Genesis

Genesis 11:7–9

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 11:7

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
Comeהָ֚בָהhā·ḇāhVerb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular; third person feminine singularH3051 give
let Us go downנֵֽרְדָ֔הnê·rə·ḏāhVerb - Qal - Imperfect Cohortative - first person common pluralH3381 come or go down, descend
and confuseוְנָבְלָ֥הwə·nā·ḇə·lāhConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect Cohortative - first person common pluralH1101 mingle, mix, confuse, confound
their languageשְׂפָתָ֑םśə·p̄ā·ṯāmNoun - feminine singular construct; third person masculine pluralH8193 lip, speech, edge
so thatאֲשֶׁר֙’ă·šerPronoun - relativeH834 particle of relation
they will notלֹ֣אlōAdverb - Negative particleH3808 not
understandיִשְׁמְע֔וּyiš·mə·‘ūVerb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine pluralH8085 hear
oneאִ֖ישׁ’îšNoun - masculine singularH376 man
another’sרֵעֵֽהוּ׃rê·‘ê·hūNoun - masculine singular construct; third person masculine singularH7453 shouting, roar
speechשְׂפַ֥תśə·p̄aṯNoun - feminine singular constructH8193 lip, speech, edge

Genesis 11:8

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
So the LORDיְהוָ֥הYah·wehNoun - proper - masculine singularH3068 Yahweh
scattered themוַיָּ֨פֶץway·yā·p̄eṣConjunctive waw; Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singularH6327 be dispersed, scattered
from thereמִשָּׁ֖םmiš·šāmPreposition-m; AdverbH8033 there, thither
overעַל־‘al-PrepositionH5921 height
the faceפְּנֵ֣יpə·nêNoun - common plural constructH6440 face, before
of allכָל־ḵālNoun - masculine singular constructH3605 the whole, all
the earthהָאָ֑רֶץhā·’ā·reṣArticle; Noun - feminine singularH776 earth, land
and they stoppedוַֽיַּחְדְּל֖וּway·yaḥ·də·lūConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine pluralH2308 cease
buildingלִבְנֹ֥תliḇ·nōṯPreposition-l; Verb - Qal - Infinitive constructH1129 build
the cityהָעִֽיר׃hā·‘îrArticle; Noun - feminine singularH5892 excitement

Genesis 11:9

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
That is whyעַל־‘al-PrepositionH5921 height
itשְׁמָהּ֙šə·māhNoun - masculine singular construct; third person feminine singularH8034 name
is calledקָרָ֤אqā·rāVerb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singularH7121 call, proclaim, read
Babelבָּבֶ֔לbā·ḇelNoun - proper - feminine singularH894 Babel, Babylon
forכִּי־kî-ConjunctionH3588 burning, branding
thereשָׁ֛םšāmAdverbH8033 there, thither
the LORDיְהוָ֖הYah·wehNoun - proper - masculine singularH3068 Yahweh
confusedבָּלַ֥לbā·lalVerb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singularH1101 mingle, mix, confuse, confound
the languageשְׂפַ֣תśə·p̄aṯNoun - feminine singular constructH8193 lip, speech, edge
of the wholeכָּל־kāl-Noun - masculine singular constructH3605 the whole, all
worldהָאָ֑רֶץhā·’ā·reṣArticle; Noun - feminine singularH776 earth, land
and from that placeוּמִשָּׁם֙ū·miš·šāmConjunctive waw, Preposition-m; AdverbH8033 there, thither
the LORDיְהוָ֔הYah·wehNoun - proper - masculine singularH3068 Yahweh
scattered themהֱפִיצָ֣םhĕ·p̄î·ṣāmVerb - Hifil - Perfect - third person masculine singular; third person masculine pluralH6327 be dispersed, scattered
overעַל־‘al-PrepositionH5921 height
the faceפְּנֵ֖יpə·nêNoun - common plural constructH6440 face, before
of allכָּל־kāl-Noun - masculine singular constructH3605 the whole, all
the earthהָאָֽרֶץ׃פhā·’ā·reṣArticle; Noun - feminine singularH776 earth, land

Cross-references

Other passages that speak to the same thing. Point at one to read it.

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

Genesis 11:8 Luke 1:51 · Genesis 10:32 · Genesis 10:25 · Deuteronomy 32:8

Genesis 11:9 Genesis 10:5 · Genesis 10:10 · Genesis 10:20 · Acts 17:26 · 1 Corinthians 14:23 · Genesis 10:25 · Jeremiah 50:1–46 · Isaiah 13:1–14 · Genesis 10:31–32

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.