Chapter summary
Genesis 11 Summary
Genesis 11 tells the story of the Tower of Babel — humanity's united attempt to make a name for itself, and God's judgment in confusing their language and scattering them.
Speaking one language, the people of the earth gather to build a tower «with its top in the heavens» so they may «make a name» for themselves. God comes down to see and confuses their speech, scattering them across the earth.
The chapter ends with a genealogy leading to Terah and his son Abram — setting up God's plan to gather the nations again through the call of Abraham in chapter 12.
Key verses BSB · Public Domain (CC0)
Genesis 11:4 ““Come,” they said, “let us build for ourselves a city with a tower that reaches to the heavens, that we may make a name for ourselves and not be scattered over the face of all the earth.”” Genesis 11:9 “That is why it is called Babel, for there the LORD confused the language of the whole world, and from that place the LORD scattered them over the face of all the earth.”
Original BibleDawn summary. Drafted with AI assistance and reviewed for accuracy.