Summary
The chapter opens with a unified humanity that decides to build a city and tower reaching heaven. God observes this collective endeavor and, fearing the potential for unchecked ambition, commands a confusion of tongues, scattering the people across the earth and giving the site the name Babel. The narrative then shifts to a detailed genealogy, listing generations from Shem down through Terah, highlighting key figures such as Abram, Nahor, and Haran, and noting the births and deaths that establish the lineage leading to Abram. The account includes brief remarks about the age and familial relationships of each ancestor, underscoring the continuity of the human line. The text concludes with the deaths of Terah and his family, marking the transition to the next phase of the biblical narrative.