Genesis 10:10

10:10 The primary regions ¹  of his kingdom were Babel, ²  Erech, ³  Akkad, ⁴  and Calneh ⁵  in the land of Shinar. ⁶ 

Genesis 11:2

11:2 When the people ⁷  moved eastward, ⁸  they found a plain in Shinar ⁹  and settled there.

Zechariah 5:11

5:11 He replied, “To build a temple ¹⁰  for her in the land of Babylonia. ¹¹  When it is finished, she will be placed there in her own residence.”

¹ tn Heb “beginning.” E. A. Speiser, Genesis (AB), 67, suggests “mainstays,” citing Jer 49:35 as another text where the Hebrew noun is so used.

² tn Or “Babylon.”

³ sn Erech (ancient Uruk, modern Warka), one of the most ancient civilizations, was located southeast of Babylon.

⁴ sn Akkad, or ancient Agade, was associated with Sargon and located north of Babylon.

⁵ tn No such place is known in Shinar (i.e., Babylonia). Therefore some have translated the Hebrew term כַלְנֵה (khalneh) as “all of them,” referring to the three previous names (cf. NRSV).

⁶ sn Shinar is another name for Babylonia.

⁷ tn Heb “they”; the referent (the people) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

⁸ tn Or perhaps “from the east” (NRSV) or “in the east.”

⁹ tn Heb “in the land of Shinar.”

¹⁰ tn Heb “house” (so NIV, NRSV, CEV).

¹¹ sn The land of Babylonia (Heb “the land of Shinar”) is another name for Sumer and Akkad, where Babylon was located (Gen 10:10). Babylon throughout the Bible symbolizes the focus of anti-God sentiment and activity (Gen 11:4; 14:1; Isa 13–14; 47:1-3; Jer 50–51; Rev 14:8; 17:1, 5, 18; 18:21).