Genesis 11:7
New International Version
Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other.”

New Living Translation
Come, let’s go down and confuse the people with different languages. Then they won’t be able to understand each other.”

English Standard Version
Come, let us go down and there confuse their language, so that they may not understand one another’s speech.”

Berean Standard Bible
Come, let Us go down and confuse their language, so that they will not understand one another’s speech.”

King James Bible
Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech.

New King James Version
Come, let Us go down and there confuse their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech.”

New American Standard Bible
Come, let Us go down and there confuse their language, so that they will not understand one another’s speech.”

NASB 1995
“Come, let Us go down and there confuse their language, so that they will not understand one another’s speech.”

NASB 1977
“Come, let Us go down and there confuse their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech.”

Legacy Standard Bible
Come, let Us go down and there confuse their language, so that they will not understand one another’s language.”

Amplified Bible
Come, let Us (Father, Son, Holy Spirit) go down and there confuse and mix up their language, so that they will not understand one another’s speech.”

Christian Standard Bible
Come, let’s go down there and confuse their language so that they will not understand one another’s speech.”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Come, let Us go down there and confuse their language so that they will not understand one another’s speech.”

American Standard Version
Come, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech.

Contemporary English Version
Let's go down and confuse them! We'll make them speak different languages, and they won't be able to understand each other.

English Revised Version
Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Let us go down there and mix up their language so that they won't understand each other."

Good News Translation
Let us go down and mix up their language so that they will not understand each other."

International Standard Version
Come on! Let's go down there and confuse their language, so that they won't understand each other's speech."

Majority Standard Bible
Come, let Us go down and confuse their language, so that they will not understand one another?s speech.?

NET Bible
Come, let's go down and confuse their language so they won't be able to understand each other."

New Heart English Bible
Come, let us go down, and there confuse their language, that they may not understand one another's speech."

Webster's Bible Translation
Come, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech.

World English Bible
Come, let’s go down, and there confuse their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech.”
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
Give help, let us go down there and confuse their language, so that a man will not understand the language of his companion.”

Young's Literal Translation
Give help, let us go down, and mingle there their pronunciation, so that a man doth not understand the pronunciation of his companion.'

Smith's Literal Translation
Come, we will come down and mix their lip that they shall not hear a man the lip of his neighbor.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Come ye, therefore, let us go down, and there may not understand one another's speech.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Therefore, come, let us descend, and in that place confound their tongue, so that they may not listen, each one to the voice of his neighbor.”

New American Bible
Come, let us go down and there confuse their language, so that no one will understand the speech of another.

New Revised Standard Version
Come, let us go down, and confuse their language there, so that they will not understand one another’s speech.”
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Come, let us go down, and there divide their language so that they may not understand one another's speech.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
Come, let us descend and we will divide there the language so that a man will not hear his neighbor's language.”
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Come, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech.'

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Come, and having gone down let us there confound their tongue, that they may not understand each the voice of his neighbour.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Tower of Babel
6And the LORD said, “If they have begun to do this as one people speaking the same language, then nothing they devise will be beyond them. 7Come, let Us go down and confuse their language, so that they will not understand one another’s speech.” 8So the LORD scattered them from there over the face of all the earth, and they stopped building the city.…

Cross References
Acts 2:4-11
And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. / Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. / And when this sound rang out, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard them speaking his own language. ...

Zephaniah 3:9
For then I will restore pure lips to the peoples, that all may call upon the name of the LORD and serve Him shoulder to shoulder.

1 Corinthians 14:10-11
Assuredly, there are many different languages in the world, yet none of them is without meaning. / If, then, I do not know the meaning of someone’s language, I am a foreigner to the speaker, and he is a foreigner to me.

Deuteronomy 32:8
When the Most High gave the nations their inheritance, when He divided the sons of man, He set the boundaries of the peoples according to the number of the sons of God.

Psalm 55:9
O Lord, confuse and confound their speech, for I see violence and strife in the city.

Isaiah 19:18
In that day five cities in the land of Egypt will speak the language of Canaan and swear allegiance to the LORD of Hosts. One of them will be called the City of the Sun.

Isaiah 33:19
You will no longer see the insolent, a people whose speech is unintelligible, who stammer in a language you cannot understand.

Revelation 7:9
After this I looked and saw a multitude too large to count, from every nation and tribe and people and tongue, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and holding palm branches in their hands.

Acts 17:26
From one man He made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and He determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their lands.

John 7:43
So there was division in the crowd because of Jesus.

1 Corinthians 1:10
I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree together, so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be united in mind and conviction.

Isaiah 28:11
Indeed, with mocking lips and foreign tongues, He will speak to this people

Isaiah 66:18
“And I, knowing their deeds and thoughts, am coming to gather all nations and tongues, and they will come and see My glory.

Jeremiah 5:15
Behold, I am bringing a distant nation against you, O house of Israel,” declares the LORD. “It is an established nation, an ancient nation, a nation whose language you do not know and whose speech you do not understand.

Daniel 3:4-7
Then the herald loudly proclaimed, “O people of every nation and language, this is what you are commanded: / As soon as you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes, and all kinds of music, you must fall down and worship the golden statue that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up. / And whoever does not fall down and worship will immediately be thrown into the blazing fiery furnace.” ...


Treasury of Scripture

Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech.

Go to.

let.

Genesis 11:5
And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded.

Genesis 1:26
And 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 fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

Genesis 3:22
And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever:

confound.

Job 5:12,13
He disappointeth the devices of the crafty, so that their hands cannot perform their enterprise…

Job 12:20
He removeth away the speech of the trusty, and taketh away the understanding of the aged.

Psalm 2:4
He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision.

may.

Genesis 10:5,20,32
By these were the isles of the Gentiles divided in their lands; every one after his tongue, after their families, in their nations…

Genesis 42:23
And they knew not that Joseph understood them; for he spake unto them by an interpreter.

Deuteronomy 28:49
The LORD shall bring a nation against thee from far, from the end of the earth, as swift as the eagle flieth; a nation whose tongue thou shalt not understand;

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Genesis 11
1. One language in the world.
2. The building of Babel.
5. It is interrupted by the confusion of tongues, and the builders dispersed.
10. The generations of Shem.
27. The generations of Terah, the father of Abram.
31. Terah, with Abram and Lot, move from Ur to Haran.














Come, let Us go down
This phrase reflects the divine council, suggesting a plurality within the Godhead, often interpreted as a reference to the Trinity. The use of "Us" echoes Genesis 1:26, where God says, "Let Us make man in Our image." This indicates a collaborative action within the Godhead. The descent of God signifies His direct intervention in human affairs, emphasizing His sovereignty and authority over creation. The idea of God "going down" also contrasts with humanity's attempt to ascend to heaven through the Tower of Babel, highlighting the futility of human pride and ambition.

and confuse their language,
The confusion of language is a direct response to humanity's unified rebellion against God. By disrupting their communication, God effectively halts their plans and disperses them across the earth. This act of divine judgment serves as a reminder of God's control over human history and His ability to thwart human pride. The confusion of language at Babel is later reversed at Pentecost (Acts 2:1-12), where the Holy Spirit enables the apostles to speak in various tongues, symbolizing the unifying power of the Gospel.

so that they will not understand one another’s speech.”
The inability to understand one another's speech leads to the scattering of people across the earth, fulfilling God's original command to "fill the earth" (Genesis 1:28). This scattering results in the formation of different nations and cultures, each with its own language. The division of languages serves as a barrier to human collaboration in rebellion against God, but it also sets the stage for the diversity of cultures that will later be united in Christ (Revelation 7:9). The confusion at Babel underscores the importance of communication and unity in fulfilling God's purposes, which is ultimately realized through the Church.

Persons / Places / Events
1. God (Us)
The use of "Us" suggests the divine council or the Trinity, indicating a plurality in the Godhead. This reflects the unity and diversity within the Godhead, as seen in the creation account.

2. The People of Babel
These were the descendants of Noah who settled in Shinar and sought to build a city and a tower to make a name for themselves, demonstrating human pride and self-reliance.

3. The Tower of Babel
A symbol of human ambition and defiance against God’s command to fill the earth. The tower represents humanity's attempt to reach the heavens and establish their own identity apart from God.

4. The City of Babel
The location where the people gathered to build the tower. It later became known as Babylon, a city often associated with rebellion against God throughout the Bible.

5. The Confusion of Languages
An act of divine intervention where God confounded the language of the people, causing them to scatter across the earth, fulfilling His original command to fill the earth.
Teaching Points
The Danger of Pride and Self-Sufficiency
The account of Babel warns against the dangers of pride and the desire to make a name for oneself apart from God. It serves as a reminder that human achievements should glorify God, not self.

The Sovereignty of God
God's intervention at Babel demonstrates His sovereignty over human affairs. Despite human plans, God's purposes will prevail, and His will cannot be thwarted.

The Importance of Obedience
The scattering of the people at Babel highlights the importance of obedience to God's commands. When God instructs us to "fill the earth," it is a call to spread His glory and truth.

Unity in Diversity
While Babel resulted in the division of languages, the gospel brings unity in diversity. In Christ, people from every tribe and language are united, reflecting the ultimate purpose of God's redemptive plan.Verse 7. - Go to. An ironical contrast to the "Go to" of the builders (Lange). Let us (cf. Genesis 1:26) go down, and there confound their language (vide infra, ver. 9), that they may not understand (literally, hear; so Genesis 42:23; Isaiah 36:11; 1 Corinthians 14:2) one another's speech. Not referring to individuals (singuli homines), since then society were impossible, but to families or nations (singulae cognationes), which each had its own tongue (Poole).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Come,
הָ֚בָה (hā·ḇāh)
Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular | third person feminine singular
Strong's 3051: To give, to put, imperatively, come

let Us go down
נֵֽרְדָ֔ה (nê·rə·ḏāh)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect Cohortative - first person common plural
Strong's 3381: To come or go down, descend

and confuse
וְנָבְלָ֥ה (wə·nā·ḇə·lāh)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect Cohortative - first person common plural
Strong's 1101: To mingle, mix, confuse, confound

their language,
שְׂפָתָ֑ם (śə·p̄ā·ṯām)
Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 8193: The lip, language, a margin

so that
אֲשֶׁר֙ (’ă·šer)
Pronoun - relative
Strong's 834: Who, which, what, that, when, where, how, because, in order that

they will not
לֹ֣א (lō)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

understand
יִשְׁמְע֔וּ (yiš·mə·‘ū)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 8085: To hear intelligently

one
אִ֖ישׁ (’îš)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 582: Man, mankind

another’s
רֵעֵֽהוּ׃ (rê·‘ê·hū)
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 7453: Friend, companion, fellow

speech.”
שְׂפַ֥ת (śə·p̄aṯ)
Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 8193: The lip, language, a margin


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OT Law: Genesis 11:7 Come let's go down and there confuse (Gen. Ge Gn)
Genesis 11:6
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