Genesis 11:15 kjv
And Salah lived after he begat Eber four hundred and three years, and begat sons and daughters.
Genesis 11:15 nkjv
After he begot Eber, Salah lived four hundred and three years, and begot sons and daughters.
Genesis 11:15 niv
And after he became the father of Eber, Shelah lived 403 years and had other sons and daughters.
Genesis 11:15 esv
And Shelah lived after he fathered Eber 403 years and had other sons and daughters.
Genesis 11:15 nlt
After the birth of Eber, Shelah lived another 403 years and had other sons and daughters.
Genesis 11 15 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Gen 5:3 | When Adam had lived 130 years, he fathered Seth... | First genealogical statement in Genesis. |
| Gen 5:28 | Lamech lived 182 years and begot a son. | Parallel to birth announcements. |
| Gen 7:6 | Noah was six hundred years old when the flood came. | Importance of age for biblical chronology. |
| Gen 10:21 | To Shem also... were children born. | Connection to the "Table of Nations". |
| Gen 11:10 | Shem was 100 years old... when he begot Arphaxad. | Chronological beginning of this specific line. |
| Gen 11:18 | Peleg lived thirty years and begot Reu. | Preceding father-son pair in the lineage. |
| Gen 11:20 | Serug lived thirty years and begot Nahor. | Succeeding father-son pair in the lineage. |
| Gen 12:1-3 | Go from your country... and I will make you a great nation. | God's promise tied to a specific descendant. |
| Gen 17:7 | I will establish my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you. | God's covenant sustained through generations. |
| Exod 1:1-5 | The sons of Israel who came to Egypt... | Example of biblical genealogy's purpose. |
| Num 26:5-56 | A census of all Israel... according to their clans. | Detailed genealogies for tribal identity. |
| 1 Chr 1:1-4 | Adam, Seth, Enosh... Shem, Arphaxad, Shelah, Eber, Peleg, Reu, Serug, Nahor, Terah, Abram... | A later, summary genealogy confirming Gen 11. |
| 1 Chr 2:1-2 | These are the sons of Israel: Reuben, Simeon... | Reinforces the importance of lineage. |
| Isa 9:6-7 | For to us a child is born, to us a son is given... | The ultimate fulfillment in the Seed. |
| Matt 1:1-17 | The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. | Messianic lineage validating Christ's claim. |
| Lk 3:23-38 | ...Joseph, the son of Heli... the son of Enos, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God. | Parallel genealogy of Jesus, affirming historicity. |
| Acts 7:8 | And so Abraham begot Isaac... | Stephen referencing Abrahamic genealogy. |
| Rom 9:7-8 | Not all who are descended from Israel are Israel. | Physical lineage pointing to spiritual truth. |
| Gal 3:16 | Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring. He does not say, "And to offsprings," but "And to your offspring," referring to one, who is Christ. | "Seed" promise, pointing to the Messiah. |
| Heb 11:8-12 | By faith Abraham obeyed... from one man, and him as good as dead, came descendants. | Faith sustained lineage for divine promise. |
Genesis 11 verses
Genesis 11 15 Meaning
Genesis 11:15 states a genealogical detail within the lineage from Shem to Abram, indicating that Reu was thirty-two years old when he fathered Serug. It is a precise chronological marker essential for tracing the unfolding of God's redemptive plan through chosen lines, eventually leading to Abraham.
Genesis 11 15 Context
Genesis 11:15 is situated within the "Toledoth of Shem" (Gen 11:10-26), a significant genealogical record that meticulously traces the lineage from Shem, Noah's son, down to Abram (Abraham). This genealogy follows immediately after the dispersion at Babel (Gen 11:1-9), demonstrating God's consistent plan for humanity despite their rebellion. It narrows the focus from the general "Table of Nations" in Genesis 10 to the specific family line through which God's redemptive purpose will unfold, ultimately leading to the call of Abraham and the birth of the nation of Israel. These verses are crucial for establishing biblical chronology and connecting the pre-Abrahamic world to the Abrahamic covenant.
Genesis 11 15 Word analysis
- And: וַיְחִי (vay-ḥi) - The Hebrew conjunction "ו" (vav), meaning "and," joins this statement to the previous one in the genealogy, ensuring continuity.
- Reu: רְעוּ (Re'u) - A proper noun, identifying the individual. Its root potentially relates to "friend" or "shepherd," though in this context, it functions solely as a personal name within the lineage. Reu is the great-grandson of Arphaxad, who was the son of Shem.
- lived: וַיְחִי (vay-ḥi) - From the Hebrew root חַי (ḥai), "to live." This standard verb in biblical genealogies denotes the beginning of a life and its progression until the stated event (here, fathering a son). It highlights the sequential nature of generations.
- thirty-two: שְׁלֹשִׁים וּשְׁתַּיִם (sheloshim u-shtayim) - Literally "thirty and two." A precise numerical statement crucial for biblical chronology, used to calculate the time span between significant events. This contrasts with more mythical narratives that lack such specific age details.
- years: שָׁנָה (shanah) - Standard Hebrew word for "year." Emphasizes a specific period of time within a lifespan.
- and begot: וַיּוֹלֶד (vayyoled) - Hiphil form of the verb יָלַד (yalad), "to bear, give birth." In the Hiphil, it means "to cause to be born," hence "to father" or "to beget." This term is pivotal throughout Genesis genealogies, affirming the male progenitor's role in the continuation of the family line and implicitly, God's promise of descendants.
- Serug: שָׂרוּג (Sarug) - A proper noun, identifying the son born to Reu. Its root may relate to "intertwined" or "braided," potentially alluding to connections or relationships. As a link in the chain leading to Abraham, Serug is vital to the story of God's unfolding plan.
Genesis 11 15 Bonus section
The seemingly simple act of "begetting" in this genealogical context points to the miracle of divine preservation and providence. Even through long stretches of seemingly unremarkable history, God's promise to Adam and Eve concerning the "seed" (Gen 3:15) is quietly advancing. The precise ages provided, while sometimes differing slightly between textual traditions (Masoretic Text vs. Septuagint), highlight a deliberate historical framework, distinguishing the biblical narrative from mythological narratives of ancient cultures. This consistent attention to detail provides an underpinning of reliability and historicity to the overarching narrative of redemption. The absence of additional biographical details for Reu or Serug beyond their place in the lineage emphasizes their functional role as links in a larger, divinely ordained chain.
Genesis 11 15 Commentary
Genesis 11:15 is more than a simple numerical record; it is a foundational brick in the grand structure of redemptive history. In a post-Babel world, where humanity fractured and scattered, this precise entry, like others in the Genesis 11 genealogy, underscores God's meticulous care in preserving a specific lineage. Each "begot" signifies the direct, traceable continuation of the "seed" through whom the promises of God would eventually materialize. The consistency of these short, formulaic statements, detailing the patriarch's age at a son's birth, implicitly counters ancient Near Eastern creation myths that often lacked such ordered historical precision. It points to a singular, divine plan unfolding in measurable time, laying the groundwork for the covenant with Abraham (Gen 12) and the subsequent lineage of the Messiah. The passage confirms God's faithfulness in bringing His plans to fruition through chosen individuals over generations, however distant they may seem. These seemingly mundane details reveal a profound truth: God is actively guiding history towards His ultimate purposes.