Genesis 11
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Chapter 11
Tower of Babel.[a] 1 The whole world had the same language and the same words. 2 When they were migrating from the east, they came to a valley in the land of Shinar[b] and settled there. 3 They said to one another, “Come, let us mold bricks and harden them with fire.” They used bricks for stone, and bitumen for mortar. 4 Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the sky,[c] and so make a name for ourselves; otherwise we shall be scattered all over the earth.”
5 The Lord came down to see the city and the tower that the people had built. 6 Then the Lord said: If now, while they are one people and all have the same language, they have started to do this, nothing they presume to do will be out of their reach. 7 Come, let us go down and there confuse their language, so that no one will understand the speech of another. 8 So the Lord scattered them from there over all the earth, and they stopped building the city. 9 That is why it was called Babel,[d] because there the Lord confused the speech of all the world. From there the Lord scattered them over all the earth.
Descendants from Shem to Abraham.[e] 10 (A)These are the descendants of Shem. When Shem was one hundred years old, he begot Arpachshad, two years after the flood. 11 Shem lived five hundred years after he begot Arpachshad, and he had other sons and daughters. 12 When Arpachshad was thirty-five years old, he begot Shelah.[f] 13 Arpachshad lived four hundred and three years after he begot Shelah, and he had other sons and daughters.
14 When Shelah was thirty years old, he begot Eber. 15 Shelah lived four hundred and three years after he begot Eber, and he had other sons and daughters.
16 When Eber[g] was thirty-four years old, he begot Peleg. 17 Eber lived four hundred and thirty years after he begot Peleg, and he had other sons and daughters.
18 When Peleg was thirty years old, he begot Reu. 19 Peleg lived two hundred and nine years after he begot Reu, and he had other sons and daughters.
20 When Reu was thirty-two years old, he begot Serug. 21 Reu lived two hundred and seven years after he begot Serug, and he had other sons and daughters.
22 When Serug was thirty years old, he begot Nahor. 23 Serug lived two hundred years after he begot Nahor, and he had other sons and daughters.
24 When Nahor was twenty-nine years old, he begot Terah. 25 Nahor lived one hundred and nineteen years after he begot Terah, and he had other sons and daughters.
26 When Terah was seventy years old, he begot Abram,[h] Nahor and Haran.(B)
II. The Story of the Ancestors of Israel
Terah. 27 These are the descendants of Terah.[i] Terah begot Abram, Nahor, and Haran, and Haran begot Lot. 28 Haran died before Terah his father, in his native land, in Ur of the Chaldeans.[j] 29 Abram and Nahor took wives; the name of Abram’s wife was Sarai,[k] and the name of Nahor’s wife was Milcah, daughter of Haran, the father of Milcah and Iscah.(C) 30 Sarai was barren; she had no child.
31 Terah took his son Abram, his grandson Lot, son of Haran, and his daughter-in-law Sarai, the wife of his son Abram, and brought them out of Ur of the Chaldeans, to go to the land of Canaan. But when they reached Haran, they settled there.(D) 32 The lifetime of Terah was two hundred and five years; then Terah died in Haran.[l]
Footnotes
- 11:1–9 This story illustrates increasing human wickedness, shown here in the sinful pride that human beings take in their own achievements apart from God. Secondarily, the story explains the diversity of languages among the peoples of the earth.
- 11:2 Shinar: see note on 10:10.
- 11:4 Tower with its top in the sky: possibly a reference to the chief ziggurat of Babylon, E-sag-ila, lit., “the house that raises high its head.”
- 11:9 Babel: the Hebrew form of the name “Babylon”; the Babylonians interpreted their name for the city, Bab-ili, as “gate of god.” The Hebrew word balal, “he confused,” has a similar sound.
- 11:10–26 The second Priestly genealogy goes from Shem to Terah and his three sons Abram, Nahor, and Haran, just as the genealogy in 5:3–32 went from Adam to Noah and his three sons Shem, Ham, and Japheth. This genealogy marks the important transition in Genesis between the story of the nations in 1:1–11:26 and the story of Israel in the person of its ancestors (11:27–50:26). As chaps. 1–11 showed the increase and spread of the nations, so chaps. 12–50 will show the increase and spread of Israel. The contrast between Israel and the nations is a persistent biblical theme. The ages given here are from the Hebrew text; the Samaritan and Greek texts have divergent sets of numbers in most cases. In comparable accounts of the pre-flood period, enormous life spans are attributed to human beings. It may be an attempt to show that the pre-flood generations were extraordinary and more vital than post-flood human beings.
- 11:12 The Greek text adds Kenan (cf. 5:9–10) between Arpachshad and Shelah. The Greek listing is followed in Lk 3:36.
- 11:16 Eber: the eponymous ancestor of the Hebrews, “descendants of Eber” (10:21, 24–30); see note on 14:13.
- 11:26 Abram is a dialectal variant of Abraham. God will change his name in view of his new task in 17:4.
- 11:27 Descendants of Terah: elsewhere in Genesis the story of the son is introduced by the name of the father (25:12, 19; 36:1; 37:2). The Abraham-Sarah stories begin (11:27–32) and end with genealogical notices (25:1–18), which concern, respectively, the families of Terah and of Abraham. Most of the traditions in the cycle are from the Yahwist source. The so-called Elohist source (E) is somewhat shadowy, denied by some scholars but recognized by others in passages that duplicate other narratives (20:1–18 and 21:22–34). The Priestly source consists mostly of brief editorial notices, except for chaps. 17 and 23.
- 11:28 Ur of the Chaldeans: Ur was an extremely ancient city of the Sumerians (later, of the Babylonians) in southern Mesopotamia. The Greek text has “the land of the Chaldeans.” After a millennium of relative unimportance, Ur underwent a revival during the Neo-Babylonian/Chaldean empire (625–539 B.C.). The sixth-century author here identified the place by its contemporary name. As chap. 24 shows, Haran in northern Mesopotamia is in fact the native place of Abraham. In the Genesis perspective, the human race originated in the East (3:24; 4:16) and migrated from there to their homelands (11:2). Terah’s family moved from the East (Ur) and Abraham will complete the journey to the family’s true homeland in the following chapters.
- 11:29 Sarai: like Abram, a dialectal variant of the more usual form of the name Sarah. In 17:15, God will change it to Sarah in view of her new task.
- 11:32 Since Terah was seventy years old when his son Abraham was born (v. 26), and Abraham was seventy-five when he left Haran (12:4), Terah lived in Haran for sixty years after Abraham’s departure. According to the tradition in the Samaritan text, Terah died when he was one hundred and forty-five years old, therefore, in the same year in which Abraham left Haran. This is the tradition followed in Stephen’s speech: Abraham left Haran “after his father died” (Acts 7:4).
Génesis 11
Nueva Biblia de las Américas
La torre de Babel
11 Toda la tierra hablaba la misma lengua[a] y las mismas[b] palabras. 2 Según iban hacia el oriente, hallaron una llanura en la tierra de Sinar(A), y se establecieron[c] allí. 3 Y se dijeron unos a otros: «Vamos, fabriquemos ladrillos y cozámoslos bien». Y usaron ladrillo en lugar de piedra y asfalto(B) en lugar de mezcla. 4 Luego dijeron: «Vamos, edifiquémonos una ciudad y una torre cuya cúspide llegue hasta los cielos(C), y hagámonos un nombre famoso(D), para que no seamos dispersados(E) sobre la superficie de toda la tierra».
5 Pero el Señor descendió(F) para ver la ciudad y la torre que habían edificado los hijos de los hombres. 6 Y dijo el Señor: «Son un solo pueblo y todos ellos tienen la misma lengua[d](G). Esto es lo que han comenzado a hacer, y ahora nada de lo que se propongan hacer les será imposible[e]. 7 Vamos, bajemos(H) y confundamos allí su lengua[f](I), para que ninguno entienda el lenguaje[g] del otro».
8 Así el Señor los dispersó desde allí sobre la superficie de toda la tierra(J), y dejaron de edificar la ciudad. 9 Por eso la ciudad fue llamada Babel[h](K), porque allí el Señor confundió la lengua[i] de toda la tierra, y de allí el Señor los dispersó sobre la superficie de toda la tierra.
Descendientes de Sem
10 (L)Estas son las generaciones de Sem: Sem tenía 100 años, y fue el padre de Arfaxad, dos años después del diluvio. 11 Y vivió Sem 500 años después de haber engendrado a Arfaxad, y tuvo otros hijos e hijas.
12 Arfaxad vivió 35 años, y fue padre de Sala. 13 Y vivió Arfaxad 403 años después de haber engendrado a Sala, y tuvo otros hijos e hijas.
14 Sala vivió 30 años, y fue padre de Heber. 15 Y vivió Sala 403 años después de haber engendrado a Heber, y tuvo otros hijos e hijas.
16 Heber vivió 34 años, y fue padre de Peleg. 17 Y vivió Heber 430 años después de haber engendrado a Peleg, y tuvo otros hijos e hijas.
18 Peleg vivió 30 años, y fue padre de Reu. 19 Y vivió Peleg 209 años después de haber engendrado a Reu, y tuvo otros hijos e hijas.
20 Reu vivió 32 años, y fue padre de Serug. 21 Y vivió Reu 207 años después de haber engendrado a Serug, y tuvo otros hijos e hijas.
22 Serug vivió 30 años, y fue padre de Nacor. 23 Y vivió Serug 200 años después de haber engendrado a Nacor, y tuvo otros hijos e hijas.
24 Nacor vivió 29 años, y fue padre de Taré(M). 25 Y vivió Nacor 119 años después de haber engendrado a Taré, y tuvo otros hijos e hijas.
26 Taré vivió 70 años, y fue padre de Abram(N), de Nacor y de Harán.
Descendientes de Taré
27 Estas son las generaciones de Taré: Taré fue padre de Abram, de Nacor y de Harán(O). Harán fue padre de Lot(P). 28 Harán murió en presencia de[j] su padre Taré en la tierra de su nacimiento, en Ur de los caldeos(Q).
29 Abram y Nacor(R) tomaron para sí mujeres. El nombre de la mujer de Abram era Sarai(S), y el nombre de la mujer de Nacor, Milca(T), hija de Harán, padre de Milca y de[k] Isca. 30 Pero Sarai era estéril(U); no tenía hijo. 31 Y Taré tomó a Abram su hijo, a su nieto Lot, hijo de Harán, y a Sarai su nuera, mujer de su hijo Abram. Salieron juntos[l] de Ur de los caldeos(V), en dirección a la tierra de Canaán. Llegaron hasta Harán, y se establecieron[m] allí. 32 Los días de Taré fueron 205 años. Y murió Taré en Harán.
Footnotes
- 11:1 Lit. era de un mismo labio.
- 11:1 Lit. y de pocas.
- 11:2 Lit. habitaron.
- 11:6 Lit. son de un mismo labio.
- 11:6 Lit. se les podrá impedir.
- 11:7 Lit. labio.
- 11:7 Lit. labio.
- 11:9 O Babilonia.
- 11:9 Lit. el labio.
- 11:28 O en vida de.
- 11:29 Lit. y el padre de.
- 11:31 Lit. con ellos.
- 11:31 Lit. habitaron.
Genesis 11
Wycliffe Bible
11 Forsooth (all) the land was of one language, and of the same speech. [Forsooth the (whole) earth was of one lip, and of the same words.]
2 And when they went forth from the east, they found a field in the land of Shinar, and they dwelled therein.
3 And one said to his neighbour (And they said to one another), Come ye, and make we tilestones, and bake we those with fire; and they had tile for stones, and pitch, either strong glue, for mortar;
4 and they said, Come ye, and make we to us a city and a tower, whose highness stretch till to (the) heaven(s); and make we solemn our name, before that we be parted into all lands. (and they said, Come ye, and let us make a city, and a tower whose height shall stretch up to the sky; and make we our name well-known, or else we shall soon be parted from each other into all the earth.)
5 Forsooth the Lord came down to see the city, and the tower, which the sons of Adam builded (which the sons of men were building).
6 And he said, Lo! the people is one, and one language is to all, and they have begun to make this; neither they shall cease of their thoughts, till they [ful]fill those in work (and they shall not cease from their thoughts, until they have fulfilled them in deed);
7 therefore come ye, go we down, and shame we there the tongue of them, that each man hear not the voice of his neighbour. (and so come ye, let us go down there, and confuse their tongues, so that each person shall not be able to understand their neighbour’s voice.)
8 And so the Lord separated them from that place into all (the) lands; and they ceased to build the city.
9 And therefore the name thereof was called Babel, for the language of all [the] earth was confounded there; and from thence the Lord scattered them on the face of all countries (and from there the Lord scattered them over all the face of the earth).
10 These be the generations of Shem (These be the descendants of Shem). Shem was an hundred years (old) when he begat Arphaxad, two years after the great flood.
11 And Shem lived after that he begat Arphaxad five hundred years, and begat sons and daughters.
12 Forsooth Arphaxad lived five and thirty years, and (then) begat Salah;
13 and Arphaxad lived after that he begat Salah three hundred and three years, and begat sons and daughters. (and Arphaxad lived after that he begat Salah four hundred and three years, and begat sons and daughters.)
14 And Salah lived thirty years, and (then) begat Eber;
15 and Salah lived after that he begat Eber four hundred and three years, and begat sons and daughters.
16 Soothly Eber lived four and thirty years, and (then) begat Peleg;
17 and Eber lived after that he begat Peleg four hundred and thirty years, and begat sons and daughters.
18 Also Peleg lived thirty years, and begat Reu; (And Peleg lived thirty years, and then begat Reu;)
19 and Peleg lived after that he begat Reu two hundred and nine years, and begat sons and daughters.
20 And Reu lived two and thirty years, and (then) begat Serug;
21 and Reu lived after that he begat Serug two hundred and seven years, and begat sons and daughters.
22 Soothly Serug lived thirty years, and (then) begat Nahor;
23 and Serug lived after that he begat Nahor two hundred years, and begat sons and daughters.
24 Forsooth Nahor lived nine and twenty years, and (then) begat Terah;
25 and Nahor lived after that he begat Terah an hundred and nineteen years, and begat sons and daughters.
26 And Terah lived seventy years, and (then) begat Abram[a], Nahor, and Haran.
27 Soothly these be the generations of Terah (These be the descendants of Terah). Terah begat Abram, Nahor, and Haran. Forsooth Haran begat Lot;
28 and Haran died before Terah, his father, in the land of his nativity, in Ur of Chaldees (in Ur of the Chaldeans, later called Babylon).
29 Forsooth Abram and Nahor wedded wives; the name of the wife of Abram was Sarai, and the name of the wife of Nahor was Milcah, the daughter of Haran, (the) father of Milcah, and (also the) father of Iscah. (And Abram and Nahor wedded wives; the name of Abram’s wife was Sarai, and the name of Nahor’s wife was Milcah, the daughter of his brother Haran, who was also the father of Iscah.)
30 Soothly Sarai was barren, and had no children.
31 And so Terah took Abram, his son, and Lot, the son of Haran, his son, and Sarai, his daughter-in-law, the wife of Abram, his son, and led them out of Ur of Chaldees, that they should go into the land of Canaan; and they came unto Haran, and dwelled there. (And Terah took his son Abram, and Lot, the son of his son Haran, and Sarai, his daughter-in-law, the wife of his son Abram, and led them out from Ur of the Chaldeans, to go to the land of Canaan; and they came to Haran, and lived there.)
32 And the days of Terah were made two hundred years and five, and he was dead in Haran. (And all the days of Terah were two hundred and five years, and then he died in Haran.)
Footnotes
- Genesis 11:26 God would later change Abram’s name to Abraham.
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