בראשית, פרק י׳, פסוק ל״ב

Human history traces back to a single surviving family, eventually branching out into a diverse world of nations. The narrative draws a close to the detailed genealogy of early humanity, mirroring how the account began and bringing the broad overview to a focused conclusion [קאסוטו]. Serving as a final summary of how the world was repopulated, the perspective shifts outward from the specific territories mentioned earlier to encompass the entire globe [קאסוטו].

This expansive family tree totals seventy descendants: fourteen from Japheth, thirty from Ham, and twenty-six from Shem. These individuals emerged as the patriarchs of seventy distinct nations, each developing its own unique language, and the lands they ultimately inherited were named in their honor [חזקוני].

While the repopulation began following the flood, the actual geographic and linguistic division of humanity was not an immediate event upon leaving the ark. Rather, the separation unfolded gradually over several generations [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. This division took place significantly later, specifically during the lifetime of Peleg and following the events of the Tower of Babel [רד״ק, ביאור יש״ר].

The scattering of humanity was completely universal. Even smaller groups of people who never consolidated into independent nations migrated to different regions. Ultimately, this gradual but total dispersion ensured that every corner of the earth was inhabited and fully settled [העמק דבר].