1 Καὶ ἦν πᾶσα ἡ γῆ χεῖλος ἓν, καὶ φωνὴ μία πᾶσι. 2 Καὶ ἐγένετο ἐν τῷ κινῆσαι αὐτοὺς ἀπὸ ἀνατολῶν, εὗρον πεδίον ἐν γῇ Σεναὰρ, καὶ κατῴκησαν ἐκεῖ. 3 Καὶ εἶπεν ἄνθρωπος τῷ πλησίον αὐτοῦ, δεῦτε πλινθεύσωμεν πλίνθους, καὶ ὀπτήσωμεν αὐτὰς πυρί· καὶ ἐγένετο αὐτοῖς ἡ πλίνθος εἰς λίθον, καὶ ἄσφαλτος ἦν αὐτοῖς ὁ πηλός. 4 Καὶ εἶπαν, δεῦτε οἰκοδομήσωμεν ἑαυτοῖς πόλιν καὶ πύργον, οὗ ἔσται ἡ κεφαλὴ ἕως τοῦ οὐρανοῦ, καὶ ποιήσωμεν ἑαυτοῖς ὄνομα, πρὸ τοῦ διασπαρῆναι ἡμᾶς ἐπὶ προσώπου πάσης τῆς γῆς. 5 Καὶ κατέβη Κύριος ἰδεῖν τὴν πόλιν καὶ τὸν πύργον, ὃν ᾠκοδόμησαν οἱ υἱοὶ τῶν ἀνθρώπων. 6 Καὶ εἶπε Κύριος, ἰδοὺ γένος ἓν, καὶ χεῖλος ἓν πάντων, καὶ τοῦτο ἤρξαντο ποιῆσαι, καὶ νῦν οὐκ ἐκλείψει ἀπʼ αὐτῶν πάντα ὅσα ἂν ἐπιθῶνται ποιεῖν. 7 Δεῦτε, καὶ καταβάντες συγχέωμεν αὐτῶν ἐκεῖ τὴν γλῶσσαν, ἵνα μὴ ἀκούσωσιν ἕκαστος τὴν φωνὴν τοῦ πλησίον. 8 Καὶ διέσπειρεν αὐτοὺς Κύριος ἐκεῖθεν ἐπὶ πρόσωπον πάσης τῆς γῆς· καὶ ἐπαύσαντο οἰκοδομοῦντες τῆν πόλιν καὶ τὸν πύργον. 9 Διὰ τοῦτο ἐκλήθη τὸ ὄνομα αὐτῆς, Σύγχυσις, ὅτι ἐκεῖ συνέχεε Κύριος τὰ χείλη πάσης τῆς γῆς, καὶ ἐκεῖθεν διέσπειρεν αὐτοὺς Κύριος ἐπὶ πρόσωπον πάσης τῆς γῆς. 10◆ Καὶ αὗται αἱ γενέσεις Σήμ· καὶ ἦν Σὴμ υἱὸς ἑκατὸν ἐτῶν, ὅτε ἐγέννησε τὸν Ἀρφαξὰδ, δευτέρου ἔτους μετὰ τὸν κατακλυσμόν. 11◆ Καὶ ἔζησε Σὴμ, μετὰ τὸ γεννῆσαι αὐτὸν τὸν Ἀρφαξὰδ, ἔτη πεντακόσια, καὶ ἐγέννησεν υἱοὺς καὶ θυγατέρας, καὶ ἀπέθανε. 12◆ Καὶ ἔζησεν Ἀρφαξὰδ ἑκατὸν τριακονταπέντε ἔτη, καὶ ἐγέννησε τὸν Καϊνᾶν. 13◆ Καὶ ἔζησεν Ἀρφαξὰδ, μετὰ τὸ γεννῆσαι αὐτὸν τὸν Καϊνᾶν, ἔτη τετρακόσια, καὶ ἐγέννησεν υἱοὺς καὶ θυγατέρας, καὶ ἀπέθανε. Καὶ ἔζησε Καϊνᾶν ἑκατὸν καὶ τριάκοντα ἔτη, καὶ ἐγέννησε τὸν Σαλά· καὶ ἔξησε Καϊνᾶν, μετὰ τὸ γεννῆσαι αὐτὸν τὸν Σαλὰ, ἔτη τριακόσια τριάκοντα, καὶ ἐγέννησεν υἱοὺς καὶ θυγατέρας, καὶ ἀπέθανε. 14◆ Καὶ ἔζησε Σαλὰ ἑκατὸν τριάκοντα ἔτη, καὶ ἐγέννησε τὸν Ἕβερ. 15◆ Καὶ ἔζησε Σαλὰ μετὰ τὸ γεννῆσαι αὐτὸν τὸν Ἕβερ, τριακόσια τριάκοντα ἔτη, καὶ ἐγέννησεν υἱοὺς καὶ θυγατέρας· καὶ ἀπέθανε. 16◆ Καὶ ἔζησεν Ἕβερ ἑκατὸν τριάκοντα τέσσαρα ἔτη, καὶ ἐγέννησε τὸν Φαλέγ. 17◆ Καὶ ἔξησεν Ἕβερ, μετὰ τὸ γεννῆσαι αὐτὸν τὸν Φαλὲγ, ἔτη διακόσια ἑβδομήκοντα, καὶ ἐγέννησεν υἱοὺς καὶ θυγατέρας, καὶ ἀπέθανε. 18◆ Καὶ ἔζησε Φαλὲγ τριάκοντα καὶ ἑκατὸν ἔτη, καὶ ἐγέννησε τὸν Ῥαγαῦ. 19◆ Καὶ ἔζησε Φαλὲγ, μετὰ τὸ γεννῆσαι αὐτὸν τὸν Ῥαγαῦ, ἐννέα καὶ διακόσια ἔτη, καὶ ἐγέννησεν υἱοὺς και θυγατέρας, καὶ ἀπέθανε. 20◆ Καὶ ἔζησε Ῥαγαὺ ἑκατὸν τριάκοντα καὶ δύο ἔτη, καὶ ἐγέννησε τὸν Σερούχ. 21◆ Καὶ ἔζησε Ῥαγαῦ, μετὰ τὸ γεννῆσαι αὐτὸν τὸν Σεροὺχ, διακόσια ἑπτὰ ἔτη, καὶ ἐγέννησεν υἱοὺς καὶ θυγατέρας, καὶ ἀπέθανε. 22◆ Καὶ ἔζησε Σεροὺχ ἑκατὸν τριάκοντα ἔτη, καὶ ἐγέννησε τὸν Ναχώρ. 23◆ Καὶ ἔζησε Σεροὺχ, μετὰ τὸ γεννῆσαι αὐτὸν τὸν Ναχὼρ, ἔτη διακόσια, καὶ ἐγέννησεν υἱοὺς καὶ θυγατέρας, καὶ ἀπέθανε. 24◆ Καὶ ἔζησε Ναχὼρ ἔτη ἑκατὸν ἑβδομηκονταεννέα, καὶ ἐγέννησε τὸν Θάῤῥα. 25◆ Καὶ ἔζησε Ναχὼρ, μετὰ τὸ γεννῆσαι αὐτὸν τὸν Θάῤῥα, ἔτη ἑκατὸν εἰκοσιπὲντε, καὶ ἐγεννησεν υἱοὺς καὶ θυγατέρας, καὶ ἀπέθανε. 26◆ Καὶ ἔζησε Θάῤῥα ἑβδομήκοντα ἔτη, καὶ ἐγέννησε τὸν Ἄβραμ, καὶ τὸν Ναχὼρ, καὶ τὸν Ἀῤῥάν. 27 Αὗται δὲ αἱ γενέσεις Θάῤῥα· Θάῤῥα ἐγέννησε τὸν Ἅβραμ, καὶ τὸν Ναχὼρ, καὶ τὸν Ἀῤῥάν· καὶ Ἀῤῥὰν ἐγέννησε τὸν Λώτ. 28 Καὶ ἀπέθανεν Ἀῤῥὰν ἐνώπιον Θάῤῥα τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτοῦ ἐν τῇ γῇ ᾗ ἐγενήθη, ἐν τῇ χώρᾳ τῶν Χαλδαίων. 29 Καὶ ἔλαβον Ἅβραμ καὶ Ναχὼρ ἑαυτοῖς γυναῖκας· ὄνομα τῇ γυναικὶ Ἅβραμ, Σάρα, καὶ ὄνομα τῇ γυναικὶ Ναχὼρ, Μελχά, θυγάτηρ Ἀῤῥάν· καὶ πατὴρ Μελχὰ, καὶ πατὴρ Ἰεσχά. 30 Καὶ ἦν Σάρα στεῖρα, καὶ οὐκ ἐτεκνοποίει. 31 Καὶ ἔλαβε Θάῤῥα τὸν Ἅβραμ υἱὸν αὐτοῦ, καὶ τὸν Λὼτ υἱὸν Ἀῤῥάν, υἱὸν τοῦ υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ, καὶ τὴν Σάραν τὴν νύμφην αὐτοῦ, γυναῖκα Ἅβραμ τοῦ υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐξήγαγεν αὐτοὺς ἐκ τῆς χώρας τῶν Χαλδαίων, πορευθῆναι εἰς γῆν Χαναάν· καὶ ἦλθον ἕως Χαῤῥὰν, καὶ κατῴκησεν ἐκεῖ. 32 Καὶ ἐγένοντο πᾶσαι αἱ ἡμέραι Θάῤῥα ἐν γῇ Χαῤῥὰν, διακόσια πέντε ἔτη· καὶ ἀπέθανε Θάῤῥα ἐν Χαῤῥάν.
Genesis · Brenton's Greek Septuagint
Genesis 11 Brenton's Greek Septuagint
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
Notes on this text (1)
- Ezra and Nehemiah form one book (2 Esdras) in this edition; the reader shows them as Ezra 1–10 and Nehemiah 1–13.
People & places in this chapter
From this site's family tree and Bible maps, only where those guides cite this chapter.
People
Arphaxad
Born two years after the flood, a link from Shem toward Abraham.
Cited in the guide: Genesis 10:22–24; 11:10–13
Eber
The name behind the word 'Hebrew,' father of Peleg.
Cited in the guide: Genesis 10:24–25; 11:14–17
Haran
Abraham's brother who died young in Ur, leaving his son Lot.
Cited in the guide: Genesis 11:26–31
Iscah
A daughter of Haran and the sister of Milcah, named only in the account of Terah's family.
Cited in the guide: Genesis 11:29
Lot
Abraham's nephew who chose the plain of Jordan and settled near Sodom.
Cited in the guide: Genesis 11–14; 19
Milcah
Haran's daughter and the sister of Iscah, who became the wife of Nahor.
Cited in the guide: Genesis 11:29; Genesis 22:20; Genesis 22:23
Nahor
The grandfather of Abraham, standing just before Terah in the line.
Cited in the guide: Genesis 11:22–25
Nahor
Terah's son and the brother of Abram and Haran, who took Milcah, the daughter of Haran, as his wife.
Cited in the guide: Genesis 11:26; Genesis 11:27; Genesis 11:29
Peleg
In his days, Scripture says, the earth was divided.
Cited in the guide: Genesis 10:25; 11:16–19
Reu
A link in the generations descending toward Abraham.
Cited in the guide: Genesis 11:18–21
Serug
Great-grandfather of Abraham in the line from Shem.
Cited in the guide: Genesis 11:20–23
Shelah
A quiet link in the line from Shem to Eber and Abraham.
Cited in the guide: Genesis 10:24; 11:12–15
Shem
Noah's blessed son, ancestor of the Semitic peoples and of Abraham.
Cited in the guide: Genesis 9:18–10:31; 11:10–26
Terah
He left Ur with his family and journeyed toward Canaan, settling in Haran.
Cited in the guide: Genesis 11:24–32
Places
Haran
A caravan city in Upper Mesopotamia and the family's waypoint between Ur and Canaan. Abraham departed from here for Canaan; Jacob later sojourned with Laban nearby.
Cited in the guide: Genesis 11:31; Genesis 12:4; Genesis 28:10
Ur
Traditionally the southern Sumerian city (Tell el-Muqayyar) with its famous ziggurat, though some scholars argue for a northern Ur (location debated). Abraham set out from here.
Cited in the guide: Genesis 11:31; Genesis 15:7; Nehemiah 9:7
Cross references (23)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 Acts 2:6; Zephaniah 3:9; Isaiah 19:18
- 2 Daniel 1:2; Genesis 10:10; Genesis 14:1; Isaiah 11:11; Zechariah 5:11
- 3 Genesis 14:10; Exodus 1:14; Exodus 2:3; James 5:1; Hebrews 10:24
- 4 Deuteronomy 1:28; John 5:44; Luke 1:51; Deuteronomy 9:1; Daniel 4:30
- 5 Psalm 33:13–14; Genesis 18:21; John 3:13; Hebrews 4:13; Jeremiah 23:23–24
- 6 Psalm 2:1–4; Genesis 3:22; Genesis 11:1; Ecclesiastes 11:9; Luke 1:51
- 7 Psalm 33:10; Job 5:12–13; Genesis 1:26; Psalm 55:9; 1 Corinthians 14:2–11
- 8 Luke 1:51; Genesis 10:32; Genesis 10:25; Deuteronomy 32:8; Genesis 11:4
- 9 Genesis 10:10; Genesis 10:5; Acts 17:26; Genesis 10:20; 1 Corinthians 14:23
- 10 1 Chronicles 1:17–27; Luke 3:34–36; Genesis 11:27; Genesis 10:21–22
- 11 Genesis 9:7; Psalm 144:12; Genesis 1:28; Genesis 5:4–32; Psalm 127:3–4
- 12 Luke 3:36
- 16 Luke 3:35; Numbers 24:24; Genesis 10:21; 1 Chronicles 1:19; Genesis 10:25
- 18 Luke 3:35
- 20 Luke 3:35
- 22 Joshua 24:2
- 24 Luke 3:34; Joshua 24:2
- 26 Joshua 24:2; Genesis 12:4–5; 1 Chronicles 1:26–27; Genesis 22:20–24; Genesis 29:4–5
- 27 Genesis 14:12; Genesis 12:4; Genesis 11:31; 2 Peter 2:7; Genesis 13:1–11
- 28 Genesis 15:7; Genesis 11:31; Acts 7:2–4; Nehemiah 9:7
- 29 Genesis 17:15; Genesis 22:20; Genesis 24:15; Genesis 20:12
- 30 Judges 13:2; Genesis 25:21; 1 Samuel 1:2; Luke 1:7; Luke 1:36
- 31 Nehemiah 9:7; Acts 7:2–4; Genesis 12:4; Joshua 24:2–3; Genesis 15:7
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
Why does my Bible say something different?
- Genesis 5 and 11: why the patriarchs’ ages differ
In the Greek Septuagint most patriarchs in Genesis 5 and 11 become fathers about 100 years later than in the Hebrew text, and Genesis 11 adds a second Cainan, whom St Luke also names (Luke 3:36). The result is a world history over a thousand years longer. The Byzantine calendar was built on the Greek numbers. No doctrine depends on either set.
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
Therefore the name of it is called Confusion; because the Lord did there confound the language of all the earth: and the Lord God scattered them thence on the face of all the earth." This city, which was called Confusion, is the same as Babylon, whose wonderful construction Gentile history also notices.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 2 (1887)
The words, "Nothing will be restrained from them which they have imagined to do," are assuredly not meant as an affirmation, but as an interrogation, such as is used by persons threatening, as e.g., when Dido exclaims, "They will not take arms and pursue?" We are to understand the words as if it had been said, Shall nothing be restrained …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 2 (1887)
And Abram and Nahor took them wives: the name of Abram's wife was Sarai; and the name of Nahor's wife Milcah, the daughter of Haran, the father of Milcah, and the father of Iscah." This Iscah is supposed to be the same as Sarah, Abraham's wife.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 2 (1887)