Bible Study Reader

Genesis 11

Introduction

Genesis 11 contains two distinct movements that together form a hinge between the primeval history (Genesis 1–11) and the patriarchal narratives (Genesis 12–50). The chapter opens with the Tower of Babel — humanity's attempt to consolidate power, resist scattering, and storm the heavens with a great city and tower. God responds by confusing their language and dispersing them across the earth, fulfilling by judgment what He had commanded by blessing in Genesis 9:1. The Babel story explains the diversity of languages and nations that the Table of Nations in Genesis 10 catalogued, and it serves as the final act of humanity's collective rebellion before God narrows His focus to one man.

The second half of the chapter provides a genealogy from Shem to Abram — a bridge from the flood to the call of Abraham. The lifespans shorten dramatically from Shem (600 years) to Terah (205 years), as the post-flood world moves steadily away from the long-lived antediluvian era. The chapter closes with Terah's family: Abram, Nahor, and Haran. Haran dies young in Ur of the Chaldeans. Sarai is barren — a devastating detail dropped almost casually into the narrative. And the family sets out for Canaan but stops in Haran and settles there. Everything in this chapter creates tension: humanity scattered, lifespans fading, a barren wife, a journey abandoned midway. The stage is set for God to intervene with a word of promise.

The Tower of Babel (vv. 1–9)

1 Now the whole world had one language and a common form of speech. 2 And as people journeyed eastward, they found a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there. 3 And they said to one another, "Come, let us make bricks and bake them thoroughly." So they used brick instead of stone, and tar instead of mortar. 4 "Come," they said, "let us build for ourselves a city with a tower that reaches to the heavens, that we may make a name for ourselves and not be scattered over the face of all the earth." 5 Then the LORD came down to see the city and the tower that the sons of men were building. 6 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. 7 Come, let Us go down and confuse their language, so that they will not understand one another's speech." 8 So the LORD scattered them from there over the face of all the earth, and they stopped building the city. 9 That is why it is called Babel, for there the LORD confused the language of the whole world, and from that place the LORD scattered them over the face of all the earth.

1 Now the whole earth had one language and the same words. 2 And as they journeyed from the east, they found a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there. 3 They said to one another, "Come, let us make bricks and fire them thoroughly." And they had brick 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 heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered over the face of all the earth." 5 And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower that the children of man had built. 6 And the LORD said, "Behold, they are one people, and they all have one language, and this is only the beginning of what they will do. Now nothing that they plan to do will be impossible for them. 7 Come, let Us go down and confuse their language there, so that they will not understand one another's speech." 8 So the LORD scattered them from there over the face of all the earth, and they ceased building the city. 9 Therefore its name was called Babel, because there the LORD confused the language of all the earth. And from there the LORD scattered them over the face of all the earth.

Notes

The Genealogy from Shem to Abram (vv. 10–26)

10 This is the account of Shem. Two years after the flood, when Shem was 100 years old, he became the father of Arphaxad. 11 And after he had become the father of Arphaxad, Shem lived 500 years and had other sons and daughters. 12 When Arphaxad was 35 years old, he became the father of Shelah. 13 And after he had become the father of Shelah, Arphaxad lived 403 years and had other sons and daughters. 14 When Shelah was 30 years old, he became the father of Eber. 15 And after he had become the father of Eber, Shelah lived 403 years and had other sons and daughters. 16 When Eber was 34 years old, he became the father of Peleg. 17 And after he had become the father of Peleg, Eber lived 430 years and had other sons and daughters. 18 When Peleg was 30 years old, he became the father of Reu. 19 And after he had become the father of Reu, Peleg lived 209 years and had other sons and daughters. 20 When Reu was 32 years old, he became the father of Serug. 21 And after he had become the father of Serug, Reu lived 207 years and had other sons and daughters. 22 When Serug was 30 years old, he became the father of Nahor. 23 And after he had become the father of Nahor, Serug lived 200 years and had other sons and daughters. 24 When Nahor was 29 years old, he became the father of Terah. 25 And after he had become the father of Terah, Nahor lived 119 years and had other sons and daughters. 26 When Terah was 70 years old, he became the father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran.

10 These are the generations of Shem. When Shem was 100 years old, he fathered Arphaxad two years after the flood. 11 Shem lived after he fathered Arphaxad 500 years and had other sons and daughters. 12 When Arphaxad had lived 35 years, he fathered Shelah. 13 Arphaxad lived after he fathered Shelah 403 years and had other sons and daughters. 14 When Shelah had lived 30 years, he fathered Eber. 15 Shelah lived after he fathered Eber 403 years and had other sons and daughters. 16 When Eber had lived 34 years, he fathered Peleg. 17 Eber lived after he fathered Peleg 430 years and had other sons and daughters. 18 When Peleg had lived 30 years, he fathered Reu. 19 Peleg lived after he fathered Reu 209 years and had other sons and daughters. 20 When Reu had lived 32 years, he fathered Serug. 21 Reu lived after he fathered Serug 207 years and had other sons and daughters. 22 When Serug had lived 30 years, he fathered Nahor. 23 Serug lived after he fathered Nahor 200 years and had other sons and daughters. 24 When Nahor had lived 29 years, he fathered Terah. 25 Nahor lived after he fathered Terah 119 years and had other sons and daughters. 26 When Terah had lived 70 years, he fathered Abram, Nahor, and Haran.

Notes

Terah's Family and the Journey to Haran (vv. 27–32)

27 This is the account of Terah. Terah became the father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran. And Haran became the father of Lot. 28 During his father Terah's lifetime, Haran died in his native land, in Ur of the Chaldeans. 29 And Abram and Nahor took wives for themselves. Abram's wife was named Sarai, and Nahor's wife was named Milcah; she was the daughter of Haran, who was the father of both Milcah and Iscah. 30 But Sarai was barren; she had no children. 31 And Terah took his son Abram, his grandson Lot son of Haran, and his daughter-in-law Sarai the wife of Abram, and they set out from Ur of the Chaldeans for the land of Canaan. But when they arrived in Haran, they settled there. 32 Terah lived 205 years, and he died in Haran.

27 These are the generations of Terah. Terah fathered Abram, Nahor, and Haran; and Haran fathered Lot. 28 Haran died in the presence of his father Terah in the land of his birth, in Ur of the Chaldeans. 29 Abram and Nahor took wives for themselves. The name of Abram's wife was Sarai, and the name of Nahor's wife was Milcah, the daughter of Haran, the father of Milcah and Iscah. 30 Now Sarai was barren; she had no child. 31 Terah took Abram his son, and Lot the son of Haran, his grandson, and Sarai his daughter-in-law, his son Abram's wife, and they went out together from Ur of the Chaldeans to go to the land of Canaan. But when they came to Haran, they settled there. 32 The days of Terah were 205 years, and Terah died in Haran.

Notes