Genesis 11:27 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Now these are the generations of Terah. Terah fathered Abram, Nahor, and Haran; and Haran fathered Lot.

NIV: This is the account of Terah’s family line. Terah became the father of Abram, Nahor and Haran. And Haran became the father of Lot.

NASB: Now these are the records of the generations of Terah. Terah fathered Abram, Nahor, and Haran; and Haran fathered Lot.

CSB: These are the family records of Terah. Terah fathered Abram, Nahor, and Haran, and Haran fathered Lot.

NLT: This is the account of Terah’s family. Terah was the father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran; and Haran was the father of Lot.

KJV: Now these are the generations of Terah: Terah begot Abram, Nahor, and Haran; and Haran begot Lot.

NKJV: This is the genealogy of Terah: Terah begot Abram, Nahor, and Haran. Haran begot Lot.

The previous section contained a direct genealogy from Noah's son Shem to Abram. Now a new section is introduced under the heading of "the generations of Terah." This long section includes the entire life of Abram through Genesis 25:11. It's not clear why the section is described as the generations of Terah, when the focus is almost entirely on the life of Abram.

Joshua 24:2 reveals that Terah and his father Nahor worshipped false gods. Since both Ur and Haran are known to have been centers of moon worship, it's possible they worshiped moon gods. Both men lived after the dispersal of humanity following the building of the TTower of Babel (Genesis 11:1–9). Since Terah named one of his sons Haran, and then later moved to Haran, some scholars speculate that Terah had moved to Ur of the Chaldeans from there before moving back again.

Terah also fathered Nahor, named for his own father, and Abram "when he had lived 70 years" (Genesis 11:26). Haran fathered Lot, Abram's nephew, a man who will play a large role in Abram's story. Lot will also play a central role in one of the Old Testament's most dramatic incidents of divine judgment: the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 18—19).

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.