English Standard Version
Genesis 11:4
4Then they said, "Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth."
Genesis 11:4 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.
- New International Version (NIV)Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves; otherwise we will be scattered over the face of the whole earth.”
- New King James Version (NKJV)And they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top is in the heavens; let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth.”
- New Living Translation (NLT)Then they said, “Come, let’s build a great city for ourselves with a tower that reaches into the sky. This will make us famous and keep us from being scattered all over the world.”
Context of Genesis 11:4
2And as people migrated from the east, they found a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there. 3And they said to one another, "Come, let us make bricks, and burn them thoroughly." And they had brick for stone, and bitumen for mortar. Then they said, "Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth." 5And the Lord came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of man had built. 6And the Lord said, "Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language, and this is only the beginning of what they will do. And nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them.
Read all of Genesis 11Genesis 11:4 word by word
וַיֹּאמְר֞וּ הָ֣בָה׀ נִבְנֶה־לָּ֣נוּ עִ֗יר וּמִגְדָּל֙ וְרֹאשׁ֣וֹ בַשָּׁמַ֔יִם וְנַֽעֲשֶׂה־לָּ֖נוּ שֵׁ֑ם פֶּן־נָפ֖וּץ עַל־פְּנֵ֥י כָל־הָאָֽרֶץ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And they saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- Go toיָהַבyâhab · to giveH3051
- let us buildבָּנָהbânâh · to buildH1129
- us a cityעִיר‛îyr ‛âr ‛âyar · cityH5892
- and a towerמִגְדָּלmigdâl migdâlâh · towerH4026
- whose topרֹאשׁrô'sh · head: topH7218
- unto heavenשָׁמַיִםshâmayim shâmeh · heavenH8064
- and let us makeעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to makeH6213
- us a nameשֵׁםshêm · nameH8034
- lest we be scattered abroadפּוּץpûts · to scatterH6327
- upon the faceפָּנֶהpânîym · face: surfaceH6440
- of the whole earthאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
Cross-references for Genesis 11:4
- Deuteronomy 1:28Where are we going up? Our brothers have made our hearts melt, saying, "The people are greater and taller than we. The cities are great and fortified up to heaven. And besides, we have seen the sons of the Anakim there."'
- Deuteronomy 9:1"Hear, O Israel: you are to cross over the Jordan today, to go in to dispossess nations greater and mightier than you, cities great and fortified up to heaven,
- Daniel 4:11The tree grew and became strong, and its top reached to heaven, and it was visible to the end of the whole earth.
- 2 Samuel 8:13And David made a name for himself when he returned from striking down 18,000 Edomites in the Valley of Salt.
- Psalms 49:11Their graves are their homes forever, their dwelling places to all generations, though they called lands by their own names.
- Proverbs 10:7The memory of the righteous is a blessing, but the name of the wicked will rot.
- Daniel 4:30and the king answered and said, "Is not this great Babylon, which I have built by my mighty power as a royal residence and for the glory of my majesty?"
- John 5:44How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God?
- Genesis 11:8So the Lord dispersed them from there over the face of all the earth, and they left off building the city.
- Psalms 92:9For behold, your enemies, O Lord, for behold, your enemies shall perish; all evildoers shall be scattered.
- Luke 1:51He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts;
Commentaries on Genesis 11:4
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4Let us build us a city and a tower - On this subject there have been various conjectures. Mr. Hutchinson supposed that the design of the builders was to erect a temple to the host of heaven - the sun, moon, planets, etc.; and, to support this interpretation, he says בשמים וראשו verosho bashshamayim should be translated, not, whose top may reach unto heaven, for there is nothing for may reach in the Hebrew, but its head or summit to the heavens, i.e. to…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
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 4Far from the original garden (2:15), the first cities of Genesis represent arrogance (4:17), tyranny (10:8–12), and evil (18:20–21). The city on the Babylonian plain attracted human pride and idol worship. a tower that reaches to the heavens: This was probably a temple-tower (a ziggurat). In ancient Babylonian cities, people considered ziggurats to be sacred mountains where gods came down to earth. Jacob’s dream in 28:12 might indicate this idea. that we…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 44. 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.Read the comment
Topics related to Genesis 11:4
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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