Bible Central

  • Book & Chapter Guides
  • Reference Overviews
    • People of the Bible
    • Places of the Bible
    • Topic Guides
    • Library
    • Bibliography
  • Media
Menu
  • Book & Chapter Guides
  • Reference Overviews
    • People of the Bible
    • Places of the Bible
    • Topic Guides
    • Library
    • Bibliography
  • Media
Search
Close

Genesis 11

/ Book & Chapter Guides /
Loading...

The Book of Genesis

/ Genesis 11

Read the Text

KJV

King James Version

NRSV

New Revised Standard Version

NIV

New International Version

LEB

Lexham English Bible

HEB

Hebrew Bible

NET

New English Translation

ASV

American Standard Version

Summary

All men speak the same language and they build the Tower of Babel in Shinar, which they built in order to reach heaven. Because of their wicked desires, God confounds their language, so none of them can understand each other. They are scattered upon the face of the earth by the Lord. Shem’s descendents are listed, ending with Terah, Abram, Sarai, and Lot. Terah leads Abram, Sarai and Lot from Ur of the Chaldees to the land of Cannan. Terah dies in Haran.

Commentary

Bible Central Commentary

These free resources were developed for use in the free ScripturePlus app. Many of the contributors are professors of religion and ancient scripture at Brigham Young University.

(Forthcoming)
Loading...

Historical Commentaries

Many of the commentaries below are in the public domain and were authored over 100 years ago. In many cases, they do not reflect the findings of modern scholarship, but they may be helpful for understanding the history of biblical scholarship.

Complete Commentary on the Whole Bible

Matthew Henry (1706)

Commentary on the Bible

Adam Clarke (1831)

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable

Thomas Constable

Rashi’s Commentary

Rashi (Shlomo Yitzchaki)

Notes on the Bible

Albert Barnes (1834)

Exposition of the Entire Bible

John Gill (1746–63)

Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch (1857–78)

Explanatory Notes on the Whole Bible

John Wesley (1754–65)

Videos

Watch selected videos on this chapter of the Bible to enhance your study. Note: Not all videos included come from a Latter-day Saint perspective. Inclusion on this list should not imply endorsement for all content.

Genesis 1-11

Bible Project

The Tower of Babel: Biblical Archeology

InspiringPhilosophy

Historical Settings

People

Read bios of the people in this chapter.

See all People
Place Holder

Shem

Place Holder

Arphaxad

Place Holder

Sala or Salah

Place Holder

Eber

Place Holder

Peleg

Place Holder

Reu

Place Holder

Serug

Place Holder

Nahor

Place Holder

Terah

Place Holder

Abram

Place Holder

Haran

Place Holder

Lot

Place Holder

Sarah

Place Holder

Milcah

Place Holder

Iscah

Places

Read about places mentioned in this chapter.

See all Places
Harran beehive houses. Photo by Zhengan via Wikimedia Commons.

Haran or Charran

Time

*All Dates Are Approximate, according to the narrative of the Bible. These dates may reflect literary significance as opposed to the precise dates of history.

See Biblical Chronology
  • Before 2100 BC

Further Reading

Taylor Halverson, “The Lives of Abraham: Seeing Abraham through the Eyes of Second-Temple Jews,” Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship 32 (2019): 253–276.

Previous Genesis 10 Next Genesis 12

Site Links

  • Chapter Guides
  • Reference Works
  • Media
  • About
  • Donate
  • Donor FAQ

BMC Ecosystem

  • Scripture Plus
  • Book of Mormon Central
  • Doctrine and Covenants Central
  • Pearl of Great Price Central
  • Evidence Central
  • Messages of Christ
  • Seminary Central
  • BMC en Español
  • BMC en Português

Stay Connected

Get instant access to scripture study tips, biblical insights, and Come Follow Me devotionals through our social media channels.

Facebook Youtube Instagram Twitter

Subscribe

 
 
 

Which lists would you like emails from?

Signing up for both the Daily and Weekly email lists is not recommended, as you will receive duplicate emails.

 

We respect your email privacy

 

Copyright 2021 Bible Central, a project of Book of Mormon Central. All rights reserved.
Registered 501(c)(3). EIN: 20-5294264