Genesis 11:30 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Now Sarai was barren; she had no child.

NIV: Now Sarai was childless because she was not able to conceive.

NASB: Sarai was unable to conceive; she did not have a child.

CSB: Sarai was unable to conceive; she did not have a child.

NLT: But Sarai was unable to become pregnant and had no children.

KJV: But Sarai was barren; she had no child.

NKJV: But Sarai was barren; she had no child.

This brief verse sums up a driving force in the lives of Abram and Sarai: Sarai was barren and could not have children. Nevertheless, in the next chapter, God will promise them a child. That promise will not be fulfilled for many years, and will test their faith deeply. When the promise is fulfilled, though, it will be the victorious reassurance that the God of Abraham is trustworthy and true.

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 5/4/2024 1:41:30 AM