32. The Nations] How manie Nations and tongues were in the world immediatly after the towre of Babylon, is more commonly supposed, then clerly shewed by old or late writers. Only it semeth certaine and euident, that there were iust as manie tongues as Nations. But to finde precisly (as the common opinion holdeth) 72, is hard. For in this chapter (where they would count this number) are not mentioned so manie. Neuertheles if we adde certaine that begane distinct Nations afterwards, til Iacob with his children went into Ægypt (in whom only the Hebrew Nation and Tongue continued to Christs time, the number wil come right. Of Iapheth were borne 7. sonnes chiefe of Nations. Againe of Gomer (besides his supposed successor, who can not be counted beginner of an other distinct nation) came 2. other heades. Likwise of Iauan (besides his first sonne) rose 3. more nations. Of Cham by his first sonne Chus were 6. nephewes princes of nations. Againe of Regma (besides his successor) came one more. And Nemrod besides his kingdom of Babylon, raysed vp other 6. By his second sonne Mesraim came 8. nations, Chams third sonne Phut made only one nation. And Chanaan his sonnes made 11. more. Of Sem (last mentioned for better connecting the maine Historie, and succession of the Church) came the chife and principal Nation the Hebrewes, descending from him by Arphaxad, Sale, Heber, and so directly to Iacob. Of Sem also were borne 4. other sonnes beginners of nations. Againe of Aram (besides his first sonne) were 3 fathers of nations. Likwise of Heber (besides the Hebrewes descending by Phaleg) were borne to his other sonne Iectan 13. heades of nations. These are al that are named in this place: to wit, of Iapheth, 12. of Cham 33. and of Sem 21. which make in al 66. wherunto if we adioyne Nachor (Abrahams brother) Moab, and Ammon (Lots sonnes) also Ismael (Abrahams eldest sonne) and his issue by Cetura, and finally Esau (Iacobs brother) who made 6. more distinct nations, the whole number is 72. This probable collection, with the rest, we submit to better iudgement.
CHAP. XI.
God hindereth the vaine purpose of building a hiegh towre, 7. by confounding mens tongues. 9. wherof it is called Babel. 10. The genealogie of Sem to Abram.
And the earth was of one tongue, and al one speach. 2And when they remoued from the east, they found a plaine in the land of Sennaar, and dwelt in it. 3And eech one said to his neighboure: Come, let vs make bricke, and bake them with fire. And they had bricke in steed of stone, and bitume in steed of morter: 4and they said: Come, let vs make vs a citie and a towre, the toppe wherof may reach to heauen: and let vs renowne our name before we be dispersed into al lands. 5And our Lord descended to see the citie and the towre, which the children of Adam builded, 6and he said: Behold, it is one people, and one tongue is to al: and
