King James Version

Genesis 11:7

Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech.

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Hebrew

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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.נֵֽרְדָ֔הneredahbring downיָרַדverb, qal, cohortative, 1st person, common, plural — “bring down”, a determination or requestH3381to descend (literally, to go downwards; or conventionally to a lower region, as the shore, a boundary, the enemy, etc.; or figuratively, to fall); causatively, to bring down (in all the above applications)[idiom] abundantly, bring down, carry down, cast down, (cause to) come(-ing) down, fall (down), get down, go(-ing) down(-ward), hang down, [idiom] indeed, let down, light (down), put down (off), (cause to, let) run down, sink, subdue, take…וְנָבְלָ֥הvenavelahand mixבָּלַלconjunction, verb, qal, cohortative, 1st person, common, plural — “and mix”, a determination or requestH1101to overflow (specifically with oil.); by implication, to mix; to fodderanoint, confound, [idiom] fade, mingle, mix (self), give provender, temper.שָׁ֖םshamthereשָׁםadverb — “there”H8033there (transferring to time) then; often thither, or thencein it, [phrase] thence, there (-in, [phrase] of, [phrase] out), [phrase] thither, [phrase] whither.שְׂפָתָ֑םsefatamlanguageשָׂפָהnoun, common, feminine, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “language”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH8193the lip (as a natural boundary); by implication, language; by analogy, a margin (of a vessel, water, cloth, etc.)band, bank, binding, border, brim, brink, edge, language, lip, prating, (sea-)shore, side, speech, talk, (vain) words.אֲשֶׁר֙asherbecauseאֲשֶׁרparticle, relative — “because”H834who, which, what, that; also (as an adverb and a conjunction) when, where, how, because, in order that, etc.[idiom] after, [idiom] alike, as (soon as), because, [idiom] every, for, [phrase] forasmuch, [phrase] from whence, [phrase] how(-soever), [idiom] if, (so) that ((thing) which, wherein), [idiom] though, [phrase] until, [phrase] whatsoever,…לֹ֣אlono , -r,לֹאparticle, negative — “no , -r,”H3808not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles[idiom] before, [phrase] or else, ere, [phrase] except, ig(-norant), much, less, nay, neither, never, no((-ne), -r, (-thing)), ([idiom] as though...,(can-), for) not (out of), of nought, otherwise, out of, [phrase] surely, [phrase] as trul…יִשְׁמְע֔וּyishmevhearשָׁמַעverb, qal, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “hear”, an unfinished actionH8085to hear intelligently (often with implication of attention, obedience, etc.; causatively, to tell, etc.)[idiom] attentively, call (gather) together, [idiom] carefully, [idiom] certainly, consent, consider, be content, declare, [idiom] diligently, discern, give ear, (cause to, let, make to) hear(-ken, tell), [idiom] indeed, listen, make (a) n…אִ֖ישׁisha 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…שְׂפַ֥תsefatlanguageשָׂפָהnoun, common, feminine, singular, construct — “language”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH8193the lip (as a natural boundary); by implication, language; by analogy, a margin (of a vessel, water, cloth, etc.)band, bank, binding, border, brim, brink, edge, language, lip, prating, (sea-)shore, side, speech, talk, (vain) words.רֵעֵֽהוּreehvbrotherרֵעַnoun, 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.

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

Come, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech.'

Compare Public-Domain Translations

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

American Standard Version (1901)

Come, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech.

Young’s Literal Translation

Give help, let us go down, and mingle there their pronunciation, so that a man doth not understand the pronunciation of his companion.'

World English Bible

Come, let’s go down, and there confuse their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech.”

Darby Translation

Come, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech.

Douay-Rheims

Come ye, therefore, let us go down, and there confound their tongue, that they may not understand one another’s speech.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

Come, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech.'

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

Come, and having gone down let us there confound their tongue, that they may not understand each the voice of his neighbour.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Δεῦτε, καὶ καταβάντες συγχέωμεν αὐτῶν ἐκεῖ τὴν γλῶσσαν, ἵνα μὴ ἀκούσωσιν ἕκαστος τὴν φωνὴν τοῦ πλησίον.