Genesis 11:24

King James Version:

(The Lord speaking is red text)

And Nahor lived nine and twenty years, and begat Terah:

Complete Jewish Bible:

Nachor lived twenty-nine years and fathered Terach.

Berean Standard Bible:

When Nahor was 29 years old, he became the father of Terah.

American Standard Version:

And Nahor lived nine and twenty years, and begat Terah:

KJV with Strong’s Numbers:

And Nahor{H5152} lived{H2421} nine{H8672} and twenty{H6242} years{H8141}, and begat{H3205} Terah{H8646}:

Cross-References (KJV):

Luke 3:34

  • Which was [the son] of Jacob, which was [the son] of Isaac, which was [the son] of Abraham, which was [the son] of Thara, which was [the son] of Nachor,

Joshua 24:2

  • And Joshua said unto all the people, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Your fathers dwelt on the other side of the flood in old time, [even] Terah, the father of Abraham, and the father of Nachor: and they served other gods.

Explore This Verse Across Other Resources:


Commentary for Genesis 11:24

Genesis 11:24 is a part of the genealogy section in the Book of Genesis, which traces the descendants of Shem, one of Noah's sons, after the Flood. The verse specifically mentions Nahor, who is an ancestor of Abraham, a key patriarch in the Jewish, Christian, and Islamic traditions.

**Themes:**
1. **Divine Blessing of Fertility:** The mention of Nahor's age when he became a father reflects the recurring theme in Genesis of God's blessing of fertility to the patriarchs, ensuring the continuation of their lineage.
2. **Historical Continuity:** The verse provides a link in the genealogical chain from Shem to Abraham, emphasizing the continuity of God's covenantal promises through the generations.
3. **Human Longevity:** The ages of the patriarchs at the birth of their children are notably higher than typical human lifespans today, which reflects the ancient belief in the greater longevity of early human beings.

**Historical Context:**
- **Post-Diluvian Period:** This verse is set in the period after the Great Flood, as humanity begins to repopulate the earth.
- **Tower of Babel:** The genealogy is situated shortly before the Tower of Babel incident (Genesis 11:1-9), which describes the dispersion of peoples and the confusion of languages as a result of human pride and ambition.
- **Transition to Abraham:** This genealogy leads directly to the story of Abraham, who is called by God to leave his home and journey to a new land, where God promises to make of him a great nation (Genesis 12:1-3).

In summary, Genesis 11:24 is a bridge in the biblical narrative, connecting the post-Flood world with the upcoming pivotal stories of Abraham, through whom God would establish a covenant that would shape the religious and historical landscape of the ancient Near East and beyond.

*This commentary is produced by Microsoft/WizardLM-2-8x22B AI model

Strong's Numbers and Definitions:

Note: H = Hebrew (OT), G = Greek (NT)

  1. Strong's Number: H5152
    There are 17 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: נָחוֹר
    Transliteration: Nâchôwr
    Pronunciation: naw-khore'
    Description: from the same as נַחַר; snorer; Nochor, the name of the grandfather and a brother of Abraham; Nahor.
  2. Strong's Number: H2421
    There are 235 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: חָיָה
    Transliteration: châyâh
    Pronunciation: khaw-yaw'
    Description: a primitive root (compare חָוָה, חָיָה); to live, whether literally or figuratively; causatively, to revive; keep (leave, make) alive, [idiom] certainly, give (promise) life, (let, suffer to) live, nourish up, preserve (alive), quicken, recover, repair, restore (to life), revive, ([idiom] God) save (alive, life, lives), [idiom] surely, be whole.
  3. Strong's Number: H8672
    There are 57 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: תֵּשַׁע
    Transliteration: têshaʻ
    Pronunciation: tay'-shah
    Description: or (masculine) תִּשְׁעָה; perhaps from שָׁעָה through the idea of a turn to the next or full number ten; nine or (ordinal) ninth; nine ([phrase] -teen, [phrase] -teenth, -th).
  4. Strong's Number: H6242
    There are 281 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: עֶשְׂרִים
    Transliteration: ʻesrîym
    Pronunciation: es-reem'
    Description: from עֶשֶׂר; twenty; also (ordinal) twentieth; (six-) score, twenty(-ieth).
  5. Strong's Number: H8141
    There are 647 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: שָׁנֶה
    Transliteration: shâneh
    Pronunciation: shaw-neh'
    Description: (in plural or (feminine) שָׁנָה; from שָׁנָה; a year (as a revolution of time); [phrase] whole age, [idiom] long, [phrase] old, year([idiom] -ly).
  6. Strong's Number: H3205
    There are 403 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: יָלַד
    Transliteration: yâlad
    Pronunciation: yaw-lad'
    Description: a primitive root; to bear young; causatively, to beget; medically, to act as midwife; specifically, to show lineage; bear, beget, birth(-day), born, (make to) bring forth (children, young), bring up, calve, child, come, be delivered (of a child), time of delivery, gender, hatch, labour, (do the office of a) midwife, declare pedigrees, be the son of, (woman in, woman that) travail(-eth, -ing woman).
  7. Strong's Number: H8646
    There are 11 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: תֶּרַח
    Transliteration: Terach
    Pronunciation: teh'-rakh
    Description: of uncertain derivation; Terach, the father of Abraham; also a place in the Desert; Tarah, Terah.