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interlinearVerse INT GEN EXO LEV NUM DEU JOS JDG RUTH 1SA 2SA 1KI 2KI 1CH 2CH EZRA NEH EST JOB PSA PRO ECC SNG ISA JER LAM EZE DAN HOS JOEL AMOS OBA YNA MIC NAH HAB ZEP HAG ZEC MAL YHN MARK MAT LUKE ACTs ROM 1COR 2COR GAL EPH PHP COL 1TH 2TH 1TIM 2TIM TIT PHM HEB YAC 1PET 2PET 1YHN 2YHN 3YHN YUD REV
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OET (OET-LV) On/upon/above/on_account_of//he/it_went_in yes/correct/thus/so someone_called his/its_name Babel DOM there he_confused Yahweh the_language of_all the_earth/land and_from_there he/it_scattered_them Yahweh over the_surface of_all the_earth/land.
OET (OET-RV) That’s why they named the city ‘Babel’ (meaning ‘mixed-up’) because it was there that Yahweh mixed up everyone’s language and then scattered them over the whole world.
קָרָ֤א שְׁמָהּ֙
he/it_called his/its=name
Frequently in the Hebrew text, this phrase has a general meaning and does not refer to someone specific. Alternate translation: “people named the city” or “the name of that city is” or “the city was named”
בָּבֶ֔ל
Babel
If you include the meaning of Babel here in your translation or in a footnote, be consistent with the way you translate confused later in this verse and in verse 7.
כִּי שָׁ֛ם & יְהוָ֖ה
that/for/because/then/when there & YHWH
Alternate translation: “because it was in that city that Yahweh”
בָּלַ֥ל
he/it_confused
Alternate translation: “scrambled”
שְׂפַ֣ת כָּל הָאָ֑רֶץ
language_of all/each/any/every the=earth/land
Alternate translation: “the language that everyone on the earth spoke”
וּמִשָּׁם֙ הֱפִיצָ֣ם יְהוָ֔ה
and=from=there he/it_scattered=them YHWH
Alternate translation: “and in that way Yahweh made them spread out from there”
עַל פְּנֵ֖י כָּל הָאָֽרֶץ
on/upon/above/on_account_of//he/it_went_in on/upon/above/on_account_of//he/it_went_in face/surface_of all/each/any/every the=earth/land
See how you translated this phrase in verses 4 and 8. Alternate translation: “over the surface of the entire earth.” or “all over the world.”
11:9 Babel: The Babylonians viewed their city as the residence or gateway of the gods. The pun that concludes this account accurately reveals Babylon’s spiritual confusion. Babylon achieved prominence under Nimrod (10:10) and in later biblical history (see 2 Kgs 25:1-30). Its role as an epicenter of arrogance and idolatry make it a fitting image for the anti-God forces associated with the end of time (e.g., Rev 14:8; 16:19; 18:2).
• The tower builders had centralized to ascend into God’s realm (Gen 11:3-4). God descended and scattered them all over the world to frustrate their idolatrous ambition.
OET (OET-LV) On/upon/above/on_account_of//he/it_went_in yes/correct/thus/so someone_called his/its_name Babel DOM there he_confused Yahweh the_language of_all the_earth/land and_from_there he/it_scattered_them Yahweh over the_surface of_all the_earth/land.
OET (OET-RV) That’s why they named the city ‘Babel’ (meaning ‘mixed-up’) because it was there that Yahweh mixed up everyone’s language and then scattered them over the whole world.
Note: The OET-RV is still only a first draft, and so far only a few words have been (mostly automatically) matched to the Greek words that they’re translated from.