Genesis 11:28 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Haran died in the presence of his father Terah in the land of his kindred, in Ur of the Chaldeans.

NIV: While his father Terah was still alive, Haran died in Ur of the Chaldeans, in the land of his birth.

NASB: Haran died during the lifetime of his father Terah in the land of his birth, in Ur of the Chaldeans.

CSB: Haran died in his native land, in Ur of the Chaldeans, during his father Terah’s lifetime.

NLT: But Haran died in Ur of the Chaldeans, the land of his birth, while his father, Terah, was still living.

KJV: And Haran died before his father Terah in the land of his nativity, in Ur of the Chaldees.

NKJV: And Haran died before his father Terah in his native land, in Ur of the Chaldeans.

Haran, one of the three sons of Terah, died long before Terah did. At the time he died, the family home was in a region known as Ur of the Chaldeans, possibly in modern day southern Iraq. Haran lived long enough to father children such as Milcah, Iscah, and Lot. This makes Lot a grandson of Terah, and the nephew of Abram. This relationship will prove to be important in Genesis.

Lot and Abram will see their paths cross many times. Abram will lead a rescue operation to save Lot from capture (Genesis 14). After establishing a relationship with God, Abram will be renamed Abraham, and soon after this, he will pray for the people of Sodom, where Lot is living. Lot, once again, has to be rescued from destruction (Genesis 19).

Genesis 11:27–32 begins a long section in Genesis titled ''the generations of Terah.'' Terah is Abram's father, and in some sense, his section does not end until Abram dies in Genesis 25. Abram's family also includes two brothers, his wife, a nephew, and a niece. Together, the whole family moves from Ur (southern Iraq) much closer to what will become the Promised Land. They settle short of Canaan in Haran, where Terah will live out the rest of his life. It is from Haran that God will call Abram to leave his home.

Genesis 11 contains three sections: God confuses and scatters the people of the world to stop the building of Babel and its tower. A genealogy is provided showing the direct links between Noah and Abram. The ''generations'' of Terah are introduced, providing a description of the family out of which God will call Abram to become the father of His chosen people.

Genesis 10 provided a table of the nations, describing the peoples and tribes that descended from Noah's three sons and where they settled. Genesis 11 describes how God scattered the peoples of the world after confusing their languages to stop the building of Babel and its tower. The chapter also provides a direct genealogy from Noah to Abram and then introduces Abram by way of his father Terah. The following chapter will begin the story of Abram and God's chosen people, Israel.

The book of Genesis establishes fundamental truths about God. Among these are His role as the Creator, His holiness, His hatred of sin, His love for mankind, and His willingness to provide for our redemption. We learn not only where mankind has come from, but why the world is in its present form. The book also presents the establishment of Israel, God's chosen people. Many of the principles given in other parts of Scripture depend on the basic ideas presented here in the book of Genesis. Within the framework of the Bible, Genesis explains the bare-bones history of the universe leading up to the captivity of Israel in Egypt, setting the stage for the book of Exodus.

Accessed 12/18/2024 10:02:00 AM