Genesis 11:3

Genesis 11:3

And they said one to another, Go to, let us make brick, and burn them thoroughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for morter.

a. NLT: They began saying to each other, “Let’s make bricks and harden them with fire.” (In this region bricks were used instead of stone, and tar was used for mortar.)

b. NIV: They said to each other, “Come, let’s make bricks and bake them thoroughly.” They used brick instead of stone, and tar for mortar.

c. YLT: And they say each one to his neighbour, 'Give help, let us make bricks, and burn them thoroughly:' and the brick is to them for stone, and the bitumen hath been to them for mortar.

d. Amplified Bible Classic: And they said one to another, Come, let us make bricks and burn them thoroughly. So they had brick for stone, and slime (bitumen) for mortar.

e. Septuagint: And a man said to his neighbour, Come, let us make bricks and bake them with fire. And the brick was to them for stone, and their mortar was bitumen.

f. Stone Edition Torah/Prophets/Writings: They said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks and burn them in fire.” And the brick served them as stone, and the bitumen served them as mortar.

1. “And they said one to another…”

a. And they said [Strong: 559 'amar aw-mar' a primitive root; to say (used with great latitude):--answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, + (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, X desire, determine, X expressly, X indeed, X intend, name, X plainly, promise, publish, report, require, say, speak (against, of), X still, X suppose, talk, tell, term, X that is, X think, use (speech), utter, X verily, X yet.]

b. one [Strong: 376 'iysh eesh contracted for 582 (or perhaps rather from an unused root meaning to be extant); a man as an individual or a male person; often used as an adjunct to a more definite term (and in such cases frequently not expressed in translation):--also, another, any (man), a certain, + champion, consent, each, every (one), fellow, (foot-, husband-)man, (good-, great, mighty) man, he, high (degree), him (that is), husband, man(-kind), + none, one, people, person, + steward, what (man) soever, whoso(-ever), worthy.]

c. to [Strong: 413 'el ale (but only used in the shortened constructive form sel {el}); a primitive particle; properly, denoting motion towards, but occasionally used of a quiescent position, i.e. near, with or among; often in general, to:--about, according to ,after, against, among, as for, at, because(-fore, -side), both...and, by, concerning, for, from, X hath, in(- to), near, (out) of, over, through, to(-ward), under, unto, upon, whether, with(-in).]

d. another [Strong: 7453 rea` ray'-ah or reya2 {ray'-ah}; from 7462; an associate (more or less close):--brother, companion, fellow, friend, husband, lover, neighbour, X (an-)other.]

2. “…Go to, let us make brick, and burn them thoroughly…”

a. Go to [Strong: 3051 yahab yaw-hab' a primitive root; to give (whether literal or figurative); generally, to put; imperatively (reflexive) come:--ascribe, bring, come on, give, go, set, take.]

b. let us make [Strong: 3835 laban law-ban' a primitive root; to be (or become) white; also (as denominative from 3843) to make bricks:--make brick, be (made, make) white(-r).]

c. brick [Strong: 3843 lbenah leb-ay-naw' from 3835; a brick (from the whiteness of the clay):--(altar of) brick, tile.]

d. and burn [Strong: 8313 saraph saw-raf' a primitive root; to be (causatively, set) on fire:--(cause to, make a) burn((-ing), up) kindle, X utterly.]

e. them thoroughly [Strong: 8316 srephah ser-ay-faw' from 8313; cremation:--burning.]

3. “…And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for morter.”

a. And they had [Strong: 1961 hayah haw-yaw a primitive root (Compare 1933); to exist, i.e. be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary):--beacon, X altogether, be(-come), accomplished, committed, like), break, cause, come (to pass), do, faint, fall, + follow, happen, X have, last, pertain, quit (one-)self, require, X use.]

b. brick [Strong: 3843 lbenah leb-ay-naw' from 3835; a brick (from the whiteness of the clay):--(altar of) brick, tile.]

c. for stone [Strong: 68 'eben eh'-ben from the root of 1129 through the meaning to build; a stone:--+ carbuncle, + mason, + plummet, (chalk-, hail-, head-, sling-)stone(-ny), (divers) weight(-s).]

d. and slime [Strong: 2564 chemar khay-mawr' from 2560; bitumen (as rising to the surface):--slime(-pit).]

1). Unger’s bible Dictionary: Asphalt, bitumen. Genesis 11:3; Genesis 14:4. Interestingly that an oil based product was the cement, the “mortar”, that held their rebellious tower together. I am not against the oil industry in any way, shape, or form. It is just interesting that the cars we drive and the roads they travel on are both oil based. We have been using it for almost 6 thousand years.

e. had they [Strong: 1961 hayah haw-yaw a primitive root (Compare 1933); to exist, i.e. be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary):--beacon, X altogether, be(-come), accomplished, committed, like), break, cause, come (to pass), do, faint, fall, + follow, happen, X have, last, pertain, quit (one-)self, require, X use.]

f. for mortar [Strong: 2563 chomer kho'mer from 2560; properly, a bubbling up, i.e. of water, a wave; of earth, mire or clay (cement); also a heap; hence, a chomer or dry measure:--clay, heap, homer, mire, motion.]