Genesis 11:4
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.
KJV
et dixerunt : Venite, faciamus nobis civitatem et turrim, cujus culmen pertingat ad cælum : et celebremus nomen nostrum antequam dividamur in universas terras.
Vulgate
καὶ εἶπαν Δεῦτε οἰκοδομήσωμεν ἑαυτοῖς πόλιν καὶ πύργον, οὗ ἡ κεφαλὴ ἔσται ἕως τοῦ οὐρανοῦ, καὶ ποιήσομεν ἑαυτῶν ὄνομα πρὸ τοῦ ⸂⸆⸃ διασπαρῆναι ἐπὶ προσώπου πάσης τῆς γῆς.
LXX
And they said, Come, 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.
ASV
וַ/יֹּאמְר֞וּ הָ֣בָ/ה נִבְנֶה לָּ֣/נוּ עִ֗יר וּ/מִגְדָּל֙ וְ/רֹאשׁ֣/וֹ בַ/שָּׁמַ֔יִם וְ/נַֽעֲשֶׂה לָּ֖/נוּ שֵׁ֑ם פֶּן נָפ֖וּץ עַל פְּנֵ֥י כָל הָ/אָֽרֶץ
Hebrew
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In this verse
In the original Hebrew
15 distinct Hebrew words appear in this verse.
אֶ֣רֶץ
'rts
noun · 2484×
בְנ֣וֹת
bnvt
verb · 365×
ה
h
verb · 32×
וֹ
v
noun · 848×
יַּ֥עַשׂ
y'sh
verb · 2621×
יֹּ֣אמֶר
y'mr
verb · 5290×
כָּל
kl
noun · 5376×
ם
m
verb · 68×
מִגְדַּל
mgdl
noun · 49×
עִ֣יר
'yr
noun · 1093×
עַל
'l
noun · 5732×
פְנֵ֣י
pny
noun · 2111×
פֶּן
pn
conjunction · 132×
רֹ֣אשׁ
r'sh
noun · 593×
שָּׁמַ֔יִם
shmym
noun · 419×
Typology
Historic Christian voices
6 passages from patristic writers, Reformers, and church catechisms citing this verse.
§57This state of division into many nations, each entrusted by divine providence to the guardianship of angels, is at once cosmic, social and religious. It is intended to limit the pride of fallen humanity10 united only in its perverse ambition to forge its own unity as at Babel.11 But, because of sin, both polytheism and the idolatry of the nation and of its rulers constantly thr…
1. Those who intend to gain any advantage from what they read, must not pass by even any small portion of the words; and on this account we are bidden to search the Scriptures, because most of the words, although at first sight easy, appear to have in their depth much hidden meaning. For observe of what sort is the present case. Having said these words, It says, He spat on the …
Josephus retells the Genesis narrative: creation, the fall of Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel, the genealogy from Adam to Noah, the flood, the tower of Babel, and the lives of Abraham and Isaac. He follows the biblical account closely but adds rationalizing explanations and draws on extra-biblical traditions.
Cross-references
- 2Sam 8:13 — And David gat him a name when he returned from smiting of the Syrians in the valley of salt, being eighteen thousand men.
- Dan 4:11 — The tree grew, and was strong, and the height thereof reached unto heaven, and the sight thereof to the end of all the earth:
- Dan 4:11 — The tree grew, and was strong, and the height thereof reached unto heaven, and the sight thereof to the end of all the earth:
- Dan 4:22 — It is thou, O king, that art grown and become strong: for thy greatness is grown, and reacheth unto heaven, and thy dominion to the end of the earth.
- Dan 4:30 — The king spake, and said, Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honour of my majesty?
- Deut 1:28 — Whither shall we go up? our brethren have discouraged our heart, saying, The people is greater and taller than we; the cities are great and walled up to heaven; and moreover we have seen the sons of t
- Deut 4:27 — And the LORD shall scatter you among the nations, and ye shall be left few in number among the heathen, whither the LORD shall lead you.
- Deut 9:1 — Hear, O Israel: Thou art to pass over Jordan this day, to go in to possess nations greater and mightier than thyself, cities great and fenced up to heaven,
- Eccl 2:4 — I made me great works; I builded me houses; I planted me vineyards:
- Eccl 7:29 — Lo, this only have I found, that God hath made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions.
- Gen 6:4 — There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old,
- Gen 11:3 — And they said one to another, Go to, let us make brick, and burn them thoroughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for morter.
- Gen 11:8 — So the LORD scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city.
- Isa 5:5 — And now go to; I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard: I will take away the hedge thereof, and it shall be eaten up; and break down the wall thereof, and it shall be trodden down:
- Jer 51:53 — Though Babylon should mount up to heaven, and though she should fortify the height of her strength, yet from me shall spoilers come unto her, saith the LORD.
- Job 20:6 — Though his excellency mount up to the heavens, and his head reach unto the clouds;
- John 5:44 — How can ye believe, which receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that cometh from God only?
- Luke 1:51 — He hath shewed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
- Luke 14:28 — For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?
- Prov 10:7 — The memory of the just is blessed: but the name of the wicked shall rot.
- Ps 49:11 — Their inward thought is, that their houses shall continue for ever, and their dwelling places to all generations; they call their lands after their own names.
- Ps 92:9 — For, lo, thine enemies, O LORD, for, lo, thine enemies shall perish; all the workers of iniquity shall be scattered.