New King James Version
Genesis 11:6
6And the Lord said, “Indeed the people are one and they all have one language, and this is what they begin to do; now nothing that they propose to do will be withheld from them.
Genesis 11:6 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And the Lord said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do.
- New International Version (NIV)The Lord said, “If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them.
- English Standard Version (ESV)And 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.
- New Living Translation (NLT)“Look!” he said. “The people are united, and they all speak the same language. After this, nothing they set out to do will be impossible for them!
Context of Genesis 11:6
4And 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.” 5But the Lord came down to see the city and the tower which the sons of men had built. And the Lord said, “Indeed the people are one and they all have one language, and this is what they begin to do; now nothing that they propose to do will be withheld from them. 7Come, let Us go down and there confuse their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech.” 8So the Lord scattered them abroad from there over the face of all the earth, and they ceased building the city.
Read all of Genesis 11Genesis 11:6 word by word
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר יְהוָ֗ה הֵ֣ן עַ֤ם אֶחָד֙ וְשָׂפָ֤ה אַחַת֙ לְכֻלָּ֔ם וְזֶ֖ה הַחִלָּ֣ם לַעֲשׂ֑וֹת וְעַתָּה֙ לֹֽא־יִבָּצֵ֣ר מֵהֶ֔ם כֹּ֛ל אֲשֶׁ֥ר יָזְמ֖וּ לַֽעֲשֽׂוֹת׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- Behold, the peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
- oneאֶחָד'echâd · oneH259
- languageשָׂפָהώâphâh ώepheth · lip: languageH8193
- and this they beginחָלַלchâlal · to profane/begin: beginH2490
- to doעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: doH6213
- and now nothingכֹּלkôl kôl · allH3605
- and now nothingלֹאlô' lô' lôh · notH3808
- will be restrainedבָּצַרbâtsar · to gather/restrain/fortifyH1219
- from them, which they have imaginedזָמַםzâmam · to planH2161
Cross-references for Genesis 11:6
- Genesis 3:22Then the Lord God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of Us, to know good and evil. And now, lest he put out his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever”—
- Judges 10:14“Go and cry out to the gods which you have chosen; let them deliver you in your time of distress.”
- 1 Kings 18:27And so it was, at noon, that Elijah mocked them and said, “Cry aloud, for he is a god; either he is meditating, or he is busy, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he is sleeping and must be awakened.”
- Ecclesiastes 11:9Rejoice, O young man, in your youth, And let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth; Walk in the ways of your heart, And in the sight of your eyes; But know that for all these God will bring you into judgment.
- Genesis 11:1Now the whole earth had one language and one speech.
- Genesis 9:19These three were the sons of Noah, and from these the whole earth was populated.
- Acts 17:26And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings,
- Genesis 6:5Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
- Genesis 8:21And the Lord smelled a soothing aroma. Then the Lord said in His heart, “I will never again curse the ground for man’s sake, although the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth; nor will I again destroy every living thing as I have done.
- Psalms 2:1Why do the nations rage, And the people plot a vain thing?
- Luke 1:51He has shown strength with His arm; He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
Commentaries on Genesis 11:6
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 6The people is one, etc. - From this, as before observed, we may infer, that as the people had the same language, so they had a unity of design and sentiment. It is very likely that the original language was composed of monosyllables, that each had a distinct ideal meaning, and only one meaning; as different acceptations of the same word would undoubtedly arise, either from compounding terms, or, when there were but few words in a language, using them by a…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. 6If no one stopped them, the tower builders would become united and ambitious. This would allow human evil to grow in ways that cannot be imagined.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 66. and now nothing will be restrained from them--an apparent admission that the design was practicable, and would have been executed but for the divine interposition.Read the comment
Topics related to Genesis 11:6
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
New King James Version — © 1982 Thomas Nelson, Inc
Commentaries