10 These are the generations H8435 of Shem: H8035 Shem H8035 was an hundred H3967 years H8141 old, H1121 and begat H3205 Arphaxad H775 two years H8141 after H310 the flood: H3999
The sons H1121 of Shem; H8035 Elam, H5867 and Asshur, H804 and Arphaxad, H775 and Lud, H3865 and Aram, H758 and Uz, H5780 and Hul, H2343 and Gether, H1666 and Meshech. H4902 And Arphaxad H775 begat H3205 Shelah, H7974 and Shelah H7974 begat H3205 Eber. H5677 And unto Eber H5677 were born H3205 two H8147 sons: H1121 the name H8034 of the one H259 was Peleg; H6389 because in his days H3117 the earth H776 was divided: H6385 and his brother's H251 name H8034 was Joktan. H3355 And Joktan H3355 begat H3205 Almodad, H486 and Sheleph, H8026 and Hazarmaveth, H2700 and Jerah, H3392 Hadoram H1913 also, and Uzal, H187 and Diklah, H1853 And Ebal, H5858 and Abimael, H39 and Sheba, H7614 And Ophir, H211 and Havilah, H2341 and Jobab. H3103 All these were the sons H1121 of Joktan. H3355 Shem, H8035 Arphaxad, H775 Shelah, H7974 Eber, H5677 Peleg, H6389 Reu, H7466 Serug, H8286 Nahor, H5152 Terah, H8646 Abram; H87 the same is Abraham. H85
Unto Shem H8035 also, the father H1 of all the children H1121 of Eber, H5677 the brother H251 of Japheth H3315 the elder, H1419 even to him were children born. H3205 The children H1121 of Shem; H8035 Elam, H5867 and Asshur, H804 and Arphaxad, H775 and Lud, H3865 and Aram. H758
Which was the son of Jacob, G2384 which was the son of Isaac, G2464 which was the son of Abraham, G11 which was the son of Thara, G2291 which was the son of Nachor, G3493 Which was the son of Saruch, G4562 which was the son of Ragau, G4466 which was the son of Phalec, G5317 which was the son of Heber, G1443 which was the son of Sala, G4527 Which was the son of Cainan, G2536 which was the son of Arphaxad, G742 which was the son of Sem, G4590 which was the son of Noe, G3575 which was the son of Lamech, G2984
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.