3 英翻中 Genesis 9:18—10:32 大洪災故事其餘部分 31/3/2025
CHAPTER ELEVEN 第十一章 Genesis 9:18—10:32 創世記 9:18—10:32 THE REST OF THE STORY 故事的其餘部分 I’m an incurable reader of biographies and autobiographies, and I’ve often regretted turning the page of a book and discovering a grinning skeleton lurking in the closet of someone I’ve admired. American columnist Russell Baker said, “The biographer’s problem is that he never knows enough. The autobiographer’s problem is that he knows too much.” 1 But when God writes the story, He knows everything about everybody and always tells the truth, and He does it for our own good. 我是一位不可救藥的傳記和自傳讀者，我常常後悔翻開書頁，發現我所敬佩的人的衣櫃裡潛伏著一具咧著嘴笑的骷髏。美國專欄作家拉塞爾貝克說：「傳記作家的問題是他知道的永遠不夠。自傳作家的問題是他知道的太多。」1 但當上帝寫下這個故事時，他知道每個人的一切，並且總是說實話，而且他這樣做是為 The history of Noah and his family now moves from rainbows to shadows, and we behold the shameful sins of a great man of faith. Dr. William Culbertson, for many years president of Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, often closed his public prayers with, “And, Lord, help us to end well.” God answered that prayer for Dr. Culbertson, but not every believer now in heaven ended the race hearing God’s “Well done!” However, let’s be charitable and remember Paul’s warning, “Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall” (1 Cor. 10:12 nkjv). After all, Noah didn’t think it would happen to him! 挪亞和他的家人的歷史現在從彩虹變成了陰影，我們看到了一個偉大的信仰者所犯下的可恥罪行。多年來擔任芝加哥穆迪聖經學院院長的威廉·卡爾伯特森博士經常以“主啊，請幫助我們有一個美好的結局”來結束他的公開祈禱。上帝回應了卡爾伯特森博士的祈禱，但並不是每個現在在天堂的信徒都在比賽結束時聽到上帝的「幹得好！」然而，讓我們仁慈一點，記住保羅的警告：「所以，自以為站得住的，應當謹慎，免得跌倒」（哥林多前書 10:12 新欽定版）。畢竟，諾亞沒想到這種事會發生在自己身上！
A family tragedy (9:18–23) 家庭悲劇（9:18-23） The index for “the rest of the story” is in verses 18–19. The main characters are listed—Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth—and the main theme of this section is announced: how Noah’s family multiplied and scattered over the earth. A contemporary reader of the Bible is tempted to skip these lists of obscure names, but that doesn’t minimize their importance. These “obscure people” founded the nations that throughout Bible history interacted with each other and helped to accomplish God’s purposes on this earth. The descen dants of Shem—the people of Israel—have played an especially important part on the stage of history. 「故事其餘部分」的索引位於18-19節列出了人物 — 挪亞、閃、含和雅弗 — 並宣布了本節的主題：挪亞的家人如何在地球上增殖和分散。當代的《聖經》讀者很想跳過這些晦澀的名字列表，但並沒有重視它們。這些「默默無聞的人」建立了一些國家，在整個聖經歷史中，這些國家相互互動，幫助實現上帝在地球上的目的。閃的後 族— 以色列人 — 在歷史舞台上扮演了特別重要的角色。
Disgrace (vv. 20–21). In becoming a farmer, Noah followed the vocation of his father Lamech (5:28–29). While the Bible condemns drunkenness (Prov. 20:1; 23:19–21, 29–35; Isa. 5:11; Hab. 2:15; Rom. 13:13; 1 Cor. 6:10; Eph. 5:18), it doesn’t condemn the growing or eating of grapes or the drinking of wine. Grapes, raisins, and wine were important elements in the diet of Eastern peoples. In fact, in Old Testament society, wine was considered a blessing from God (Ps. 104:14–15; Deut. 14:26) and was even used with the sacrifices (Lev. 23:13; Num. 28:7). 羞辱（20-21節）。諾亞繼承了父親拉麥的使命，成為農夫（5:28-29）。同時聖經譴責醉酒（箴20:1；23:19-21、29-35；以賽亞書5:11；哈巴谷書2:15；羅馬書13:13；林前書6:10；以弗所書（詩 104:14-15；申命記 14:10；以弗所書（詩 104:14-15；申命記 14:26），甚至 23:313:13:26），甚至與利未一起被獻祭(利未記 23:13; 民數記 28:7）。 This is the first mention of wine in Scripture, but wine-making was practiced before the flood, and Noah certainly knew what too much wine would do to him. In an attempt to exonerate Noah, some students claim that the flood brought about a change in the earth’s atmosphere, and this caused the grape juice to ferment for the first time, but the defense is feeble. Noah had picked the grapes, crushed them in the winepress, put the juice into skins, and waited for the juice to ferment. 這是聖經中第一次提到酒，但在洪水之前就已經有人釀酒了，挪亞當然知道太多的酒會對他產生什麼影響。一些學生試圖為諾亞開脫，聲稱洪水導致了地球大氣層的變化，導致葡萄汁第一次發酵，但這種辯護是站不住腳的。挪亞採摘了葡萄，在壓榨機中壓碎，將果汁裝進皮里，等待果汁發酵。 Both his drunkenness and his nakedness were disgraceful, and the two often go together (Gen. 19:30–38; Hab. 2:15–16; Lam. 4:21). Alcohol isn’t a stimulant, it’s a narcotic; and when the brain is affected by alcohol, the person loses self-control. At least Noah was in his own tent when this happened and not out in public. But when you consider who he was (a preacher of righteousness) and what he had done (saved his household from death), his sin becomes even more repulsive. 他的醉酒和赤身露體都是可恥的，兩者經常同時出現（創 19:30-38；哈巴谷書 2:15-16；哀歌 4:21）。酒精不是興奮劑，而是麻醉劑；當大腦受到酒精影響時，人就會失去自製力。至少挪亞發生這件事時是在自己的帳篷裡，而不是在公共場合。但當你想到他是誰（正義的傳道者）和他所做的事（拯救他的家人免於死亡）時，他的罪就變得更加令人厭惡。 The Bible doesn’t excuse the sins of the saints but mentions them as warnings to us not to do what they did (1 Cor. 10:6–13). As Spurgeon said, “God never allows His children to sin successfully.” There’s always a price to pay. 聖經並沒有為聖徒的罪開脫，但提到他們是為了警告我們不要做他們所做的事（哥林多前書 10：6-13）。正如司布真所說：「神從來不讓他的孩子成功地犯罪。」總是要付出代價的。 Twice Abraham lied about his wife (Gen. 12:10–20; 20:1ff.), and his son Isaac followed his bad example (26:6–16). Moses lost his temper and as a result also lost the privilege of entering the Holy Land (Num. 20:7–13). Joshua jumped to conclusions and ended up defending the enemy (Josh. 9—10). David committed adultery and arranged to have the woman’s husband killed in battle (2 Sam. 11), and the sword plagued his family for years to come. 亞伯拉罕兩次在他妻子的事上撒了謊（創世記 12:10-20；20:1ff.），他的兒子以撒效仿了他的壞榜樣（26:6-16）。摩西發脾氣，結果也失去了進入聖地的特權（民20:7-13）。約書亞倉促下結論，最終為敵人辯護（書9-10）。大衛犯了通姦罪，並安排在戰場上殺死了這個女人的丈夫（撒母耳記下 11），而刀劍在接下來的幾年裡一直困擾著他的家人。 Noah didn’t plan to get drunk and shamelessly expose himself, but it happened just the same. The Japanese have an appropriate proverb: “First the man takes a drink, then the drink takes a drink, and then the drink takes the man.” 挪亞並沒有打算喝醉然後無恥地暴露自己，但事情還是發生了。日本人有一句恰當的諺語：「先人喝酒，然後酒喝飲料，然後酒喝人」。 Disrespect (v. 22). Ham shouldn’t have entered his father’s tent without an invitation. Did he call to his father and receive no answer? Did he wonder if Noah was sick or perhaps even dead? Did he even know that his father had been drinking wine? These are questions the text doesn’t answer, so it’s useless for us to speculate. One thing is certain: Ham was disrespectful to his father in what he did. 不尊重（22節）。未經邀請，含不應該進入他父親的帳篷。他打電話給他的父親卻沒有得到答案嗎？他是否想知道挪亞是否生病了或甚至死了？他知道他父親一直在喝酒嗎？這些都是文字沒有回答的問題，所以我們猜測是沒有用的。有一點是肯定的：含的行為是對父親的不尊重。 How people respond to the sin and embarrassment of others is an indication of their character. Ham could have peeked into the tent, quickly sized up the situation, and covered his father’s body, saying nothing about the incident to anyone. Instead, he seems to have enjoyed the sight and then told his two brothers about it in a rather disrespectful manner. He may even have suggested that they go take a look for themselves. 人們對他人的罪惡和尷尬的反應反映了他們的性格。哈姆本來可以往帳篷裡看一眼，迅速判斷狀況，然後蓋住父親的身體，對這件事隻字未提。相反，他似乎很享受這一景象，然後以相當不尊重的方式告訴他的兩個兄弟。他甚至可能建議他們自己去看看。 Moses hadn’t yet said, “Honor your father and your mother” (Ex. 20:12), but surely the impulse is natural to children and should have been present in Ham’s heart. Why would a son show such disrespect for his father? Though Ham was the youngest of the three sons, perhaps he was an Old Testament “elder brother” who was angry with his father because of something he didn’t receive (Luke 15:25–32). By what he did, Ham revealed a weakness in his character that could show up in his descendants. 摩西還沒說：「孝敬父母」（出 20:12），但這種衝動對孩子來說是很自然的，也應該存在於含的心中。為什麼一個兒子會對自己的父親表現出如此不尊重呢？雖然含是三個兒子中最小的一個，但也許他是舊約中的“哥哥”，因為他沒有收到一些東西而對父親生氣（路加福音15：25-32）。透過他的所作所為，含暴露了他性格中的一個弱點，這種弱點可能會在他的後代身上顯現出來。 Decency (v. 23). Instead of laughing with Ham and going to see the humiliating sight, Shem and Japheth showed their love for their father by practicing Proverbs 10:12, “Love covers all sins” (nkjv; see 1 Peter 4:8). The brothers stood together and held a garment behind them, backed into the tent with their eyes averted, and covered Noah’s naked body. “He who covers a transgression seeks love” (Prov. 17:9 nkjv), and “a prudent man covers shame” (12:16 nkjv). 體面（23節）。閃和雅弗沒有和含一起大笑，也沒有去看羞辱的景象，而是透過實踐箴言 10:12「愛遮掩一切罪孽」（新欽定本；參考彼得前書 4:8）來表達他們對父親的愛。兄弟倆站在一起，背著一件衣服，背對著帳篷，蓋住了諾亞赤裸的身體。 「遮掩過犯的，是尋求仁愛」（箴17:9），「通達人遮掩羞辱」（箴12:16）。 Love doesn’t cleanse sin, for only the blood of Christ can do that (1 John 1:7); nor does love condone sin, for love wants God’s very best for others. But love does cover sin and doesn’t go around exposing sin and encouraging others to spread the bad news. When people sin and we know about it, our task is to help restore them in a spirit of meekness (Gal. 6:1–2). It’s been said that on the battlefield of life, Christians are prone to kick their wounded, and too often this is true. But before we condemn others, we’d better consider our selves, for all of us are candidates for conduct unbecoming to a Christian. 愛並不能洗淨罪孽，因為只有基督的血才能做到這一點（約翰一書 1:7）；愛也不寬恕罪，因為愛希望神將最好的賜給別人。但愛確實遮蓋了罪，並且不會四處揭露罪並鼓勵別人傳播壞消息。當人們犯罪而我們知道的時候，我們的任務就是以溫柔的精神幫助他們恢復（加拉太書 6:1-2）。有人說，在生命的戰場上，基督徒很容易踢傷者，這往往是事實。但在我們譴責別人之前，我們最好先考慮一下自己，因為我們所有人都可能做出不適合基督徒的行為。
A family prophecy (9:24–29) 家庭預言（9:24-29） When Noah awakened from his drunken stupor, he was probably ashamed of what he had done, but he was also surprised to find himself covered by a garment. Naturally, he wondered what had happened in the tent while he was asleep. The logical thing would be to speak to Japheth, his firstborn, and he and Shem must have told him what Ham had done. 當挪亞從醉酒的昏迷中醒來時，他可能為自己所做的事感到羞愧，但他也驚訝地發現自己身上覆蓋著一件衣服。他自然想知道自己睡著的時候帳篷裡發生了什麼事。合乎邏輯的事情是告訴他的長子雅弗，他和閃一定已經告訴了他含所做的事。 These words are Noah’s only recorded speech found in Scripture. It’s too bad that this brief speech has been misunderstood and labeled a “curse,” because what Noah said is more like a father’s prophecy concerning his children and grandchildren. The word “curse” is used only once, but it’s directed at Ham’s youngest son Canaan and not at Ham himself. This suggests that Noah was describing the future of his sons and one grandson on the basis of what he saw in their character, not unlike what Jacob did before he died (Gen. 49). 這些話是聖經中唯一有記錄的諾亞講話。可惜這段簡短的演講被誤解了，被貼上了「咒詛」的標籤，因為諾亞所說的更像是父親對他的子孫的預言。 「咒詛」這個字只用過一次，但它是針對含的小兒子迦南，而不是含本人。這顯示諾亞是根據他所看到的兒子和孫子的性格來描述他們的未來，這與雅各在死前所做的沒有什麼不同（創世記 49 章）。 Canaan—enslavement (v. 25). If Noah had wanted to pronounce a curse, it would have been directed at Ham, the son who had sinned against his father, but instead, he named Canaan three times. It was a principle in later Jewish law that the children could not be punished for the sins of their fathers (Deut. 24:16; Jer. 31:29–30; Ezek. 18:1–4), and it’s likely that this principle applied in patriarchal times. 2 Looking down the centuries, Noah predicted three times that the descendants of Canaan would become the lowest of servants. 3 The Canaanites are listed in Genesis 10:15–19 and are the very nations the Israelites conquered and whose land they inhabited (15:18–21; Ex. 3:8, 17; Num. 13:29; Josh. 3:10; 1 Kings 9:20). It’s difficult to describe the moral decay of the Canaanite society, especially their religious practices, but the laws given in Leviticus 18 will give you some idea of how they lived. 4 God warned the Jews not to compromise with the Canaanite way of life and to destroy everything that would tempt them in that direction (Ex. 34:10–17; Deut. 7). 迦南－奴役（25節）。如果諾亞想咒罵的話，他本來是針對得罪父親的兒子含的，但他卻三次提到迦南。後來的猶太法律有一條原則，即子女不能因父親的罪而受到懲罰（申命記 24:16；耶利米書 31:29-30；以西結書 18:1-4），這一原則很可能適用於父權制時代。2 回顧幾個世紀以來，諾亞曾三次預言迦南的後裔將成為最低等的僕人。3 創世記 10:15-19 中列出了迦南人，他們正是以色列人征服的國家並居住在他們的土地上（15:18-21；出埃及記 3:8, 17；民數記 13:29；書 3:10；列王記上 9:20）。很難描述迦南社會的道德敗壞，尤其是他們的宗教習俗，但利未記第 18 章所給的律法可以讓你了解他們的生活方式。4 上帝警告猶太人不要向迦南人的生活方式妥協，並消滅一切誘惑他們朝那個方向發展的東西（出埃及記 34:10-17；申命記 7）。 Two misconceptions should be cleared up. First, the descendants of Ham were not members of a black race but were Caucasian, so there’s no basis in this so-called “curse of Canaan” for the institution of slavery. Second, in spite of their evil ways, some of these Hamitic peoples built large and advanced civilizations, including the Babylonians, Assyrians, and Egyptians. In one sense, we can say that the descendants of Ham “served” the whole world through the ideas and implements that they discovered and developed. Like the Cainites (Gen. 4:17–24), these nations were gifted at creating things for this world (Luke 16:8). 有兩個誤解需要澄清。首先，含的後裔不是黑人，而是白種人，因此所謂「迦南的詛咒」奴隸制是沒有根據的。其次，儘管他們的行為邪惡，但其中一些含米特人仍然建立了龐大而先進的文明，包括巴比倫人、亞述人和埃及人。從某種意義上說，我們可以說含的後裔透過他們發現和發展的思想和工具「服務」了整個世界。就像該隱人（創 4：17-24）一樣，這些國家也有為這個世界創造事物的天賦（路 16：8）。 Shem—enrichment (v. 26). Noah didn’t bless Shem; he blessed “the Lord, the God of Shem” (niv). In so doing, Noah gave glory to God for what He will do with the descendants of Shem. Noah acknowledged before his sons that whatever Shem possessed would be God’s gift, and whatever blessing Shem brought to the world in the future would be because of the grace of God. 閃－豐富（26節）。挪亞沒有祝福閃；他沒有祝福閃。他稱頌「耶和華，閃的神」（新譯本）。藉著這樣做，挪亞將榮耀歸給神，因為神將要對閃的後裔所做的事。挪亞在兒子們面前承認，閃所擁有的一切都是神的恩賜，閃未來帶給世人的一切祝福都是神的恩典。 Shem, of course, is the ancestor of Abraham (11:10–32) who is the founder of the Hebrew nation; so Noah was talking about the Jewish people. That the Lord would enrich the Jewish people spiritually was promised to Abraham (12:1–3) and later explained by Paul (Rom. 3:1–4; 9:1–13). It’s through Israel that we have the knowledge of the true God, the written Word of God, and the Savior, Jesus Christ, who was born in Bethlehem of the tribe of Judah. In the Hebrew, “Shem” means “name,” and it’s the people of Israel who have preserved the name of the Lord. 當然，閃是希伯來民族的創始人亞伯拉罕的祖先（11:10-32）。所以諾亞談論的是猶太人。主應許亞伯拉罕（12:1-3），並在後來由保羅解釋（羅馬書 3:1-4；9:1-13），主會在精神上豐富猶太人民。正是透過以色列，我們才認識了真神、神的話語和救主耶穌基督，祂出生在猶大支派的伯利恆。在希伯來文中，“閃”的意思是“名字”，是以色列人保存了耶和華的名字。 Shem was Noah’s second-born son (Gen. 9:24; 10:21), but wherever the three sons are listed, Shem’s name is first (5:32; 6:10; 9:18; 10:1; 1 Chron. 1:4). It’s another instance in Genesis of the grace of God elevating the second-born to the place of the firstborn. God chose Abel instead of Cain (Gen. 4:4–5), Isaac instead of Ishmael (17:15–22), and Jacob instead of Esau (25:19–23). Paul discusses this profound theological truth in Romans 9. 閃是挪亞的次子（創 9:24；10:21），但無論列出這三個兒子，閃的名字都是排在第一位的（創 5:32；6:10；9:18；10:1；代上 1:4）。這是創世記中上帝的恩典將次生子提升到長子地位的另一個例子。神選擇了亞伯代替該隱（創 4:4-5），選擇以撒代替以實瑪利（17:15-22），並選擇雅各代替以掃（25:19-23）。保羅在羅馬書第 9 章討論了這深刻的神學真理。 Japheth—enlargement (v. 27). He was the ancestor of what we generally call the “Gentile nations.” We have here a play on words, for in the Hebrew the name Japheth is very close to the word that means “to enlarge.” The Hamites built large civilizations in the east, and the Semites settled in the land of Canaan and surrounding territory, but the descendants of Japheth spread out much farther than their relatives and even reached what we know as Asia Minor and Europe. They were a people who would multiply and move into new territory. 雅弗－擴大（27節）。他是我們通常所說的「外邦國家」的祖先。我們在這裡玩了一個文字遊戲，因為在希伯來語中，雅弗這個名字與意思是「擴大」的詞非常接近。含米特人在東方建立了龐大的文明，閃米特人定居在迦南地及週邊地區，但雅弗的後裔比他們的親戚傳播得更遠，甚至到達了我們所知的小亞細亞和歐洲。他們是一個會繁衍並遷移到新領土的民族。 However, while the descendants of Japheth were successful in their conquests, when it came to things spiritual, they would have to depend on Shem. God is the God of Shem and the descendants of Japheth would find God “in the tents of Shem.” Israel was chosen by God to be a “light to the Gentiles” (Isa. 42:6; 49:6), for “salvation is of the Jews” (John 4:22). Sad to say, for the most part, the nation of Israel failed to witness to the Gentiles that they might believe in the true and living God (Isa. 52:5; Rom. 2:24). 然而，雖然雅弗的後裔在征服方面取得了成功，但在屬靈的事上，他們卻不得不依賴閃。神是閃的神，雅弗的後裔會在「閃的帳棚裡」找到神。以色列被上帝選為「外邦人的光」（賽 42:6；49:6），因為「救恩是出於猶太人」（約翰福音 4:22）。可悲的是，以色列民族在很大程度上未能向外邦人作見證，使他們相信又真又活的神（以賽亞書 52:5；羅馬書 2:24）。 When Jesus came to earth, He brought light to the Gentiles (Luke 2:32), and the apostles and the early church carried that light to the nations (Acts 1:8; 13:47). The descendants of Noah’s three sons were represented in the early church: the Ethiopian treasurer, a descendant of Ham (8:26ff.); 5 Paul, a descendant of Shem (Acts 9); and Cornelius and his family, who were descendants of Japheth (Acts 10). 當耶穌來到世上時，他為外邦人帶來了光明（路加福音2:32），而使徒和早期教會則把這光帶給了萬民（使徒行傳1:8；13:47）。諾亞三個兒子的後裔在早期教會中有代表：埃塞俄比亞的財務主管，含的後裔（8:26ff.）； 5 保羅，閃的後裔（使徒行傳 9）；還有哥尼流和他的家人，他們是雅弗的後裔（使徒行傳 10）。 Noah lived another three-and-a-half centuries, and we have every reason to believe that he walked with God and served Him faithfully. As far as the record is concerned, he fell once, and certainly he repented and the Lord forgave him. In our walk with God, we climb the hills and sometimes we descend into the valleys. As Alexander Whyte used to say, “The victorious Christian life is a series of new beginnings.” 挪亞又活了三個半世紀，我們有充分的理由相信祂與神同行並忠心事奉神。就記載而言，他跌倒過一次，他當然悔改了，主也赦免了他。在與神同行的過程中，我們會爬山，有時會下山谷。正如亞歷山大·懷特（Alexander Whyte）曾經說過的：“得勝的基督徒生活是一系列新的開始。” A family legacy (10:1–32) 家族遺產 (10:1-32) This chapter is known as “The Table of Nations” and is unique in the annals of ancient history. The purpose of the chapter is given at the beginning (v. 1) and the end (v. 32): to explain how the earth was repopulated after the flood by the descendants of the three sons of Noah. You find a similar (but not identical) listing in 1 Chronicles 1. 本章被稱為“國家表”，在古代歷史史上是獨一無二的。本章的目的在開頭（第 1 節）和結尾（第 32 節）給出：解釋洪水過後，諾亞三個兒子的後裔如何在地球上繁衍生息。您可以在歷代志上書卷中找到類似（但不相同）的清單。 Caution! Before we look at some of the details of this chapter, and then try to draw some spiritual lessons from it, we need to heed some warnings. 小心！在我們查看本章的一些細節，然後嘗試從中學習一些精神教訓之前，我們需要注意一些警告。 First, the listing is not a typical genealogy that gives only the names of descendants. The writer reminds us that these ancient peoples had their own “clans and languages … territories and nations” (Gen. 10:31 niv). In other words, this is a genealogy plus an atlas plus a history book. We’re watching the movements of people and nations in the ancient world. 首先，該列表並不是典型的只給出後代姓名的家譜。作者提醒我們，這些古代民族有自己的「氏族和語言…領土和國家」（創世記 10:31 Niv）。換句話說，這是一本家譜加一本圖冊加一本歷史書。我們正在觀察古代世界人民和國家的動向。 Second, the listing isn’t complete. For example, we don’t find Edom, Moab, and Ammon mentioned, and yet these were important nations in biblical history. The fact that there are seventy nations in the list sug gests that the arrangement may be deliberately artificial, an approach often used in writing such list ings.6 There were seventy persons in Jacob’s family when they went to Egypt (Gen. 46:27; Ex. 1:5), and our Lord sent seventy disciples out to preach the Word (Luke 10:1). 其次，清單不完整。例如，我們沒有發現以東、摩押和亞捫被提及，但這些都是聖經歷史上的重要國家。名單上有七十個國家，這一事實表明這種安排可能是故意人為的，這是撰寫此類清單時經常使用的方法。 6 雅各一家到埃及時有七十人（創 46:27；出埃及記 1:5），我們的主差遣七十個門徒出去傳道（路 10:1）。 Third, it’s difficult to identify some of these nations and give them “modern” names. Over the centuries, nations can change their names, move to different loca tions, modify their language, and even alter their racial composition through intermarriage. 第三，很難識別其中一些國家並給它們一個“現代”名稱。幾個世紀以來，國家可以改變他們的名字，遷移到不同的地點，改變他們的語言，甚至透過通婚改變他們的種族組成。 Japheth’s descendants (vv. 2–5). Seven sons are named and seven grandsons from only two of the sons. Does this mean that the other five sons had no children born to them, or is it another evidence of the selective approach of the compiler? Japheth is the ancestor of the Gentile nations who located north and west of the land of Canaan. These would be the distant nations, the countries that represented the “outer limits” of civiliza tion for the average Old Testament Jew (Ps. 72:8–10). 雅弗的後裔（2-5節）。七個兒子被命名，其中兩個兒子有七個孫子。這是否意味著其他五個兒子沒有生下孩子，或者這是編纂者選擇性做法的另一個證據？雅弗是位於迦南地北部和西部的外邦民族的祖先。這些將是遙遠的國家，對於普通舊約猶太人來說，這些國家代表了文明的「外部界限」（詩篇 72：8-10）。 Ham’s descendants (vv. 6–20). Cush is ancient Ethiopia (not the modern nation), Mizraim is Egypt, and Put may be Libya. We’ve already touched upon the peoples of Canaan. The descendants of Ham located in areas we’d identify today as Egypt, Palestine, the Sudan, Saudi Arabia, and Yemen. 含的後裔（6-20節）。古實是古代衣索比亞（不是現代國家），麥西是埃及，普特可能是利比亞。我們已經談到了迦南的人民。含的後裔分佈在我們今天所認定的埃及、巴勒斯坦、蘇丹、沙烏地阿拉伯和葉門地區。 At this point in the listing there’s a “parenthesis” to discuss a famous man, Nimrod, the founder of a great empire (vv. 8–12). He’s mentioned because the nations he founded played an important part in the history of Israel, and also because one of them (Babel) is discussed in the next section of Genesis. 清單中的這一點有一個「括號」來討論一位名人，寧錄，一個偉大帝國的創始人（8-12節）。提到他是因為他所建立的國家在以色列歷史上發揮了重要作用，也因為其中一個國家（巴別塔）將在創世記的下一部分中討論。 In the Authorized Version, Nimrod is called “a mighty one in the earth” and “a mighty hunter before the Lord” (vv. 8–9). The word translated “mighty” refers to a champion, somebody who is superior in strength and courage. It’s translated “mighty men” in 1 Kings 1:8 and 10 and refers to David’s special body guards. The image of Nimrod in the text isn’t that of a sportsman hunting game7 but rather of a tyrant ruth lessly conquering men and establishing an empire. He built four cities in Shinar (Babylonia) and four more in Assyria. Both Babylon and Assyria became the enemies of Israel and were used of God to chasten His disobe dient people. We’ll learn more about Babylon in the next study. 在權威版本中，寧錄被稱為「地上的一位大能者」和「耶和華面前大能的獵戶」（8-9節）。翻譯後的「強大」一詞指的是冠軍，也就是在力量和勇氣上都超群的人。在列王記上 1:8 和 10 中，它被翻譯為“勇士”，指的是大衛的特殊侍衛。文中寧錄的形象並不是運動員狩獵遊戲的形象，而是殘酷地征服人類、建立帝國的暴君。他在示拿（巴比倫）建造了四座城市，在亞述又建造了四座城市。巴比倫和亞述都成為以色列的敵人，並被神用來管教他悖逆的子民。我們將在下一次研究中了解更多有關巴比倫的資訊。 Shem’s descendants (vv. 21–31). Shem is usually mentioned first, but he’s listed last this time so that the narrative can move right into the story of Babel and the genealogy of Abraham, who descended from Shem (11:10ff.). Five sons are mentioned, but the emphasis is on the family of Arphaxad because he was the grand father of Eber (10:24). Abraham, the father of the Hebrew nation, came from the line of Eber, and his story begins in chapter 12. 8 閃的後裔（21-31節）。閃通常首先被提及，但這次他被列在最後，以便敘述可以直接進入巴別塔的故事和亞伯拉罕的家譜，亞伯拉罕是閃的後裔（11:10ff）。書中提到了五個兒子，但重點是亞法撒家族，因為他是希伯的祖父（10:24）。希伯來民族之父亞伯拉罕是希伯的後裔，他的故事從第 12 章開始。 8 There’s another “parenthesis” in 10:25 to discuss the “dividing of the earth” during the days of Peleg, which means “division.” This is probably referring to the dividing and dispersing of the nations described in chapter 11. However, some students think this “division” refers to a special dividing of the continents and rearranging of the landmasses. 9 10 章 25 節還有一個 “括號”，討論法勒時代的“分地”，意思是“分裂”。這可能指的是第11章所描述的國家的分裂和分散。然而，有些學生認為這個「分裂」是指大陸的特殊劃分和陸地的重新排列。9 Significance. This list of names and places carries with it some important theological truths, not the least of which is that Jehovah God is the Lord of the nations. God gave the nations their inheritance (Deut. 32:8) and “determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation” (Acts 17:26). In spite of despots like Nimrod, Jehovah is the God of geography and of history; He is in control. What God promises, He performs, and Noah’s prophecy about his sons came true. 重要性. 這份名單包含一些重要的神學真理，其中最重要的是耶和華上帝是萬國之主。神將他們的產業賜給萬民（申命記 32:8），並「在所定的日期和他們居住的範圍之前定定了」（使徒行傳 17:26）。儘管有寧錄這樣的暴君，耶和華卻是掌管地理和歷史的上帝。他掌控一切。神所應許的，祂都會成就，挪亞關於祂兒子的預言也都應驗了。 Second, in spite of external differences, all nations belong to the same human family. God made us all “of one blood” (Acts 17:26), and no race or people can claim to be superior to any other race or people. While in His providence, God has permitted some nations to make greater progress economically and politically than other nations, their achievements don’t prove that they are better than others (Prov. 22:2). 其次，儘管有外在差異，但所有國家都屬於同一個人類大家庭。神創造我們都是「同一種血統」（使徒行傳 17:26），沒有一個種族或民族可以聲稱自己比任何其他種族或民族優越。雖然上帝允許一些國家在經濟和政治上比其他國家取得更大的進步，但他們的成就並不能證明他們比其他國家更好（箴 22:2）。 Third, God has a purpose for the nations to fulfill. The account in Genesis 9:24—11:32 makes it clear that God’s chosen nation was Israel. From chapter 12 on, Israel will be center stage in the narrative. But God also used Egypt, Babylon, Assyria, Media-Persia, and Rome to accomplish His purposes with reference to the Jewish people. God can use pagan rulers like Nebuchadnezzar, Cyrus, Darius, and even Augustus Caesar. 第三，神對萬國有一個旨意要實現。創世記9章24節至11章32節的記載清楚地表明，神的選民是以色列。從第 12 章開始，以色列將成為敘事的中心舞台。但神也使用埃及、巴比倫、亞述、瑪代波斯和羅馬來完成祂對猶太人的旨意。神可以使用異教統治者，如尼布甲尼撒、居魯士、大流士，甚至奧古斯都凱撒。 第三，神對萬國有一個旨意要實現。創世記9章24節至11章32節的記載清楚地表明，神的選民是以色列。從第 12 章開始，以色列將成為敘事的中心舞台。但神也使用埃及、巴比倫、亞述、瑪代波斯和羅馬來完成祂對猶太人的旨意。神可以使用異教統治者，如尼布甲尼撒、居魯士、大流士，甚至奧古斯都凱撒。 Fourth, God is concerned for all the nations. Frequently in the book of Psalms you find the phrase “all ye lands” or “all nations.” Psalms 66:1–8 and 67 both express this universal vision that all the nations of the earth come to know God and serve Him. The church’s commission to go into all the world isn’t a New Testament afterthought; it’s written into the warp and woof of the Old Testament story. 第四，神關心萬國。在《詩篇》中，你常常會看到「萬國」或「萬國」這樣的片語。詩篇 66:1-8 和 67 都表達了這個普遍願景：地球上的所有國家都來認識神並事奉祂。教會進入全世界的使命並不是新約聖經事後才想到的。它被寫入舊約故事的經緯。 Finally, what’s written in Genesis 9—10 must have been an encouragement to the people of Israel when they conquered Canaan. They knew that they were the chosen people of God and that the Canaanites would be their servants. They also knew that their God was the Lord of the nations and could dispose of them as He pleased. The conquest of Canaan was a victory of faith in God’s promises, which explains why God admonished Joshua to meditate on the Word of God (Josh. 1:8). 最後，創世記9-10章所寫的內容一定是對以色列人征服迦南地時的鼓勵。他們知道自己是上帝的選民，迦南人將成為他們的僕人。他們也知道他們的上帝是萬國之主，可以隨心所欲地處置他們。征服迦南是對上帝應許的信心的勝利，這解釋了為什麼上帝勸告約書亞要默想上帝的話（書1:8）。 Noah’s three sons left a mixed legacy to the world, but the Lord of the nations was still in charge, and his tory is still His story. 10 挪亞的三個兒子為世界留下了複雜的遺產，但萬國之主仍然掌管一切，歷史仍然是他的故事。 10
Notes 筆記
2 出埃及記 20：5-6 和 34：7 平衡了這個原則：如果孩子重蹈父親的罪，上帝確實會因為父親的罪而懲罰孩子，而這種情況經常發生。無論是因為遺傳的基因弱點或壞榜樣的影響，孩子有時會跟隨父母的腳步。 3 有些學生認為這種「服務」不是奴役，而是為他人提供服務，也許諾亞的陳述中包含了這個想法。一些含米特文明對世界的物質和智力進步做出了巨大貢獻。 4 鑑於挪亞所發生的事，「赤身露體」一詞在這一章中出現了二十四次，這一點很重要。當然，「揭露裸體」意味著與一個人發生性關係，這就是《新國際詞典》的翻譯方式。 5 這不是現代的衣索比亞，而是一個非洲國家，在現代翻譯中通常被稱為「古什」。古實是含的兒子。 6 我們已經注意到從亞當到挪亞（創 5）、從閃到亞伯拉罕（11:10-26）、從法勒斯到大衛（路得記 4:18-22）的十代名單。馬太福音中我們主的家譜遵循從亞伯拉罕到基督，每組十四代的三組模式（太 1:1-17）。申命記 32:8 說，列國的劃分是「按以色列人的數目」。這是指雅各（以色列）家族的七十口人嗎？有些經文讀到“上帝兒子的數目”，這可能指的是天使（約伯記 1-2），因為猶太傳統說有七十個“領地天使”，每一位都被分配到一個國家（但 10:12-21）。 7 我曾經看到一家名為「Rod and Nimrod」的體育用品店，這表明他們向漁民和獵人出售裝備。 8 “希伯來語”這個名字可能來自“埃伯”，但並非所有哈布拉主義者都同意。有些人將“希伯來語”與一個意思是“穿過或越過”的詞聯繫起來，即“來自另一邊”，意思是“一個流浪者，一個陌生人”。外星人亞伯拉罕被稱為「希伯來人」（創 14:13），埃及的約瑟也被稱為「希伯來人」（創 39:14；41:12；43:32）。 51 創世記 11 9 1868 年，羅伯特‧坎德利甚 (Robert S. Candlish) 對這節令人費解的經文提出了一個有趣的解釋。他建議上帝告訴希伯如何劃分各國以及將他們送到哪裡。寧錄試圖將人民統一到他的統治之下，但上帝透過驅散各部族來挫敗他的努力。請參閱 Robert S. Candlish 的《創世紀研究》（大急流城：Kregel Publications，1979 年），172-73。 10 A.T.博士皮爾森常說「歷史就是他的故事」。
1 “Life With Mother” by Russell Baker, in Inventing the Truth, edited by William Zinsser (New York: Book-of-the-Month Club, 1987), 49. 1 Russell Baker 所寫的“Life With Mother”，Inventing the Truth，William Zinsser 編輯（紐約：每月圖書俱樂部，1987 年），49。 2 Exodus 20:5–6 and 34:7 balance this principle: God does pun ish the children for their father’s sins if the sins of the fathers are repeated by the children, and this frequently happens. Whether it’s because of inherited genetic weakness or the influence of bad examples, children sometimes follow in their parents’ foot steps. 1 Russell Baker 所寫的“Life With Mother”，Inventing the Truth，William Zinsser 編輯（紐約：每月圖書俱樂部，1987 年），49。 3 Some students see this “service” not as slavery but as rendering service to others, and perhaps this idea is included in Noah’s statement. Some of the Hamitic civilizations contributed much to the material and intellectual progress of the world. 4 In view of what happened to Noah, it’s significant that the word “nakedness” is found twenty-four times in this chapter. To “uncover nakedness” means, of course, to have sexual rela tions with a person, which the the way the niv translates it. 5 This is not the modern Ethiopia but an African nation usually identified as “Cush” in modern translations. Cush was a son of Ham. 6 We’ve already noticed lists of ten generations from Adam to Noah (Gen. 5), from Shem to Abraham (11:10–26), and from Perez to David (Ruth 4:18–22). Matthew’s genealogy of our Lord follows a pattern of three sets of fourteen generations each, from Abraham to Christ (Matt. 1:1–17). Deuteronomy 32:8 states that the division of the nations was “according to the number of the children of Israel.” Does this refer to the seventy people in Jacob’s (Israel’s) family? Some texts read “the number of the sons of God,” which may refer to the angels (Job 1—2), since Jewish tradition said there were seventy “ter ritorial angels” and each was assigned to a nation (Dan. 10:12–21). 7 I once saw a sporting goods store that was named “Rod and Nimrod,” suggesting that they sold equipment for both fisher men and hunters. 8 It’s possible that the name “Hebrew” comes from “Eber,” but not all Habraists agree. Some connect “Hebrew” with a word meaning “to pass through or over,” that is, “from beyond the other side,” meaning “a wanderer, a stranger.” Abraham the alien was called “the Hebrew” (Gen. 14:13), as was Joseph in Egypt (39:14; 41:12; 43:32). 51 Genesis 11 9 In 1868, Robert S. Candlish proposed an interesting interpre tation of this puzzling verse. He suggested that God told Eber how to divide the various nations and where to send them. Nimrod was attempting to consolidate the peoples under his rule, but God thwarted his efforts by dispersing the various clans. See Studies in Genesis by Robert S. Candlish (Grand Rapids: Kregel Publications, 1979), 172–73. 10 Dr. A.T. Pierson often said “History is His story.”
