The Meaning of Genesis 11:31 Explained

Genesis 11:31

KJV: 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.

YLT: And Terah taketh Abram his son, and Lot, son of Haran, his son's son, and Sarai his daughter-in-law, wife of Abram his son, and they go out with them from Ur of the Chaldees, to go towards the land of Canaan; and they come unto Charan, and dwell there.

Darby: 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 together out of Ur of the Chaldeans, to go into the land of Canaan, and came as far as Haran, and dwelt there.

ASV: 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.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does Genesis 11:31 Mean?

Context Summary

Genesis 11:10-32 - The Generations Until Abram
The inwardness of the movement of Terah's clan from Ur is given in Acts 7:3. Apparently his father was unwilling for Abram to go alone on his far-pilgrimage, and so the whole family moved along the valley of the Euphrates to the famous ford of Haran. There was no other practicable way by which travelers could strike the route for Canaan. But Terah never advanced beyond that point; and it was only when his father was dead that Abram resumed his march. See Acts 7:4. Let us beware lest the ties of human affection withhold us from entire obedience to the call of God. The word Hebrew means "one who has crossed over." It was especially applicable to Abraham. See Genesis 14:13. It may be that you are living on the world's side of the Cross. Come over, though you should have to break dear associations. Be one who has passed through death to resurrection. See Colossians 3:1-4. [source]

Chapter Summary: Genesis 11

1  One language in the world
2  The building of Babel
5  It is interrupted by the confusion of tongues, and the builders dispersed
10  The generations of Shem
27  The generations of Terah, the father of Abram
31  Terah, with Abram and Lot, move from Ur to Haran

What do the individual words in Genesis 11:31 mean?

And took Terah - Abram his son and Lot the son of Haran grandson his and Sarai his daughter-in-law the wife of Abram his son and they went out with them from Ur of the Chaldeans to go to the land of Canaan and they came to Haran and dwelt there
וַיִּקַּ֨ח תֶּ֜רַח אֶת־ אַבְרָ֣ם בְּנ֗וֹ וְאֶת־ ל֤וֹט בֶּן־ הָרָן֙ בֶּן־ בְּנ֔וֹ וְאֵת֙ שָׂרַ֣י כַּלָּת֔וֹ אֵ֖שֶׁת אַבְרָ֣ם בְּנ֑וֹ וַיֵּצְא֨וּ אִתָּ֜ם מֵא֣וּר כַּשְׂדִּ֗ים לָלֶ֙כֶת֙ אַ֣רְצָה כְּנַ֔עַן וַיָּבֹ֥אוּ עַד־ חָרָ֖ן וַיֵּ֥שְׁבוּ שָֽׁם

וַיִּקַּ֨ח  And  took 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יָקַח 
Sense: to take, get, fetch, lay hold of, seize, receive, acquire, buy, bring, marry, take a wife, snatch, take away.
תֶּ֜רַח  Terah 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: תֶּרַח 
Sense: the father of Abraham Tarah = “delay”.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
אַבְרָ֣ם  Abram 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אַבְרָם  
Sense: original name of Abraham.
בְּנ֗וֹ  his  son 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
ל֤וֹט  Lot 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: לֹוט  
Sense: son of Haran and Abraham’s nephew who settled in Sodom and was delivered from its destruction by God.
בֶּן־  the  son 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
הָרָן֙  of  Haran 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: הָרָן  
Sense: youngest son of Terah, brother of Abraham, father of Lot, Milcah, and Iscah; born and died in Ur of the Chaldees.
בֶּן־  grandson 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
בְּנ֔וֹ  his 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
שָׂרַ֣י  Sarai 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: שָׂרַי  
Sense: original name of Sarah the wife of Abram or Abraham.
כַּלָּת֔וֹ  his  daughter-in-law 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: כַּלָּה  
Sense: bride, daughter-in-law.
אֵ֖שֶׁת  the  wife 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: אִשָּׁה  
Sense: woman, wife, female.
אַבְרָ֣ם  of  Abram 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אַבְרָם  
Sense: original name of Abraham.
בְּנ֑וֹ  his  son 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
וַיֵּצְא֨וּ  and  they  went  out 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: יׄוצֵאת 
Sense: to go out, come out, exit, go forth.
אִתָּ֜ם  with  them 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine plural
Root: אֵת 
Sense: with, near, together with.
מֵא֣וּר  from  Ur 
Parse: Preposition-m, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: אוּר 
Sense: city in southern Babylonia, city of the Chaldeans, centre of moon worship, home of Abraham’s father, Terah, and departure point for the Abraham’s migration to Mesopotamia and Canaan.
כַּשְׂדִּ֗ים  of  the  Chaldeans 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine plural
Root: כַּשְׂדִּים  
Sense: a territory in lower Mesopotamia bordering on the Persian Gulf.
לָלֶ֙כֶת֙  to  go 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: הָלַךְ  
Sense: to go, walk, come.
אַ֣רְצָה  to  the  land 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular, third person feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
כְּנַ֔עַן  of  Canaan 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: כְּנַעַן 
Sense: the 4th son of Ham and the progenitor of the Phoenicians and of the various nations who peopled the seacoast of Palestine.
וַיָּבֹ֥אוּ  and  they  came 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
חָרָ֖ן  Haran 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: חָרָן 
Sense: a son of Caleb by his concubine Ephah.
וַיֵּ֥שְׁבוּ  and  dwelt 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: יָשַׁב 
Sense: to dwell, remain, sit, abide.