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 the entire earth had the same language with the same vocabulary. When they traveled eastward, they found a valley-plain in the land of Shinar and settled there. 3They said to one another, “Come! Let’s make bricks and bake them until they’re hard.” So they used bricks for stone, and tar for mortar. 4Then they said, “Come! Let’s build ourselves a city, with a tower whose top reaches into heaven. So let’s make a name for ourselves, or else we will be scattered over the face of the whole land.”

Genesis 11:2 word by word

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

Words taken from the KJV.

• And it came to pass, as they journeyedנָסַעnâsa‛ · to set outH5265
• from the eastקֶ֫דֶםqedem qêdmâh · front: eastH6924
• that they foundמָצָאmâtsâ' · to findH4672
• a plainבִּקְעָהbiq‛âh · valleyH1237
• in the landאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
• of Shinarשִׁנְעָרshin‛âr · ShinarH8152
• and they dweltיָשַׁבyâshab · to dwellH3427

Cross-references for Genesis 11:2

• Genesis 13:11So Lot chose for himself the whole area surrounding the Jordan. Lot journeyed to the east, and they separated from each other.
• Genesis 11:9This is why it is named Babel, because Adonai confused the languages of the entire world there, and from there Adonai scattered them over the face of the entire world.
• Genesis 10:10The beginning of his kingdom included Babel, Erech, Accad and Calneh, in the land of Shinar.
• Genesis 14:1Now 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 11:11It will also come about in that day that my Lord will again redeem— a second time with His hand— the remnant of His people who remain from Assyria, from Egypt, from Pathros, from Cush, Elam, Shinar, Hamath, and from the islands of the sea.
• Daniel 1:2God gave King Jehoiakim of Judah into his hand, along with some of the vessels of the House of God. He brought them into the land of Shinar to the house of his god and put the vessels into the treasure house of his god.
• Zechariah 5:11He said, “To build a temple for her in the land of Shinar. When it is prepared, she will live there in her own place.”

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