What Does Genesis 11:5 Mean in the King James?
And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded.
The analysis reads the King James wording.
King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.
THE KEY
In Hebrew, “sons” and “they built” echo the building-root, so the tower becomes a picture of humanity constructing itself.
THE MEANING
The LORD comes down to see closely what you build; no height places human work outside divine attention. The builders are called בְּנֵי הָאָדָם (benei ha’adam, sons of the human), ground-born people raising a structure toward the heavens.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
The belief that what you build can lift you beyond God’s sight dissolves here: the LORD comes down to see it.
THE ROOT
בָּנוּ
banu
GROWS FROM
בנה
To build, establish, or build up a structure or family line.
“builded” in this verse is banu. The Hebrew בְּנֵי הָאָדָם (benei ha’adam, sons of the human) names the builders as ground-born humanity: אָדָם (adam, human) is linked with אֲדָמָה (adamah, ground or soil). בָּנוּ (banu, they built) echoes בֵּן (ben, son), traditionally linked to בנה (banah, build), so the sons and their construction share the language of building.
ALSO GROWS
ben: Son; one who continues a family line.
בֵּן
Traditionally linked to בנה (banah, build), this word makes the verse’s “sons of men” echo the act of building.
binyan: Building or structure.
בִּנְיָן
This branch makes the shared root visible in the city and tower the sons construct.
THE PATTERN
Human structures cannot contain or outrun the one who sees them.
The LORD looketh from heaven; he beholdeth all the sons of men.Thus saith the LORD, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest?God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands;THE THREAD
And Sarai said unto Abram, Behold now, the LORD hath restrained me from bearing: I pray thee, go in unto my maid; it may be that I may obtain children by her. And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai.The phrase “obtain children” translates אִבָּנֶה (ʾibbāneh, I may be built up), from בנה (banah, build). The same root describes a city rising here and a family line taking shape there.
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