31 And Terah H8646 took H3947 Abram H87 his son, H1121 and Lot H3876 the son H1121 of Haran H2039 his son's H1121 son, H1121 and Sarai H8297 his daughter in law, H3618 his son H1121 Abram's H87 wife; H802 and they went forth H3318 with them from Ur H218 of the Chaldees, H3778 to go H3212 into the land H776 of Canaan; H3667 and they came H935 unto Haran, H2771 and dwelt H3427 there.
Thou art the LORD H3068 the God, H430 who didst choose H977 Abram, H87 and broughtest him forth H3318 out of Ur H218 of the Chaldees, H3778 and gavest H7760 him the name H8034 of Abraham; H85
And G1161 he said, G5346 Men, G435 brethren, G80 and G2532 fathers, G3962 hearken; G191 The God G2316 of glory G1391 appeared G3700 unto our G2257 father G3962 Abraham, G11 when he was G5607 in G1722 Mesopotamia, G3318 before G4250 G2228 he G846 dwelt G2730 in G1722 Charran, G5488 And G2532 said G2036 unto G4314 him, G846 Get thee G1831 out of G1537 thy G4675 country, G1093 and G2532 from G1537 thy G4675 kindred, G4772 and G2532 come G1204 into G1519 the land G1093 which G3739 G302 I shall shew G1166 thee. G4671 Then G5119 came he G1831 out of G1537 the land G1093 of the Chaldaeans, G5466 and dwelt G2730 in G1722 Charran: G5488 and from thence, G2547 when G3326 his G846 father G3962 was dead, G599 he removed G3351 him G846 into G1519 this G5026 land, G1093 wherein G1519 G3739 ye G5210 now G3568 dwell. G2730
And he said H559 unto him, I am the LORD H3068 that brought thee out H3318 of Ur H218 of the Chaldees, H3778 to give H5414 thee this land H776 to inherit H3423 it.
And Joshua H3091 said H559 unto all the people, H5971 Thus saith H559 the LORD H3068 God H430 of Israel, H3478 Your fathers H1 dwelt H3427 on the other side H5676 of the flood H5104 in old time, H5769 even Terah, H8646 the father H1 of Abraham, H85 and the father H1 of Nachor: H5152 and they served H5647 other H312 gods. H430 And I took H3947 your father H1 Abraham H85 from the other side H5676 of the flood, H5104 and led H3212 him throughout all the land H776 of Canaan, H3667 and multiplied H7235 his seed, H2233 and gave H5414 him Isaac. H3327
And Terah H8646 lived H2421 seventy H7657 years, H8141 and begat H3205 Abram, H87 Nahor, H5152 and Haran. H2039 Now these are the generations H8435 of Terah: H8646 Terah H8646 begat H3205 Abram, H87 Nahor, H5152 and Haran; H2039 and Haran H2039 begat H3205 Lot. H3876 And Haran H2039 died H4191 before H6440 his father H1 Terah H8646 in the land H776 of his nativity, H4138 in Ur H218 of the Chaldees. H3778
And it came to pass, before he had done H3615 speaking, H1696 that, behold, Rebekah H7259 came out, H3318 who H834 was born H3205 to Bethuel, H1328 son H1121 of Milcah, H4435 the wife H802 of Nahor, H5152 Abraham's H85 brother, H251 with her pitcher H3537 upon her shoulder. H7926
Now therefore, my son, H1121 obey H8085 my voice; H6963 and arise, H6965 flee H1272 thou to Laban H3837 my brother H251 to Haran; H2771
And Jacob H3290 said H559 unto them, My brethren, H251 whence H370 be ye? And they said, H559 Of Haran H2771 are we. And he said H559 unto them, Know H3045 ye Laban H3837 the son H1121 of Nahor? H5152 And they said, H559 We know H3045 him.
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.