11 And Shem H8035 lived H2421 after H310 he begat H3205 Arphaxad H775 five H2568 hundred H3967 years, H8141 and begat H3205 sons H1121 and daughters. H1323
12 And Arphaxad H775 lived H2425 five H2568 and thirty H7970 years, H8141 and begat H3205 Salah: H7974
13 And Arphaxad H775 lived H2421 after H310 he begat H3205 Salah H7974 four H702 hundred H3967 H8141 and three H7969 years, H8141 and begat H3205 sons H1121 and daughters. H1323
14 And Salah H7974 lived H2425 thirty H7970 years, H8141 and begat H3205 Eber: H5677
15 And Salah H7974 lived H2421 after H310 he begat H3205 Eber H5677 four H702 hundred H3967 H8141 and three H7969 years, H8141 and begat H3205 sons H1121 and daughters. H1323
16 And Eber H5677 lived H2421 four H702 and thirty H7970 years, H8141 and begat H3205 Peleg: H6389
17 And Eber H5677 lived H2421 after H310 he begat H3205 Peleg H6389 four H702 hundred H3967 H8141 and thirty H7970 years, H8141 and begat H3205 sons H1121 and daughters. H1323
18 And Peleg H6389 lived H2421 thirty H7970 years, H8141 and begat H3205 Reu: H7466
19 And Peleg H6389 lived H2421 after H310 he begat H3205 Reu H7466 two hundred H3967 H8141 and nine H8672 years, H8141 and begat H3205 sons H1121 and daughters. H1323
20 And Reu H7466 lived H2421 two H8147 and thirty H7970 years, H8141 and begat H3205 Serug: H8286
21 And Reu H7466 lived H2421 after H310 he begat H3205 Serug H8286 two hundred H3967 H8141 and seven H7651 years, H8141 and begat H3205 sons H1121 and daughters. H1323
22 And Serug H8286 lived H2421 thirty H7970 years, H8141 and begat H3205 Nahor: H5152
23 And Serug H8286 lived H2421 after H310 he begat H3205 Nahor H5152 two hundred H3967 years, H8141 and begat H3205 sons H1121 and daughters. H1323
24 And Nahor H5152 lived H2421 nine H8672 and twenty H6242 years, H8141 and begat H3205 Terah: H8646
25 And Nahor H5152 lived H2421 after H310 he begat H3205 Terah H8646 an hundred H3967 H8141 and nineteen H6240 H8672 years, H8141 and begat H3205 sons H1121 and daughters. H1323
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Genesis 11
Commentary on Genesis 11 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 11
Ge 11:1-32. Confusion of Tongues.
1. the whole earth was of one language. The descendants of Noah, united by the strong bond of a common language, had not separated, and notwithstanding the divine command to replenish the earth, were unwilling to separate. The more pious and well-disposed would of course obey the divine will; but a numerous body, seemingly the aggressive horde mentioned (Ge 10:10), determined to please themselves by occupying the fairest region they came to.
2. land of Shinar—The fertile valley watered by the Euphrates and Tigris was chosen as the center of their union and the seat of their power.
3. brick—There being no stone in that quarter, brick is, and was, the only material used for building, as appears in the mass of ruins which at the Birs Nimroud may have been the very town formed by those ancient rebels. Some of these are sun-dried—others burnt in the kiln and of different colors.
slime—bitumen, a mineral pitch, which, when hardened, forms a strong cement, commonly used in Assyria to this day, and forming the mortar found on the burnt brick remains of antiquity.
4. a tower whose top may reach unto heaven—a common figurative expression for great height (De 1:28; 9:1-6).
lest we be scattered—To build a city and a town was no crime; but to do this to defeat the counsels of heaven by attempting to prevent emigration was foolish, wicked, and justly offensive to God.
6. and now nothing will be restrained from them—an apparent admission that the design was practicable, and would have been executed but for the divine interposition.
7. confound their language—literally, "their lip"; it was a failure in utterance, occasioning a difference in dialect which was intelligible only to those of the same tribe. Thus easily by God their purpose was defeated, and they were compelled to the dispersion they had combined to prevent. It is only from the Scriptures we learn the true origin of the different nations and languages of the world. By one miracle of tongues men were dispersed and gradually fell from true religion. By another, national barriers were broken down—that all men might be brought back to the family of God.
28. Ur—now Orfa; that is, "light," or "fire." Its name probably derived from its being devoted to the rites of fire-worship. Terah and his family were equally infected with that idolatry as the rest of the inhabitants (Jos 24:15).
31. Sarai his daughter-in-law—the same as Iscah [Ge 11:29], granddaughter of Terah, probably by a second wife, and by early usages considered marriageable to her uncle, Abraham.
they came unto Haran—two days' journey south-southeast from Ur, on the direct road to the ford of the Euphrates at Rakka, the nearest and most convenient route to Palestine.