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Genesis 11

Gen. 11:4 KJV (With Strong’s)

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4
And they said
'amar (Hebrew #559)
to say (used with great latitude)
KJV usage: answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, + (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, X desire, determine, X expressly, X indeed, X intend, name, X plainly, promise, publish, report, require, say, speak (against, of), X still, X suppose, talk, tell, term, X that is, X think, use (speech), utter, X verily, X yet.
Pronounce: aw-mar'
Origin: a primitive root
, Go to
yahab (Hebrew #3051)
to give (whether literal or figurative); generally, to put; imperatively (reflexive) come
KJV usage: ascribe, bring, come on, give, go, set, take.
Pronounce: yaw-hab'
Origin: a primitive root
, let us build
banah (Hebrew #1129)
to build (literally and figuratively)
KJV usage: (begin to) build(-er), obtain children, make, repair, set (up), X surely.
Pronounce: baw-naw'
Origin: a primitive root
us a city
`iyr (Hebrew #5892)
or ayar (Judges 10:4) {aw-yar'}; from 5782 a city (a place guarded by waking or a watch) in the widest sense (even of a mere encampment or post)
KJV usage: Ai (from margin), city, court (from margin), town.
Pronounce: eer
Origin: or (in the plural) par {awr}
and a tower
migdal (Hebrew #4026)
from 1431; a tower (from its size or height); by analogy, a rostrum; figuratively, a (pyramidal) bed of flowers
KJV usage: castle, flower, tower. Compare the names following.
Pronounce: mig-dawl'
Origin: also (in plural) feminine migdalah {mig-daw- law'}
d, whose top
ro'sh (Hebrew #7218)
the head (as most easily shaken), whether literal or figurative (in many applications, of place, time, rank, itc.)
KJV usage: band, beginning, captain, chapiter, chief(-est place, man, things), company, end, X every (man), excellent, first, forefront, ((be-))head, height, (on) high(-est part, (priest)), X lead, X poor, principal, ruler, sum, top.
Pronounce: roshe
Origin: from an unused root apparently meaning to shake
may reach unto heaven
shamayim (Hebrew #8064)
from an unused root meaning to be lofty; the sky (as aloft; the dual perhaps alluding to the visible arch in which the clouds move, as well as to the higher ether where the celestial bodies revolve)
KJV usage: air, X astrologer, heaven(-s).
Pronounce: shaw-mah'-yim
Origin: dual of an unused singular shameh {shaw-meh'}
; and let us make
`asah (Hebrew #6213)
to do or make, in the broadest sense and widest application (as follows)
KJV usage: accomplish, advance, appoint, apt, be at, become, bear, bestow, bring forth, bruise, be busy, X certainly, have the charge of, commit, deal (with), deck, + displease, do, (ready) dress(-ed), (put in) execute(-ion), exercise, fashion, + feast, (fight-)ing man, + finish, fit, fly, follow, fulfill, furnish, gather, get, go about, govern, grant, great, + hinder, hold ((a feast)), X indeed, + be industrious, + journey, keep, labour, maintain, make, be meet, observe, be occupied, offer, + officer, pare, bring (come) to pass, perform, pracise, prepare, procure, provide, put, requite, X sacrifice, serve, set, shew, X sin, spend, X surely, take, X thoroughly, trim, X very, + vex, be (warr-)ior, work(-man), yield, use.
Pronounce: aw-saw'
Origin: a primitive root
us ae name
shem (Hebrew #8034)
an appellation, as a mark or memorial of individuality; by implication honor, authority, character
KJV usage: + base, (in-)fame(-ous), named(-d), renown, report.
Pronounce: shame
Origin: a primitive word (perhaps rather from 7760 through the idea of definite and conspicuous position; compare 8064)
, lest we be scatteredf abroad
puwts (Hebrew #6327)
to dash in pieces, literally or figuratively (especially to disperse)
KJV usage: break (dash, shake) in (to) pieces, cast (abroad), disperse (selves), drive, retire, scatter (abroad), spread abroad.
Pronounce: poots
Origin: a primitive root
upon the face
paniym (Hebrew #6440)
the face (as the part that turns); used in a great variety of applications (literally and figuratively); also (with prepositional prefix) as a preposition (before, etc.)
KJV usage: + accept, a-(be- )fore(-time), against, anger, X as (long as), at, + battle, + because (of), + beseech, countenance, edge, + employ, endure, + enquire, face, favour, fear of, for, forefront(-part), form(-er time, -ward), from, front, heaviness, X him(-self), + honourable, + impudent, + in, it, look(-eth) (- s), X me, + meet, X more than, mouth, of, off, (of) old (time), X on, open, + out of, over against, the partial, person, + please, presence, propect, was purposed, by reason of, + regard, right forth, + serve, X shewbread, sight, state, straight, + street, X thee, X them(-selves), through (+ - out), till, time(-s) past, (un-)to(-ward), + upon, upside (+ down), with(- in, + -stand), X ye, X you.
Pronounce: paw-neem'
Origin: plural (but always as singular) of an unused noun (paneh {paw-neh'}; from 6437)
of the whole earth
'erets (Hebrew #776)
the earth (at large, or partitively a land)
KJV usage: X common, country, earth, field, ground, land, X natins, way, + wilderness, world.
Pronounce: eh'-rets
Origin: from an unused root probably meaning to be firm
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d
Deut. 1:28• 28Whither shall we go up? our brethren have discouraged our heart, saying, The people is greater and taller than we; the cities are great and walled up to heaven; and moreover we have seen the sons of the Anakims there. (Deut. 1:28)
e
Psa. 49:11‑13• 11Their inward thought is, that their houses shall continue for ever, and their dwelling places to all generations; they call their lands after their own names.
 12Nevertheless man being in honor abideth not: he is like the beasts that perish.
 13This their way is their folly: yet their posterity approve their sayings. Selah. (Psa. 49:11‑13)
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Prov. 10:7• 7The memory of the just is blessed: but the name of the wicked shall rot. (Prov. 10:7)
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Dan. 4:30• 30The king spake, and said, Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honor of my majesty? (Dan. 4:30)
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Gen. 11:9• 9Therefore is the name of it called Babel; because the Lord did there confound the language of all the earth: and from thence did the Lord scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth. (Gen. 11:9)
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Psa. 92:9• 9For, lo, thine enemies, O Lord, for, lo, thine enemies shall perish; all the workers of iniquity shall be scattered. (Psa. 92:9)
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Luke 1:51• 51He hath showed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. (Luke 1:51)

More on:

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Earth,
Heaven,
Tower

Cross References

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Ministry on This Verse

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whose.
Deut. 1:28• 28Whither shall we go up? our brethren have discouraged our heart, saying, The people is greater and taller than we; the cities are great and walled up to heaven; and moreover we have seen the sons of the Anakims there. (Deut. 1:28)
;
Deut. 9:1• 1Hear, O Israel: Thou art to pass over Jordan this day, to go in to possess nations greater and mightier than thyself, cities great and fenced up to heaven, (Deut. 9:1)
;
Dan. 4:11,22• 11The tree grew, and was strong, and the height thereof reached unto heaven, and the sight thereof to the end of all the earth:
 22It is thou, O king, that art grown and become strong: for thy greatness is grown, and reacheth unto heaven, and thy dominion to the end of the earth. (Dan. 4:11,22)
and let.
2 Sam. 8:13• 13And David gat him a name when he returned from smiting of the Syrians in the valley of salt, being eighteen thousand men. (2 Sam. 8:13)
;
Psa. 49:11‑13• 11Their inward thought is, that their houses shall continue for ever, and their dwelling places to all generations; they call their lands after their own names.
 12Nevertheless man being in honor abideth not: he is like the beasts that perish.
 13This their way is their folly: yet their posterity approve their sayings. Selah. (Psa. 49:11‑13)
;
Prov. 10:7• 7The memory of the just is blessed: but the name of the wicked shall rot. (Prov. 10:7)
;
Dan. 4:30• 30The king spake, and said, Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honor of my majesty? (Dan. 4:30)
;
John 5:44• 44How can ye believe, which receive honor one of another, and seek not the honor that cometh from God only? (John 5:44)
lest.
Gen. 11:8‑9• 8So the Lord scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city.
 9Therefore is the name of it called Babel; because the Lord did there confound the language of all the earth: and from thence did the Lord scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth. (Gen. 11:8‑9)
;
Psa. 92:9• 9For, lo, thine enemies, O Lord, for, lo, thine enemies shall perish; all the workers of iniquity shall be scattered. (Psa. 92:9)
;
Luke 1:51• 51He hath showed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. (Luke 1:51)
• The idea of a building high enough to escape the flood is an idea of which there is not the smallest trace in this passage. It was the pride of man seeking a center and a name without God, and coalescing together. The rise of imperial power and dominion came after this, in which individual will and energy gained the ascendancy. They are two phases of human effort without God. (“Genesis 10-11” by J.N. Darby)

J. N. Darby Translation

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4
And they said, Come on, let us build ourselves a city and a tower, the toph of which may reach to the heavens; and let us make ourselves a name, lest we be scattered over the face of the whole earth.

JND Translation Notes

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h
or "head."