Saadia's Tafsir on Bereshit 11 (Parashat Noach)

Bereshit 11:1

וַיְהִי כָל-הָאָרֶץ שָׂפָה אֶחָת וּדְבָרִים אֲחָדִים

.

And all the dwellers of the earth were of one language and one speech.

Bereshit 11:2

וַיְהִי בְּנָסְעָם מִקֶּדֶם וַיִּמְצְאוּ בִקְעָה בְּאֶרֶץ שִׁנְעָר וַיֵּשְׁבוּ שָׁם

. . .

And when they had journeyed from the east, they found a valley in the land of Shinar; and they settled there.

Bereshit 11:3

וַיֹּאמְרוּ אִישׁ אֶל-רֵעֵהוּ הָבָה נִלְבְּנָה לְבֵנִים וְנִשְׂרְפָה לִשְׂרֵפָה וַתְּהִי לָהֶם הַלְּבֵנָה לְאָבֶן וְהַחֵמָר הָיָה לָהֶם לַחֹמֶר

. . . . . .

And one to another they said: 'Come, let us mold bricks, and bake them by firing.' And the brick was for them as stone, and the bitumen was for them as mortar.

Bereshit 11:4

וַיֹּאמְרוּ הָבָה נִבְנֶה-לָּנוּ עִיר וּמִגְדָּל וְרֹאשׁוֹ בַשָּׁמַיִם וְנַעֲשֶׂה-לָּנוּ שֵׁם פֶּן-נָפוּץ עַל-פְּנֵי כָל-הָאָרֶץ

. . . .

They said: 'Come, let us build for ourselves a town, and a tower whose top approaches close to the sky; and let us make for ourselves names, lest we be scattered upon the face of all the earth.'

Bereshit 11:5

וַיֵּרֶד יְהוָה לִרְאֹת אֶת-הָעִיר וְאֶת-הַמִּגְדָּל אֲשֶׁר בָּנוּ בְּנֵי הָאָדָם

. .

And God sent down a directed command, to look upon the town and the tower which the children of Adam had begun to build.

Bereshit 11:6

וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָה הֵן עַם אֶחָד וְשָׂפָה אַחַת לְכֻלָּם וְזֶה הַחִלָּם לַעֲשׂוֹת וְעַתָּה לֹא-יִבָּצֵר מֵהֶם כֹּל אֲשֶׁר יָזְמוּ לַעֲשׂוֹת

. . . .

And God said: 'Behold, they are as one people, and one language for them all; and this is what they have begun to do; and now, nothing will be beyond them — all that they have set their minds to do.

Bereshit 11:7

הָבָה נֵרְדָה וְנָבְלָה שָׁם שְׂפָתָם--אֲשֶׁר לֹא יִשְׁמְעוּ אִישׁ שְׂפַת רֵעֵהוּ

. .

Yet we shall send down a directed command, that by it we may scatter their languages, so that each group shall not hear the language of its fellow.'

Bereshit 11:8

וַיָּפֶץ יְהוָה אֹתָם מִשָּׁם עַל-פְּנֵי כָל-הָאָרֶץ וַיַּחְדְּלוּ לִבְנֹת הָעִיר

.

And God scattered them from there upon the face of all the earth; and they ceased from building the town.

Bereshit 11:9

עַל-כֵּן קָרָא שְׁמָהּ בָּבֶל כִּי-שָׁם בָּלַל יְהוָה שְׂפַת כָּל-הָאָרֶץ וּמִשָּׁם הֱפִיצָם יְהוָה עַל-פְּנֵי כָּל-הָאָרֶץ

. . . .

Therefore it was named Babel — for there God scattered the language of all the dwellers of the earth; and from there God dispersed them upon the whole face of it.

Bereshit 11:10

אֵלֶּה תּוֹלְדֹת שֵׁם--שֵׁם בֶּן-מְאַת שָׁנָה וַיּוֹלֶד אֶת-אַרְפַּכְשָׁד שְׁנָתַיִם אַחַר הַמַּבּוּל

. . .

This is the exposition of the offspring of Shem. When Shem was a son of a hundred years, he begot Arpachshad — two years after the flood.

Bereshit 11:11

וַיְחִי-שֵׁם אַחֲרֵי הוֹלִידוֹ אֶת-אַרְפַּכְשָׁד חֲמֵשׁ מֵאוֹת שָׁנָה וַיּוֹלֶד בָּנִים וּבָנוֹת

.

And Shem lived after that five hundred years, in which he begot sons and daughters.

Bereshit 11:12

וְאַרְפַּכְשַׁד חַי חָמֵשׁ וּשְׁלֹשִׁים שָׁנָה וַיּוֹלֶד אֶת-שָׁלַח

. .

And when Arpachshad had lived thirty-five years, he begot Shelah.

Bereshit 11:13

וַיְחִי אַרְפַּכְשַׁד אַחֲרֵי הוֹלִידוֹ אֶת-שֶׁלַח שָׁלֹשׁ שָׁנִים וְאַרְבַּע מֵאוֹת שָׁנָה וַיּוֹלֶד בָּנִים וּבָנוֹת

.

And Arpachshad lived after that four hundred and three years, in which he begot sons and daughters.

Bereshit 11:14

וְשֶׁלַח חַי שְׁלֹשִׁים שָׁנָה וַיּוֹלֶד אֶת-עֵבֶר

.

And when Shelah had lived thirty years, he begot Eber.

Bereshit 11:15

וַיְחִי-שֶׁלַח אַחֲרֵי הוֹלִידוֹ אֶת-עֵבֶר שָׁלֹשׁ שָׁנִים וְאַרְבַּע מֵאוֹת שָׁנָה וַיּוֹלֶד בָּנִים וּבָנוֹת

. .

And Shelah lived after that four hundred and three years, in which he begot sons and daughters.

Bereshit 11:16

וַיְחִי-עֵבֶר אַרְבַּע וּשְׁלֹשִׁים שָׁנָה וַיּוֹלֶד אֶת-פָּלֶג

.

And when Eber had lived thirty-four years, he begot Peleg.

Bereshit 11:17

וַיְחִי-עֵבֶר אַחֲרֵי הוֹלִידוֹ אֶת-פֶּלֶג שְׁלֹשִׁים שָׁנָה וְאַרְבַּע מֵאוֹת שָׁנָה וַיּוֹלֶד בָּנִים וּבָנוֹת

. .

And Eber lived after that four hundred and thirty years, in which he begot sons and daughters.

Bereshit 11:18

וַיְחִי-פֶלֶג שְׁלֹשִׁים שָׁנָה וַיּוֹלֶד אֶת-רְעוּ

.

And when Peleg had lived thirty years, he begot Reu.

Bereshit 11:19

וַיְחִי-פֶלֶג אַחֲרֵי הוֹלִידוֹ אֶת-רְעוּ תֵּשַׁע שָׁנִים וּמָאתַיִם שָׁנָה וַיּוֹלֶד בָּנִים וּבָנוֹת

. .

And Peleg lived after that two hundred and nine years, in which he begot sons and daughters.

Bereshit 11:20

וַיְחִי רְעוּ שְׁתַּיִם וּשְׁלֹשִׁים שָׁנָה וַיּוֹלֶד אֶת-שְׂרוּג

. .

And when Reu had lived thirty-two years, he begot Serug.

Bereshit 11:21

וַיְחִי רְעוּ אַחֲרֵי הוֹלִידוֹ אֶת-שְׂרוּג שֶׁבַע שָׁנִים וּמָאתַיִם שָׁנָה וַיּוֹלֶד בָּנִים וּבָנוֹת

. .

And Reu lived after that two hundred and seven years, in which he begot sons and daughters.

Bereshit 11:22

וַיְחִי שְׂרוּג שְׁלֹשִׁים שָׁנָה וַיּוֹלֶד אֶת-נָחוֹר

.

And when Serug had lived thirty years, he begot Nahor.

Bereshit 11:23

וַיְחִי שְׂרוּג אַחֲרֵי הוֹלִידוֹ אֶת-נָחוֹר--מָאתַיִם שָׁנָה וַיּוֹלֶד בָּנִים וּבָנוֹת

. .

And Serug lived after that two hundred years, in which he begot sons and daughters.

Bereshit 11:24

וַיְחִי נָחוֹר תֵּשַׁע וְעֶשְׂרִים שָׁנָה וַיּוֹלֶד אֶת-תָּרַח

.

And when Nahor had lived twenty-nine years, he begot Terah.

Bereshit 11:25

וַיְחִי נָחוֹר אַחֲרֵי הוֹלִידוֹ אֶת-תֶּרַח תְּשַׁע-עֶשְׂרֵה שָׁנָה וּמְאַת שָׁנָה וַיּוֹלֶד בָּנִים וּבָנוֹת

. 23.

And Nahor lived after that a hundred and nineteen years, in which he begot sons and daughters.

Bereshit 11:26

וַיְחִי-תֶרַח שִׁבְעִים שָׁנָה וַיּוֹלֶד אֶת-אַבְרָם אֶת-נָחוֹר וְאֶת-הָרָן

. .

And when Terah had lived seventy years, he begot Abram, and Nahor, and Haran.

Bereshit 11:27

וְאֵלֶּה תּוֹלְדֹת תֶּרַח--תֶּרַח הוֹלִיד אֶת-אַבְרָם אֶת-נָחוֹר וְאֶת-הָרָן וְהָרָן הוֹלִיד אֶת-לוֹט

. . .

And this is the exposition of the offspring of Terah, for he begot Abram, and Nahor, and Haran; and Haran begot Lot.

Bereshit 11:28

וַיָּמָת הָרָן עַל-פְּנֵי תֶּרַח אָבִיו בְּאֶרֶץ מוֹלַדְתּוֹ בְּאוּר כַּשְׂדִּים

. .

And Haran died in the presence of Terah his father, in the land of his birth, in the furnace of the Chaldeans.

Bereshit 11:29

וַיִּקַּח אַבְרָם וְנָחוֹר לָהֶם נָשִׁים שֵׁם אֵשֶׁת-אַבְרָם שָׂרָי וְשֵׁם אֵשֶׁת-נָחוֹר מִלְכָּה בַּת-הָרָן אֲבִי-מִלְכָּה וַאֲבִי יִסְכָּה

. . .

And Abram and Nahor took for themselves wives. The name of Abram's wife was Sarai; and the name of Nahor's wife was Milkah, daughter of Haran, father of Milkah and father of Yiskah.

Bereshit 11:30

וַתְּהִי שָׂרַי עֲקָרָה אֵין לָהּ וָלָד

.

And Sarai was barren; she had no child.

Bereshit 11:31

וַיִּקַּח תֶּרַח אֶת-אַבְרָם בְּנוֹ וְאֶת-לוֹט בֶּן-הָרָן בֶּן-בְּנוֹ וְאֵת שָׂרַי כַּלָּתוֹ אֵשֶׁת אַבְרָם בְּנוֹ וַיֵּצְאוּ אִתָּם מֵאוּר כַּשְׂדִּים לָלֶכֶת אַרְצָה כְּנַעַן וַיָּבֹאוּ עַד-חָרָן וַיֵּשְׁבוּ שָׁם

. . . . .

And Terah took Abram his son, and Lot the son of Haran, the son of his son, and Sarai his daughter-in-law, the wife of Abram his son; and they went forth with them from the furnace of the Chaldeans, to go to the land of Canaan; and they came to Haran, and settled there.

Bereshit 11:32

וַיִּהְיוּ יְמֵי-תֶרַח חָמֵשׁ שָׁנִים וּמָאתַיִם שָׁנָה וַיָּמָת תֶּרַח בְּחָרָן

. .

And the lifetime of Terah was two hundred and five years; and he died in Haran.