Genesis

Genesis 11:4–9

⁴“Come,” they said, “let us build for ourselves a city with a tower that reaches to the heavens, that we may make a name for ourselves and not be scattered over the face of all the earth.”

⁵Then the LORD came down to see the city and the tower that the sons of men were building. ⁶And the LORD said, “If they have begun to do this as one people speaking the same language, then nothing they devise will be beyond them. ⁷Come, let Us go down and confuse their language, so that they will not understand one another’s speech.”

⁸So the LORD scattered them from there over the face of all the earth, and they stopped building the city. ⁹That is why it is called Babel,^c for there the LORD confused the language of the whole world, and from that place the LORD scattered them over the face of all the earth.

Footnotes

c 11:9 Or Babylon; the Hebrew word for Babel sounds like the Hebrew for confused.

Read all of Genesis 11

Word by word

Each English word or phrase beside the Hebrew it translates, in the order of the English. Choose a number to open that word’s study.

Genesis 11:4

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Come	הָ֣בָה׀	hā·ḇāh	Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular; third person feminine singular	H3051 give
they said	וַיֹּאמְר֞וּ	way·yō·mə·rū	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural	H559 utter, say
let us build	נִבְנֶה־	niḇ·neh-	Verb - Qal - Imperfect Cohortative if contextual - first person common plural	H1129 build
for ourselves	לָּ֣נוּ	lā·nū	Preposition; first person common plural
a city	עִ֗יר	‘îr	Noun - feminine singular	H5892 excitement
with a tower	וּמִגְדָּל֙	ū·miḡ·dāl	Conjunctive waw; Noun - masculine singular	H4026 tower
that reaches	וְרֹאשׁ֣וֹ	wə·rō·šōw	Conjunctive waw; Noun - masculine singular construct; third person masculine singular	H7218 head
to the heavens	בַשָּׁמַ֔יִם	ḇaš·šā·ma·yim	Preposition-b, Article; Noun - masculine plural	H8064 sky, aloft
that we may make	וְנַֽעֲשֶׂה־	wə·na·‘ă·śeh-	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect Cohortative if contextual - first person common plural	H6213 do, make
a name	שֵׁ֑ם	šêm	Noun - masculine singular	H8034 name
for ourselves	לָּ֖נוּ	lā·nū	Preposition; first person common plural
and not	פֶּן־	pen-	Conjunction	H6435 lest
be scattered	נָפ֖וּץ	nā·p̄ūṣ	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common plural	H6327 be dispersed, scattered
over	עַל־	‘al-	Preposition	H5921 height
the face	פְּנֵ֥י	pə·nê	Noun - common plural construct	H6440 face, before
of all	כָל־	ḵāl	Noun - masculine singular construct	H3605 the whole, all
the earth	הָאָֽרֶץ׃	hā·’ā·reṣ	Article; Noun - feminine singular	H776 earth, land

Genesis 11:5

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Then the LORD	יְהוָ֔ה	Yah·weh	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3068 Yahweh
came down	וַיֵּ֣רֶד	way·yê·reḏ	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H3381 come or go down, descend
to see	לִרְאֹ֥ת	lir·’ōṯ	Preposition-l; Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct	H7200 see
the city	הָעִ֖יר	hā·‘îr	Article; Noun - feminine singular	H5892 excitement
and the tower	הַמִּגְדָּ֑ל	ham·miḡ·dāl	Article; Noun - masculine singular	H4026 tower
that	אֲשֶׁ֥ר	’ă·šer	Pronoun - relative	H834 particle of relation
the sons	בְּנֵ֥י	bə·nê	Noun - masculine plural construct	H1121 son
of men	הָאָדָֽם׃	hā·’ā·ḏām	Article; Noun - masculine singular	H120 man, mankind
were building	בָּנ֖וּ	bā·nū	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural	H1129 build

Genesis 11:6

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
And the LORD	יְהוָ֗ה	Yah·weh	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3068 Yahweh
said	וַיֹּ֣אמֶר	way·yō·mer	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H559 utter, say
If	הֵ֣ן	hên	Interjection	H2005 lo! behold
they have begun	הַחִלָּ֣ם	ha·ḥil·lām	Verb - Hifil - Infinitive construct; third person masculine plural	H2490 bore, pierce
to do	לַעֲשׂ֑וֹת	la·‘ă·śō·wṯ	Preposition-l; Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct	H6213 do, make
this	וְזֶ֖ה	wə·zeh	Conjunctive waw; Pronoun - masculine singular	H2088 this, that
as one	אֶחָד֙	’e·ḥāḏ	Number - masculine singular	H259 one
people	עַ֤ם	‘am	Noun - masculine singular	H5971 people
speaking the same	לְכֻלָּ֔ם	lə·ḵul·lām	Preposition-l; Noun - masculine singular construct; third person masculine plural	H3605 the whole, all
language	וְשָׂפָ֤ה	wə·śā·p̄āh	Conjunctive waw; Noun - feminine singular	H8193 lip, speech, edge
then	וְעַתָּה֙	wə·‘at·tāh	Conjunctive waw; Adverb	H6258 now
nothing	לֹֽא־	lō-	Adverb - Negative particle	H3808 not
they devise	יָזְמ֖וּ	yā·zə·mū	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural	H2161 consider, purpose, devise
will be beyond	יִבָּצֵ֣ר	yib·bā·ṣêr	Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular	H1219 cut off, make inaccessible
them	מֵהֶ֔ם	mê·hem	Preposition-m; Pronoun - third person masculine plural

Genesis 11:7

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Come	הָ֚בָה	hā·ḇāh	Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular; third person feminine singular	H3051 give
let Us go down	נֵֽרְדָ֔ה	nê·rə·ḏāh	Verb - Qal - Imperfect Cohortative - first person common plural	H3381 come or go down, descend
and confuse	וְנָבְלָ֥ה	wə·nā·ḇə·lāh	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect Cohortative - first person common plural	H1101 mingle, mix, confuse, confound
their language	שְׂפָתָ֑ם	śə·p̄ā·ṯām	Noun - feminine singular construct; third person masculine plural	H8193 lip, speech, edge
so that	אֲשֶׁר֙	’ă·šer	Pronoun - relative	H834 particle of relation
they will not	לֹ֣א	lō	Adverb - Negative particle	H3808 not
understand	יִשְׁמְע֔וּ	yiš·mə·‘ū	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural	H8085 hear
one	אִ֖ישׁ	’îš	Noun - masculine singular	H376 man
another’s	רֵעֵֽהוּ׃	rê·‘ê·hū	Noun - masculine singular construct; third person masculine singular	H7453 shouting, roar
speech	שְׂפַ֥ת	śə·p̄aṯ	Noun - feminine singular construct	H8193 lip, speech, edge

Genesis 11:8

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
So the LORD	יְהוָ֥ה	Yah·weh	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3068 Yahweh
scattered them	וַיָּ֨פֶץ	way·yā·p̄eṣ	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H6327 be dispersed, scattered
from there	מִשָּׁ֖ם	miš·šām	Preposition-m; Adverb	H8033 there, thither
over	עַל־	‘al-	Preposition	H5921 height
the face	פְּנֵ֣י	pə·nê	Noun - common plural construct	H6440 face, before
of all	כָל־	ḵāl	Noun - masculine singular construct	H3605 the whole, all
the earth	הָאָ֑רֶץ	hā·’ā·reṣ	Article; Noun - feminine singular	H776 earth, land
and they stopped	וַֽיַּחְדְּל֖וּ	way·yaḥ·də·lū	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural	H2308 cease
building	לִבְנֹ֥ת	liḇ·nōṯ	Preposition-l; Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct	H1129 build
the city	הָעִֽיר׃	hā·‘îr	Article; Noun - feminine singular	H5892 excitement

Genesis 11:9

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
That is why	עַל־	‘al-	Preposition	H5921 height
it	שְׁמָהּ֙	šə·māh	Noun - masculine singular construct; third person feminine singular	H8034 name
is called	קָרָ֤א	qā·rā	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular	H7121 call, proclaim, read
Babel	בָּבֶ֔ל	bā·ḇel	Noun - proper - feminine singular	H894 Babel, Babylon
for	כִּי־	kî-	Conjunction	H3588 burning, branding
there	שָׁ֛ם	šām	Adverb	H8033 there, thither
the LORD	יְהוָ֖ה	Yah·weh	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3068 Yahweh
confused	בָּלַ֥ל	bā·lal	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular	H1101 mingle, mix, confuse, confound
the language	שְׂפַ֣ת	śə·p̄aṯ	Noun - feminine singular construct	H8193 lip, speech, edge
of the whole	כָּל־	kāl-	Noun - masculine singular construct	H3605 the whole, all
world	הָאָ֑רֶץ	hā·’ā·reṣ	Article; Noun - feminine singular	H776 earth, land
and from that place	וּמִשָּׁם֙	ū·miš·šām	Conjunctive waw, Preposition-m; Adverb	H8033 there, thither
the LORD	יְהוָ֔ה	Yah·weh	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3068 Yahweh
scattered them	הֱפִיצָ֣ם	hĕ·p̄î·ṣām	Verb - Hifil - Perfect - third person masculine singular; third person masculine plural	H6327 be dispersed, scattered
over	עַל־	‘al-	Preposition	H5921 height
the face	פְּנֵ֖י	pə·nê	Noun - common plural construct	H6440 face, before
of all	כָּל־	kāl-	Noun - masculine singular construct	H3605 the whole, all
the earth	הָאָֽרֶץ׃פ	hā·’ā·reṣ	Article; Noun - feminine singular	H776 earth, land