ויאמרו הבה נבנה לנו עיר ומגדל וראשו בשמים ונעשה לנו שם פן נפוץ על פני כל הארץ׃
Gen 11:4 [Samaritan]
ויאמרו הבה נבנה לנו עיר ומגדל וראשו בשמים ונעשה לנו שם פן נפוץ על פני כל הארץ׃
Gen 11:4 [Masoretic]
וַיֹּאמְרוּ הָבָה ׀ נִבְנֶה־לָּנוּ עִיר וּמִגְדָּל וְרֹאשֹׁו בַשָּׁמַיִם וְנַֽעֲשֶׂה־לָּנוּ שֵׁם פֶּן־נָפוּץ עַל־פְּנֵי כָל־הָאָֽרֶץ׃
Gen 11:4 [Targum Onkelos]
וַאֲמַרוּ הָבוּ נִיבְנֵי לַנָא קַרְתָּא וּמַגְדְּלָא וְרֵישֵׁיהּ מָטֵי עַד צֵית שְׁמַיָא וְנַעַבֵּיד לָנָא שׁוּם דִּילְמָא נִתְבַּדַּר עַל אַפֵּי כָל אַרְעָא׃
Gen 11:4 [Peshitta]
ܘܐܡܪܘ܂ ܬܘ ܢܒܢܐ ܠܢ ܩܪܝܬܐ܂ ܘܡܓܕܠܐ ܕܪܫܗ ܒܫܡܝܐ܂ ܘܢܥܒܕ ܠܢ ܫܡܐ܂ ܕܠܡܐ ܢܬܒܕܪ ܥܠ ܐ̈ܦܝ ܟܠܗܿ ܐܪܥܐ.
Gen 11:4 [Septuagint]
καὶ εἶπαν δεῦτε οἰκοδομήσωμεν ἑαυτοῖς πόλιν καὶ πύργον οὗ ἡ κεφαλὴ ἔσται ἕως τοῦ οὐρανοῦ καὶ ποιήσωμεν ἑαυτοῖς ὄνομα πρὸ τοῦ διασπαρῆναι ἐπὶ προσώπου πάσης τῆς γῆς
Gen 11:4 [Vulgate]
et dixerunt venite faciamus nobis civitatem et turrem cuius culmen pertingat ad caelum et celebremus nomen nostrum antequam dividamur in universas terras
וַיֹּאמְר֞וּ הָ֣בָה נִבְנֶה־לָּ֣נוּ עִ֗יר וּמִגְדָּל֙ וְרֹאשֹׁ֣ו בַשָּׁמַ֔יִם וְנַֽעֲשֶׂה־לָּ֖נוּ שֵׁ֑ם פֶּן־נָפ֖וּץ עַל־פְּנֵ֥י כָל־הָאָֽרֶץ׃
And they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered over the face of all the earth.”
Morphology
- וַיֹּאמְר֞וּ (vayyoməru) – Root: אמר (ʾ-m-r); Form: Qal imperfect, third masculine plural with vav consecutive; Translation: “And they said”; Notes: Introduces direct speech.
- הָ֣בָה (hāḇāh) – Root: יהב (y-h-b); Form: Imperative, second masculine singular; Translation: “Come”; Notes: Expresses invitation or proposal.
- נִבְנֶה־לָּ֣נוּ (nibneh-lānū) – Root: בנה (b-n-h); Form: Nifal imperfect, first common plural with pronominal suffix; Translation: “let us build for ourselves”; Notes: Reflects collective intention.
- עִ֗יר (ʿîr) – Root: עיר (ʿ-y-r); Form: Noun, singular feminine absolute; Translation: “a city”; Notes: Refers to the structure to be built.
- וּמִגְדָּל֙ (umigdal) – Root: מגדל (m-g-d-l); Form: Noun, singular masculine absolute with prefixed ו־; Translation: “and a tower”; Notes: Adds a specific element to the construction.
- וְרֹאשֹׁ֣ו (wərošō) – Root: ראש (r-ʾ-š); Form: Noun, singular masculine construct with pronominal suffix third masculine singular; Translation: “and its top”; Notes: Indicates the peak of the tower.
- בַשָּׁמַ֔יִם (vaš-šāmayim) – Root: שמים (š-m-y-m); Form: Noun, plural masculine with prefixed ב־ and definite article; Translation: “in the heavens”; Notes: Refers to the intended height.
- וְנַֽעֲשֶׂה־לָּ֖נוּ (wənaʿăśeh-lānū) – Root: עשה (ʿ-s-h); Form: Qal imperfect, first common plural with pronominal suffix; Translation: “and let us make for ourselves”; Notes: Indicates a purpose or goal.
- שֵׁ֑ם (šēm) – Root: שם (š-m); Form: Noun, singular masculine absolute; Translation: “a name”; Notes: Represents reputation or identity.
- פֶּן־נָפ֖וּץ (pen-nāpūṣ) – Root: נפץ (n-p-ṣ); Form: Qal imperfect, first common plural; Translation: “lest we be scattered”; Notes: Expresses fear of dispersion.
- עַל־פְּנֵ֥י (ʿal-pənê) – Root: פני (p-n-y); Form: Preposition עַל with noun plural construct; Translation: “over the face of”; Notes: Indicates extent or location.
- כָל־הָאָֽרֶץ׃ (kol-hāʾāreṣ) – Root: ארץ (ʾ-r-ṣ); Form: Noun, singular feminine absolute with prefixed כל־; Translation: “all the earth”; Notes: Refers to the entire land.