Genesis 11:24 - Printer Friendly

ESV: When Nahor had lived 29 years, he fathered Terah.

NIV: When Nahor had lived 29 years, he became the father of Terah.

NASB: Nahor lived twenty-nine years, and fathered Terah;

CSB: Nahor lived 29 years and fathered Terah.

NLT: When Nahor was 29 years old, he became the father of Terah.

KJV: And Nahor lived nine and twenty years, and begat Terah:

NKJV: Nahor lived twenty-nine years, and begot Terah.

The line from Noah to Abram—later known as Abraham—follows through Shem to Arpachshad to Shelah to Eber to Peleg to Reu to Serug to Nahor and now to Abram's father Terah. At this point, the lifespans in Genesis have decreased to something similar to the modern pattern: man's days are roughly a century, give or take. This is strong contrast to the prior generations, who lived twice as long. It's a drastic change from those who lived prior to the Tower of Babel, who lived several centuries. And it's a catastrophic drop from the ages allowed for the earliest men, who survived nearly a thousand years (Genesis 5).

The story of Terah and his son, Abram, will lead into the foundations of the nation of Israel. Soon, God will begin enacting His far-reaching plan to fulfill the promise of restoration made in Genesis 3:15.

Genesis 11:10–26 provides a direct genealogy from Noah to Abram, through Noah's blessed-by-God son, Shem. This record shows a direct genetic line from Noah and the flood, through Peleg and the dispersion of humanity at the Tower of Babel, to Terah, Abram's father.

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 5/5/2024 10:05:20 AM