Genesis 4:17

The Beginning of Civilization

4:17 Cain had marital relations ¹  with his wife, and she became pregnant ²  and gave birth to Enoch. Cain was building a city, and he named the city after ³  his son Enoch.

Genesis 10:11

10:11 From that land he went ⁴  to Assyria, ⁵  where he built Nineveh, ⁶  Rehoboth-Ir, ⁷  Calah, ⁸ 

Genesis 11:4

11:4 Then they said, “Come, let’s build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens ⁹  so that ¹⁰  we may make a name for ourselves. Otherwise ¹¹  we will be scattered ¹²  across the face of the entire earth.”

Genesis 33:18

33:18 After he left Paddan Aram, Jacob came safely to the city of Shechem in the land of Canaan, and he camped near ¹³  the city.

Genesis 24:10

24:10 Then the servant took ten of his master’s camels and departed with all kinds of gifts from his master at his disposal. ¹⁴  He journeyed ¹⁵  to the region of Aram Naharaim ¹⁶  and the city of Nahor.

[4:17]  ¹ tn Heb “knew,” a frequent euphemism for sexual relations.

[4:17]  ² tn Or “she conceived.”

[4:17]  ³ tn Heb “according to the name of.”

[10:11]  ⁴ tn The subject of the verb translated “went” is probably still Nimrod. However, it has also been interpreted that “Ashur went,” referring to a derivative power.

[10:11]  ⁵ tn Heb “Asshur.”

[10:11]  ⁶ sn Nineveh was an ancient Assyrian city situated on the Tigris River.

[10:11]  ⁷ sn The name Rehoboth-Ir means “and broad streets of a city,” perhaps referring to a suburb of Nineveh.

[10:11]  ⁸ sn Calah (modern Nimrud) was located twenty miles north of Nineveh.

[11:4]  ⁷ tn A translation of “heavens” for שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) fits this context because the Babylonian ziggurats had temples at the top, suggesting they reached to the heavens, the dwelling place of the gods.

[11:4]  ⁸ tn The form וְנַעֲשֶׂה (vÿna’aseh, from the verb עשׂה, “do, make”) could be either the imperfect or the cohortative with a vav (ו) conjunction (“and let us make…”). Coming after the previous cohortative, this form expresses purpose.

[11:4]  ⁹ tn The Hebrew particle פֶּן (pen) expresses a negative purpose; it means “that we be not scattered.”

[11:4]  ¹⁰ sn The Hebrew verb פָּוָץ (pavats, translated “scatter”) is a key term in this passage. The focal point of the account is the dispersion (“scattering”) of the nations rather than the Tower of Babel. But the passage also forms a polemic against Babylon, the pride of the east and a cosmopolitan center with a huge ziggurat. To the Hebrews it was a monument to the judgment of God on pride.

[33:18]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “in front of.”

[24:10]  ¹³ tn Heb “and every good thing of his master was in his hand.” The disjunctive clause is circumstantial, explaining that he took all kinds of gifts to be used at his discretion.

[24:10]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “and he arose and went.”

[24:10]  ¹⁵ tn The words “the region of” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation for clarity.