'From these the islands of the nations in their lands were spread abroad' means that the worship of even more nations emanated from these, 'islands' being individual pieces of land, and so individual forms of worship, which were more remote still, 'lands' the general features of those forms of worship. 'Every one according to his tongue, according to their families, as to their nations' means that they were ranged according to the character of each one, 'according to his tongue' meaning according to each one's individual belief, 'according to their families' meaning according to uprightness, 'as to their nations' meaning as regards both belief and uprightness in general.