Genesis 11:21 kjv
And Reu lived after he begat Serug two hundred and seven years, and begat sons and daughters.
Genesis 11:21 nkjv
After he begot Serug, Reu lived two hundred and seven years, and begot sons and daughters.
Genesis 11:21 niv
And after he became the father of Serug, Reu lived 207 years and had other sons and daughters.
Genesis 11:21 esv
And Reu lived after he fathered Serug 207 years and had other sons and daughters.
Genesis 11:21 nlt
After the birth of Serug, Reu lived another 207 years and had other sons and daughters.
Genesis 11 21 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Gen 5:3 | When Adam had lived 130 years, he had a son in his own likeness... Seth. | Sets precedent for "lived... and begat" formula. |
| Gen 5:32 | Noah was 500 years old, and Noah became the father of Shem, Ham, and Japheth. | Illustrates the ancestral naming pattern. |
| Gen 11:10-25 | This is the account of Shem's family line... | The immediate context of post-Flood genealogy. |
| Gen 11:26 | After Terah had lived 70 years, he became the father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran. | Links Terah to Abram, showing direct descent. |
| Gen 11:22 | Serug lived thirty years, and begat Nahor. | Nahor's father, continuing the lineage backwards. |
| Gen 11:24 | Nahor lived twenty-nine years, and begat Terah. | Variant text in the Septuagint. |
| Gen 12:1-3 | The Lord had said to Abram, "Go from your country... I will make you into a great nation." | The ultimate purpose of preserving the lineage to Abraham. |
| Gen 15:5 | He took him outside and said, "Look up at the sky and count the stars... So shall your offspring be." | God's promise of numerous descendants through the lineage. |
| Gen 17:6-7 | I will make you very fruitful... and I will establish my covenant... with your offspring. | Covenant focus on God's chosen offspring. |
| Num 3:1 | These are the generations of Aaron and Moses, in the day that the Lord spoke... | Example of another priestly family genealogy. |
| Josh 24:2 | Joshua said to all the people, "Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: 'Long ago, your fathers lived beyond the Euphrates, Terah, the father of Abraham...'" | Highlights Terah's ancestral importance. |
| 1 Chr 1:1-27 | Adam, Seth, Enosh... Abram (that is, Abraham)... | Confirms the continuity and reliability of Old Testament genealogies. |
| Matt 1:1-17 | The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. | Shows the continuity of the messianic line. |
| Matt 1:2 | Abraham was the father of Isaac... and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers. | Illustrates the chain of father-son descent leading to Christ. |
| Luke 3:23-38 | Jesus himself, when he began his ministry, was about thirty years of age... Son of Terah, son of Nahor... son of Seth, son of Adam, son of God. | Confirms Nahor and Terah's place in Christ's ancestry. |
| Luke 3:34 | the son of Terah, the son of Nahor, the son of Serug, the son of Reu... | Direct affirmation of Nahor's specific place in Christ's lineage. |
| Acts 7:2-4 | "Brothers and fathers, listen. The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran, and said to him, 'Leave your country...'" | References Terah's journey with Abraham. |
| Heb 11:8-9 | By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive... went, even though he did not know where he was going. | Contextualizes the significance of Abraham's calling from his father's household. |
| Gal 3:16 | The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. Scripture does not say "and to seeds," meaning many people, but "and to your seed," meaning one person, who is Christ. | Points to Christ as the ultimate heir of the promised lineage. |
| 1 Pet 1:20 | He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake. | Implies the pre-ordained nature of God's plan through lineage. |
Genesis 11 verses
Genesis 11 21 Meaning
Genesis 11:21 states that Nahor lived thirty years and became the father of Terah. This verse serves as a genealogical entry, recording a key segment in the direct lineage that descends from Shem, through whom God's chosen people would ultimately emerge, leading to Abraham. It marks a chronological point in the progression of generations and signifies the continuation of the divinely preserved family line after the Flood.
Genesis 11 21 Context
Genesis 11:21 is situated within a genealogical record (Genesis 11:10-26) tracing the descendants of Shem, one of Noah's sons, following the account of the Tower of Babel. After humanity's dispersion due to their rebellion at Babel, this genealogy meticulously details the preservation of a specific line through which God's redemptive plan would proceed. This section connects the broader narrative of humanity from the Flood to the call of Abraham, marking the transition from a universal history to the particular history of God's chosen people. It establishes the chronological framework and the direct family line leading to Terah, Abraham's father, setting the stage for the establishment of the Abrahamic Covenant and the inception of Israel.
Genesis 11 21 Word analysis
- And Nahor: Hebrew: וַיִּחְיֶה נָחוֹר (vayyichyè Nachor).
- וַיִּחְיֶה (vayyichyè): "and he lived." This is a Waw-consecutive imperfect form of the verb "to live" (חַי, ḥay). It signifies a sequential action in a narrative, emphasizing the continuation of life and existence, serving as a standard part of genealogical formulas to mark an individual's lifespan.
- נָחוֹר (Nachor): "Nahor." This is the first of two significant individuals named Nahor in Genesis 11, marking a generational connection rather than repetition of names. This specific Nahor is Terah's father, therefore Abraham's grandfather (Genesis 11:26). The name's etymology is debated but possibly relates to "to breathe" or "to snort." It signifies a distinct person in the lineage.
- lived thirty years: Hebrew: שְׁלֹשִׁים שָׁנָה (sh'loshîm shânâh).
- שְׁלֹשִׁים (sh'loshîm): "thirty." A cardinal number. In biblical genealogies, this specific age often indicates the age at which the named individual became the father of the next prominent figure in the lineage. It serves a crucial chronological purpose, allowing for the calculation of time between creation and the patriarchs. The decreasing ages at begetting, compared to antediluvian figures, highlight a significant shift in human longevity post-Flood.
- שָׁנָה (shânâh): "year" or "years." A standard unit of time, signifying a full cycle. The use of precise numbers underscores the historical and chronological emphasis of the genealogical record.
- and begat: Hebrew: וַיּוֹלֶד (vayyôled).
- וַיּוֹלֶד (vayyôled): "and he begat" or "and he sired." This is a Waw-consecutive imperfect form of the verb "to beget" or "to bear" (יָלַד, yālād). It signifies the act of procreation, focusing on the male's role in continuing the family line and ensures the direct patrilineal succession required for the biblical narrative's focus on Abraham and his descendants.
- Terah: Hebrew: תָּרַח (Tārach).
- תָּרַח (Tārach): "Terah." A proper name. Terah is a pivotal figure in Genesis as the father of Abram (Abraham), Nahor, and Haran (Genesis 11:26). His migration from Ur of the Chaldeans to Haran (Genesis 11:31) with his family sets the stage for Abraham's own journey and call by God. The name's meaning is debated but some suggest "to breathe, refresh," or "delay."
Words-group by Words-group analysis:
- "And Nahor lived thirty years, and begat Terah": This entire phrase exemplifies the characteristic formula of the post-Flood genealogies (Gen 11:10-25). It is concise, factual, and strictly focused on tracing the lineage, marking the age of fatherhood, and establishing chronological links. The repetition of this precise structure (name, lived X years, begat Y) emphasizes the historical progression and the divinely preserved continuity of the seed line that would culminate in Abraham. The relatively shorter lifespan before begetting a son, compared to earlier patriarchs, signals a significant change in human biology and lifespans after the Flood. The progression from Nahor to Terah is crucial as Terah is the direct link to Abraham, who receives the covenant promises.
Genesis 11 21 Bonus section
The detailed genealogical lists in Genesis, including Genesis 11:21, serve a polemical purpose against ancient Near Eastern myths which often featured gods begetting deities or heroes with fantastical and unchronological narratives. In contrast, the biblical genealogies are presented as historical records, underscoring real people, real ages, and a sequential progression, grounding God's narrative in actual time and history rather than abstract myth. The consistent phrase "and begat" is patrilinear, highlighting the lineage through the male side, crucial for establishing inheritances and, more importantly, the divinely appointed "seed" line (Gen 3:15; Gal 3:16). This specific age of "thirty years" for Nahor at Terah's birth continues a pattern of increasingly younger ages for procreation compared to the lengthy lifespans of earlier patriarchs, reinforcing the post-Flood diminishing human longevity and foreshadowing the eventual normative human lifespan described in Psalm 90.
Genesis 11 21 Commentary
Genesis 11:21, though seemingly simple, is a vital component in the overarching redemptive narrative of the Bible. It meticulously contributes to the unfolding story by adding another link in the sacred chain leading from Adam, through Shem, directly to Abraham. This verse reinforces the historical and chronological precision of the biblical account, demonstrating God's faithful preservation of a particular lineage through declining lifespans. It transitions the reader through time, leading directly to the pre-patriarchal period. While merely a record of procreation and age, its profound significance lies in its role as a necessary building block for the Abrahamic covenant, underscoring that God's plan unfolds progressively through specific generations and individuals chosen by Him. Without such verses, the verifiable historical links to Christ's ancestry would be absent, blurring the clarity of the fulfillment of God's promises through a distinct lineage.