Genesis 11:1-9

The Tower of Babel

1 Now the whole earth had one language and the same words. 2 And as people migrated from the east, they found a plain in z the land of Shinar and settled there. 3 And they said to one another, "Come, let us make bricks, and burn them thoroughly." And they had brick for stone, a and bitumen for mortar. 4 Then they said, "Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower b 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." 5 And c the Lord came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of man had built. 6 And the Lord 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. 7 Come, d let us go down and there confuse their language, so that they may not understand one another's speech." 8 So e the Lord dispersed them from there over the face of all the earth, and they left off building the city. 9 Therefore its name was called f Babel, because there the Lord confused 1 the language of all the earth. And from there the Lord dispersed them over the face of all the earth.

  1. Cross References
    Genesis 10:10
    The beginning of his kingdom was Babel, Erech, ...
    Genesis 14:1
    In the days of Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch ...
    Genesis 14:9
    With Chedorlaomer king of Elam, Tidal king of G...
    Isaiah 11:11
    In that day the Lord will extend his hand yet a...
    Daniel 1:2
    And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into ...
    Zechariah 5:11
    He said to me, "To the land of Shinar, to build...
  2. Cross References
    Genesis 14:10
    Now the Valley of Siddim was full of bitumen pits, and as the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, some fell into them, and the rest fled to the hill country.
    Exodus 2:3
    When she could hide him no longer, she took for him a basket made of bulrushes and daubed it with bitumen and pitch. She put the child in it and placed it among the reeds by the river bank.
  3. Cross References
    Deuteronomy 1:28
    Where are we going up? Our brothers have made our hearts melt, saying, "The people are greater and taller than we. The cities are great and fortified up to heaven. And besides, we have seen the sons of the Anakim there."
  4. Cross References
    Genesis 18:21
    I will go down to see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry that has come to me. And if not, I will know.
  5. Cross References
    Genesis 1:26
    Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.
    Psalms 2:4
    He who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord holds them in derision.
  6. Cross References
    Genesis 10:25
    To Eber were born two sons: the name of the one was Peleg, for in his days the earth was divided, and his brother's name was Joktan.
    Genesis 10:32
    These are the clans of the sons of Noah, according to their genealogies, in their nations, and from these the nations spread abroad on the earth after the flood.
    Luke 1:51
    He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts.
  7. Cross References
    Genesis 10:10
    The beginning of his kingdom was Babel, Erech, Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar.
English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.