Towards the end of Genesis 9, we are reminded of the three sons of Noah.
Genesis 9:18:
18 The sons of Noah who went forth from the ark were Shem, Ham, and Japheth. (Ham was the father of Canaan.
What follows (Gen. 9:19-29) is a story which involves these three sons and where we see a curse given on the descendants of Ham (through Canaan) and blessings given to Shem and Japheth.
In Genesis 10, we see the family genealogies of those three sons.
The list gives 70 names. At the end of Genesis, 70 relatives of Jacob would enter into Egypt. During his ministry, Jesus would send out 70 disciples to preach the good news (Luke 10:1-24).
Japheth
Japheth’s line is given first. One thing about Biblical genealogies which give multiple familial lines is that the most significant family line tends to come last. While Japheth is blessed by Noah, his line is not as crucial to the continuing Biblical narrative. Just because this line isn’t as important to the story doesn’t mean it’s insignificant.
Ham
The second list of names given is the cursed line from Ham. This family line includes several nations who would end up conflicting with Israel throughout her history. Among them, you have Canaan but also Egypt, the Jebusites, the Amorites, the Girghashites, and the Hivites.
Shem
The final genealogy given is that of Shem which is the one that continues the line from Noah to Abraham, to Isaac, to Jacob, and ultimately to Jesus.
Thanks for reading!
Josh Benner 