Darby Bible
Genesis 11:7
7Come, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech.
Genesis 11:7 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech.
- New International Version (NIV)Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other.”
- English Standard Version (ESV)Come, let us go down and there confuse their language, so that they may not understand one another's speech."
- New King James Version (NKJV)Come, let Us go down and there confuse their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech.”
Context of Genesis 11:7
5And Jehovah came down to see the city and the tower which the children of men built. 6And Jehovah said, Behold, the people is one, and have all one language; and this have they begun to do. And now will they be hindered in nothing that they meditate doing. Come, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech. 8And Jehovah scattered them thence over the face of the whole earth. And they left off building the city. 9Therefore was its name called Babel; because Jehovah there confounded the language of the whole earth. And Jehovah scattered them thence over the face of the whole earth.
Read all of Genesis 11Genesis 11:7 word by word
הָ֚בָה נֵֽרְדָ֔ה וְנָבְלָ֥ה שָׁ֖ם שְׂפָתָ֑ם אֲשֶׁר֙ לֹ֣א יִשְׁמְע֔וּ אִ֖ישׁ שְׂפַ֥ת רֵעֵֽהוּ׃Read the interlinear
Cross-references for Genesis 11:7
- Genesis 11:5And Jehovah came down to see the city and the tower which the children of men built.
- Genesis 1:26And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the heavens, and over the cattle, and over the whole earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth on the earth.
- Genesis 3:22And Jehovah Elohim said, Behold, Man is become as one of us, to know good and evil. And now, lest he stretch out his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever...!
- Isaiah 6:8And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? And I said, Here am I; send me.
- Job 5:12He disappointeth the devices of the crafty, and their hands carry not out the enterprise.
- Job 12:20He depriveth of speech the trusty, and taketh away the judgment of the elders;
- Psalms 2:4He that dwelleth in the heavens shall laugh, the Lord shall have them in derision.
- Psalms 33:10Jehovah frustrateth the counsel of the nations; he maketh the thoughts of the peoples of none effect.
- Acts 2:4And they were all filled with [the] Holy Spirit, and began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit gave to them to speak forth.
- Genesis 10:5From these came the distribution of the isles of the nations, according to their lands, every one after his tongue, after their families, in their nations.
- Genesis 42:23And they did not know that Joseph understood, for the interpreter was between them.
- Deuteronomy 28:49Jehovah will bring a nation against thee from afar, from the end of the earth, like as the eagle flieth, a nation whose tongue thou understandest not;
- Psalms 55:9Swallow [them] up, Lord; divide their tongue: for I have seen violence and strife in the city.
- Jeremiah 5:15Behold, I bring a nation upon you from afar, house of Israel, saith Jehovah: it is a mighty nation, it is an ancient nation, a nation whose language thou knowest not, neither understandest thou what they say.
- 1 Corinthians 14:2For he that speaks with a tongue does not speak to men but to God: for no one hears; but in spirit he speaks mysteries.
Commentaries on Genesis 11:7
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 7Go to - A form of speech which, whatever it might have signified formerly, now means nothing. The Hebrew העה habah signifies come, make preparation, as it were for a journey, the execution of a purpose, etc. Almost all the versions understand the word in this way; the Septuagint have , the Vulgate venite, both signifying come, or come ye. This makes a very good sense, Come, let its go down, etc. For the meaning of these latter words see Genesis 1:26, and…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. 7Come, let Us go down: God speaks to his angelic court (see 1:26; 3:22; and study notes). will not understand one another’s speech: When people could no longer understand one another, their shared plan to do wrong would stop. Later, at Pentecost, God allowed people to understand many languages. This showed a partial reversal (undoing) of what happened at Babe (Acts 2:5–13; see Zephaniah 3:9).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 77. 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…Read the comment
Topics related to Genesis 11:7
In the dictionaries
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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