Arphaxad, and Lud, and Aram. 23The children of Aram: Vs, and Hul, and Gether, and Mes. 24And Arphaxad also begat Sale, of whom was borne Heber. 25And to Heber were borne two sonnes: the name of the one was Phaleg,[1] because that in his dayes was the earth diuided: and his brothers name was Iectan. 26The which Iectan begat Elmodad, and Saleph, and Asarmoth, Iare, 27and Aduram, and Vzal, and Decla, 28and Ebal, and Abimael, Saba, 29and Ophir, and Heuila, and Iobab. al these were the children of Iectan. 30And their dwelling was from Messa as we goe on as far as Sephar a mountaine in the east. 31These are the children of Sem according to their kinred and tongues, and countries in their nations. 32These are the families of Noe, according to their peoples & nations. Of these were the nations diuided on the earth after the floud.
ANNOTATIONS. CHAP. X.
8. Nemrod.] To this Nemrod the sonne of Chus, first builder and king of Babylon, Iosephus, S. Epiphanius, S. Hierom, S. Augustin, and generally al ancient writers ascribe the first tyrannie, and first setting vp of an earthlie citie opposite to the Citie of God after the floud. He was a Valiant, or rather a Violent hunter a giant hunter (saith S. Augustin, according to the seuentie Interpreters) who by falshood and force brought manie vnder his dominion. For he sturred vp pride (saith Iosephus) and contempt of God in men, auoching that they were not beholding to God for present felicitie, but to their owne vertue; and so supposing men would fal from God to him, if he offered him selfe a leader, and helper against a new floud, by litle and litle drew al to tyrannie. He was otherwise called Saturnus, and was at length amongst others accounted a god. After him his sonne Belus Iupiter (as most authors affirme) raigned 65 yeares. And then succeded Ninus the first king of the Assirians.
11. Assur builded Niniue.] Here is great difficultie, and much dispute amongst writers, who this Assur is. Briefly, we may either say with Iosephus, and S. Augustin, that Assur the sonne of Sem built a citie, which afterwards Ninus of Chams race enlarged, enriched, and changing the name called it Ninum: or els that this word Assur here signifieth (as. 4. Reg. 15. Psal. 82. Esaiæ 10. & 31.) the king of Assirians, to wit Ninus the sonne of Belus, who as al histories greeke and barbarous reporte (saith S. Hierom) was the first that raigned ouer al Asia, & among the Assirians built Ninum a citie of his owne name, which the Hebrewes cal Niniue. He set vp the Monarchie of the Assirians, called the golden kingdom, which stood 1240. yeares. And made his father Belus to be honored for a god. To whom the Babilonians, as Plinie testifieth, first erected statuas, altares, & temples. Of this Belus or Bel of Babylon were also deriued other false goddes, as Belial the god of Libertines, or without yoke, Beelphegor god of the Moabites, Beelzebub of the Acharonites, Baal in Samaria, Baalim amongst the Philistims: and the like in other nations.
- ↑ Heber hauing a sonne borne when the tongues were diuided called him Phaleg, which signifieth diuision S. Aug. li. 16. c. 11. ciuit
