King James Version

Genesis 11:8

So the LORD scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city.

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Hebrew

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וַיָּ֨פֶץvayafetsand disperseפּוּץconjunction, verb, hiphil, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and disperse”, the next action in the storyH6327to dash in pieces, literally or figuratively (especially to disperse)break (dash, shake) in (to) pieces, cast (abroad), disperse (selves), drive, retire, scatter (abroad), spread abroad.יְהוָ֥הyehvahJehovahיְהֹוָהnoun, proper name — “Jehovah”H3068Jehovah, Jewish national name of GodJehovah, the Lord. Compare H3050 (יָהּ), H3069 (יְהֹוִה).אֹתָ֛םotamobject markerאֵתparticle, direct object marker, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “object marker”H853properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)(as such unrepresented in English).מִשָּׁ֖םmishamfrom thereשָׁםpreposition, adverb — “from there”H8033there (transferring to time) then; often thither, or thencein it, [phrase] thence, there (-in, [phrase] of, [phrase] out), [phrase] thither, [phrase] whither.עַלalaboveעַלpreposition — “above”H5921above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applicationsabove, according to(-ly), after, (as) against, among, and, [idiom] as, at, because of, beside (the rest of), between, beyond the time, [idiom] both and, by (reason of), [idiom] had the charge of, concerning for, in (that), (forth, out) of,…פְּנֵ֣יpenea- foreפָּנִיםnoun, common, both genders, plural, construct — “a- fore”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH6440the face (as the part that turns); used in a great variety of applications (literally and figuratively); also (with prepositional prefix) as a preposition (before, etc.)[phrase] accept, a-(be-) fore(-time), against, anger, [idiom] as (long as), at, [phrase] battle, [phrase] because (of), [phrase] beseech, countenance, edge, [phrase] employ, endure, [phrase] enquire, face, favour, fear of, for, forefront(-…כָלkhalallכֹּלnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct — “all”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH3605properly, the whole; hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense)(in) all (manner, (ye)), altogether, any (manner), enough, every (one, place, thing), howsoever, as many as, (no-) thing, ought, whatsoever, (the) whole, whoso(-ever).הָאָ֑רֶץhaaretsthe earthאֶרֶץdefinite article, noun, common, both genders, singular, absolute — “the earth”, the ordinary formH776the earth (at large, or partitively a land)[idiom] common, country, earth, field, ground, land, [idiom] natins, way, [phrase] wilderness, world.וַֽיַּחְדְּל֖וּvayachdelvand be unoccupiedחָדַלconjunction, verb, qal, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “and be unoccupied”, the next action in the storyH2308properly, to be flabby, i.e. (by implication) desist; (figuratively) be lacking or idlecease, end, fall, forbear, forsake, leave (off), let alone, rest, be unoccupied, want.לִבְנֹ֥תlivnotto buildבָּנָהpreposition, verb, qal, infinitive construct — “to build”, the to-form of the verbH1129to build (literally and figuratively)(begin to) build(-er), obtain children, make, repair, set (up), [idiom] surely.הָעִֽירhairthe cityעִירdefinite article, noun, common, feminine, singular, absolute — “the city”, the ordinary formH5892a city (a place guarded by waking or a watch) in the widest sense (even of a mere encampment or post)Ai (from margin), city, court (from margin), town.

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

So the LORD scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth; and they left off to build the city.

Compare Public-Domain Translations

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

American Standard Version (1901)

So Jehovah scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off building the city.

Young’s Literal Translation

And Jehovah doth scatter them from thence over the face of all the earth, and they cease to build the city;

World English Bible

So Yahweh scattered them abroad from there on the surface of all the earth. They stopped building the city.

Darby Translation

And Jehovah scattered them thence over the face of the whole earth. And they left off building the city.

Douay-Rheims

And so the Lord scattered them from that place into all lands, and they ceased to build the city.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

So the LORD scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth; and they left off to build the city.

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

And the Lord scattered them thence over the face of all the earth, and they left off building the city and the tower.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Καὶ διέσπειρεν αὐτοὺς Κύριος ἐκεῖθεν ἐπὶ πρόσωπον πάσης τῆς γῆς· καὶ ἐπαύσαντο οἰκοδομοῦντες τῆν πόλιν καὶ τὸν πύργον.