13. And the sons of Canaan Terah, and Terah was thirty-eight were Zidon, Heth, Amori, Gergashi, years old, and he begat Haran and Hivi, Arkee, Seni, Arodi, Zimodi Nahor. and Chamothi. 14. These are the sons of Ham, according to their families, and their numbers in those days were about seven hundred and thirty men. 15. And these are the sons of Shem; Elam, Ashur, Arpachshad, Lud and Aram, five sons; and the sons of Elam were Shushan, Machul and Harmon. 23. And Cush the son of Ham, the son of Noah, took a wife in those days, in his old age, and she bare a son, and they called his name Nimrod, saying, at that time the sons of men again began to rebel and transgress against God, and the child grew up, and his father loved him exceedingly, for he was the son of his old age. 16. And the sons of Ashar were 24. And the garments of skin Mirus and Mokil, and the sons of which God made for Adam and his Arpachshad were Shelach, Anar wife, when they went out of the and Ashcol. garden, were given to Cush. 17. And the sons of Lud were Pethor and Bizayon, and the sons of Aram were Uz, Chul, Gather and Mash. 18. These are the sons of Ham, according to their families; and their numbers in those days were about three hundred men. 25. For after the death of Adam and his wife, the garments were given to Enoch, the son of Jered, and when Enoch was taken up to God, he gave them to Methuselah, his son. 26. And at the death of Methuselah, Noah took them and brought them to the ark, and they were with him until he went out of the ark. 27. And in their going out, Ham stole those garments from Noah his father, and he took them and hid 19. These are the generations of Shem; Shem begat Arpachshad and Arpachshad begat Shelach, and Shelach begat Eber and to Eber were born two children, the name of them from his brothers. one was Peleg, for in his days the 28. And when Ham begat his sons of men were divided, and in the latter days, the earth was divided. first born Cush, he gave him the garments in secret, and they were with Cush many days., 20. And the name of the second 29. And Cush also concealed them was Yoktan, meaning that in his from his sons and brothers, and when day the lives of the sons of men Cush had begotten Nimrod, he were diminished and lessened. gave him those garments through 21. These are the sons of Yok- his love for him, and Nimrod grew tan; Almodad, Shelaf, Chazarmov- up, and when he was twenty years eth, Yerach, Hadurom, Ozel, Diklah, old he put on those garments. Obal, Abimael, Sheba, Ophir, Hav- 30. And Nimrod became strong ilah and Jobab; all these are the when he put on the garments, and sons of Yoktan. God gave him might and strength, 22. And Peleg his brother begat and he was a mighty hunter in the Yen, and Yen begat Serug, and Se-earth, yea, he was a mighty hunter rug begat Nahor, and Nahor begat in the field, and he hunted the ani mals and he built altars, and he of- fought against their enemies, and fered upon them the animals before they destroyed them, and subdued the Lord. them, and Nimrod placed standing officers over them in their respective. 31. And Nimrod strengthened himself, and he rose up from amongst places. his brethren, and he fought the bat- 38. And he took some of their tles of his brethren against all their children as security, and they were enemies round about. all servants to Nimrod and to his 32. And the Lord delivered all brethren, and Nimrod and all the the enemies of his brethren in his people that were with him turned hands, and God prospered him from homeward. time to time in his battles, and he reigned upon earth. 39. And when Nimrod had joyfully returned from battle, after having conquered his enemies, all his brethren, together with those who knew him before, assembled to make him king over them, and they placed the regal crown upon his head. 33. Therefore it became current in those days, when a man ushered forth those that he had trained up for battle, he would say to them, like God did to Nimrod, who was a mighty hunter in the earth, and who 40. And he set over his subjects succeeded in the battles that prevail- and people, princes, judges and ed against his brethren, that he de- rulers, as is the custom amongst livered them from the hands of their kings. enemies, so may God strengthen us and deliver us this day. 41. And he placed Terah the son of Nahor the prince of his host, and he dignified him and elevated him above all his princes. 42. And whilst he was reigning according to his heart's desire, after having conquered all his enemies around, he advised with his counsellors to build a city for his palace, and they did so. 34. And when Nimrod was forty years old, at that time there was a war between his brethren and the children of Japheth, so that they were in the power of their enemies. 35. And Nimrod went forth at that time, and he assembled all the sons of Cush and their families, about four hundred and sixty men, 43. And they found a large valley and he hired also from some of his opposite to the east, and they built friends and acquaintances about him a large and extensive city, and eighty men, and he gave them their Nimrod called the name of the city hire, and he went with them to bat- that he built Shinar, for the Lord tle, and when he was on the road, had vehemently shaken his enemies Nimrod strengthened the hearts of and destroyed them. the people that went with him. 44. And Nimrod dwelt in Shinar, 36. And he said to them, do not and he reigned securely, and he fear, neither be alarmed, for all our fought with his enemies and he subenemies will be delivered into our dued them, and he prospered in all hands, and you may do with them his battles, and his kingdom became as you please. very great. 37. And all the men that went 45. And all nations and tongues were about five hundred, and they heard of his fame, and they gathered themselves to him, and they bowed and stone, and he bowed down to down to the earth, and they brought them, and he rebelled against the him offerings, and he became their Lord, and taught all his subjects and lord and king, and they all dwelt the people of the earth his wicked with him in the city of Shinar, and ways; and Mardon his son was more Nimrod reigned in the earth over all wicked than his father. the sons of Noah, and they were all under his power and counsel. 48. And every one that heard of the acts of Mardon the son of Nimrod 46. And all the earth was of one would say, concerning him, from the tongue and words of union, but Nim- wicked goeth forth wickedness; rod did not go in the ways of the therefore it became a proverb in the Lord, and he was more wicked than whole earth, saying, from the wickall the men that were before him, from ed goeth forth wickedness, and it the days of the flood until those days. was current in the words of men 47. And he made Gods of wood from that time to this. * According to Jasher, (and, I believe, Dr. Clarke gives the same opinion of some Christian commentators,) an inference can be drawn that there was a partial separation of mankind long before the affair at Babel, as the confusion of languages did not take place till about 340 years after the flood, being the end of Peleg's life, or the 48th year of the life of Abraham; and having shown that the date of Abraham's birth should be A. M. 1948 instead of 2008, it will follow that the confusion of Babel took place A. M. 1996. I have no doubt that a separation took place before then, until they were reunited under the dominion of Nimrod. Owing to this separation, and their numerous increase, their having no regular form of government, and particularly their petty wars among each other, their first language would branch out into many variations, but still near enough to the original to be understood by each other, and sufficiently altered to be called different tongues; and as a number of families might, by co-operating together, be called a petty nation, so would some alteration in their speech, or tongue, be sufficient to distinguish them. Jasher tells us, that when Nimrod was 40 years old, there was war between his brethren and the children of Japheth; (see verse 34;) and that they were under the power of their enemies; that with a few people, (of the children of Cush only,) he made war, and subdued them; and that they all came to dwell with him in Shinar. I have frequently had to remark that the word all must not in the Hebrew be taken in that latitude, as it would in the modern languages. When a united number is intended to be expressed, the word all is used as in verse 35, when "Nimrod assembled all the sons of Cush, and their families, about four hundred and sixty men," by this is meant that all those assembled of the families of Cush were four hundred and sixty men. Sufficient examples will be found in Jasher as well as in scripture, where must be understood in this sense. I therefore understand in this verse, not that all mankind came to live in Shinar, but that all those that did come, resided in Shínar. And if, owing to their former separation into petty nations, they must have adopted various dialects sufficient to distinguish them, as Jasher tells us that "all nations and tongues heard his fame," so when they were reunited, and become under one government, not from choice, but from compulsion, then they became again of one lip and words of union; for thus would I translate on 0771, commonly translated, and one speech, which is the literal translation, meaning that after their cessation from war and petty broils, they again spoke in one lip and words of union, in opposi tion to separate dialects and words of strife. This inference of a former separation will explain that part of the speech of the builders of Babel, "we will build a tower, &c., &c., lest we be scattered upon the face of the earth," alluding to their former dissensions, by which means they had originally separated, and become scattered, but wishing to unite in idolatry, and raise an amazing tower, they hoped it would be the means of uniting the whole race of mankind under their impious standard. It seems that the families of Cush, Mitzraim, Phut and Canaan were the chief instigators to this impious act, and that out of all the families then existing, not of Ham only, but the impious of all the families that assembled to the task, were 600,000 men; and they chose a valley at two days' distance from Shinar, say twenty miles. I have no doubt the numbers of the human race were very considerable at that time, as it was 340 years after the flood, and there was plenty of time for the propagation of men to three or four millions of inhabitants. 3. And all the wise men of the 49. And Terah the son of Nahor, prince of Nimrod's host, was in those king and his conjurors were astondays very great in the sight of the ished at the sight, and the sages unking and his subjects, and the king derstood this matter, and they knew and princes loved him, and they ele- its import. vated him very high. 50. And Terah* took a wife, and her name was Amthelo the daughter of Cornebo; and the wife of Terah conceived and bare him a son in those days. 51. Terah was seventy years old when he begat him, and Terah called the name of his son that was born to himt Abram, because the king had raised him in those days, and dignified him above all his princes that were with him. CHAPTER VIII. 1. And it was in the night that Abram was born, that all the servants of Terah, and all the wise men of Nimrod, and his conjurors came and ate and drank in the house of Terah, and they rejoiced with him on that night. 2. And when all the wise men and conjurors went out from the house of Terah, they lifted up their eyes toward heaven that night to look at the stars, and they saw, and behold one very large star came from the east and ran in the heavens, and he swallowed up the four stars from the four sides of the heavens. 4. And they said to each other, this only betokens the child that has been born to Terah this night, who will grow up and be fruitful, and multiply, and possess all the earth, he and his children for ever, and he and his seed will slay great kings, and inherit their lands. 5. And the wise men and conjurors went home that night, and in the morning all these wise men and conjurors rose up early, and assembled in an appointed house. 6. And they spoke and said to each other, behold the sight that we saw last night is hidden from the king, it has not been made known to him. 7. And should this thing get known to the king in the latter days, he will say to us, why have you concealed this matter from me, and then we shall all suffer death; therefore, now let us go and tell the king the sight which we saw, and the interpretation thereof, and we shall then remain clear. 8. And they did so, and they all went to the king and bowed down to him to the ground, and they said, may the king live, may the king live. 9. We heard that a son was born to Terah the son of Nahor, the prince of thy host, and we yesternight came to his house, and we ate and drank bare Abram, different from her who bare Haran and rejoiced with him that night. *By this it seems he had another wife who and Nahor. See verse 22. to From this it seems that Abram was 10. And when thy servants went out from the house of Terah, to go called so, not because he was a mighty father, to our respective homes to abide but because Terah was a mighty father in the there for the night, we lifted court of Nimrod, and therefore God changed eyes to heaven, and we saw a great his name to Abraham, appropriating to him in a much more extensive sense, the meaning star coming from the east, and the which Terah applied to himself. same star ran with great speed, and up our swallowed up four great stars, from the king will give his servant, and the four sides of the heavens. then I will answer the king upon what he has just spoken; and the king said, speak. 11. And thy servants were astonished at the sight which we saw, and were greatly terrified, and we 19. And Terah said to the king, 20. Give unto me the great and made our judgment upon the sight, Ayon, son of Mored, came to me and knew by our wisdom the proper yesternight, saying, interpretation thereof, that this thing applies to the child that is born to beautiful horse that the king gave thee, Terah, who will grow up and multi- and I will give thee silver and gold, ply greatly, and become powerful, and straw and provender for its value; and kill all the kings of the earth, and I said to him, wait till I see the king and inherit all their lands, he and his concerning thy words, and behold seed forever. whatever the king 'saith, that will I do. 12. And now our lord and king, behold we have truly acquainted thee with what we have seen concerning this child. 13. If it seemeth good to the king to give his father value for this child, we will slay him before he shall grow up and increase in the land, and his evil increase against us, that we and our children perish through his evil. 14. And the king heard their words and they seemed good in his sight, and he sent and called for Terah, and Terah came before the king. 15. And the king said to Terah, I have been told that a son was yesternight born to thee, and after this manner was observed in the heavens at his birth. 16. And now therefore give me the child, that we may slay him before his evil springs up against us, and I will give thee for his value, thy house full of silver and gold. 17. And Terah answered the king and said to him; my Lord and king, I have heard thy words, and thy servant shall do all that his king desireth. 21. And now my lord and king, behold I have made this thing known to thee, and the advice which my king will give unto his servant, that will I follow. 22. And the king heard the words of Terah, and his anger was kindled and he considered him in the light of a fool. 23. And the king answered Terah, and he said to him, art thou so silly, ignorant, or deficient in understanding, to do this thing, to give thy beautiful horse for silver and gold or even for straw and provender? 24. Art thou so short of silver and gold, that thou shouldest do this thing, because thou canst not obtain straw and provender to feed thy horse? and what is silver and gold to thee, or straw and provender, that thou shouldst give away that fine horse which I gave thee, like which there is none to be had on the whole earth? 25. And the king left off speaking, and Terah answered the king, saying, like unto this has the king spoken to his servant; 26. I beseech thee, my lord and 18. But my lord and king, I will king, what is this which thou didst tell thee what happened to me yes- say unto me, saying, give thy son ternight, that I may see what advice that we may slay him, and I will |