Genesis 11
God Confuses Humanity’s Language
In those days, everyone in the known world spoke the same language. As Noah’s descendants journeyed east, they found a field in the land of Sinar [which means “country of 2 rivers;” Babylon, Iraq] and settled there. They told each other,
“Let’s make bricks and use cement to build ourselves a city. Let’s build a skyscraper so tall that it reaches into heaven. We need to make a name for ourselves so we don’t become scattered all throughout the face of the earth.”
The Existing One came down to see the skyscraper that the sons of men had built. The Existing One said,
“Look at how unified they’ve been as a result of speaking the same language. They started building a skyscraper, and in the future they’ll be able to accomplish anything they decide to do. Let’s go down and confuse their language so that they won’t be able to understand each other.”
So the Existing One scattered them from that place throughout the rest of the known world, and they stopped building the city. That’s why that city became known as Babel or Babylon [which means “confusion by mixing”]. That’s where the Existing One mixed up everyone’s languages and scattered people all throughout the known world.
Abram was Shem’s Descendant
Shem was 100 years old when he had his son Arpachshad [which means “he cursed the baby bottle”] 2 years after the flood. Shem lived for another 500 years after that and had other sons and daughters.
Arpachshad was 35 when he had Shelah [which means “sprout”]. Arpachshad lived for another 400 years after that and had other sons and daughters.
Shelah was 30 when he had Eber [which means “the region beyond”]. Shelah lived for another 403 years after that and had other sons and daughters.
Eber was 34 when he had Peleg [which means “division”]. Eber lived for another 430 years after that and had other sons and daughters.
Peleg was 30 when he had Reu [which means “friend”]. Peleg lived another 209 years after that and had other sons and daughters.
Reu was 32 when he had Serug [which means “branch”]. Reu lived another 207 years after that and had other sons and daughters.
Serug was 30 when he had Nahor [“which means “snorting”]. Serug lived another 200 years after that and had other sons and daughters.
Nahor was 29 when he had Terah [which means “station”]. Terah lived another 119 years aft that and had other sons and daughters.
Terah was 70 and had Abram [which means “exalted father”], Nahor [which means “snorting”], and Haran [which means “mountaineer”].
Abram Journeys Toward Canaan
Terah had sons named Abram, Nahor, and Haran.
Abram married a woman named Sarai [which means “princess”], but they were unable to have children.
Nahor married his niece, Milcah [which means “queen”]. She was Haran’s daughter, and she had a brother named Iscah [which means “he who looks ahead”].
Haran also had a son named Lot [which means “covering”], but Haran died before his father, Terah, in his birthplace, Ur [which means “flame”] in Chaldean territory.
Terah took Abram [his son], Sarai [his daughter-in-law], and Lot [his grandson], and left Ur to go to Canaan. They got to the region of Haran and settled there where Terah died at the age of 205.