Berean Standard Bible
Genesis 11:9
9That is why it is called Babel,1 for there the LORD confused the language of the whole world, and from that place the LORD scattered them over the face of all the earth.
Genesis 11:9 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Therefore is the name of it called Babel; because the Lord did there confound the language of all the earth: and from thence did the Lord scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth.
- New International Version (NIV)That is why it was called Babel—because there the Lord confused the language of the whole world. From there the Lord scattered them over the face of the whole earth.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Therefore its name was called Babel, because there the Lord confused the language of all the earth. And from there the Lord dispersed them over the face of all the earth.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Therefore its name is called Babel, because there the Lord confused the language of all the earth; and from there the Lord scattered them abroad over the face of all the earth.
Context of Genesis 11:9
7Come, let Us go down and confuse their language, so that they will not understand one another’s speech.” 8So the LORD scattered them from there over the face of all the earth, and they stopped building the city. That is why it is called Babel, for there the LORD confused the language of the whole world, and from that place the LORD scattered them over the face of all the earth. 10This is the account of Shem. Two years after the flood, when Shem was 100 years old, he became the father of Arphaxad. 11And after he had become the father of Arphaxad, Shem lived 500 years and had other sons and daughters.
Read all of Genesis 11Genesis 11:9 word by word
עַל־כֵּ֞ן קָרָ֤א שְׁמָהּ֙ בָּבֶ֔ל כִּי־שָׁ֛ם בָּלַ֥ל יְהוָ֖ה שְׂפַ֣ת כָּל־הָאָ֑רֶץ וּמִשָּׁם֙ הֱפִיצָ֣ם יְהוָ֔ה עַל־פְּנֵ֖י כָּל־הָאָֽרֶץ׃ פRead the interlinear
- That is whyעַל‛al · uponH5921
- That is whyכֵּןkên · soH3651
- itשֵׁםshêm · nameH8034
- is calledקָרָאqârâ' · to call: call byH7121
- Babelבָּבֶ֫ל, בָּבֶלbâbel · BabylonH894
- forכִּיkîy · forH3588
- thereשָׁםshâm · thereH8033
- the LORDיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- confusedבָּלַלbâlal · to mixH1101
- the languageשָׂפָהώâphâh ώepheth · lip: languageH8193
- of the wholeכֹּלkôl kôl · allH3605
- worldאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
- scattered themפּוּץpûts · to scatterH6327
- the faceפָּנֶהpânîym · face: surfaceH6440
Cross-references for Genesis 11:9
- Genesis 10:5From these, the maritime peoples separated into their territories, according to their languages, by clans within their nations.
- Isaiah 13:1This is the burden against Babylon that Isaiah son of Amoz received:
- Jeremiah 50:1This is the word that the LORD spoke through Jeremiah the prophet concerning Babylon and the land of the Chaldeans:
- 1 Corinthians 14:23So if the whole church comes together and everyone speaks in tongues, and some who are uninstructed or some unbelievers come in, will they not say that you are out of your minds?
- Genesis 10:25Two sons were born to Eber: One was named Peleg, because in his days the earth was divided, and his brother was named Joktan.
- Acts 17:26From one man He made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and He determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their lands.
Commentaries on Genesis 11:9
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 9Therefore is the name of it called Babel - בבל babel, from בל bal, to mingle, confound, destroy; hence Babel, from the mingling together and confounding of the projects and language of these descendants of Noah; and this confounding did not so much imply the producing new languages, as giving them a different method of pronouncing the same words, and leading them to affix different ideas to them. Besides Mr. Hutchinson's opinion, (see on Genesis 11:4…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1-9Verses 1-9 - The Confusion of Tongues 1. נסע nāsa‛ “pluck out, break up, journey.” מקדם mı̂qedem “eastward, or on the east side” as in Genesis 2:14; Genesis 13:11; Isaiah 9:11 (12). 6. החלם hachı̂lām “their beginning”, for החלם hăchı̂lām the regular form of this infinitive with a suffix. יזמוּ yāzmû as if from יזם yāzam = זמם zāmam נבלה nābelâh usually said to be for נבלה nābolâh from בלל bālal but evidently designed by the punctuator to be…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 5-9Verses 5-9 Here is an expression after the manner of men; The Lord came down to see the city. God is just and fair in all he does against sin and sinners, and condemns none unheard. Pious Eber is not found among this ungodly crew; for he and his are called the children of God; their souls joined not themselves to the assembly of these children of men. God suffered them to go on some way, that the works of their hands, from which they promised themselves…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 9Babel: The Babylonians saw their city as the home or gateway of the gods. The double meaning at the end of this story shows Babylon's spiritual confusion. Babylon became important under Nimrod (10:10) and later in biblical history (see 2 Kings 25:1–30). Its role as a center of pride and idol worship makes it a symbol for the forces opposed to God in the end times (for example, Revelation 14:8; 16:19; 18:2). The tower builders gathered together in one…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-321. 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.Read the comment
Topics related to Genesis 11:9
In the dictionaries
Notes
- 1. Genesis 11:9 Or Babylon; the Hebrew word for Babel sounds like the Hebrew for confused. ↩
Commentaries on Genesis 11
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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