Genesis 11

Genesis · Chapter 11

Genesis 11:6

1And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech.2And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar; and they dwelt there.3And they said one to another, Go to, let us make brick, and burn them thoroughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for morter.4And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.5And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded.6And the LORD said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do.7Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech.8So the LORD scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city.9Therefore is the name of it called Babel; because the LORD did there confound the language of all the earth: and from thence did the LORD scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth.10These are the generations of Shem: Shem was an hundred years old, and begat Arphaxad two years after the flood:11And Shem lived after he begat Arphaxad five hundred years, and begat sons and daughters.12And Arphaxad lived five and thirty years, and begat Salah:13And Arphaxad lived after he begat Salah four hundred and three years, and begat sons and daughters.14And Salah lived thirty years, and begat Eber:15And Salah lived after he begat Eber four hundred and three years, and begat sons and daughters.16And Eber lived four and thirty years, and begat Peleg:17And Eber lived after he begat Peleg four hundred and thirty years, and begat sons and daughters.18And Peleg lived thirty years, and begat Reu:19And Peleg lived after he begat Reu two hundred and nine years, and begat sons and daughters.20And Reu lived two and thirty years, and begat Serug:21And Reu lived after he begat Serug two hundred and seven years, and begat sons and daughters.22And Serug lived thirty years, and begat Nahor:23And Serug lived after he begat Nahor two hundred years, and begat sons and daughters.24And Nahor lived nine and twenty years, and begat Terah:25And Nahor lived after he begat Terah an hundred and nineteen years, and begat sons and daughters.26And Terah lived seventy years, and begat Abram, Nahor, and Haran.27Now these are the generations of Terah: Terah begat Abram, Nahor, and Haran; and Haran begat Lot.28And Haran died before his father Terah in the land of his nativity, in Ur of the Chaldees.29And Abram and Nahor took them wives: the name of Abram’s wife was Sarai; and the name of Nahor’s wife, Milcah, the daughter of Haran, the father of Milcah, and the father of Iscah.30But Sarai was barren; she had no child.31And Terah took Abram his son, and Lot the son of Haran his son’s son, and Sarai his daughter in law, his son Abram’s wife; and they went forth with them from Ur of the Chaldees, to go into the land of Canaan; and they came unto Haran, and dwelt there.32And the days of Terah were two hundred and five years: and Terah died in Haran.

King James Version (1769)

Other translations

VerseKJVBSBASV
6And the LORD said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do.And the LORD said, “If they have begun to do this as one people speaking the same language, then nothing they devise will be beyond them.And Jehovah said, Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language; and this is what they begin to do: and now nothing will be withholden from them, which they purpose to do.

In context

Who is speaking and to whom, what is happening, when and where, and why it matters, each with its sources. Coming with the context cards.

Original Hebrew words

EnglishHebrewSay itStrong'sMeaning
and he saidוַיֹּ֣אמֶרvai-YO-merH0559
to say

אָמַר (a.mar) 1) to say, speak, utter 1a) (Qal) to say, to answer, to say in one's heart, to think, to command, to promise, to intend 1b) (Niphal) to be told, to be said, to be called 1c) (Hithpael) to boast, to act proudly 1d) (Hiphil) to avow, to avouch Aramaic equivalent: a.mar (אֲמַר "to say" H0560)

Yahwehיְהוָ֗הYAH-wehH3068G
Lord

אֲדֹנָי (a.do.nai) Lord - a title, spoken in place of Yahweh in Jewish display of reverence Another name of ye.ho.vah (יהוה "LORD" H3068G)

here!הֵ֣ןhenH2005
look!

הֵן (hen) interj 1) behold, lo, though hypothetical part 2) if Aramaic equivalent: hen (הֵן "look!" H2006A)

a peopleעַ֤ם'amH5971A
people

עַם (am) : people/nation 1) nation, people 1a) people, nation 1b) persons, members of one's people, compatriots, country-men

oneאֶחָד֙'e-CHADH0259
one

אֶחָד (e.chad) 1) one (number) 1a) one (number) 1b) each, every 1c) a certain 1d) an (indefinite article) 1e) only, once, once for all 1f) one...another, the one...the other, one after another, one by one 1g) first 1h) eleven (in combination), eleventh (ordinal)

and a languageוְשָׂפָ֤הve-sa-FAHH8193K
lips

שָׂפָה (sa.phah) : lips/mouth 1) lip, language, speech, shore, bank, brink, brim, side, edge, border, binding 1a) lip (as body part) 1b) language 1c) edge, shore, bank (of cup, sea, river, etc)

oneאַחַת֙'a-CHATH0259
one

אֶחָד (e.chad) 1) one (number) 1a) one (number) 1b) each, every 1c) a certain 1d) an (indefinite article) 1e) only, once, once for all 1f) one...another, the one...the other, one after another, one by one 1g) first 1h) eleven (in combination), eleventh (ordinal)

[belongs] to all of themלְכֻלָּ֔םle-khu-LAMH3605
all

כֹּל (kol) 1) all, the whole 1a) all, the whole of 1b) any, each, every, anything 1c) totality, everything Aramaic equivalent: kol (כֹּל "all" H3606)

and thisוְזֶ֖הve-ZEHH2088
that

דִּי (di) part of relation 1) who, which, that mark of genitive 2) that of, which belongs to, that conj 3) that, because

[is] beginning theyהַחִלָּ֣םha-chi-LAMH2490C
to profane/begin: begin

חָלַל (cha.lal) : begin 1) to profane, defile, pollute, desecrate, begin 1a) (Niphal) 1a1) to profane oneself, defile oneself, pollute oneself 1a1a) ritually 1a1b) sexually 1a2) to be polluted, be defiled 1b) (Piel) 1b1) to profane, make common, defile, pollute 1b2) to violate the honour of, dishonour 1b3) to violate (a covenant) 1b4) to treat as common 1c) (Pual) to be profaned (of name of God) 1d) (Hiphil) 1d1) to let be profaned 1d2) to begin 1e) (Hophal) to be begun

to doלַעֲשׂ֑וֹתla-'a-SOTH6213A
to make: do

עָשָׂה (a.sah) : do/perform 1) to do, fashion, accomplish, make 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to do, work, make, produce 1a1a) to do 1a1b) to work 1a1c) to deal (with) 1a1d) to act, act with effect, effect 1a2) to make 1a2a) to make 1a2b) to produce 1a2c) to prepare 1a2d) to make (an offering) 1a2e) to attend to, put in order 1a2f) to observe, celebrate 1a2g) to acquire (property) 1a2h) to appoint, ordain, institute 1a2i) to bring about 1a2j) to use 1a2k) to spend, pass 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to be done 1b2) to be made 1b3) to be produced 1b4) to be offered 1b5) to be observed 1b6) to be used 1c) (Pual) to be made

and nowוְעַתָּה֙ve-'a-TAHH6258
now

עַתָּ֫ה (at.tah) 1) now 1a) now 1b) in phrases

notלֹֽא־lo'-H3808
not

לֹא (lo) 1) not, no 1a) not (with verb-absolute prohibition) 1b) not (with modifier-negation) 1c) nothing (subst) 1d) without (with particle) 1e) before (of time) Aramaic equivalent: la (לָא "not" H3809)

it will be withheldיִבָּצֵ֣רyi-ba-TZERH1219
to gather/restrain/fortify

בָּצַר (ba.tsar) 1) to gather, restrain, fence, fortify, make inaccessible, enclose 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to cut off 1a2) fortified, cut off, made inaccessible (pass participle) 1a3) secrets, mysteries, inaccessible things (subst) 1b) (Niphal) to be withheld 1c) (Piel) to fortify

allכֹּ֛לkolH3605
all

כֹּל (kol) 1) all, the whole 1a) all, the whole of 1b) any, each, every, anything 1c) totality, everything Aramaic equivalent: kol (כֹּל "all" H3606)

thatאֲשֶׁ֥ר'a-SHERH0834A
which

אֲשֶׁר (a.sher) A: 1) (relative part.) 1a) which, who 1b) that which 2) (conj) 2a) that (in obj clause) 2b) when 2c) since 2d) as 2e) conditional if B: Beth+ 1) in (that) which 2) (adv) 2a) where 3) (conj) 3a) in that, inasmuch as 3b) on account of C: Mem+ 1) from (or than) that which 2) from (the place) where 3) from (the fact) that, since D: Kaph+ 1) (conj.), according as, as, when 1a) according to that which, according as, as 1b) with a causal force: in so far as, since 1c) with a temporal force: when

they will planיָזְמ֖וּya-ze-MUH2161
to plan

זָמַם (za.mam) 1) to have a thought, devise, plan, consider, purpose 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to consider, fix thought upon 1a2) to purpose, devise 1a3) to plot (of evil intent)

to doלַֽעֲשֽׂוֹת׃LA-'a-SOTH6213A
to make: do

עָשָׂה (a.sah) : do/perform 1) to do, fashion, accomplish, make 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to do, work, make, produce 1a1a) to do 1a1b) to work 1a1c) to deal (with) 1a1d) to act, act with effect, effect 1a2) to make 1a2a) to make 1a2b) to produce 1a2c) to prepare 1a2d) to make (an offering) 1a2e) to attend to, put in order 1a2f) to observe, celebrate 1a2g) to acquire (property) 1a2h) to appoint, ordain, institute 1a2i) to bring about 1a2j) to use 1a2k) to spend, pass 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to be done 1b2) to be made 1b3) to be produced 1b4) to be offered 1b5) to be observed 1b6) to be used 1c) (Pual) to be made

Words and meanings from STEPBible data (Tyndale House, Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). The capitalized syllable is the stressed one.