Back to Genesis 11

Genesis 11:26-32

Terah lived seventy years, and became the father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran.

Now this is the history of the generations of Terah. Terah became the father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran. Haran became the father of Lot. Haran died in the land of his birth, in Ur of the Chaldees, while his father Terah was still alive. Abram and Nahor married wives. The name of Abram’s wife was Sarai, and the name of Nahor’s wife was Milcah, the daughter of Haran, who was also the father of Iscah. Sarai was barren. She had no child. Terah took Abram his son, Lot the son of Haran, his son’s son, and Sarai his daughter-in-law, his son Abram’s wife. They went from Ur of the Chaldees, to go into the land of Canaan. They came to Haran and lived there. The days of Terah were two hundred five years. Terah died in Haran.

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Parallel Translations

  • WEB World English Bible

    Terah lived seventy years, and became the father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran.

    Now this is the history of the generations of Terah. Terah became the father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran. Haran became the father of Lot.

    Haran died in the land of his birth, in Ur of the Chaldees, while his father Terah was still alive.

    Abram and Nahor married wives. The name of Abram’s wife was Sarai, and the name of Nahor’s wife was Milcah, the daughter of Haran, who was also the father of Iscah.

    Sarai was barren. She had no child.

    Terah took Abram his son, Lot the son of Haran, his son’s son, and Sarai his daughter-in-law, his son Abram’s wife. They went from Ur of the Chaldees, to go into the land of Canaan. They came to Haran and lived there.

    The days of Terah were two hundred five years. Terah died in Haran.

  • KJV King James Version

    And Terah lived seventy years, and begat Abram, Nahor, and Haran.

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

    And Haran died before his father Terah in the land of his nativity, in Ur of the Chaldees.

    And Abram and Nahor took them wives: the name of Abram’s wife was Sarai; and the name of Nahor’s wife, Milcah, the daughter of Haran, the father of Milcah, and the father of Iscah.

    But Sarai was barren; she had no child.

    And Terah took Abram his son, and Lot the son of Haran his son’s son, and Sarai his daughter in law, his son Abram’s wife; and they went forth with them from Ur of the Chaldees, to go into the land of Canaan; and they came unto Haran, and dwelt there.

    And the days of Terah were two hundred and five years: and Terah died in Haran.

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  • JPS JPS Tanakh (1917)

    And Terah lived seventy years, and begot Abram, Nahor, and Haran.

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

    And Haran died in the presence of his father Terah in the land of his nativity, in Ur of the Chaldees.

    And Abram and Nahor took them wives: the name of Abram's wife was Sarai; and the name of Nahor's wife, Milcah, the daughter of Haran, the father of Milcah, and the father of Iscah.

    And Sarai was barren; she had no child.

    And Terah took Abram his son, and Lot the son of Haran, his son's son, and Sarai his daughter-in-law, his son Abram's wife; and they went forth with them from Ur of the Chaldees, to go into the land of Canaan; and they came unto Haran, and dwelt there.

    And the days of Terah were two hundred and five years; and Terah died in Haran.

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Examined in Scripture Analysis

Science (1)

Historical claims about the natural world, weighed against the scientific record.

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Contradictions (5)

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Cross-references (44)

  • Nehemiah 9:7 (vv28, 31) You are Yahweh, the God who chose Abram, brought him out of Ur of the Chaldees, gave him the name of Abraham,
  • Acts 7:2-4 (vv28, 31) He said, “Brothers and fathers, listen. The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he lived in…
  • Genesis 12:4 (vv27, 31) So Abram went, as Yahweh had told him. Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran.
  • Genesis 15:7 (vv28, 31) He said to Abram, “I am Yahweh who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldees, to give you this land to inherit it.”
  • Genesis 24:10 (v31) The servant took ten of his master’s camels, and departed, having a variety of good things of his master’s with him. He arose, and went to…
Show all 37 cross-references
  • Joshua 24:2-3 (v31) Joshua said to all the people, “Yahweh, the God of Israel, says, ‘Your fathers lived of old time beyond the River, even Terah, the father…
  • Genesis 11:32–12:1 (v31) The days of Terah were two hundred five years. Terah died in Haran. Now Yahweh said to Abram, “Leave your country, and your relatives, and…
  • Genesis 17:15 (v29) God said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but her name will be Sarah.
  • Genesis 22:20 (v29) After these things, Abraham was told, “Behold, Milcah, she also has borne children to your brother Nahor:
  • Joshua 24:2 (v26) Joshua said to all the people, “Yahweh, the God of Israel, says, ‘Your fathers lived of old time beyond the River, even Terah, the father…
  • Genesis 11:31 (vv27–28) Terah took Abram his son, Lot the son of Haran, his son’s son, and Sarai his daughter-in-law, his son Abram’s wife. They went from Ur of…
  • Genesis 10:19 (v31) The border of the Canaanites was from Sidon—as you go toward Gerar—to Gaza—as you go toward Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim—to Lasha.
  • Genesis 14:12 (v27) They took Lot, Abram’s brother’s son, who lived in Sodom, and his goods, and departed.
  • Genesis 27:43 (v31) Now therefore, my son, obey my voice. Arise, flee to Laban, my brother, in Haran.
  • Genesis 24:15 (vv29, 31) Before he had finished speaking, behold, Rebekah came out, who was born to Bethuel the son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham’s brother,…
  • Genesis 11:26-28 (v31) Terah lived seventy years, and became the father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran. Now this is the history of the generations of Terah. Terah…
  • Genesis 12:4-5 (v26) So Abram went, as Yahweh had told him. Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. Abram took Sarai…
  • Genesis 20:12 (v29) Besides, she is indeed my sister, the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother; and she became my wife.
  • 1 Chronicles 1:26-27 (v26) Serug, Nahor, Terah, Abram (also called Abraham).
  • Hebrews 11:8 (v31) By faith, Abraham, when he was called, obeyed to go out to the place which he was to receive for an inheritance. He went out, not knowing…
  • 2 Peter 2:7 (v27) and delivered righteous Lot, who was very distressed by the lustful life of the wicked
  • Genesis 29:4-5 (vv26, 31) Jacob said to them, “My relatives, where are you from?” They said, “We are from Haran.” He said to them, “Do you know Laban, the son of…
  • Genesis 13:1-11 (v27) Abram went up out of Egypt—he, his wife, all that he had, and Lot with him—into the South. Abram was very rich in livestock, in silver, and…
  • Genesis 15:2-3 (v30) Abram said, “Lord Yahweh, what will you give me, since I go childless, and he who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?” Abram…
  • Genesis 16:1-2 (v30) Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, bore him no children. She had a servant, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar. Sarai said to Abram, “See now, Yahweh…
  • Genesis 18:11-12 (v30) Now Abraham and Sarah were old, well advanced in age. Sarah had passed the age of childbearing. Sarah laughed within herself, saying,…
  • Genesis 19:1-29 (v27) The two angels came to Sodom at evening. Lot sat in the gate of Sodom. Lot saw them, and rose up to meet them. He bowed himself with his…
  • Genesis 21:1-2 (v30) Yahweh visited Sarah as he had said, and Yahweh did to Sarah as he had spoken. Sarah conceived, and bore Abraham a son in his old age, at…
  • Genesis 22:20-24 (v26) After these things, Abraham was told, “Behold, Milcah, she also has borne children to your brother Nahor: Uz his firstborn, Buz his…
  • Genesis 25:21 (v30) Isaac entreated Yahweh for his wife, because she was barren. Yahweh was entreated by him, and Rebekah his wife conceived.
  • Genesis 29:31 (v30) Yahweh saw that Leah was hated, and he opened her womb, but Rachel was barren.
  • Genesis 30:1-2 (v30) When Rachel saw that she bore Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister. She said to Jacob, “Give me children, or else I will die.”…
  • Judges 13:2 (v30) There was a certain man of Zorah, of the family of the Danites, whose name was Manoah; and his wife was barren, and childless.
  • 1 Samuel 1:2 (v30) He had two wives. The name of one was Hannah, and the name of the other Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children.
  • Psalms 113:9 (v30) He settles the barren woman in her home as a joyful mother of children. Praise Yah!
  • Luke 1:7 (v30) But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they both were well advanced in years.
  • Luke 1:36 (v30) Behold, Elizabeth your relative also has conceived a son in her old age; and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren.

37 distinct cross-references across this passage (44 total citations).

Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)

Explain this passage (23 sources)

Historical commentary, presented as a primary source — not an endorsement.

John Calvin 1540 · Public Domain On vv27, 28, 30, 31 27. Terah begat Abram. Here also Abram is placed…

27. Terah begat Abram. Here also Abram is placed first among his brethren, not (as I suppose) because he was the firstborn; but because Moses, intent on the scope of his history, was not very careful in the arrangement of the sons of Terah. It is also possible that he had other sons. For, the reason why Moses speaks especially of them is obvious; namely, on account of Lot, and of the wives of Isaac and Jacob. I will now briefly state why I think Abram was not the first born. Moses shortly afterwards says, that Haran died in his own country, before his father left Chaldea, and went to Charran. But Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Charran to dwell in the land of Canaan. And this number of seventy-five years is expressly given after the death of Terah. Now, if we suppose that Abram was born in his father’s seventieth year, we must also allow that we have lost sixty years of Terah’s age; which is most absurd. The conjecture of Luther, that God buried that time in oblivion, in order to hide from us the end of the world, in the first place is frivolous, and in the next, may be refuted by solid and convincing arguments. Others violently wrest the words to apply them to a former egress; and think that he lived together with his father at Charran for sixty years; which is most improbable. For to what end should they have protracted their stay so long in the midst of their journey? But there is no need of labourious discussion. Moses is silent respecting the age of Abraham when he left his own country; but says, that in the seventy-fifth year of his age, he came into the land of Canaan, when his father, having reached the two hundredth and fifth year of his life, had died. Who will not hence infer that he was born when his father had attained his one hundredth and thirtieth year? But he is named first among those sons whom Terah is said to have begotten, when he himself was seventy years old. I grant it; but this order of recital does nothing towards proving the order of birth, as we have already said. Nor, indeed, does Moses declare in what year of his life Terah begat sons; but only that he had passed the above age before he begat the three sons here mentioned. Therefore, the age of Abraham is to be ascertained by another mode of computation, namely, from the fact that Moses assigns to him the age of seventy-five when his father died, whose life had reached to two hundred and five years. A firm and valid argument is also deduced from the age of Sarai. It appears that she was not more than ten years younger than Abraham. If she was the daughter of his younger brother, she would necessarily have equalled her own father in age. They who raise an objection, to the effect that she was the daughter-in-law, or only the adopted daughter of Nahor, produce nothing beyond a sheer cavil.

John Calvin's Commentaries (1540-1563) — public domain. Text from the Calvin Translation Society English edition (1840s-50s) via the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (ccel.org). Calvin's coverage is partial (roughly two-thirds of the Bible); uncommented books and verses are honest gaps, never fabricated. The 19th-century editor's footnotes and remarks are omitted so the notes are faithfully Calvin's own voice.

Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain On vv27, 28, 29, 31 He maketh mention first of Abram, not because he…
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain On vv27–32 Gen 11:27 Now these [are] the generations of Terah:…
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain On vv26, 28, 29, 30, 31 i.e. Began to beget, as Gen 5:32.
Matthew Henry 1710 · Public Domain On v27 Here begins the story of Abram, whose name is…
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain On v26 And the days of Terah were two hundred years,....…
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain On v27 Here begins the story of Abram. We have here,
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain On vv26, 29, 31, 32 Verse 26. And Terah lived seventy years, and begat…
Joseph Benson 1811 · Public Domain On v27 Gen 11:27. Here begins the story of Abram. We…
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain On v27 - Section X - Abraham
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary 1859 · Public Domain On vv27, 29 Abram, the youngest of the three, being born only…
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown 1871 · Public Domain On vv28, 31 Ur--now Orfa; that is, "light," or "fire." Its name…
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain On vv27, 28, 29, 31, 32 Generations of Terah,
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain On vv26, 27, 28, 29, 31, 32 26. seventy years] The birth of Terah’s firstborn is…
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain On vv27, 28, 29, 31, 32 (27) Now these are the generations.—This tôldôth, which extends…
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain On vv26–32 And Terah lived seventy years, and begat Abram. First…
The Biblical Illustrator 1887 · Public Domain On v27 Now these are the generations of Terah: Terah begat…
The Expositor's Bible 1887 · Public Domain On v27 Gen_11:27-32; Gen_12:1-5
The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary 1892 · Public Domain On v27 Gen_11:28. Ur of the Chaldees] “Ur in Heb. means…
C. I. Scofield 1917 · Public Domain On v31 Terah The name means delay.
Paul E. Kretzmann 1924 · Public Domain On v27 The Generations of Terah
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On vv27, 29, 31 Now these were the descendants of Terah
Tyndale Open Study Notes 2022 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On vv27–31 11:27–25:11 This is the account (Hebrew toledoth; see study…
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