8
SoוַYHWHיְהוָהscatteredיָּפֶץthemאֹתָםfrom thereמִשָּׁםoverעַלthe faceפְּנֵיof allכָלthe earth,הָאָרֶץand they stoppedוַיַּחְדְּלוּbuildingלִבְנֹתthe city.הָעִיר
Genesis 11:8
Study it in the app“So YHWH scattered them from there over the face of all the earth, and they stopped building the city.”
With the Hebrew beneath
Genesis 11:8, word by word
- YHWHיְהוָהyehva
YHWH
The personal name of the God of Israel, written in Hebrew with four letters, Y-H-W-H, without vowels. Out of reverence Jews stopped pronouncing it and read "Adonai" (Lord), so many Bibles put "the LORD" or "Jehovah". This translation keeps the four letters. The name is related to the verb "to be" (Exodus 3:14-15). He is not a god other than Elohim: "YHWH Elohim" is the same Creator God, called by his name.
Where else “yehva” appears- scatteredיָּפֶץyafets
scatter
To scatter people over many places, as a punishment.
Where else “yafets” appears- the faceפְּנֵיpene
surface
The surface: "the face of the earth".
Where else “pene” appears- the earthאָרֶץarets
earth
The whole world, everything under the sky.
Where else “arets” appears- and they stoppedיַּחְדְּלוּyachdlu
cease, stop
Stop doing something, cease; leave off.
Where else “yachdlu” appears- buildingבְנֹתvenot
build
To raise a house, a city or an altar, setting stone on stone.
Where else “venot” appears- the cityעִירir
city
A settled place protected by a wall, with a gate and houses.
Where else “ir” appears
The context
7Come, let us go down and confuse their language there, so that no one will understand the language of his neighbor.”
8 · This verse (above)
9That is why its name was called Babel, because there YHWH confused the language of all the earth, and from there YHWH scattered them over the face of all the earth.
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?