Our Story Resumes (Gen 6:10 f.)

The Flood

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¹⁰ Noah fathered three sons: Shem, Ham, and Yéfet.

וַיּ֥וֹלֶד נֹ֖חַ שְׁלֹשָׁ֣ה בָנִ֑ים אֶת־שֵׁ֖ם אֶת־חָ֥ם וְאֶת־יָֽפֶת׃

Wait, didn’t we know this already?  We did!  It’s (drum roll) a repetitive resumption.  The verse it is repeating is 5:32, where the Greek translation actually adds the “three sons” missing there in the Hebrew.  Lemekh #1 (not Noah’s father, but the Lemekh of 4:19–24) also had three sons (plus a daughter), from two wives, but our verse is the first time we’re actually seeing that phrase.  I won’t speculate on why, but do look here for Washington Irving’s amusing description of the consequences of Noah’s having had only three sons.

We’ll actually see the three of them named together three more times by the time we reach 10:1, and (like so many bands) they will have a reunion tour in the fourth verse of Chronicles.  For now, let’s spend a moment on the repetition.  Here are the opinions of two of the traditional commentators.