Genesis 11 - The Elect of God Royal Academy

Genesis Chapter 11
What You Will Learn

Chapter Summary

Genesis 11 contains two major movements. The first is the account of the Tower of Babel. The whole earth has one language and the same words. The people settle in the plain of Shinar and decide to build a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, so that they may make a name for themselves and not be dispersed over the face of the earth. YHVH comes down, sees what they have built, confuses their language so that they cannot understand one another, and scatters them over the face of all the earth. The city is called Babel, because there YHVH confused the language of all the earth.The second movement is the genealogy from Shem to Abram. The line continues through Arpachshad, Shelah, Eber, Peleg, Reu, Serug, Nahor, and Terah. Terah fathers Abram, Nahor, and Haran. Haran dies in Ur of the Chaldeans in the presence of his father. Abram marries Sarai, who is barren. Terah takes Abram, Sarai, and Lot and leaves Ur of the Chaldeans to go to the land of Canaan, but they settle in Haran. Terah dies in Haran at the age of 205.The Power of the words of unity, building, confusion, and scattering is visible in the Babel narrative, and the structured ages and names continue through the genealogy. The three-witness reading shows both the scattering of the nations and the continuing line that will lead to Abram.

Website Notes(for the Book of God page / Chapter 11 introduction)What You Will Learn in Genesis 11

The whole earth has one language and the same words.
The decision to build a city and a tower with its top in the heavens to make a name and avoid being dispersed.
YHVH comes down, confuses their language, and scatters them over the face of the earth.
The city is called Babel because YHVH confused the language there.
The genealogy from Shem through Terah to Abram.
Sarai is barren, and the family leaves Ur of the Chaldeans and settles in Haran.
The Power of the key words of unity, confusion, and the continuing line, and the three-witness reading of the event.

Note on Repeated Witnesses
Certain passages (especially Acts 17:26 and Surah Al-Hujurat 49:13, along with the Babel-related witnesses) appear more than once. This is intentional. The chapter itself moves from one language to many languages and then into the structured genealogy. Repeating the clearest Gospel and Quranic witnesses allows the disciple to see the same truths of origin, scattering, and the continuing line from multiple angles.

How to Read This Chapter
Each section is presented with the full English text, the Hebrew with word-by-word Power values and Verse Power, key numeric highlights, a full Gospel parallel, and a full Quranic parallel. The Power remains front and center. Chapter-level notes gather the larger patterns so the individual verses stay clean and focused.

Genesis 11:1
Now the whole earth had one language and the same words.

Hebrew
וַיְהִי כָל־הָאָרֶץ שָׂפָה אֶחָת וּדְבָרִים אֲחָדִים

Verse Power: 1,496 Key Power highlights:

שָׂפָה אֶחָת = 385 + 409 (one language)
אֲחָדִים = 63 (“the same”)

Genesis 11:2
And as people migrated from the east, they found a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there.

Hebrew
וַיְהִי בְּנָסְעָם מִקֶּדֶם וַיִּמְצְאוּ בִקְעָה בְּאֶרֶץ שִׁנְעָר וַיֵּשְׁבוּ שָׁם

Verse Power: 2,344 Key Power highlights:

שִׁנְעָר = 620 (Shinar)
The plain where they settle

Genesis 11:3
And they said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks, and burn them thoroughly.” And they had brick for stone, and bitumen for mortar.

Hebrew
וַיֹּאמְרוּ אִישׁ אֶל־רֵעֵהוּ הָבָה נִלְבְּנָה לְבֵנִים וְנִשְׂרְפָה לִשְׂרֵפָה וַתְּהִי לָהֶם הַלְּבֵנָה לְאָבֶן וְהַחֵמָר הָיָה לָהֶם לַחֹמֶר

Verse Power: 3,732 Key Power highlights:

The decision to make bricks and burn them thoroughly
Brick for stone and bitumen for mortar

Genesis 11:4
Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth.”

Hebrew
וַיֹּאמְרוּ הָבָה נִבְנֶה־לָּנוּ עִיר וּמִגְדָּל וְרֹאשׁוֹ בַשָּׁמַיִם וְנַעֲשֶׂה־לָּנוּ שֵׁם פֶּן־נָפוּץ עַל־פְּנֵי כָל־הָאָרֶץ

Verse Power: 3,535 Key Power highlights:

עִיר וּמִגְדָּל = city and tower
וְרֹאשׁוֹ בַשָּׁמַיִם = its top in the heavens
שֵׁם = 340 (“a name”)
פֶּן־נָפוּץ = lest we be dispersed

Gospel
Acts 17:26
ἐποίησέν τε ἐξ ἑνὸς πᾶν ἔθνος ἀνθρώπων κατοικεῖν ἐπὶ παντὸς προσώπου τῆς γῆς, ὁρίσας προστεταγμένους καιροὺς καὶ τὰς ὁροθεσίας τῆς κατοικίας αὐτῶν

English:
And He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place.

Quran
Surah Al-Baqarah 2:102 (thematic on seeking what is not given)
וַاتَّبَعُوا مَا تَتْلُو الشَّيَاطِينُ عَلَىٰ مُلْكِ سُلَيْمَانَ ۖ وَمَا كَفَرَ سُلَيْمَانُ وَلَٰكِنَّ الشَّيَاطِينَ كَفَرُوا يُعَلِّمُونَ النَّاسَ السِّحْرَ وَمَا أُنزِلَ عَلَى الْمَلَكَيْنِ بِبَابِلَ هَارُوتَ وَمَارُوتَ…

English:
And they followed [instead] what the devils had recited during the reign of Solomon. It was not Solomon who disbelieved, but the devils disbelieved, teaching people magic and that which was revealed to the two angels at Babylon, Harut and Marut…

Combined Power of 11:1–4: 11,107

Genesis 11:5
And YHVH came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of man had built.

Hebrew
וַיֵּרֶד יְהוָה לִרְאֹת אֶת־הָעִיר וְאֶת־הַמִּגְדָּל אֲשֶׁר בָּנוּ בְּנֵי הָאָדָם

Verse Power: 2,723 Key Power highlights:

וַיֵּרֶד = 220 (“and He came down”)
YHVH comes down to see what they have built

Genesis 11:6
And YHVH said, “Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language, and this is only the beginning of what they will do. And nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them.

Hebrew
וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָה הֵן עַם אֶחָד וְשָׂפָה אַחַת לְכֻלָּם וְזֶה הַחִלָּם לַעֲשׂוֹת וְעַתָּה לֹא־יִבָּצֵר מֵהֶם כֹּל אֲשֶׁר יָזְמוּ לַעֲשׂוֹת

Verse Power: 4,607 Key Power highlights:

עַם אֶחָד וְשָׂפָה אַחַת = one people and one language
Nothing they propose will be impossible for them

Genesis 11:7
Come, let us go down and there confuse their language, so that they may not understand one another’s speech.”

Verse Power: 3,854 Key Power highlights:

וְנָבְלָה = 93 (“and let us confuse”)
So that they may not understand one another’s speech

Genesis 11:8
So YHVH dispersed them from there over the face of all the earth, and they left off building the city.

Hebrew
וַיָּפֶץ יְהוָה אֹתָם מִשָּׁם עַל־פְּנֵי כָל־הָאָרֶץ וַיַּחְדְּלוּ לִבְנֹת הָעִיר

וַיָּפֶץ = 186 (“and He dispersed”)
They left off building the city

Genesis 11:9
Therefore its name was called Babel, because there YHVH confused the language of all the earth. And from there YHVH dispersed them over the face of all the earth.

Hebrew
עַל־כֵּן קָרָא שְׁמָהּ בָּבֶל כִּי־שָׁם בָּלַל יְהוָה שְׂפַת כָּל־הָאָרֶץ וּמִשָּׁם הֱפִיצָם יְהוָה עַל־פְּנֵי כָּל־הָאָרֶץ

Verse Power: 3,657 Key Power highlights:

בָּבֶל = 34
בָּלַל = 62 (“confused”)
The name Babel is given because YHVH confused the language there and dispersed them

Gospel
Acts 2:4–11 (the reverse of Babel at Pentecost)
καὶ ἐπλήσθησαν πάντες πνεύματος ἁγίου, καὶ ἤρξαντο λαλεῖν ἑτέραις γλώσσαις καθὼς τὸ πνεῦμα ἐδίδου ἀποφθέγγεσθαι αὐτοῖς… ἀκούομεν λαλούντων αὐτῶν ταῖς ἡμετέραις γλώσσαις τὰ μεγαλεῖα τοῦ θεοῦ.

English:
And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance… we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God.

Quran
Surah Al-Baqarah 2:102
…וَمَا أُنزِلَ عَلَى الْمَلَكَيْنِ بِبَابِلَ هَارُوتَ وَمَارُوتَ…

English:
…and that which was revealed to the two angels at Babylon, Harut and Marut…

Combined Power of 11:5–9: 17,291

Genesis 11:10
These are the generations of Shem. When Shem was 100 years old, he fathered Arpachshad two years after the flood.

Hebrew
אֵלֶּה תּוֹלְדֹת שֵׁם שֵׁם בֶּן־מְאַת שָׁנָה וַיּוֹלֶד אֶת־אַרְפַּכְשָׁד שְׁנָתַיִם אַחַר הַמַּבּוּל

Verse Power: 4,558 Key Power highlights:

Shem fathers Arpachshad two years after the flood

Genesis 11:11
And Shem lived after he fathered Arpachshad 500 years and had other sons and daughters.

Hebrew
וַיְחִי־שֵׁם אַחֲרֵי הוֹלִידוֹ אֶת־אַרְפַּכְשָׁד חֲמֵשׁ מֵאוֹת שָׁנָה וַיּוֹלֶד בָּנִים וּבָנוֹת

Verse Power: 3,432

Genesis 11:12
When Arpachshad had lived 35 years, he fathered Shelah.

Hebrew
וְאַרְפַּכְשַׁד חַי חָמֵשׁ וּשְׁלֹשִׁים שָׁנָה וַיּוֹלֶד אֶת־שָׁלַח

Verse Power: 2,813

Genesis 11:13
And Arpachshad lived after he fathered Shelah 403 years and had other sons and daughters.

Hebrew
וַיְחִי אַרְפַּכְשַׁד אַחֲרֵי הוֹלִידוֹ אֶת־שָׁלַח שָׁלֹשׁ שָׁנִים וְאַרְבַּע מֵאוֹת שָׁנָה וַיּוֹלֶד בָּנִים וּבָנוֹת

Verse Power: 4,391

Genesis 11:14
When Shelah had lived 30 years, he fathered Eber.

Hebrew
וְשֶׁלַח חַי שְׁלֹשִׁים שָׁנָה וַיּוֹלֶד אֶת־עֵבֶר

Verse Power: 2,126

Genesis 11:15
And Shelah lived after he fathered Eber 403 years and had other sons and daughters.

Hebrew
וַיְחִי שֶׁלַח אַחֲרֵי הוֹלִידוֹ אֶת־עֵבֶר שָׁלֹשׁ שָׁנִים וְאַרְבַּע מֵאוֹת שָׁנָה וַיּוֹלֶד בָּנִים וּבָנוֹת

Verse Power: 4,058

Genesis 11:16
When Eber had lived 34 years, he fathered Peleg.

Hebrew
וַיְחִי־עֵבֶר אַרְבַּע וּשְׁלֹשִׁים שָׁנָה וַיּוֹלֶד אֶת־פֶּלֶג

Verse Power: 2,190 Key Power highlights:

Peleg is born in the line of Eber

Genesis 11:17
And Eber lived after he fathered Peleg 430 years and had other sons and daughters.

Hebrew
וַיְחִי עֵבֶר אַחֲרֵי הוֹלִידוֹ אֶת־פֶּלֶג שְׁלֹשִׁים שָׁנָה וְאַרְבַּע מֵאוֹת שָׁנָה וַיּוֹלֶד בָּנִים וּבָנוֹת

Verse Power: 3,838

Gospel
Luke 3:35–36
…τοῦ Σαλα τοῦ Καϊνὰμ τοῦ Ἀρφαξὰδ τοῦ Σὴμ…

English:
…the son of Shelah, the son of Cainan, the son of Arphaxad, the son of Shem…

Quran
Surah Al-A’raf 7:189
هُوَ الَّذِי خَلَقَكُم مِّن نَّفْسٍ وَاحِدَةٍ وَجَعَلَ مِنْהَا زَوْجَهَا لِيَسْكُنَ إِلَيْهَا…

English:
It is He who created you from one soul and created from it its mate that he might dwell in security with her…

Combined Power of 11:10–17: 27,406

Genesis 11:18
When Peleg had lived 30 years, he fathered Reu.

Hebrew
וַיְחִי־פֶלֶג שְׁלֹשִׁים שָׁנָה וַיּוֹלֶד אֶת־רְעוּ

Verse Power: 1,915

Genesis 11:19
And Peleg lived after he fathered Reu 209 years and had other sons and daughters.

Hebrew
וַיְחִי פֶלֶג אַחֲרֵי הוֹלִידוֹ אֶת־רְעוּ תֵּשַׁע שָׁנִים וּמָאתַיִם שָׁנָה וַיּוֹלֶד בָּנִים וּבָנוֹת

Verse Power: 3,748

Genesis 11:20
When Reu had lived 32 years, he fathered Serug.

Hebrew
וַיְחִי רְעוּ שְׁתַּיִם וּשְׁלֹשִׁים שָׁנָה וַיּוֹלֶד אֶת־שְׂרוּג

Verse Power: 3,067

Genesis 11:21
And Reu lived after he fathered Serug 207 years and had other sons and daughters.

Hebrew
וַיְחִי רְעוּ אַחֲרֵי הוֹלִידוֹ אֶת־שְׂרוּג שֶׁבַע שָׁנִים וּמָאתַיִם שָׁנָה וַיּוֹלֶד בָּנִים וּבָנוֹת

Verse Power: 3,746

Genesis 11:22
When Serug had lived 30 years, he fathered Nahor.

Hebrew
וַיְחִי שְׂרוּג שְׁלֹשִׁים שָׁנָה וַיּוֹלֶד אֶת־נָחוֹר

Verse Power: 2,299

Genesis 11:23
And Serug lived after he fathered Nahor 200 years and had other sons and daughters.

Hebrew
וַיְחִי שְׂרוּג אַחֲרֵי הוֹלִידוֹ אֶת־נָחוֹר מָאתַיִם שָׁנָה וַיּוֹלֶד בָּנִים וּבָנוֹת

Verse Power: 2,956

Genesis 11:24
When Nahor had lived 29 years, he fathered Terah.

Hebrew
וַיְחִי נָחוֹר תֵּשַׁע וְעֶשְׂרִים שָׁנָה וַיּוֹלֶד אֶת־תָּרַח

Verse Power: 3,114

Genesis 11:25
And Nahor lived after he fathered Terah 119 years and had other sons and daughters.

Hebrew
וַיְחִי נָחוֹר אַחֲרֵי הוֹלִידוֹ אֶת־תָּרַח תֵּשַׁע עֶשְׂרֵה שָׁנָה וּמְאַת שָׁנָה וַיּוֹלֶד בָּנִים וּבָנוֹת

Verse Power: 4,711

Genesis 11:26
When Terah had lived 70 years, he fathered Abram, Nahor, and Haran.

Hebrew
וַיְחִי־תֶרַח שִׁבְעִים שָׁנָה וַיּוֹלֶד אֶת־אַבְרָם אֶת־נָחוֹר וְאֶת־הָרָן

Verse Power: 3,446 Key Power highlights:

אַבְרָם = 243
The three sons of Terah

Genesis 11:27
Now these are the generations of Terah. Terah fathered Abram, Nahor, and Haran; and Haran fathered Lot.

Hebrew
וְאֵלֶּה תּוֹלְדֹת תֶּרַח תֶּרַח הוֹלִיד אֶת־אַבְרָם אֶת־נָחוֹר וְאֶת־הָרָן וְהָרָן הוֹלִיד אֶת־לוֹט

Verse Power: 4,886 Key Power highlights:

לוֹט = 45
Haran fathers Lot

Gospel
Luke 3:34–35
…τοῦ Θάρα τοῦ Ναχὼρ τοῦ Σεροὺχ τοῦ Ῥαγαὺ τοῦ Φάλεκ…

English:
…the son of Terah, the son of Nahor, the son of Serug, the son of Reu, the son of Peleg…

Quran
Surah Al-A’raf 7:189
هُوَ الَّذِي خَلَقَكُم مِّن نَّفْسٍ וَاحِדَةٍ وَجَעَלَ מِنْהَا زَوْجَهَا لِيَسْكُنَ إِلَيْهَا…

English:
It is He who created you from one soul and created from it its mate that he might dwell in security with her…

Combined Power of 11:18–27: 33,888

Genesis 11:28
Haran died in the presence of his father Terah in the land of his kindred, in Ur of the Chaldeans.

Hebrew
וַיָּמָת הָרָן עַל־פְּנֵי תֶּרַח אָבִיו בְּאֶרֶץ מוֹלַדְתּוֹ בְּאוּר כַּשְׂדִּים

Verse Power: 2,940 Key Power highlights:

Haran dies in Ur of the Chaldeans
בְּאוּר כַּשְׂדִּים = Ur of the Chaldeans

And Abram and Nahor took wives. The name of Abram’s wife was Sarai, and the name of Nahor’s wife, Milcah, the daughter of Haran the father of Milcah and Iscah.

Hebrew
וַיִּקַּח אַבְרָם וְנָחוֹר לָהֶם נָשִׁים שֵׁם אֵשֶׁת־אַבְרָם שָׂרַי וְשֵׁם אֵשֶׁת־נָחוֹר מִלְכָּה בַּת־הָרָן אֲבִי־מִלְכָּה וַאֲבִי יִסְכָּה

Verse Power: 5,191 Key Power highlights:

שָׂרַי = 510
מִלְכָּה = 95
The wives of Abram and Nahor

Genesis 11:30
Now Sarai was barren; she had no child.

Hebrew
וַתְּהִי שָׂרַי עֲקָרָה אֵין לָהּ וָלָד

Verse Power: 1,442 Key Power highlights:

עֲקָרָה = 375 (“barren”)
Sarai has no child

Genesis 11:31
Terah took Abram his son and Lot the son of Haran, his grandson, and Sarai his daughter-in-law, his son Abram’s wife, and they went forth together from Ur of the Chaldeans to go into the land of Canaan, but when they came to Haran, they settled there.

Hebrew
וַיִּקַּח תֶּרַח אֶת־אַבְרָם בְּנוֹ וְאֶת־לוֹט בֶּן־הָרָן בֶּן־בְּנוֹ וְאֵת שָׂרַי כַּלָּתוֹ אֵשֶׁת אַבְרָם בְּנוֹ וַיֵּצְאוּ אִתָּם מֵאוּר כַּשְׂדִּים לָלֶכֶת אַרְצָה כְּנַעַן וַיָּבֹאוּ עַד־חָרָן וַיֵּשְׁבוּ שָׁם

Verse Power: 7,840 Key Power highlights:

They leave Ur of the Chaldeans to go to the land of Canaan
They settle in Haran

Genesis 11:32
The days of Terah were 205 years, and Terah died in Haran.

Hebrew
וַיִּהְיוּ יְמֵי־תֶרַח חָמֵשׁ שָׁנִים וּמָאתַיִם שָׁנָה וַיָּמָת תֶּרַח בְּחָרָן

Verse Power: 3,629 Key Power highlights:

Total days of Terah: 205 years
He dies in Haran

Gospel
Acts 7:2–4
ὁ θεὸς τῆς δόξης ὤφθη τῷ πατρὶ ἡμῶν Ἀβραὰμ ὄντι ἐν τῇ Μεσοποταμίᾳ πρὶν ἢ κατοικῆσαι αὐτὸν ἐν Χαρράν, καὶ εἶπεν πρὸς αὐτόν, Ἔξελθε ἐκ τῆς γῆς σου καὶ ἐκ τῆς συγγενείας σου, καὶ δεῦρο εἰς τὴν γῆν ἣν ἄν σοι δείξω. τότε ἐξελθὼν ἐκ γῆς Χαλδαίων κατῴκησεν ἐν Χαρράν· κἀκεῖθεν μετὰ τὸ ἀποθανεῖν τὸν πατέρα αὐτοῦ μετῴκισεν αὐτὸν εἰς τὴν γῆν ταύτην εἰς ἣν ὑμεῖς νῦν κατοικεῖτε

English:
The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran, and said to him, “Go out from your land and from your kindred and go into the land that I will show you.” Then he went out from the land of the Chaldeans and lived in Haran. And after his father died, God removed him from there into this land in which you are now living.

Quran
Surah Al-Anbiya 21:51
وَلَقَدْ آتَيْنَا إِبْرَاهِيمَ رُشْدَهُ مِن قَبْلُ وَكُنَّا بِهِ عَالِمِينَ

English:
And We had certainly given Abraham his sound judgement before, and We were of him well-Knowing.

Combined Power of 11:28–32: 21,042