King James Version

Genesis 11:3

And they said one to another, Go to, let us make brick, and burn them thoroughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for morter.

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Hebrew

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וַיֹּאמְר֞וּvayomrvand sayאָמַרconjunction, verb, qal, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “and say”, the next action in the storyH559to say (used with great latitude)answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, [phrase] (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, [idiom] desire, determine, [idiom] expressly, [idiom] indeed, [idiom] intend, name, [id…אִ֣ישׁisha certainאִישׁnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “a certain”, the ordinary formH376a man as an individual or a male person; often used as an adjunct to a more definite term (and in such cases frequently not expressed in translation)also, another, any (man), a certain, [phrase] champion, consent, each, every (one), fellow, (foot-, husband-) man, (good-, great, mighty) man, he, high (degree), him (that is), husband, man(-kind), [phrase] none, one, people, person, [phra…אֶלelamongאֵלpreposition — “among”H413near, with or among; often in general, toabout, according to, after, against, among, as for, at, because(-fore, -side), both...and, by, concerning, for, from, [idiom] hath, in(-to), near, (out) of, over, through, to(-ward), under, unto, upon, whether, with(-in).רֵעֵ֗הוּreehvbrotherרֵעַnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “brother”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH7453an associate (more or less close)brother, companion, fellow, friend, husband, lover, neighbour, [idiom] (an-) other.הָ֚בָהhavahcome onיָהַבverb, qal, imperative, 2nd person, masculine, singular, paragogic he — “come on”, a commandH3051to give (whether literal or figurative); generally, to put; imperatively (reflexive) comeascribe, bring, come on, give, go, set, take.נִלְבְּנָ֣הnilbenahmake brickלָבַןverb, qal, cohortative, 1st person, common, plural — “make brick”, a determination or requestH3835to be (or become) white; to make bricksmake brick, be (made, make) white(-r).לְבֵנִ֔יםlevenimbrickלְבֵנָהnoun, common, feminine, plural, absolute — “brick”, the ordinary formH3843a brick (from the whiteness of the clay)(altar of) brick, tile.וְנִשְׂרְפָ֖הvenisrefahand burn , up) kindleשָׂרַףconjunction, verb, qal, cohortative, 1st person, common, plural — “and burn , up) kindle”, a determination or requestH8313to be (causatively, set) on fire(cause to, make a) burn((-ing), up) kindle, [idiom] utterly.לִשְׂרֵפָ֑הlisrefahto burningשְׂרֵפָהpreposition, noun, common, feminine, singular, absolute — “to burning”, the ordinary formH8316cremationburning.וַתְּהִ֨יvathiand beהָיָהconjunction, verb, qal, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, feminine, singular — “and be”, the next action in the storyH1961to exist, i.e. be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)beacon, [idiom] altogether, be(-come), accomplished, committed, like), break, cause, come (to pass), do, faint, fall, [phrase] follow, happen, [idiom] have, last, pertain, quit (one-) self, require, [idiom] use.לָהֶ֤םlahemtoלָהֶ֤םpreposition, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “to”toהַלְּבֵנָה֙halvenahthe brickלְבֵנָהdefinite article, noun, common, feminine, singular, absolute — “the brick”, the ordinary formH3843a brick (from the whiteness of the clay)(altar of) brick, tile.לְאָ֔בֶןleavento stoneאֶבֶןpreposition, noun, common, feminine, singular, absolute — “to stone”, the ordinary formH68a stone[phrase] carbuncle, [phrase] mason, [phrase] plummet, (chalk-, hail-, head-, sling-) stone(-ny), (divers) weight(-s).וְהַ֣חֵמָ֔רvehachemarand the slimeחֵמָרconjunction, definite article, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “and the slime”, the ordinary formH2564bitumen (as rising to the surface)slime(-pit).הָיָ֥הhayahbeהָיָהverb, qal, perfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “be”, a completed actionH1961to exist, i.e. be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)beacon, [idiom] altogether, be(-come), accomplished, committed, like), break, cause, come (to pass), do, faint, fall, [phrase] follow, happen, [idiom] have, last, pertain, quit (one-) self, require, [idiom] use.לָהֶ֖םlahemtoלָהֶ֖םpreposition, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “to”toלַחֹֽמֶרlachomerto clayחֹמֶרpreposition, with the article, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “to clay”, the ordinary formH2563properly, a bubbling up, i.e. of water, a wave; of earth, mire or clay (cement); also a heap; hence, a chomer or dry measureclay, heap, homer, mire, motion.

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

And they said one to another: 'Come, let us make brick, and burn them thoroughly.' And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for mortar.

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

And they said one to another, Come, let us make brick, and burn them thoroughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for mortar.

Young’s Literal Translation

and they say each one to his neighbour, 'Give help, let us make bricks, and burn [them] thoroughly:' and the brick is to them for stone, and the bitumen hath been to them for mortar.

World English Bible

They said to one another, “Come, let’s make bricks, and burn them thoroughly.” They had brick for stone, and they used tar for mortar.

Darby Translation

And they said one to another, Come on, let us make bricks, and burn [them] thoroughly. And they had brick for stone, and they had asphalt for mortar.

Douay-Rheims

And each one said to his neighbour: Come, let us make brick, and bake them with fire. And they had brick instead of stones, and slime instead of mortar.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

And they said one to another: 'Come, let us make brick, and burn them thoroughly.' And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for mortar.

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

And a man said to his neighbour, Come, let us make bricks and bake them with fire. And the brick was to them for stone, and their mortar was bitumen.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Καὶ εἶπεν ἄνθρωπος τῷ πλησίον αὐτοῦ, δεῦτε πλινθεύσωμεν πλίνθους, καὶ ὀπτήσωμεν αὐτὰς πυρί· καὶ ἐγένετο αὐτοῖς ἡ πλίνθος εἰς λίθον, καὶ ἄσφαλτος ἦν αὐτοῖς ὁ πηλός.