Genesis - 11:1-32



The Tower of Babel

      1 The whole earth was of one language and of one speech. 2 It happened, as they traveled east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar, and they lived there. 3 They said one to another, "Come, let's make bricks, and burn them thoroughly." They had brick for stone, and they used tar for mortar. 4 They said, "Come, let's build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top reaches to the sky, and let's make ourselves a name, lest we be scattered abroad on the surface of the whole earth." 5 Yahweh came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men built. 6 Yahweh said, "Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language, and this is what they begin to do. Now nothing will be withheld from them, which they intend to do. 7 Come, let's go down, and there confuse their language, that they may not understand one another's speech." 8 So Yahweh scattered them abroad from there on the surface of all the earth. They stopped building the city. 9 Therefore its name was called Babel, because there Yahweh confused the language of all the earth. From there, Yahweh scattered them abroad on the surface of all the earth. 10 This is the history of the generations of Shem. Shem was one hundred years old and became the father of Arpachshad two years after the flood. 11 Shem lived five hundred years after he became the father of Arpachshad, and became the father of sons and daughters. 12 Arpachshad lived thirty-five years and became the father of Shelah. 13 Arpachshad lived four hundred three years after he became the father of Shelah, and became the father of sons and daughters. 14 Shelah lived thirty years, and became the father of Eber: 15 and Shelah lived four hundred three years after he became the father of Eber, and became the father of sons and daughters. 16 Eber lived thirty-four years, and became the father of Peleg. 17 Eber lived four hundred thirty years after he became the father of Peleg, and became the father of sons and daughters. 18 Peleg lived thirty years, and became the father of Reu. 19 Peleg lived two hundred nine years after he became the father of Reu, and became the father of sons and daughters. 20 Reu lived thirty-two years, and became the father of Serug. 21 Reu lived two hundred seven years after he became the father of Serug, and became the father of sons and daughters. 22 Serug lived thirty years, and became the father of Nahor. 23 Serug lived two hundred years after he became the father of Nahor, and became the father of sons and daughters. 24 Nahor lived twenty-nine years, and became the father of Terah. 25 Nahor lived one hundred nineteen years after he became the father of Terah, and became the father of sons and daughters. 26 Terah lived seventy years, and became the father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran. 27 Now this is the history of the generations of Terah. Terah became the father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran. Haran became the father of Lot. 28 Haran died before his father Terah in the land of his birth, in Ur of the Chaldees. 29 Abram and Nahor took wives. The name of Abram's wife was Sarai, and the name of Nahor's wife, Milcah, the daughter of Haran who was also the father of Iscah. 30 Sarai was barren. She had no child. 31 Terah took Abram his son, Lot the son of Haran, his son's son, and Sarai his daughter-in-law, his son Abram's wife. They went forth from Ur of the Chaldees, to go into the land of Canaan. They came to Haran and lived there. 32 The days of Terah were two hundred five years. Terah died in Haran.


Chapter In-Depth

Explanation and meaning of Genesis 11.

Historical Commentaries

Scholarly Analysis and Interpretation.

All the inhabitants of the earth, speaking one language and dwelling in one place, Genesis 11:1, Genesis 11:2, purpose to build a city and a tower to prevent their dispersion, Genesis 11:3, Genesis 11:4. God confounds their language, and scatters them over the whole earth, Genesis 11:5-9. Account of the lives and families of the postdiluvian patriarchs. Shem, Genesis 11:10, Genesis 11:11. Arphaxad, Genesis 11:12, Genesis 11:13. Salah, Genesis 11:14, Genesis 11:15. Eber, Genesis 11:16, Genesis 11:17. Peleg, Genesis 11:18, Genesis 11:19. Ragau or Reu, Genesis 11:20, Genesis 11:21. Serug, Genesis 11:22, Genesis 11:23. Nahor, Genesis 11:24, Genesis 11:25. Terah and his three sons, Haran, Nahor, and Abram, Genesis 11:26, Genesis 11:27. The death of Haran, Genesis 11:28. Abram marries Sarai, and Nahor marries Milcah, Genesis 11:29. Sarai is barren, Genesis 11:30. Terah, Abram, Sarai, and Lot, leave Ur of the Chaldees, and go to Haran, Genesis 11:31. Terah dies in Haran, aged two hundred and five years, Genesis 11:32.

INTRODUCTION TO GENESIS 11
This chapter gives an account of the inhabitants of the earth before the confusion of tongues at Babel, of their speech and language, which was one and the same, and of the place where they dwelt, Genesis 11:1 and of their design to build a city and tower, to make them a name and keep them together, which they put in execution, Genesis 11:3 of the notice the Lord took of this affair, and of the method he took to put a stop to their designs, by confounding their speech, and dispersing them abroad upon the face of the earth, Genesis 11:5 then follows a genealogy of Shem's posterity down to Abraham, Genesis 11:10 and a particular relation is given of Terah, the father of Abraham, and his family, and of his going forth with them from Ur of the Chaldees, in order to go into the land of Canaan, and of his death at Haran by the way, Genesis 11:27.

(Genesis 11:1-4) One language in the world, The building of Babel.
(Genesis 11:5-9) The confusion of tongues, The builders of Babel dispersed.
(v. 10-26) The descendants of Shem.
(Genesis 11:27-32) Terah, father of Abram, grandfather of Lot, they remove to Haran.

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