ויהי כל הארץ שפה אחת ודברים אחדים׃
Gen 11:1 [Samaritan]
ויהי כל הארץ שפה אחת ודברים אחדים׃
Gen 11:1 [Masoretic]
וַֽיְהִי כָל־הָאָרֶץ שָׂפָה אֶחָת וּדְבָרִים אֲחָדִֽים׃
Gen 11:1 [Targum Onkelos]
וַהֲוַת כָּל אַרְעָא לִישָׁן חַד וּמַמְלַל חַד׃
Gen 11:1 [Peshitta]
ܘܗܘܬ ܟܠܗܿ ܐܪܥܐ܂ ܠܫܢܐ ܚܕ ܘܡܡܠܠܐ ܚܕ܂
Gen 11:1 [Septuagint]
Καὶ ἦν πᾶσα ἡ γῆ χεῖλος ἕν καὶ φωνὴ μία πᾶσιν
Gen 11:1 [Vulgate]
Erat autem terra labii unius et sermonum eorundem
וַֽיְהִ֥י כָל־הָאָ֖רֶץ שָׂפָ֣ה אֶחָ֑ת וּדְבָרִ֖ים אֲחָדִֽים׃
And the whole earth had one language and the same words.
Morphology
- וַֽיְהִ֥י (vayehi) – Root: היה (h-y-h); Form: Qal imperfect, third masculine singular with vav consecutive; Translation: “And it came to pass” / “And it was”; Notes: Introduces the narrative, indicating a state of being.
- כָל־ (kol-) – Root: כל (k-l); Form: Noun, singular masculine construct; Translation: “all of”; Notes: Refers to the entirety of the earth.
- הָאָ֖רֶץ (haʾāreṣ) – Root: ארץ (ʾ-r-ṣ); Form: Noun, singular feminine with definite article; Translation: “the earth”; Notes: Specifies the subject under discussion.
- שָׂפָ֣ה (śāfāh) – Root: שפה (ś-p-h); Form: Noun, singular feminine absolute; Translation: “language”; Notes: Refers to the spoken tongue shared by all people.
- אֶחָ֑ת (eḥāṯ) – Root: אחד (ʾ-ḥ-d); Form: Adjective, singular feminine; Translation: “one”; Notes: Agrees with the feminine noun “language.”
- וּדְבָרִ֖ים (ūḏəḇārīm) – Root: דבר (d-b-r); Form: Noun, plural masculine absolute; Translation: “words”; Notes: Refers to the shared expressions or terms.
- אֲחָדִֽים (ʾaḥādīm) – Root: אחד (ʾ-ḥ-d); Form: Adjective, plural masculine; Translation: “the same” / “unified”; Notes: Describes the uniformity of communication.