Genesis 11:18 — Word Study
WLCוַֽיְחִי־ פֶ֖לֶג שְׁלֹשִׁ֣ים שָׁנָ֑ה וַיּ֖וֹלֶד אֶת־ רְעֽוּ׃
BSAWhen PelegPeleg [lived, was thirty years old] waschâyâh▸ 30shᵉlôwshîym years oldshâneh [thirty, a period of spiritual maturity] he became the father ofyâlad▸ [begat, gave birth to] ReuRᵉʻûw [a descendant of Shem, an ancestor of Abraham]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| וַֽיְחִי־ | and he lived | Verb, Qal, sequential imperfect third person masculine singular |
| פֶ֖לֶג | Peleg | Noun proper masculine |
| שְׁלֹשִׁ֣ים | thirty | Adj |
| שָׁנָ֑ה | year[s] | Noun common, feminine singular absolute |
| וַיּ֖וֹלֶד | and he fathered | Verb, Hiphil, sequential imperfect third person masculine singular |
| אֶת־ | the object marker | Particle |
| רְעֽוּ׃ | Reu | Noun proper masculine |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | When Peleg was 30 years old, he became the father of Reu. |
| KJV | And Peleg lived thirty years, and begat Reu: |
| ASV | And Peleg lived thirty years, and begat Reu: |
| YLT | And Peleg liveth thirty years, and begetteth Reu. |
| WEB | Peleg lived thirty years, and became the father of Reu. |
| BBE | And Peleg was thirty years old when he became the father of Reu: |
Where they part company is over Peleg's age and the fathering verb — see How Translations Differ.
The sentence consists of a main clause followed by a subordinate clause, indicating the timing of Peleg's fathering of Reu.
5 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Ellicott, Cambridge & more — read them ›
clause
subjectפֶּלֶג
verbחָיָה
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Genesis 11:18
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — The Genealogy of Peleggenerated
Genesis 11:18 presents Peleg as a significant figure in the genealogical line from Shem to Abraham. This verse marks the moment when Peleg became the father of Reu at the age of thirty, a notable age that signifies a stage of maturity in biblical terms. The surrounding verses provide context for Peleg's life and lineage, linking him to the broader narrative of the Patriarchs and their descendants.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Luke 3:35 | the son of Serug, the son of Reu, the son of Peleg, the son of Eber, the son of Shelah, |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 1 reference, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — וַיּ֖וֹלֶד, vai.Yo.ledgenerated
The Hebrew word יָלַד (yalad) means to bear, bring forth, or beget. It encompasses both the act of giving birth and the declaration of lineage. In this verse, it indicates Peleg's role in the continuation of his family line, emphasizing the importance of ancestry in biblical narratives.
The Hiphil stem used here indicates an active role in the process of fathering, showing Peleg as a key figure in the unfolding story of the descendants of Shem. This word is foundational in genealogical contexts, as it establishes connections between generations.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The main verb וַיּ֖וֹלֶד (and he fathered) governs the clause, with the subject פֶ֖לֶג (Peleg) and the object רְעֽוּ (Reu) following it. The structure emphasizes Peleg's action of fathering Reu as the focal point of the sentence.
The phrase שְׁלֹשִׁ֣ים שָׁנָ֑ה (thirty years old) serves as an adverbial modifier, providing context for Peleg's age at the time of fathering Reu, which is a significant detail in genealogical records.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
In the Septuagint, וַיּ֖וֹלֶד is rendered as ἐγέννησεν (he begot), which carries the same meaning of fathering a child. This choice reflects the continuity of the genealogical theme present in the Hebrew text.
The Greek word ἔζησεν (he lived) is used for וַיְחִי־, indicating Peleg's life, but does not add new interpretive layers to the original Hebrew context.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Genesis 11:18 tells us that Peleg was thirty years old when he became the father of Reu. This verse is part of the genealogy that traces the descendants of Shem, leading to Abraham. Peleg's age at fathering Reu is noted, emphasizing the importance of lineage in the biblical narrative.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
In biblical terms, reaching the age of thirty often signifies a period of maturity and readiness for responsibilities, including fatherhood.
Reu was the son of Peleg and an important figure in the genealogy leading to Abraham, his name meaning 'friend'.
Genealogy establishes lineage and heritage, connecting individuals to significant biblical figures and events.
Peleg's name means 'division', which may reference the division of the earth during his time.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- What significance does Peleg's age have in the context of his life and lineage?
- How does understanding genealogies in the Bible help us connect with the larger narrative of scripture?
- In what ways can we see the importance of family heritage in our own lives?
- What lessons can we learn from the lives of the patriarchs mentioned in this genealogy?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
Early commentators, such as Bede, referenced this genealogy to discuss the significance of Peleg and his descendants in the biblical narrative.
But Heber lived thirty-four years and begot Phaleg. The seventy interpreters have it one hundred and thirty-four.Early Church Fathers on Genesis 11 →
Indeed, Phaleg lived thirty years and begot Reu. The seventy interpreters have it one hundred and thirty.Early Church Fathers on Genesis 11 →
Commentators on this verse — 5 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Genesis 11:18 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleAnd Peleg lived thirty years, and begat Reu. Or Ragau, as he is called in the Septuagint version, the letter ע being pronounced as a "G", as in Gaza and Gomorrah: he is supposed to give name to a
Read John Gill on Genesis 11 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryAnd Shem lived after he begat Arphaxad five hundred years, and begat sons and daughters. No JFB commentary on these verses.
Read Robert Jamieson on Genesis 11 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English ReadersTHE TÔLDÔTH SHEM.(10-26) These are the generations of Shem.—Here also, as in Genesis 5, there is a very considerable divergence between the statements of the Hebrew, the Samaritan, and the Septuagint texts. According to the Hebrew, the total number of years from Shem to the birth of Abram was 390, according to the Samaritan, 1,040, and according to the LXX., 1,270. These larger totals are obtained by adding, as a rule, one hundred years to the age of each patriarch before the birth of his eldest son, and the LXX. also insert Cainan between Arphaxad and Salah. The virtual agreement of two authorities, coming from such different quarters as the Samaritan transcript and the LXX. version is…
Read Charles John Ellicott on Genesis 11 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges10–26. The Genealogy of the Patriarchs from Shem to Abram. (P.) This genealogical table is taken from P. It resembles the table in chap. 5 (1) in the manner of the enumeration of years, (a) at the birth of the firstborn, (b) at the patriarch’s death: (2) in the general length of the list, nine (or, including Cainan, ten) generations: (3) in the last name, Terah, being represented, like Noah, as the father of three sons. The gradual diminution in the duration of life from Shem (600 years) and Arpachshad (438 years) to Nahor (148 years) should be noticed. See Special Note on the Longevity of the Patriarchs, Genesis 14:17-24. The period from the Flood to the birth of Abram covers 290 years. In…
Read Cambridge on Genesis 11 →Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the BibleThe Generations of Shem, Genesis 11:10-26. The narrative here again doubles back upon itself, returning over a century to take a new departure from the birth of Shem’s eldest son, two years after the flood.
Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Genesis 11 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
When Peleg was 30 years old, he became the father of Reu.
Peleg lived thirty years, and became the father of Reu.
When Peleg was 30 years old, he became the father of Reu.
When Peleg had lived 30 years, he became the father of Reu.
Tyndale line
And Peleg lived thirty years, and begat Reu:
And Peleg lived thirty years, and begat Reu:
And Peleg lived thirty years, and begat Reu:
And Peleg lived thirty years, and begat Reu:
And Peleg liued thirtie yeeres, and begate Reu.
Strictly literal
And Peleg lived thirty years, and begot Reu.
And Peleg liveth thirty years, and begetteth Reu.
And Peleg lives thirty years [[or one hundred and thirty years]], and begets Reu.
And Peleg lived thirty years, and begat Reu.
When Peleg had lived thirty years, he became the father of Reu.
From the Latin
Phaleg also lived thirty years, and begot Reu.
Simplified
When Peleg was 30, he had Reu.
And Peleg was thirty years old when he became the father of Reu:
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text and the Septuagint agree closely, with only minor differences in word order. The Samaritan Pentateuch differs by including the word מאת (hundred) and using יוליד (bear) instead of the verb used in the Masoretic Text.
וַֽיְחִי־ פֶ֖לֶג שְׁלֹשִׁ֣ים שָׁנָ֑ה וַיּ֖וֹלֶד אֶת־ רְעֽוּ׃
6 of the 7 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
ויחי פלג שׁלשׁים שׁנה ומאת שׁנה ויוליד את רעו
2 words differ from the Masoretic Text: מאת (hundred), יוליד (bear)
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Genesis 11:18
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
חָיָה (chayah) is a Hebrew verb meaning to live or have life, encompassing both literal and figurative senses. It includes various nuances such as reviving, preserving life, and restoring health. The entries detail its use in different stems, with Qal focusing on living and being quickened, while Piel and Hiphil emphasize giving life and reviving. No specific verse references are provided.
חָיָה 283 vb. live
Qal 203
live
be quickened, revive
Pi.
preserve alive, let live
give life
quicken, revive, refresh
Hiph.
preserve alive, let live
quicken, revive
base
H2421 חָיָה live .. live
. be quickened, revive
. . preserve alive, let live
. give life
. quicken, revive, refresh
. . preserve alive, let live
. quicken, revive
2421 chayah khaw-yaw'
a primitive root (compare 2331, 2421); to live, whether
literally or figuratively; causatively, to revive:--keep
(leave, make) alive, X certainly, give (promise) life, (let,
suffer to) live, nourish up, preserve (alive), quicken,
recover, repair, restore (to life), revive, (X God) save
(alive, life, lives), X surely, be whole.
see HEBREW for 02331
see HEBREW for 02421
חָיָה (cha.yah) — to live.
1) to live, have life, remain alive, sustain life, live prosperously, live for ever, be quickened, be alive, be restored to life or health
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to live
1a1a) to have life
1a1b) to continue in life, remain alive
1a1c) to sustain life, to live on or upon
1a1d) to live (prosperously)
1a2) to revive, be quickened
1a2a) from sickness
1a2b) from discouragement
1a2c) from faintness
1a2d) from death
1b) (Piel)
1b1) to preserve alive, let live
1b2) to give life
1b3) to quicken, revive, refresh
1b3a) to restore to life
1b3b) to cause to grow
1b3c) to restore
1b3d) to revive
1c) (Hiphil)
1c1) to preserve alive, let live
1c2) to quicken, revive
1c2a) to restore (to health)
1c2b) to revive
1c2c) to restore to life
Conj | V-Qal-ConsecImperf-3ms — Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person masculine singularHc/Vqw3ms
פֶּ֫לֶג (Peleg) refers to a man from the time of the Patriarchs, specifically a son of Eber and brother of Joktan. The name is associated with the concept of 'division' and is first mentioned in Genesis 10:25. It is linked to the Hebrew root for 'earthquake,' suggesting a possible thematic connection.
פֶּ֫לֶג n.pr.m. son of Eber
base
H6389 פֶּ֫לֶג son of Eber
6389 Peleg peh'-leg
the same as 6388; earthquake; Peleg, a son of Shem:--Peleg.
see HEBREW for 06388
פֶּ֫לֶג (pe.leg) — Peleg.
A man living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.10.25;
son of: Eber (H5677);
brother of: Joktan (H3355);
father of: Reu (H7466)
Also named: Phalek (Φάλεκ "Peleg" G5317)
§ Peleg = "division"
son of Eber and brother of Joktan
N-proper — Noun proper masculineHNpm
pe'-leg (pelegh, "watercourse," "division"): A son of Eber, and brother of Joktan. The derivation of the name is given: "for in his days was the earth divided" (niphleghah) (Ge 10:25; compare Lu 3:35, the King James Version "Phalec"). This probably refers to the scattering of the world's population and the confounding of its language recorded in Ge 11:1-9. In Aramaic pelagh and Arabic phalaj mean "division"; in Hebrew pelegh means "watercourse." The name may really be due to the occupation by this people of some well-watered (furrowed), district (e.g. in Babylonia), for these patronymics represent races, and the derivation in Ge 10:25 is a later editor's remark.
S. F. Hunter
Peleg
Division, one of the sons of Eber; so called because “in his days was the earth divided” (Gen. 10:25). Possibly he may have lived at the time of the dispersion from Babel. But more probably the reference is to the dispersion of the two races which sprang from Eber, the one spreading towards Mesopotamia and Syria, and the other southward into Arabia.
(division, part), son of Eber and brother of Joktan. (Genesis 10:25; 11:16) The only incident connected with his history is the statement that "in his days was the earth divided." an event embodied in the meaning of his name --"division." The reference is to a division of the family of Eber himself, the younger branch of which (the Joktanids) migrated into southern Arabia, while the elder remained in Mesopotamia.
Son of Eber, and fourth in descent from Shem. He was called Peleg, division, because in his time the earth was divided, Ge 10:25; 11:16.
שְׁלֹשִׁים (*shlowshiym*) means 'thirty' and can also refer to 'thirtieth' as an ordinal number. It is an indeclinable noun and is derived from the root word for 'three.' The entries indicate that it is used in various contexts, but there are no significant disagreements among the lexicons.
שְׁלֹשִׁים (very seldom שְׁלוֹשִׁים, שְׁלֹשִׁם) 174 n.indecl. thirty
bef. n. sg.
as ordin.
base
H7970 שְׁלֹשִׁים (very seldom שְׁלוֹשִׁים, שְׁלֹשִׁם) n. indecl. thirty . bef. n. sg.
. as ordin.
7970 shlowshiym shel-o-sheem'
or shloshiym {shel-o-sheem'}; multiple of 7969; thirty; or
(ordinal) thirtieth:--thirty, thirtieth. Compare 7991.
see HEBREW for 07969
see HEBREW for 07991
שְׁלֹשִׁים (she.lo.shim) — thirty.
thirty, thirtieth
Aramaic equivalent: te.la.tin (תְּלָתִין "thirty" H8533)
Adj — AdjHAcmpa
שָׁנָה (shaneh) means 'year' and is derived from the root meaning to change or revolve. It encompasses various aspects of time, including divisions of time, measures of age, and even a lifetime. The Aramaic equivalent is שְׁנָה (she.nah), also meaning 'year'.
שָׁנָה 877 n.f. year (etym. v. √[v.ek.aa])
base
H8141 שָׁנָה year (etym. v. √[8138a])
8141 shaneh shaw-neh'
(in plura or (feminine) shanah {shaw-naw'}; from 8138; a year
(as a revolution of time):--+ whole age, X long, + old,
year(X -ly).
see HEBREW for 08138
שָׁנָה (sha.neh) — year.
1) year
1a) as division of time
1b) as measure of time
1c) as indication of age
1d) a lifetime (of years of life)
Aramaic equivalent: she.nah (שְׁנָה "year" H8140)
N-fs — Noun common · feminine singular absoluteHNcfsa
The Hebrew word יָלַד (*yalad*) means to bear, bring forth, or beget, and it encompasses various forms of childbirth and lineage declaration. It can refer to both the act of giving birth and the role of a midwife. The entries also note its use in contexts of distress and wicked behavior, as well as in reference to birthdays.
יָלַד 497 vb. bear, bring forth, beget
Qal
bear, bring forth
less often beget
of both parents
Niph. be born
Pi. cause (or help) to bring forth, viz., assist or tend as midwife
Pu. be born
Hiph.
beget (a father a child)
bear
Hoph. day of one's being born = birthday
Hithp. declared their pedigree
base
H3205 יָלַד bear, bring forth, beget .. bear, bring forth
. less often beget
. of both parents
. be born
. cause (or help) to bring forth, viz., assist or tend as midwife
. be born
. . beget (a father a child)
. bear
. day of one's being born = birthday
. declared their pedigree
3205 yalad yaw-lad'
a primitive root; to bear young; causatively, to beget;
medically, to act as midwife; specifically, to show
lineage:--bear, beget, birth((-day)), born, (make to) bring
forth (children, young), bring up, calve, child, come, be
delivered (of a child), time of delivery, gender, hatch,
labour, (do the office of a) midwife, declare pedigrees, be
the son of, (woman in, woman that) travail(-eth, -ing woman).
יָלַד (ya.lad) — to beget.
1) to bear, bringforth, beget, gender, travail
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to bear, bring forth
1a1a) of child birth
1a1b) of distress (simile)
1a1c) of wicked (behaviour)
1a2) to beget
1b) (Niphal) to be born
1c) (Piel)
1c1) to cause or help to bring forth
1c2) to assist or tend as a midwife
1c3) midwife (participle)
1d) (Pual) to be born
1e) (Hiphil)
1e1) to beget (a child)
1e2) to bear (fig. -of wicked bringing forth iniquity)
1f) (Hophal) day of birth, birthday (infinitive)
1g) (Hithpael) to declare one's birth (pedigree)
Conj | V-Hiphil-ConsecImperf-3ms — Verb · Hiphil · sequential imperfect third person masculine singularHc/Vhw3ms
אֵת (eth) is primarily a grammatical marker in Hebrew, indicating the definite direct object of a verb. It is not translated into English and typically precedes nouns that are definite. The word is derived from a demonstrative sense of entity, related to the Hebrew word for 'self.' Its Aramaic equivalent is יָת (yat).
אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite
base
H853 אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite
853 'eth ayth
apparent contracted from 226 in the demonstrative sense of
entity; properly, self (but generally used to point out more
definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or
namely):--(as such unrepresented in English).
see HEBREW for 0226
אֵת (et) — [Obj.].
sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative
Aramaic equivalent: yat (יָת "whom" H3487)
HTo — ParticleHTo
רְעוּ (Reu) is a proper name referring to a postdiluvian patriarch, specifically the son of Peleg and father of Serug. The name is associated with the meaning 'friend.' It first appears in Genesis 11:18. The entries consistently identify Reu as a significant figure in the genealogical line leading to Abraham.
רְעוּ n.pr.m. son of Peleg
base
H7466 רְעוּ son of Peleg
7466 R`uw reh-oo'
for 7471 in the sense of 7453; friend; Reu, a postdiluvian
patriarch:--Reu.
see HEBREW for 07471
see HEBREW for 07453
רְעוּ (re.u) — Reu.
A man living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.11.18;
son of: Peleg (H6389);
father of: Serug (H8286)
Also named: Rhagau (Ῥαγαῦ "Reu" G4466)
§ Reu = "friend"
son of Peleg and an ancestor of Abraham
N-proper — Noun proper masculineHNpm
(friend), son of Peleg, in the line of Abraham’s ancestors. (Genesis 11:18,19,20,21; 1 Chronicles 1:25) (B.C. about 2213.)
his friend; his shepherd
→ Son of Peleg and an ancestor of Abraham Ge 11:18-21; 1Ch 1:25