language · Gen 10:15–20 · ✓ Approved

LXX Gen 10:15–20: Canaan’s clans and borders

Says At 10:15 τὸν Σιδῶνα πρωτότοκον (Abbott-Smith: πρωτότοκος, “first-born”) renders אֶת־צִידֹן בְּכֹרוֹ, and τὸν Χετταῖον, a gentilic, stands for the name חֵת. The peoples of 10:16–18 are gentilics with the article, as in the MT, among them τὸν Ἀρουκαῖον for הַעַרְקִי and τὸν Ἁσενναῖον for הַסִּינִי.

Says 10:18 has διεσπάρησαν αἱ φυλαὶ τῶν Χαναναίων (Abbott-Smith: διασπείρω, “to scatter abroad, disperse”; φυλή, “a clan or tribe”) for נָפֹצוּ מִשְׁפְּחוֹת הַכְּנַעֲנִי; Swete uses the same verb for the same Hebrew root at 9:19.

Says At 10:19 τὰ ὅρια Χαναναίων (ὅριον, “a boundary, bound”) renders גְּבוּל הַכְּנַעֲנִי. ἕως ἐλθεῖν stands twice for בֹּאֲכָה, and εἰς Γέραρα καὶ Γάζαν has καί where the MT has עַד. The line ends ἕως Δασά for עַד־לָשַׁע; the Bodleian Genesis reads Λασα.

Says 10:20 closes ἐν ταῖς φυλαῖς αὐτῶν, κατὰ γλώσσας αὐτῶν, ἐν ταῖς χώραις αὐτῶν καὶ ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν αὐτῶν (γλῶσσα, “a tongue, language”) for לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָם לִלְשֹׁנֹתָם בְּאַרְצֹתָם בְּגוֹיֵהֶם, the formula Swete repeats at 10:31.

Uncertain No lean is taken on whether the list is ordered by descent, place, language or alliance.

Implies Swete, like the MT, names peoples, cities and borders here, not skin colors, and places Canaan’s line in the land of Canaan. The list gives no ground for ranking races, and its use with 9:25 to defend slavery and segregation is rejected.

Claims

Says10:15 has τὸν Σιδῶνα πρωτότοκον and τὸν Χετταῖον for חֵת; 10:16–18 list gentilics with the article, including τὸν Ἀρουκαῖον and τὸν Ἁσενναῖον.
Says10:18 has διεσπάρησαν αἱ φυλαὶ τῶν Χαναναίων for נָפֹצוּ מִשְׁפְּחוֹת הַכְּנַעֲנִי, the verb Swete has at 9:19.
Says10:19 has τὰ ὅρια Χαναναίων, ἕως ἐλθεῖν twice for בֹּאֲכָה, and ends ἕως Δασά for עַד־לָשַׁע; the Bodleian Genesis reads Λασα.
Says10:20 renders לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָם לִלְשֹׁנֹתָם בְּאַרְצֹתָם בְּגוֹיֵהֶם with ἐν ταῖς φυλαῖς αὐτῶν, κατὰ γλώσσας αὐτῶν and the rest of the formula repeated at 10:31.
UncertainNo lean is taken on whether the list is ordered by descent, place, language or alliance.
ImpliesBecause Swete, like the MT, names peoples, cities and borders and not skin colors, the list gives no ground for ranking races, and its use with 9:25 to defend slavery and segregation is rejected.

Citations

LXX (Swete) CC BY-SA 4.0 Gen 10:15–20, vol. 1, p. 16 (oldtestamentingr01swetuoft, viewer leaf n47); Gen 9:19, p. 14 (viewer leaf n45); text and apparatus; checked against the printed page (scan)
OSHB CC BY 4.0 Gen 10:15–20 (WLC/OSHB)
Abbott-Smith public domain s.vv. πρωτότοκος (first-born), διασπείρω (to scatter abroad, disperse), φυλή (a clan or tribe), ὅριον (a boundary, bound), γλῶσσα (a tongue, language); glosses quoted

Sources LXX (Swete) CC BY-SA 4.0 OSHB CC BY 4.0 Abbott-Smith public domain Bible Scholarship & Tool CC BY 4.0

Quotations from LXX (Swete) are used under CC BY-SA 4.0 · Credits

2026-11-11

Open in Reader All notes on this passage