Genesis 11

Old Testament · Brenton Septuagint with Greek parallel

Genesis 11

1And all the earth was one lip, and there was one language to all.Καὶ ἦν πᾶσα ἡ γῆ χεῖλος ἓν, καὶ φωνὴ μία πᾶσι.

2And it came to pass as they moved from the east, they found a plain in the land of Senaar, and they lived there.Καὶ ἐγένετο ἐν τῷ κινῆσαι αὐτοὺς ἀπὸ ἀνατολῶν, εὗρον πεδίον ἐν γῇ Σεναὰρ, καὶ κατῴκησαν ἐκεῖ.

3And a man said to his neighbor, Come, let us make bricks and bake them with fire. And the brick was to them for stone, and their mortar was bitumen.Καὶ εἶπεν ἄνθρωπος τῷ πλησίον αὐτοῦ, δεῦτε πλινθεύσωμεν πλίνθους, καὶ ὀπτήσωμεν αὐτὰς πυρί· καὶ ἐγένετο αὐτοῖς ἡ πλίνθος εἰς λίθον, καὶ ἄσφαλτος ἦν αὐτοῖς ὁ πηλός.

4And they said, Come, let us build to ourselves a city and tower, whose top shall be to heaven, and let us make to ourselves a name, before we are scattered abroad upon the face of all the earth.Καὶ εἶπαν, δεῦτε οἰκοδομήσωμεν ἑαυτοῖς πόλιν καὶ πύργον, οὗ ἔσται ἡ κεφαλὴ ἕως τοῦ οὐρανοῦ, καὶ ποιήσωμεν ἑαυτοῖς ὄνομα, πρὸ τοῦ διασπαρῆναι ἡμᾶς ἐπὶ προσώπου πάσης τῆς γῆς.

5And the Lord came down to see the city and the tower, which the sons of men built.Καὶ κατέβη Κύριος ἰδεῖν τὴν πόλιν καὶ τὸν πύργον, ὃν ᾠκοδόμησαν οἱ υἱοὶ τῶν ἀνθρώπων.

6And the Lord said, Behold, there is one race, and one lip of all, and they have begun to do this, and now nothing shall fail from them of all that they may have undertaken to do.Καὶ εἶπε Κύριος, ἰδοὺ γένος ἓν, καὶ χεῖλος ἓν πάντων, καὶ τοῦτο ἤρξαντο ποιῆσαι, καὶ νῦν οὐκ ἐκλείψει ἀπʼ αὐτῶν πάντα ὅσα ἂν ἐπιθῶνται ποιεῖν.

7Come, and having gone down let us there confound their tongue, that they may not understand each the voice of his neighbor.Δεῦτε, καὶ καταβάντες συγχέωμεν αὐτῶν ἐκεῖ τὴν γλῶσσαν, ἵνα μὴ ἀκούσωσιν ἕκαστος τὴν φωνὴν τοῦ πλησίον.

8And the Lord scattered them thence over the face of all the earth, and they left off building the city and the tower.Καὶ διέσπειρεν αὐτοὺς Κύριος ἐκεῖθεν ἐπὶ πρόσωπον πάσης τῆς γῆς· καὶ ἐπαύσαντο οἰκοδομοῦντες τῆν πόλιν καὶ τὸν πύργον.

9On this account its name was called Confusion, because there the Lord confounded the languages of all the earth, and thence the Lord scattered them upon the face of all the earth.Διὰ τοῦτο ἐκλήθη τὸ ὄνομα αὐτῆς, Σύγχυσις, ὅτι ἐκεῖ συνέχεε Κύριος τὰ χείλη πάσης τῆς γῆς, καὶ ἐκεῖθεν διέσπειρεν αὐτοὺς Κύριος ἐπὶ πρόσωπον πάσης τῆς γῆς.

10And these are the generations of Sem: and Sem was one hundred years old when he begot Arphaxad, the second year after the flood.Καὶ αὗται αἱ γενέσεις Σήμ· καὶ ἦν Σὴμ υἱὸς ἑκατὸν ἐτῶν, ὅτε ἐγέννησε τὸν Ἀρφαξὰδ, δευτέρου ἔτους μετὰ τὸν κατακλυσμόν.

11And Sem lived, after he had begotten Arphaxad, five hundred years, and begot sons and daughters, and died.Καὶ ἔζησε Σὴμ, μετὰ τὸ γεννῆσαι αὐτὸν τὸν Ἀρφαξὰδ, ἔτη πεντακόσια, καὶ ἐγέννησεν υἱοὺς καὶ θυγατέρας, καὶ ἀπέθανε.

12And Arphaxad lived one hundred and thirty-five years, and begot Cainan.Καὶ ἔζησεν Ἀρφαξὰδ ἑκατὸν τριακονταπέντε ἔτη, καὶ ἐγέννησε τὸν Καϊνᾶν.

13And Arphaxad lived after he had begotten Cainan, * four hundred years, and begot sons and daughters, and died. And Cainan lived one hundred and thirty years and begot Sala; and Canaan lived after he had begotten Sala, three hundred and thirty years, and begot sons and daughters, and died.Καὶ ἔζησεν Ἀρφαξὰδ, μετὰ τὸ γεννῆσαι αὐτὸν τὸν Καϊνᾶν, ἔτη τετρακόσια, καὶ ἐγέννησεν υἱοὺς καὶ θυγατέρας, καὶ ἀπέθανε. Καὶ ἔζησε Καϊνᾶν ἑκατὸν καὶ τριάκοντα ἔτη, καὶ ἐγέννησε τὸν Σαλά· καὶ ἔξησε Καϊνᾶν, μετὰ τὸ γεννῆσαι αὐτὸν τὸν Σαλὰ, ἔτη τριακόσια τριάκοντα, καὶ ἐγέννησεν υἱοὺς καὶ θυγατέρας, καὶ ἀπέθανε.

14And Sala lived one hundred and thirty years, and begot Heber.Καὶ ἔζησε Σαλὰ ἑκατὸν τριάκοντα ἔτη, καὶ ἐγέννησε τὸν Ἕβερ.

15And Sala lived after he had begotten Heber, three hundred and thirty years, and begot sons and daughters, and died.Καὶ ἔζησε Σαλὰ μετὰ τὸ γεννῆσαι αὐτὸν τὸν Ἕβερ, τριακόσια τριάκοντα ἔτη, καὶ ἐγέννησεν υἱοὺς καὶ θυγατέρας· καὶ ἀπέθανε.

16And Heber lived one hundred and thirty-four years, and begot Phaleg.Καὶ ἔζησεν Ἕβερ ἑκατὸν τριάκοντα τέσσαρα ἔτη, καὶ ἐγέννησε τὸν Φαλέγ.

17And Heber lived after he had begotten Phaleg † two hundred and seventy years, and begot sons and daughters, and died.Καὶ ἔξησεν Ἕβερ, μετὰ τὸ γεννῆσαι αὐτὸν τὸν Φαλὲγ, ἔτη διακόσια ἑβδομήκοντα, καὶ ἐγέννησεν υἱοὺς καὶ θυγατέρας, καὶ ἀπέθανε.

18And Phaleg lived one hundred and thirty years, and begot Ragau.Καὶ ἔζησε Φαλὲγ τριάκοντα καὶ ἑκατὸν ἔτη, καὶ ἐγέννησε τὸν Ῥαγαῦ.

19And Phaleg lived after he had begotten Ragau, two hundred and nine years, and begot sons and daughters, and died.Καὶ ἔζησε Φαλὲγ, μετὰ τὸ γεννῆσαι αὐτὸν τὸν Ῥαγαῦ, ἐννέα καὶ διακόσια ἔτη, καὶ ἐγέννησεν υἱοὺς και θυγατέρας, καὶ ἀπέθανε.

20And Ragau lived one hundred thirty and two years, and begot Seruch.Καὶ ἔζησε Ῥαγαὺ ἑκατὸν τριάκοντα καὶ δύο ἔτη, καὶ ἐγέννησε τὸν Σερούχ.

21And Raau lived after he had begotten Seruch, two hundred and seven years, and begot sons and daughters, and died.Καὶ ἔζησε Ῥαγαῦ, μετὰ τὸ γεννῆσαι αὐτὸν τὸν Σεροὺχ, διακόσια ἑπτὰ ἔτη, καὶ ἐγέννησεν υἱοὺς καὶ θυγατέρας, καὶ ἀπέθανε.

22And Seruch lived one hundred and thirty years, and begot Nachor.Καὶ ἔζησε Σεροὺχ ἑκατὸν τριάκοντα ἔτη, καὶ ἐγέννησε τὸν Ναχώρ.

23And Seruch lived after he had begotten Nachor, two hundred years, and begot sons and daughters, and died.Καὶ ἔζησε Σεροὺχ, μετὰ τὸ γεννῆσαι αὐτὸν τὸν Ναχὼρ, ἔτη διακόσια, καὶ ἐγέννησεν υἱοὺς καὶ θυγατέρας, καὶ ἀπέθανε.

24And Nachor lived ‡ one hundred and seventy-nine years, and begot Tharrha.Καὶ ἔζησε Ναχὼρ ἔτη ἑκατὸν ἑβδομηκονταεννέα, καὶ ἐγέννησε τὸν Θάῤῥα.

25And Nachor lived after he had begotten Tharrha, § one hundred and twenty-five years, and begot sons and daughters, and he died.Καὶ ἔζησε Ναχὼρ, μετὰ τὸ γεννῆσαι αὐτὸν τὸν Θάῤῥα, ἔτη ἑκατὸν εἰκοσιπὲντε, καὶ ἐγεννησεν υἱοὺς καὶ θυγατέρας, καὶ ἀπέθανε.

26And Tharrha lived seventy years, and begot Abram, and Nachor, and Arrhan.Καὶ ἔζησε Θάῤῥα ἑβδομήκοντα ἔτη, καὶ ἐγέννησε τὸν Ἄβραμ, καὶ τὸν Ναχὼρ, καὶ τὸν Ἀῤῥάν.

27And these are the generations of Tharrha. Tharrha begot Abram and Nachor, and Arrhan; and Arrhan begot Lot.Αὗται δὲ αἱ γενέσεις Θάῤῥα· Θάῤῥα ἐγέννησε τὸν Ἅβραμ, καὶ τὸν Ναχὼρ, καὶ τὸν Ἀῤῥάν· καὶ Ἀῤῥὰν ἐγέννησε τὸν Λώτ.

28And Arrhan died in the presence of Tharrha his father, in the land in which he was born, in the country of the Chaldees.Καὶ ἀπέθανεν Ἀῤῥὰν ἐνώπιον Θάῤῥα τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτοῦ ἐν τῇ γῇ ᾗ ἐγενήθη, ἐν τῇ χώρᾳ τῶν Χαλδαίων.

29And Abram and Nachor took to themselves wives, the name of the wife of Abram was Sara, ** and the name of the wife of Nachor, Malcha, daughter of Arrhan, and he was the father of Malcha, the father of Jescha.Καὶ ἔλαβον Ἅβραμ καὶ Ναχὼρ ἑαυτοῖς γυναῖκας· ὄνομα τῇ γυναικὶ Ἅβραμ, Σάρα, καὶ ὄνομα τῇ γυναικὶ Ναχὼρ, Μελχά, θυγάτηρ Ἀῤῥάν· καὶ πατὴρ Μελχὰ, καὶ πατὴρ Ἰεσχά.

30And Sara was barren, and did not bear children.Καὶ ἦν Σάρα στεῖρα, καὶ οὐκ ἐτεκνοποίει.

31And Tharrha took Abram his son, and Lot the son Arrhan, the son of his son, and Sara his daughter-in-law, the wife of Abram his son, and led them forth out of the land of the Chaldees, to go into the land of Chanaan, and they came as far as Charrhan, and he lived there.Καὶ ἔλαβε Θάῤῥα τὸν Ἅβραμ υἱὸν αὐτοῦ, καὶ τὸν Λὼτ υἱὸν Ἀῤῥάν, υἱὸν τοῦ υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ, καὶ τὴν Σάραν τὴν νύμφην αὐτοῦ, γυναῖκα Ἅβραμ τοῦ υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐξήγαγεν αὐτοὺς ἐκ τῆς χώρας τῶν Χαλδαίων, πορευθῆναι εἰς γῆν Χαναάν· καὶ ἦλθον ἕως Χαῤῥὰν, καὶ κατῴκησεν ἐκεῖ.

32And all the days of Tharrha in the land of Charrhan were two hundred and five years, and Tharrha died in Charrhan.Καὶ ἐγένοντο πᾶσαι αἱ ἡμέραι Θάῤῥα ἐν γῇ Χαῤῥὰν, διακόσια πέντε ἔτη· καὶ ἀπέθανε Θάῤῥα ἐν Χαῤῥάν.

Translator's Notes

These notes come from the printed edition of Sir Lancelot Brenton's classic English translation of the Septuagint (LXX), and record where the Greek differs from the English rendering or admits more than one reading.

• v. 13*Alex 430 years.
• v. 17†Alex 370 years.
• v. 24‡Alex 79 years.
• v. 25§Alex 129 years.
• v. 29**There seems to be no note of the date of Abram's marriage with Sara.

The Fathers on Genesis 11

Julius Africanus comments on this chapter. Each excerpt below is drawn from the full text held in the Fathers Library; follow the link on any entry to read the whole work.

On Genesis 11

Julius Africanus

Ante-Nicene Fathers · Third century · Fragments of the Chronography

On the Deluge. IV. On the Deluge. God decreed to destroy the whole race of the living by a flood, having threatened that men should not survive beyond 120 years. Nor let it be deemed a matter of difficulty, because some lived afterwards a longer period than that. For the space of time meant was 100 years up to the flood in the case of the sinners of that…

Read Fragments of the Chronography →