Verses 24-25 turn attention to one of Shem’s sons, Arpachshad. The line of descendants from Shem through Arpachshad, Shelah, and Eber to Peleg is parallel to Gen 11.10-17, and the names are apparently meant as personal names in both places. The name Shelah was applied to several peoples in the Old Testament.

Eber: see comments on verse 21.

Peleg, for in his days the earth was divided: Peleg is most probably a personal name, and the verb “to divide” contains the same consonants as this name. See Good News Translation and Revised Standard Version footnotes. Was divided translates the passive form of the Hebrew verb. A probable sense of the earth was divided is that given in 11.8-9, in which the LORD is said to have scattered humanity “over the face of all the earth.” It may also refer to the repopulation of the earth, as is seen in 9.19. Accepting the meaning as in 11.8-9, Good News Translation translates “The people of the world were divided.” However, divided in English is ambiguous. Speiser says “it was at that time that the world was dispersed.” It is not the world that is dispersed but the people; and so we may translate “The name of one son was Peleg—which sounds like ‘scattered’—because during his time the people of the earth were scattered everywhere.” In languages that do not use the passive, we may say, for example, “… because during his time the people divided up the earth” or “… spread all over to live in different parts of the earth.” Taking up the sense of divided given in 11.8-9, one translation has “… all the people of the world divided, taking different languages.”

Brother’s name was Joktan: brother, we may safely assume, means younger brother, since Joktan is named after Peleg. Joktan, an Arabic personal name, provides a link with the list of Arabic tribal names in verses 26-29.

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 .