Genesis 11:2

Genesis 11:2 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar; and they dwelt there.
• New International Version (NIV)As people moved eastward, they found a plain in Shinar and settled there.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And as people migrated from the east, they found a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there.
• New King James Version (NKJV)And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar, and they dwelt there.

Context of Genesis 11:2

1Now all the earth used the same language and the same words. And it came about, as they journeyed east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there. 3Then they said to one another, “Come, let’s make bricks and fire them thoroughly.” And they used brick for stone, and they used tar for mortar. 4And they said, “Come, let’s build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top will reach into heaven, and let’s make a name for ourselves; otherwise we will be scattered abroad over the face of all the earth.”

Genesis 11:2 word by word

וַֽיְהִ֖י בְּנָסְעָ֣ם מִקֶּ֑דֶם וַֽיִּמְצְא֥וּ בִקְעָ֛ה בְּאֶ֥רֶץ שִׁנְעָ֖ר וַיֵּ֥שְׁבוּ שָֽׁם׃Read the interlinear

• And it cameהָיָהhâyâh · to beH1961
• as they journeyedנָסַעnâsa‛ · to set outH5265
• eastקֶ֫דֶםqedem qêdmâh · front: eastH6924
• that they foundמָצָאmâtsâ' · to findH4672
• a plainבִּקְעָהbiq‛âh · valleyH1237
• in the landאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
• of Shinarשִׁנְעָרshin‛âr · ShinarH8152
• settledיָשַׁבyâshab · to dwellH3427
• thereשָׁםshâm · thereH8033

Cross-references for Genesis 11:2

• Genesis 13:11So Lot chose for himself all the vicinity of the Jordan, and Lot journeyed eastward. So they separated from each other.
• Genesis 11:9Therefore it was named 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.
• Genesis 10:10And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, Erech, Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar.
• Genesis 14:1And it came about in the days of Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of Goiim,
• Isaiah 11:11Then it will happen on that day that the Lord Will again recover with His hand the second time The remnant of His people who will remain, From Assyria, Egypt, Pathros, Cush, Elam, Shinar, Hamath, And from the islands of the sea.
• Daniel 1:2And the Lord handed Jehoiakim king of Judah over to him, along with some of the vessels of the house of God; and he brought them to the land of Shinar, to the house of his god, and he brought the vessels into the treasury of his god.
• Zechariah 5:11Then he said to me, “To build a temple for her in the land of Shinar; and when it is prepared, she will be set there on her own pedestal.”

Commentaries on Genesis 11:2

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 2As they journeyed from the east - Assyria, Mesopotamia, and the country on the borders and beyond the Euphrates, are called the east in the sacred writings. Balaam said that the king of Moab had brought him from the mountains of the east, Numbers 23:7. Now it appears, from Numbers 22:5, that Balaam dwelt at Pethor, on the river Euphrates. And it is very probable that it was from this country that the wise men came to adore Christ; for it is said they came…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. 2journeyed eastward: See study note on 3:24. Shinar (Babylonia) was in southern Mesopotamia, where Nimrod later built his empire and cities (see 10:10; Isaiah 11:11; Daniel 1:2; Zechariah 5:11).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 22. land of Shinar--The fertile valley watered by the Euphrates and Tigris was chosen as the center of their union and the seat of their power.Read the comment

Topics related to Genesis 11:2

• Babel
• Babylon
• Confusion
• Dispersion
• Exodus
• Language
• Miracles
• Tongue
• Tower

In the dictionaries

• Shinar
• Babel, tower of
• Begin
• Confound
• Earth
• Mesopotamia
• Noah
• Plain
• Scatter
• Shinar, The Land of

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