2
Asוַיְהִי בְּthey journeyedנָסְעָםfrom the east,מִקֶּדֶםthey foundוַיִּמְצְאוּa plainבִקְעָהin the landבְּאֶרֶץof Shinarשִׁנְעָרand settledוַיֵּשְׁבוּthere.שָׁם
Genesis 11:2
Study it in the app“As they journeyed from the east, they found a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there.”
With the Hebrew beneath
Genesis 11:2, word by word
- Asיְהִיyehi
happen
For something to occur or take place; many stories open with this word.
Where else “yehi” appears- they journeyedנָסְעָnasa
set out
To break camp and set out for another place.
Where else “nasa” appears- from the eastקֶּדֶםkedem
east
The side in front, where the sun rises; the east.
Where else “kedem” appears- they foundיִּמְצְאוּyimtsu
find
To come upon what one seeks, or something not expected.
Where else “yimtsu” appears- a plainבִקְעָהvika
plain, valley
Broad plain between mountains; wide valley.
Where else “vika” appears- in the landאֶרֶץerets
land
A region or nation, above all Israel's.
Where else “erets” appears- of Shinarשִׁנְעָרshinar
Shinar
Shinar, the Hebrew name of the plain of Babylonia, in southern Mesopotamia.
Where else “shinar” appears- and settledיֵּשְׁבוּyeshvu
dwell
To make one's home in a place.
Where else “yeshvu” appears
The context
1All the earth had one language and the same words.
2 · This verse (above)
3They said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks and burn them thoroughly.” And brick served them as stone, and bitumen served them as mortar.
To study Genesis 11 in a group
1. What it says
What did the people in the land of Shinar say as they built their city and tower (vv. 3-4)?
2. What it means
Why did YHWH confuse their language and scatter them over the whole earth (vv. 6-9)?
3. How I live it
In what you are planning, what is for making a name for yourself, and what is for serving others?