons and daughters. 11:24 And Nahor lived nine and twenty years, and Terah was born to him: 11:25 And Nahor lived after he had begotten a hundred and nineteen years, and to him were born sons and daughters. 11:26 And Terah lived seventy years, and had begotten Abram, Nahor, and Haran.
. Eber would outlive all of these:
At the birth of Peleg he would live 430 years more Peleg only 239
At the birth of Reu he would live 400 years more Reu only 237
At the birth of Serug he would live 368 years more Serug only 230
At the birth of Nahor he would live 338 years more Nahor only 148
At the birth of Terah he would live 307 years more Terah ***
At the birth of Abram he would live 23 years more Abram only 175
At the birth of Isaac he would live 137 years more Isaac OutlivedIsaac outlived Eber by 43 years or compare that Isaac was 137 years old when Eber died. Eber lived 77 years into the life of Jacob.
*** The total number of the years of Terah are in doubt. Perhaps he died young at 70 years old. Terah seems to have died before Abraham left Haran for Canaan. Abraham was 75 years old at that time. Since Abraham had been born by the time Terah was 70 years old the maximum age which Terah could have attained is 145 years. Although Terah's total age is given later it is difficult to account for them in the total genealogy. The length of time he lived into the lives of the Patriarchs is therefore an approximation
11:27 Now these are the generations of Terah: To Terah was born Abram, Nahor, and Haran; and to Haran was born Lot.
End of Moses' introduction: It has been the purpose of the author of Genesis to bring us to this point. All before has been introductory. Incredibly informative and amazingly complex, it is none the less introductory to the main theme which is now introduced. that is, the call of Abraham and the promises that are made to him, which becomes the subject of the rest of the Bible. The promises made, anticipated, and ultimately realized with all that involves is the theme of the Bible.
Actually this verse should be followed by the words "which brings me to what I wanted to say;" since all before is introductory to this main theme of Moses, i.e., he is answering the question: "How did we get out here in this wilderness wandering about for 40 years." The answer starts with "In the beginning."
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