Important notice: Always check out what you hear and see for yourself, as it is up to you as a Christian to do your own studying. Never take anyone's word alone, including this website here, without first always checking it out for yourself. As 2 Timothy 2:15 says "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."
Genesis 11
1 And the whole earth (ʼerets) was of one language, and of one speech.
This is how Nimrod was able to rise to power and communicate with the others because everyone understood each other.
2 And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar; and they dwelt there.
Note that Shinar (Babylon) is where Iraq is located today.
3 And they said one to another, Go to, let us make brick, and burn them thoroughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime (chêmâr) had they for morter.
Think about all of the available materials located in Iraq today, such as petroleum. It's no wonder they were able to put things together the way they did. Slime = bitumen. A lot like our asphalt today. Notice they burned the bricks; this was to get them harder to where they would be less likely to break, and it was also less time consuming, instead of waiting for the sun to dry them out.
4 And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.
Here we see these people's attempt of trying to build their own salvation. Keep in mind it had not been very long since the time of Noah's flood, so a lot of these people probably witnessed it earlier in their life and if not, they for sure knew about it. The purpose of building this tower was so that if another flood came through, they wouldn't have to worry about being destroyed. As we know from earlier (Genesis 9:11), GOD made a covenant with Noah that HE would never flood the earth again, but these people didn't believe it and instead put their trust in Nimrod and his mighty strength, instead of GOD (the creator of the universe). This shows how foolish people can be.
5 And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded.
Notice the difference in text between "children of men" here compared to "sons of GOD" mentioned back in Genesis 6:2.
6 And the LORD said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do.
7 Go to, let us (i.e. GOD and HIS angels) go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech.
Here we see that GOD does not tolerate it when people try to form their own salvation, because apart from HIM, there is no True Salvation. Notice the phrase "Go to, let us go down". This is always in judgment as used in Genesis 18:21, Exodus 3:8. Here we see in contrast to man's "Go to, let us go up" used in verse four.
8 So the LORD scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city.
Compare to Acts 8:1, Isaiah 8:9.
9 Therefore is the name of it called Babel (confusion); because the LORD did there confound the language of all the earth (ʼerets): and from thence did the LORD scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth.
It was through this confusion of the languages, that GOD scattered the people of the earth. Just as GOD has the power to confound the languages, so does HE have the power to bring understanding within the languages. See Acts 2, Mark 13.
10 These are the generations of Shem: Shem was an hundred years old, and begat Arphaxad two years after the flood:
11 And Shem lived after he begat Arphaxad five hundred years, and begat sons and daughters.
12 And Arphaxad lived five and thirty years, and begat Salah:
13 And Arphaxad lived after he begat Salah four hundred and three years, and begat sons and daughters.
14 And Salah lived thirty years, and begat Eber:
15 And Salah lived after he begat Eber four hundred and three years, and begat sons and daughters.
16 And Eber lived four and thirty years, and begat Peleg:
17 And Eber lived after he begat Peleg four hundred and thirty years, and begat sons and daughters.
18 And Peleg lived thirty years, and begat Reu:
19 And Peleg lived after he begat Reu two hundred and nine years, and begat sons and daughters.
Notice the lifespans continue to decrease throughout time.
20 And Reu lived two and thirty years, and begat Serug:
21 And Reu lived after he begat Serug two hundred and seven years, and begat sons and daughters.
22 And Serug lived thirty years, and begat Nahor:
23 And Serug lived after he begat Nahor two hundred years, and begat sons and daughters.
24 And Nahor lived nine and twenty years, and begat Terah:
25 And Nahor lived after he begat Terah an hundred and nineteen years, and begat sons and daughters.
26 And Terah lived seventy years, and begat Abram, Nahor, and Haran.
27 Now these are the generations of Terah: Terah begat Abram, Nahor, and Haran; and Haran begat Lot.
Note that Abram is later changed to Abraham by GOD (Genesis 17). Abram = high father. Abraham = father of a multitude. Keep in mind that it was through his seed that CHRIST eventually came through.
28 And Haran died before his father Terah in the land of his nativity, in Ur of the Chaldees (i.e. Babylonia).
29 And Abram and Nahor took them 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 the father of Iscah.
30 But Sarai was barren; she had no child.
Note that Sarai is later changed to Sarah (Genesis 17). It is also through her that CHRIST was eventually born, i.e. from umbilical cord to umbilical cord. Sarai = my princess. Sarah = princess.
31 And Terah took Abram his son, and Lot the son of Haran his son's son, and Sarai his daughter in law, his son Abram's wife; and they went forth with them from Ur of the Chaldees, to go into the land of Canaan; and they came unto Haran, and dwelt there.
32 And the days of Terah were two hundred and five years: and Terah died in Haran (Chârân).
I.e. died in the place of Haran (Chârân [the frontier town of the Babylonian empire, devoted to the worship of the moon-god]).
This is how Nimrod was able to rise to power and communicate with the others because everyone understood each other.
2 And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar; and they dwelt there.
Note that Shinar (Babylon) is where Iraq is located today.
3 And they said one to another, Go to, let us make brick, and burn them thoroughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime (chêmâr) had they for morter.
Think about all of the available materials located in Iraq today, such as petroleum. It's no wonder they were able to put things together the way they did. Slime = bitumen. A lot like our asphalt today. Notice they burned the bricks; this was to get them harder to where they would be less likely to break, and it was also less time consuming, instead of waiting for the sun to dry them out.
4 And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.
Here we see these people's attempt of trying to build their own salvation. Keep in mind it had not been very long since the time of Noah's flood, so a lot of these people probably witnessed it earlier in their life and if not, they for sure knew about it. The purpose of building this tower was so that if another flood came through, they wouldn't have to worry about being destroyed. As we know from earlier (Genesis 9:11), GOD made a covenant with Noah that HE would never flood the earth again, but these people didn't believe it and instead put their trust in Nimrod and his mighty strength, instead of GOD (the creator of the universe). This shows how foolish people can be.
5 And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded.
Notice the difference in text between "children of men" here compared to "sons of GOD" mentioned back in Genesis 6:2.
6 And the LORD said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do.
7 Go to, let us (i.e. GOD and HIS angels) go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech.
Here we see that GOD does not tolerate it when people try to form their own salvation, because apart from HIM, there is no True Salvation. Notice the phrase "Go to, let us go down". This is always in judgment as used in Genesis 18:21, Exodus 3:8. Here we see in contrast to man's "Go to, let us go up" used in verse four.
8 So the LORD scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city.
Compare to Acts 8:1, Isaiah 8:9.
9 Therefore is the name of it called Babel (confusion); because the LORD did there confound the language of all the earth (ʼerets): and from thence did the LORD scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth.
It was through this confusion of the languages, that GOD scattered the people of the earth. Just as GOD has the power to confound the languages, so does HE have the power to bring understanding within the languages. See Acts 2, Mark 13.
10 These are the generations of Shem: Shem was an hundred years old, and begat Arphaxad two years after the flood:
11 And Shem lived after he begat Arphaxad five hundred years, and begat sons and daughters.
12 And Arphaxad lived five and thirty years, and begat Salah:
13 And Arphaxad lived after he begat Salah four hundred and three years, and begat sons and daughters.
14 And Salah lived thirty years, and begat Eber:
15 And Salah lived after he begat Eber four hundred and three years, and begat sons and daughters.
16 And Eber lived four and thirty years, and begat Peleg:
17 And Eber lived after he begat Peleg four hundred and thirty years, and begat sons and daughters.
18 And Peleg lived thirty years, and begat Reu:
19 And Peleg lived after he begat Reu two hundred and nine years, and begat sons and daughters.
Notice the lifespans continue to decrease throughout time.
20 And Reu lived two and thirty years, and begat Serug:
21 And Reu lived after he begat Serug two hundred and seven years, and begat sons and daughters.
22 And Serug lived thirty years, and begat Nahor:
23 And Serug lived after he begat Nahor two hundred years, and begat sons and daughters.
24 And Nahor lived nine and twenty years, and begat Terah:
25 And Nahor lived after he begat Terah an hundred and nineteen years, and begat sons and daughters.
26 And Terah lived seventy years, and begat Abram, Nahor, and Haran.
27 Now these are the generations of Terah: Terah begat Abram, Nahor, and Haran; and Haran begat Lot.
Note that Abram is later changed to Abraham by GOD (Genesis 17). Abram = high father. Abraham = father of a multitude. Keep in mind that it was through his seed that CHRIST eventually came through.
28 And Haran died before his father Terah in the land of his nativity, in Ur of the Chaldees (i.e. Babylonia).
29 And Abram and Nahor took them 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 the father of Iscah.
30 But Sarai was barren; she had no child.
Note that Sarai is later changed to Sarah (Genesis 17). It is also through her that CHRIST was eventually born, i.e. from umbilical cord to umbilical cord. Sarai = my princess. Sarah = princess.
31 And Terah took Abram his son, and Lot the son of Haran his son's son, and Sarai his daughter in law, his son Abram's wife; and they went forth with them from Ur of the Chaldees, to go into the land of Canaan; and they came unto Haran, and dwelt there.
32 And the days of Terah were two hundred and five years: and Terah died in Haran (Chârân).
I.e. died in the place of Haran (Chârân [the frontier town of the Babylonian empire, devoted to the worship of the moon-god]).