Genesis 11:8

Genesis 11:8 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)So the Lord scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city.
• New International Version (NIV)So the Lord scattered them from there over all the earth, and they stopped building the city.
• English Standard Version (ESV)So the Lord dispersed them from there over the face of all the earth, and they left off building the city.
• New King James Version (NKJV)So the Lord scattered them abroad from there over the face of all the earth, and they ceased building the city.

Context of Genesis 11:8

6“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! 7Come, let’s go down and confuse the people with different languages. Then they won’t be able to understand each other.” In that way, the Lord scattered them all over the world, and they stopped building the city. 9That is why the city was called Babel, because that is where the Lord confused the people with different languages. In this way he scattered them all over the world. 10This is the account of Shem’s family. Two years after the great flood, when Shem was 100 years old, he became the father of Arphaxad.

Genesis 11:8 word by word

וַיָּ֨פֶץ יְהוָ֥ה אֹתָ֛ם מִשָּׁ֖ם עַל־פְּנֵ֣י כָל־הָאָ֑רֶץ וַֽיַּחְדְּל֖וּ לִבְנֹ֥ת הָעִֽיר׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• So the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• scattered them abroadפּוּץpûts · to scatterH6327
• from thenceשָׁםshâm · thereH8033
• upon the faceפָּנֶהpânîym · face: surfaceH6440
• of all the earthאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
• and they left offחָדַלchâdal · to ceaseH2308
• to buildבָּנָהbânâh · to buildH1129
• the cityעִיר‛îyr ‛âr ‛âyar · cityH5892

Cross-references for Genesis 11:8

• Genesis 11:4Then 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.”
• Genesis 49:7A curse on their anger, for it is fierce; a curse on their wrath, for it is cruel. I will scatter them among the descendants of Jacob; I will disperse them throughout Israel.
• Deuteronomy 32:8When the Most High assigned lands to the nations, when he divided up the human race, he established the boundaries of the peoples according to the number in his heavenly court.
• Luke 1:51His mighty arm has done tremendous things! He has scattered the proud and haughty ones.
• Genesis 10:25Eber had two sons. The first was named Peleg (which means “division”), for during his lifetime the people of the world were divided into different language groups. His brother’s name was Joktan.

Commentaries on Genesis 11:8

• 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. 8the LORD scattered them: In a similar way, God punished Adam and Eve for trying to become independent of his rule. God punished Cain for murder. Their punishments involved exile and scattering (3:23; 4:12, 14; 9:19; 10:5, 25, 32).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-321. the whole earth was of one language. The descendants of Noah, united by the strong bond of a common language, had not separated, and notwithstanding the divine command to replenish the earth, were unwilling to separate. The more pious and well-disposed would of course obey the divine will; but a numerous body, seemingly the aggressive horde mentioned (Ge 10:10), determined to please themselves by occupying the fairest region they came to.Read the comment

Topics related to Genesis 11:8

• 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