Now these are the generations of Terah: Terah begat Abram, Nahor, and Haran; and Haran begat Lot.
Parallel translations
- WEB Now this is the history of the generations of Terah. Terah became the father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran. Haran became the father of Lot.
- BSB This is the account of Terah. Terah became the father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran. And Haran became the father of Lot.
- NKJV This is the genealogy of Terah: Terah begot Abram, Nahor, and Haran. Haran begot Lot.
- NASB Now these are the records of the generations of Terah. Terah fathered Abram, Nahor, and Haran; and Haran fathered Lot.
- NLT This is the account of Terah’s family. Terah was the father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran; and Haran was the father of Lot.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
This begins Terah's family record, naming his sons and Haran's son Lot. Lot's mention prepares for his later role.
Overview
The phrase 'the history of the generations' marks a new major section of Genesis, shifting from genealogy to narrative. By naming Lot, the text introduces a figure central to coming chapters. God's redemptive focus now settles squarely on Abram and his extended household.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 6
- Gen 14:12And they took Lot, Abram’s brother’s son, who dwelt in Sodom, and his goods, and departed.
- Gen 11:31And Terah took Abram his son, and Lot the son of Haran his son’s son, and Sarai his daughter in law, his son Abram’s wife; and they went forth with them from Ur of the Chaldees, to go into the land of Canaan; and they came unto Haran, and dwelt there.
- Gen 12:4So Abram departed, as the LORD had spoken unto him; and Lot went with him: and Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran.
- 2 Pet 2:7And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked:
- Gen 19:1–29And there came two angels to Sodom at even; and Lot sat in the gate of Sodom: and Lot seeing them rose up to meet them; and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground;
- Gen 13:1–11And Abram went up out of Egypt, he, and his wife, and all that he had, and Lot with him, into the south.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
From the first promise that the seed of the woman would crush the serpent (3:15), through Abraham's blessing to all nations and Judah's coming ruler, Genesis sows every seed that flowers in Christ — the true offspring, the better Adam, the ram caught for Isaac.
How Genesis 11:27 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.