What does Genesis 11:27 mean?

The previous section contained a direct genealogy from Noah's son Shem to Abram. Now a new section is introduced under the heading of "the generations of Terah." This long section includes the entire life of Abram through Genesis 25:11. It's not clear why the section is described as the generations of Terah, when the focus is almost entirely on the life of Abram.

Joshua 24:2 reveals that Terah and his father Nahor worshipped false gods. Since both Ur and Haran are known to have been centers of moon worship, it's possible they worshiped moon gods. Both men lived after the dispersal of humanity following the building of the TTower of Babel (Genesis 11:1–9). Since Terah named one of his sons Haran, and then later moved to Haran, some scholars speculate that Terah had moved to Ur of the Chaldeans from there before moving back again.

Terah also fathered Nahor, named for his own father, and Abram "when he had lived 70 years" (Genesis 11:26). Haran fathered Lot, Abram's nephew, a man who will play a large role in Abram's story. Lot will also play a central role in one of the Old Testament's most dramatic incidents of divine judgment: the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 18—19).