Genesis 11

King James Version

Full text for Genesis Chapter 11

1¶ And 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 throughly. 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.

5¶ And 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.

10¶ These [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.

27¶ Now 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.

AI Analysis

AI Summaries

Short Summary

Genesis 11 begins with all humanity speaking one language, settling in the land of Shinar, and deciding to build a city and a tower to reach heaven and make a name for themselves, lest they be scattered. The LORD observed their unified effort and, perceiving their unchecked ambition, confounded their language so they could not understand one another. This divine intervention led to their scattering across the earth and the cessation of the city's construction, which was named Babel. The chapter concludes with the genealogy of Shem, tracing the lineage through several generations to Terah, who begat Abram, Nahor, and Haran, and records their journey from Ur to Haran.

Medium Summary

Initially, the entire earth shared a single language and speech. As people journeyed eastward, they settled in the plain of Shinar and resolved to construct a city and a tower with its top reaching unto heaven, aiming to establish a name for themselves and prevent their dispersion. The LORD descended to witness their ambitious project and noted their unity and shared language, recognizing that nothing they imagined would be impossible for them. Consequently, the LORD confounded their language, causing them to cease building the city and scattering them across the face of the earth. This place was thus called Babel because their language was confused there. The latter part of the chapter details the generations of Shem, beginning with Arphaxad born two years after the flood, and meticulously lists his descendants through Salah, Eber, Peleg, Reu, Serug, and Nahor, culminating in Terah. Terah begat Abram, Nahor, and Haran, and the narrative concludes with Terah taking Abram, Lot, and Sarai from Ur of the Chaldees, journeying towards Canaan, and settling in Haran where Terah died.

Long Summary

Genesis 11 opens with the declaration that the whole earth possessed one language and a single speech. As humanity migrated from the east, they discovered and settled in the plain of Shinar. There, they collectively decided to make bricks and construct a city and a tower whose top would reach unto heaven, driven by the desire to make a name for themselves and to avoid being scattered across the earth. The LORD then descended to observe the city and tower being built by the children of men. Perceiving their unity and common language, the LORD remarked that this was only the beginning of their endeavors, and that nothing they imagined would be restrained from them. To counteract this potential, the LORD resolved to go down and confound their language, preventing them from understanding one another's speech. As a direct result, the LORD scattered them from that place across the face of all the earth, causing them to abandon the construction of the city. The place was consequently named Babel, signifying that the LORD had there confounded the language of all the earth and from thence scattered humanity. The chapter then transitions to a detailed genealogical record, tracing the generations of Shem. It lists Shem, who begat Arphaxad two years after the flood, followed by Salah, Eber, Peleg, Reu, Serug, and Nahor, noting the age at which each patriarch begat his primary son and their subsequent lifespans. This lineage culminates with Terah, who lived seventy years and begat Abram, Nahor, and Haran. The narrative further specifies that Haran begat Lot and died in Ur of the Chaldees before his father. Abram married Sarai, who was barren, and Nahor married Milcah, Haran's daughter. Finally, Terah took his son Abram, his grandson Lot, and his daughter-in-law Sarai, departing from Ur of the Chaldees with the intention of going into the land of Canaan; however, they came to Haran and dwelt there, where Terah died at the age of two hundred and five years.

Core Concepts

  • Unity of LanguageAt the beginning of the chapter, all humanity shared a single language and speech, enabling unified communication and collective action.
  • Tower of BabelA monumental construction project undertaken by humanity in Shinar, intended to build a city and a tower reaching heaven, to make a name for themselves and prevent scattering.
  • Divine InterventionThe LORD observed humanity's unified ambition and intervened directly by confounding their language, disrupting their ability to communicate and cooperate.
  • Confounding of LanguagesThe act by which the LORD confused the speech of humanity, leading to the diversity of languages and preventing them from understanding one another.
  • Scattering of HumanityAs a direct consequence of their confounded language, humanity was dispersed from Babel across the face of the earth, fulfilling a divine purpose.
  • Generations of ShemA detailed genealogical record tracing the lineage from Shem, Noah's son, through several generations, culminating in Terah and his sons, including Abram.
  • Terah's MigrationThe journey of Terah, Abram, Lot, and Sarai from Ur of the Chaldees towards the land of Canaan, ultimately settling in Haran where Terah died.