Genesis
Genesis 11:6–7
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.”
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 11:6
| 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 |
Cross-references
Other passages that speak to the same thing. Point at one to read it.
Genesis 11:6 Psalm 2:1–4 · Genesis 3:22 · Genesis 11:1 · Ecclesiastes 11:9 · Luke 1:51 · Genesis 9:19 · Genesis 6:5 · Genesis 8:21
Genesis 11:7 Psalm 33:10 · Genesis 1:26 · Job 5:12–13 · Psalm 55:9 · 1 Corinthians 14:2–11 · Acts 2:4–11 · 1 Corinthians 14:23 · Genesis 42:23 · Deuteronomy 28:49 · Jeremiah 5:15 · Genesis 3:22 · Psalm 2:4
Cross-references from OpenBible.info, used under CC BY 4.0. The best-supported references for each verse are shown.
Scripture text: Berean Standard Bible.