Verse 13 again picks up the list of nations that was interrupted by verses 8-12.
Egypt became the father of is the same expression as used for Cush and Nimrod in Gen 10.8. However, that is as far as the resemblance goes. Verses 13-14 contain seven names, all with the plural suffix in Hebrew, and only a few are known for certain. English translations handle the plural Hebrew names in various ways. For example, Revised Standard Version retains the Hebrew plural form. Good News Translation and others say “the people of” followed by the name in the singular. New International Version uses the plural suffix meaning “people called by the name of”; these names have the form “Ludites, Anamites, Lehabites, Naphtuhites, Pathrusites … and Caphtorites.”
In translating these names translators should use the forms that are usual for referring to the people of a particular foreign nation or group. However, there will be problems for translators in languages that use different ways of referring to groups, depending on whether the name of the group is derived from or related to the place where the group lives, or to the name of a clan or ancestor. It is not possible to be sure at all regarding some of the names, and so a certain amount of guesswork will have to be used. See the comments below for information that is available.
Ludim occurs in the singular lud, as archers in the Egyptian army in Jer 46.9; in Ezek 27.10 along with Persia; in Ezek 30.5 along with Cush (“Ethiopia”) and Put; and again as archers in Isa 66.19.
Anamim: unidentified.
Lehabim may be identified as the Lubim in 2 Chr 12.3; 16.8; Dan 11.43, and probably refers to the Libyans, as in Revised Standard Version.
Naphtuhim: unidentified.
Pathrusim is cited in Jer 44.15 and elsewhere and refers to the Egyptians living in “Pathros,” or what is today Upper Egypt.
Casluhim: unidentified.
(Whence came the Philistines): note that Good News Translation places “from whom the Philistines are descended” after “Crete” and adds a footnote that says “Hebrew from whom the Philistines are descended, and Crete.” That is to say that Good News Translation and others assume that (whence came the Philistines) has been misplaced, and that this clause refers to the Caphtorim who are the people of Crete. Most modern translations shift this clause to follow Caphtorim, some with and some without a footnote. Hebrew Old Testament Text Project takes this clause as “an ancient gloss” (something added by later copyists) but finds it is used consistently in the same position in the manuscripts, and so recommends a footnote to associate the clause with the Caphtorim. Translators may follow either Good News Translation or Revised Standard Version. However, if footnotes are used, the Good News Translation footnote may serve as a model.
Philistines are a people from the Aegean area who invaded the land of Canaan and Egypt in the 13th century B.C. and later came into conflict with the Israelites.
Caphtorim is almost certainly an ancient name for the island of Crete; it is used in Jer 47.4; Amos 9.7.
Quoted with permission from Reyburn, William D. and Fry, Euan McG. A Handbook on Genesis. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1997. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .