Genesis Chapter 11 ~ Terah to Abram

Genesis Chapter 11

At this time the whole earth had one language, and the people said to build a city and a tower to reach the heavens in order to make a name for themselves. God again refers to himself in the first person plural “us” (see also Gen. 1:20, 26; 3:22) and says, “Come, let us go down and there confuse their language, so that they may not understand one another’s speech.” (11:7) Then the Lord dispersed the people all over the earth. The city wasn’t finished and it was called “Babel” because the LORD confused their language there.

Shem’s descendents are then listed out. Shem (500 years); (1) Arpachshad (403 years); (2) Shelah (403 years); (3) Eber (430 years); (4) Peleg (209 years); (5) Reu (207 years); (6) Serug (200 years); (7) Nahor (119); (8) Terah (205 years).

When Terah was 70 years he fathered (1) Abram, (2) Nahor, and (3) Haran.

Then Terah’s descendents are listed out:
Terah: (1) Abram, (2) Nahor, (3) Haran

Haran: (1) Lot, (2) Milcah (daughter), (3) Iscah (probably a daughter too). [Haran died in his father’s land, Ur of the Chaldeans]
Abram: Took Sarai as his wife (she was barren).
Nahor: Took his niece Milcah as his wife.

Terah then took Abram and Sarai, and Lot and they went away from the Ur of the Chaldeans to go to the land of Canaan. But they settled in when they came to Haran.

This chapter again goes through a genealogy, but begins to settle on the next man who God would make a covenant with, Abram. Abram’s family is the generation that God will again make his glory visible by further extending His promise that through the seed of Eve the head of the serpent, Satan, will be crushed (Gen. 3:15).