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Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

Genesis 11:26

seventy years The birth of Terah's firstborn is postponed for a period twice as long as in the case of the other patriarchs since Shem. Shem was 100 years old when he begat Arpachshad (Genesis 11:10). This greater duration of time is connected with the features of faith and discipline attaching to the careers of the greater personages in the Israelite ancestry.

Abram According to the Hebrew tradition, the name means "the father (ab) is exalted (ram)." It might also mean "Ram (Ramman) is father." Compare, in the one case, Jehoram (Jah is exalted); in the other, Abijah (Jah is father). See note on Genesis 17:5.

Nahor See on Genesis 11:22.

Haran This name has by some scholars been derived from the Heb. har= "a mountain," and explained as meaning "Highlanders." "Beth-haran" is the name of a town built by the "children of Gad" (Numbers 32:36) and mentioned along with "Beth-Nimrah." Possibly, therefore, Haran was also the name of a local deity.

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See also Genesis 11:26 in other biblical comments:

  • Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

    Verse Genesis 11:26. _AND TERAH LIVED SEVENTY YEARS, AND BEGAT ABRAM, NAHOR,_ _AND HARAN._] Haran was certainly the eldest son of Terah, and he appears to have been born when Terah was about seventy...

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    - Section IX - The Line to Abram - XXXV. The Line of Abram 18. רעוּ _re‛û_, Re‘u, “friend;” verb: “feed, delight in, enjoy.” 20. שׂרוּג _śerûg_, Serug, “vine-shoot.” 22. נחור _nāchôr_, Nachor...

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    CHAPTER 11:1-9 THE TOWER OF BABEL AND THE SCATTERING OF THE NATIONS _ 1. The unity of the nations in Shinar (Genesis 11:1)_ 2. Their attempt: “Let us make” (Genesis 11:3) 3. The divine answer: “Let...

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    THE DESCENDANTS OF SHEM. This section, like Genesis 11:5, is taken from P. Here the formula is abbreviated, but whether this was so originally or due to an impatient editor is uncertain. There is also...

  • Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

    _AND TERAH LIVED SEVENTY YEARS, AND BEGAT ABRAM, NAHOR, AND HARAN._ Terah lived seventy years, and begat Abram, Nahor, and Haran. It appears that Terah did not acquire the paternal character until he...

  • Darby's translation notes (1890)

    11:26 Abram, (a-8) High father....

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    For the meaning of ABRAM and SARAI (Genesis 11:29) see on Genesis 17....

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    GOD’S ANCIENT PEOPLE GENESIS _ALUN OWEN_ CHAPTER 11 THE TALL BUILDING AT BABEL V1 All the people who were on the earth had one language. They all had one set of words. V2 And men travelled from...

  • Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

    THE TÔLDÔTH SHEM. (10-26) THESE ARE THE GENERATIONS OF SHEM. — Here also, as in Genesis 5, there is a very considerable divergence between the statements of the Hebrew, the Samaritan, and the Septuagi...

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    וַֽ יְחִי ־תֶ֖רַח שִׁבְעִ֣ים שָׁנָ֑ה וַ יֹּ֨ו

  • Frederick Brotherton Meyer's Commentary

    THE GENERATIONS UNTIL ABRAM Genesis 11:10 The inwardness of the movement of Terah's clan from Ur is given in Acts 7:3. Apparently his father was unwilling for Abram to go alone on his far-pilgrimage,...

  • G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

    In this chapter we have the account of a human movement against dispersion. The movement was one of rebellion and was frustrated by divine interposition. The divine intention was the covering of the w...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    And Terah lived seventy years, and begat Abram, Nahor, and Haran. These verses are all highly interesting, in that they lead to Him, after the flesh, in whom all the families of the earth were to be b...

  • Introductory Lectures - Commentary by William Kelly

    There is one characteristic of divine revelation to which attention may be profitably called as a starting point. We have to do with facts. The Bible alone is a revelation of facts, and, we can add (n...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

    THE FOLLOWING COMMENTARY COVERS CHAPTER S 10 AND 11. Chapter s 10, 11 give us the history of the world as peopled and established after the deluge, and the ways of men in this new world; the great pla...

  • John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

    AND TERAH LIVED SEVENTY YEARS, AND BEGAT ABRAM, NAHOR, AND HARAN. Abram, though named first, does not appear to be the eldest, but rather Haran; nay, it seems pretty plain that Abram was not born unti...

  • KJV Original Language Details

    1 One language in the world. 3 The building of Babel. 5 The confusion of tongues. 10 The generations of Shem. 27 The generations of Terah the father of Abram. 31 Terah goeth from Vr to Haran. 1...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    And Terah lived seventy years and begat Abram, Nahor, and Haran. That is, the oldest son of Terah was born when he was seventy years old, and three sons are mentioned in this instance, Abram, afterwar...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    The Generation of Shem...

  • Lange's Commentary on the Holy Scriptures

    FIFTH SECTION _The race of Shem. The Commenced and Interrupted Migration of Terah to Canaan. The Genesis of the Contrast between Heathendom and the germinal Patriarchalism_ GENESIS 11:10-32 1. Gene...

  • Leslie M. Grant's Commentary on the Bible

    BABEL: THE CITY AND THE TOWER Up to this time there was only one language. In the world today men wish they could have this advantage, but God is wiser than men. Men desire this for the very same rea...

  • Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible

    10-26 Here is a genealogy, or list of names, ending in Abram, the friend of God, and thus leading towards Christ, the promised Seed, who was the son of Abram. Nothing is left upon record but their na...

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    _ 2056_ i.e. Began to beget, as GENESIS 5:32. ABRAM, who is first named in order of dignity, (for which cause Shem is put before Ham and Japheth, and Moses before Aaron), not in order of time, which s...

  • Notes on the Pentateuch by Charles Henry Mackintosh

    This is a chapter of very deep interest to the spiritual mind. It records two great facts, namely, the building of Babel, and the call of Abraham; or, in other words, man's effort to provide for himse...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Genesis 11:26 Terah H8646 lived H2421 (H8799) seventy H7657 years H8141 begot H3205 (H8686) Abram H87 Nahor...

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    THE BIRTH OF ABRAM (GENESIS 11:10 B TO 27A). The genealogy that follows links Abram back to Shem. This was why God was to be blessed with regard to Shem (9:26). It would be through him that God's man...

  • Summarized Bible Commentary

    CONTENTS: Failure under Noamic covenant. Tower of Babel. Scattering of the people. Ancestry of Abram. CHARACTERS: Shem, Terah, Abram, Lot, Sarai. CONCLUSION: Man ever builds under the heavens, seeki...

  • Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    Genesis 11:1. _One language_ or lip. These words are to be literally understood, because it is added, God confounded their language. There has been a long and unavailing dispute whether the Chaldaic,...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _These are the generations of Shem_ THE GENERATIONS OF SHEM I. THE LINE IN WHICH THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE TRUE GOD WAS PRESERVED. II. THE DIRECTION OF THE STREAM OF HISTORY TOWARDS THE MESSIAH. “God cal...

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    GENESIS—NOTE ON GENESIS 11:10 Shem’s Descendants. Resembling the list of Adam’s descendants in Genesis 5:3, this genealogy traces Noah’s line through Shem down to Terah, t

  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

    CRITICAL NOTES.— Genesis 11:10. These are the generations of Shem] The genealogies are here only given in part, the writer’s object being to trace the pedigree of Abram from Shem.— _MAIN HOMILETICS...

  • The Pulpit Commentaries

    EXPOSITION GENESIS 11:10 THESE ARE THE GENERATIONS OF SHEM. The new section, opening with the usual formula (cf. Genesis 2:4; Genesis 5:1;...

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    Now in chapter eleven. The whole earth was of one language, and one speech (Genesis 11:1). Probably Hebrew because in the earlier record of the book of Genesis, the names of the people were Hebrew n...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    A.M. 1948. B.C. 2056. Abram. Genesis 12:4 Genesis 12:5 Genesis 22:20 Genesis 29:4...

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