Jewish/Christian: Genesis 10:25

It reads: Two sons were born to Eber: One was named Peleg, because in his time the earth was divided; his brother was named Joktan.

What do you think the meaning of this passage is? What do you think that it means when it says the earth was divided? What do you think that this refers to? Your thoughts.

A thought just occurred to me. Could it have been during the time of the Tower of Babel when the languages were divided?

hmmm not sure i'll have to look it up and see the context...

It is just a genealogy as far as I can tell. Amid this list of names of the families of Noah's sons is this passage. I thought it was interesting.

The only real meaning I can come up with is that this guy, Peleg, was alive during the time that the earth's languages were split up and spread around (the Tower of Babel). Is there any sort of Geological split that could have occured at this time?

Hey Linus, I have always heard the the "earth splitting" was literally just that. I don't know if you have ever heard of the Pangaea theory, the whole idea that earth was one gigantic slab of earth. This would also explain how Indians got to America and other people to other continents. It is a fact that the continental plates are drifting, so maybe this is what that passage is alluding to. If you want more info on Pangaea then just search it in Google

Thanks, DirtyHarry. I love your avatar, by the way. I have also considered the pangea theory as a possibility, I have it pretty much narrowed down to either that, or the tower of Babel. But as always I am open to suggestions.

Welcome to the forum by the way.

Linus said:

It reads: Two sons were born to Eber: One was named Peleg, because in his time the earth was divided; his brother was named Joktan.

What do you think the meaning of this passage is? What do you think that it means when it says the earth was divided? What do you think that this refers to? Your thoughts.

Click to expand...

earth = earth's population
was divided, genesis 11:9

Genesis 11:9
Therefore the name of it was called Babel, because Yahweh confused the language of all the earth, there. From there, Yahweh scattered them abroad on the surface of all the earth.


Is that text from the New World Translation?

Yeah i figured that was a possibility.

No, that text was from the New International version. I generally either use, New King James, New International, and New American Standard versions.

Linus said:

Yeah i figured that was a possibility.

No, that text was from the New International version. I generally either use, New King James, New International, and New American Standard versions.

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Me too. What's amazing about the passage you posted is that it's exactly the same wording/punctuation that the NWT has.

I have a 1986 Thompson NIV and a whole bunch of other translations including a Tanakh which I highly recommend. It doesn't have the New Testament in it though. There's the B'rit Hadasah though if you want a complete "bible".

I have never read an old version ofthe Bible (besides the classic King James Version) so it might be interesting to read something like that. My only problem with using one as a reference (and I'm not saying that you do, just saying this as a side point) is the word usage. Over time, word definitions and usage change. It may use the same words, but hold a slightly different meaning. Do you get what I'm trying to say? But still it would be cool to read one.

Linus said:

It reads: Two sons were born to Eber: One was named Peleg, because in his time the earth was divided; his brother was named Joktan.

What do you think the meaning of this passage is? What do you think that it means when it says the earth was divided? What do you think that this refers to? Your thoughts.

Click to expand...

Chabad.org said:

25. And to Eber were born two sons: one was named Peleg, because in his days the earth was divided, and the name of his brother was Joktan.

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here's the commentary by Rashi...


was divided The tongues became confused, and they were scattered from the valley and were dispersed throughout the entire world. We learn that Eber was a prophet, since he named his son for a future event [i.e. פֶּלֶג resembles the word נִפְלְגָה meaning “dispersed.”]. And we learned in Seder Olam (ch. 1) that at the end of his [Peleg’s] days, they were dispersed. For if you say that [they were dispersed] at the beginning of his days, behold his brother Joktan was his junior, and he begot many families before that, as it is said (verse 26): “And Joktan begot, etc.,” and [only] afterwards, [is it written] (11: 1):“And the whole earth was one language.” Now if you say [that they were dispersed] in the middle of his [Peleg’s] days, [this is not so, because] Scripture does not come to make things obscure but to explain. Hence, you learn that in the year of Peleg’s death, they were dispersed.

I have disected each word of the passage, there were no mis-translations here. But there is a connection with a verse later in this chapter that suggests that it is merely a time when the nations were forming.

Genesis 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.

no offense or anything but i think its funny that you mention that your tanakh doesnt include the new testament, of course it doesnt!