Genesis 11:7

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

5But the Lord came down to see the city and the tower that the people had started building. 6And the Lord said, “If as one people all sharing a common language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be beyond them. Come, let’s go down and confuse their language so they won’t be able to understand each other.” 8So the Lord scattered them from there across the face of the entire earth, and they stopped building the city. 9That is why its name was called Babel – because there the Lord confused the language of the entire world, and from there the Lord scattered them across the face of the entire earth.

Genesis 11:7 word by word

הָ֚בָה נֵֽרְדָ֔ה וְנָבְלָ֥ה שָׁ֖ם שְׂפָתָ֑ם אֲשֶׁר֙ לֹ֣א יִשְׁמְע֔וּ אִ֖ישׁ שְׂפַ֥ת רֵעֵֽהוּ׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Go toיָהַבyâhab · to giveH3051
• let us go downיָרַדyârad · to go downH3381
• and there confoundבָּלַלbâlal · to mixH1101
• their languageשָׂפָהώâphâh ώepheth · lip: languageH8193
• thatאֲשֶׁר'ăsher · whichH834
• they may not understandשָׁמַעshâma‛ · to hear: understandH8085
• oneאִישׁ'îysh · man: anyoneH376
• another’sרֵעַrêa‛ rêya‛ · neighborH7453
• speechשָׂפָהώâphâh ώepheth · lip: wordsH8193

Cross-references for Genesis 11:7

• Genesis 11:5But the Lord came down to see the city and the tower that the people had started building.
• Genesis 1:26Then God said, “Let us make humankind in our image, after our likeness, so they may rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move on the earth.”
• Genesis 3:22And the Lord God said, “Now that the man has become like one of us, knowing good and evil, he must not be allowed to stretch out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever.”
• Isaiah 6:8I heard the voice of the sovereign master say, “Whom will I send? Who will go on our behalf?” I answered, “Here I am, send me!”
• Job 5:12He frustrates the plans of the crafty so that their hands cannot accomplish what they had planned!
• Job 12:20He deprives the trusted advisers of speech and takes away the discernment of elders.
• Psalms 2:4The one enthroned in heaven laughs in disgust; the Lord taunts them.
• Psalms 33:10The Lord frustrates the decisions of the nations; he nullifies the plans of the peoples.
• Acts 2:4All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit, and they began to speak in other languages as the Spirit enabled them.
• Genesis 10:5From these the coastlands of the nations were separated into their lands, every one according to its language, according to their families, by their nations.
• Genesis 42:23(Now they did not know that Joseph could understand them, for he was speaking through an interpreter.)
• Deuteronomy 28:49The Lord will raise up a distant nation against you, one from the other side of the earth as the eagle flies, a nation whose language you will not understand,
• Psalms 55:9Confuse them, O Lord! Frustrate their plans! For I see violence and conflict in the city.
• Jeremiah 5:15The Lord says, “Listen, nation of Israel! I am about to bring a nation from far away to attack you. It will be a nation that was founded long ago and has lasted for a long time. It will be a nation whose language you will not know. Its people will speak words that you will not be able to understand.
• 1 Corinthians 14:2For the one speaking in a tongue does not speak to people but to God, for no one understands; he is speaking mysteries by the Spirit.

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

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

In the dictionaries

• Babel, tower of
• Begin
• Confound
• Earth
• Mesopotamia
• Noah
• Scatter
• Slime
• Tongues, Confusion of
• Abraham

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