Genesis 11

Tower of Babble

Construction zone

1There was a time on earth when everyone spoke the same language. 2They moved east and settled in a plain called Babylonia. [1] 3There they came up with an idea. They said, “Let’s fire up the kiln and bake some super-hard bricks.” They didn’t have construction-quality stones or mortar. So when they needed to build something they used bricks. They held the bricks together with tar. 4They said, “Come on, let’s build ourselves a city with a tower that climbs all the way to heaven. We’ll be famous. And we’ll have a place big enough for all of us to live, so we don’t scatter all over the place. Win-win.”

5The LORD took a road trip; he came down to see the city and the tower under construction. 6“Look at that,” the LORD said. “They’re working together as one team, all speaking the same language. The city and tower is only the beginning. When they pull together like this, they’ll be able to do anything they decide to do. If they can dream it, they can do it. 7We can’t let that happen. Let’s go down there and expand their vocabulary. We’ll make them talk in different languages so they won’t understand each other.” 8That’s how the LORD managed to scatter people all over the world, while putting a halt to construction of the city and tower. 9That’s why the city was called Babel. [2] Babble is what it sounded like when people talked to each other after God accessorized their lingo, and they had to talk in different languages. They scattered all over the planet.

The family: Shem to Abraham

10This is Shem’s family tree. Two years after the flood, when Shem was 100 years old, he had a son: Arpachshad. 11After that, Shem lived another 500 years. He had more sons and daughters. 12Arpachshad, at the age of 35, became the father of Shelah. 13After that, Arpachshad lived another 403 years. He had more sons and daughters. 14Shelah, at the age of 30, became the father of Eber. 15After that, Shelah lived another 403 years. He had more sons and daughters. 16Eber, at the age of 34, became the father of Peleg. 17After that, Heber lived another 430 years. He had more sons and daughters. 18Peleg, at the age of 30, became the father of Reu. 19After that, Peleg lived another 209 years. He had more sons and daughters. 20Reu, at the age of 32, became the father of Serug. 21After that, Reu lived another 207 years. He had more sons and daughters. 22Serug, at the age of 30, became the father of Nahor. 23After that, Serug lived another 200 years. He had more sons and daughters. 24Nahor, at the age of 29, became the father of Terah. 25After that, Nahor lived another 119 years. He had more sons and daughters. 26Terah, at the age of 70, became the father of Abram, [3] Nahor, and Haran.

Family tree of Abraham’s dad

27This is the family tree of Terah, father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran the father of Lot. 28While his father, Terah, was still alive, Haran died in the place he was born, the Chaldean city of Ur. [4] 29Brothers Abram and Nahor got married in Ur. Abram married Sarai. [5] Nahor married his niece Milcah, one of the two daughters of his dead brother, Haran. Milcah’s sister was Iscah. 30Sarai couldn’t get pregnant. 31Terah moved his family. He left Ur, headed to Canaan. [6] He took his son Abram and his daughter-in-law Sarai. He also took his grandson Lot, Haran’s son. They never made it to Canaan. They stopped and settled in the city of Haran. [7] 32In all, Terah lived 205 years. He died in Haran.

Footnotes

Intro Notes for Genesis

111:2

Now southern Iraq.

211:9

Babel sounds like the Hebrew word for “confusion.”