Genesis 11:1

The Dispersion of the Nations at Babel

11:1 The whole earth ¹  had a common language and a common vocabulary. ² 

Genesis 2:21

2:21 So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep, ³  and while he was asleep, ⁴  he took part of the man’s side ⁵  and closed up the place with flesh. ⁶ 

Genesis 27:38

27:38 Esau said to his father, “Do you have only that one blessing, my father? Bless me too!” ⁷  Then Esau wept loudly. ⁸ 

Genesis 11:6

11:6 And the Lord said, “If as one people all sharing a common language ⁹  they have begun to do this, then ¹⁰  nothing they plan to do will be beyond them. ¹¹ 

¹ sn The whole earth. Here “earth” is a metonymy of subject, referring to the people who lived in the earth. Genesis 11 begins with everyone speaking a common language, but chap. 10 has the nations arranged by languages. It is part of the narrative art of Genesis to give the explanation of the event after the narration of the event. On this passage see A. P. Ross, “The Dispersion of the Nations in Genesis 11:1-9,” BSac 138 (1981): 119-38.

² tn Heb “one lip and one [set of] words.” The term “lip” is a metonymy of cause, putting the instrument for the intended effect. They had one language. The term “words” refers to the content of their speech. They had the same vocabulary.

³ tn Heb “And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall on the man.”

⁴ tn Heb “and he slept.” In the sequence the verb may be subordinated to the following verb to indicate a temporal clause (“while…”).

⁵ tn Traditionally translated “rib,” the Hebrew word actually means “side.” The Hebrew text reads, “and he took one from his sides,” which could be rendered “part of his sides.” That idea may fit better the explanation by the man that the woman is his flesh and bone.

⁶ tn Heb “closed up the flesh under it.”

⁵ tn Heb “Bless me, me also, my father.” The words “my father” have not been repeated in the translation for stylistic reasons.

⁶ tn Heb “and Esau lifted his voice and wept.”

⁷ tn Heb “and one lip to all of them.”

⁸ tn Heb “and now.” The foundational clause beginning with הֵן (hen) expresses the condition, and the second clause the result. It could be rendered “If this…then now.”

⁹ tn Heb “all that they purpose to do will not be withheld from them.”