Genesis 11:4

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.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)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."
• 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.”

Context of Genesis 11:4

2As people moved toward the east, they found a plain in Shinar [Babylonia] and settled there. 3They said to one another, “Let’s make bricks and bake them thoroughly.” They used bricks as stones and tar as mortar. Then they said, “Let’s build a city for ourselves and a tower with its top in the sky. Let’s make a name for ourselves so that we won’t become scattered all over the face of the earth.” 5The Lord came down to see the city and the tower that the descendants of Adam were building. 6The Lord said, “They are one people with one language. This is only the beginning of what they will do! Now nothing they plan to do will be too difficult for them.

Genesis 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 anyway? Our own men have discouraged us by saying, ‘The people there are taller and stronger than we are. The cities are big with sky-high walls! We even saw the people of Anak there.’ ”
• Deuteronomy 9:1Listen, Israel, you’re about to cross the Jordan River. You’ll be forcing out nations that are larger and stronger than you, with big cities that have sky-high walls.
• Daniel 4:11The tree grew, and it became strong enough and tall enough to reach the sky. It could be seen everywhere on earth.
• 2 Samuel 8:13David made a name for himself by killing 18,000 Edomites in the Dead Sea region as he returned ⌞to Jerusalem⌟.
• Psalms 49:11Although they named their lands after themselves, their graves have become their homes for ages to come, their dwelling places throughout every generation.
• Proverbs 10:7The name of a righteous person remains blessed, but the names of wicked people will rot away.
• Daniel 4:30The king thought, “Look how great Babylon is! I built the royal palace by my own impressive power and for my glorious honor.”
• John 5:44How can you believe when you accept each other’s praise and don’t look for the praise that comes from the only God?
• Genesis 11:8So the Lord scattered them all over the face of the earth, and they stopped building the city.
• Psalms 92:9Now look at your enemies, O Lord. Now look at your enemies. They disappear, and all troublemakers are scattered.
• Luke 1:51“He displayed his mighty power. He scattered those who think too highly of themselves.

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

• Ambition
• Babel
• Babylon
• Confidence
• Confusion
• Dispersion
• False Confidence
• Language
• Miracles
• Presumption
• Tongue
• Tower

In the dictionaries

• Scattered Abroad
• Babel, tower of
• Begin
• Confound
• Earth
• Mesopotamia
• Noah
• Scatter
• Shinar, The Land of
• Slime

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