Eight times in the Old Testament—in Genesis 10:10, 11:2, 14:1, 9, Joshua 7:21, Isaiah 11:11, Daniel 1:2, and Zechariah 5:11—the land of Shinar is mentioned in relation to Babylonia’s location. For the sake of clarity, the term “Shinar” in various parts of the Bible is translated as “Babylonia” in other editions. Shinar is important for the following reasons:
The Tower of Babel stood in the region of Shinar. According to Genesis 10:10, Nimrod, a son of Ham, constructed “Babylon, Uruk, Akkad, and Kalneh in Shinar.” The infamous Tower of Babel was chosen to be built on a plain in Shinar (Genesis 11:1–4). God muddled the language of the people as retribution for their evil, giving the land of Shinar the name “Babel” or “Babylon” (Genesis 11:5–9). Babel, which means “confusion,” is the source of the names Babylon and Babylonia.
Shinar In The Bible
Genesis 10:10
In the Bible, Shinar is first mentioned in Genesis 10:10 which states, “The beginning of his kingdom was Babel, Erech, Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar.”
Genesis 11:2
Another mention of Shinar can be found in Genesis 11:2, “And as they journeyed from the east, they found a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there.”
Daniel 1:1
Shinar is also referenced in the book of Daniel, “In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it.”
Daniel 2:31-32
Further insights on Shinar can be found in Daniel 2:31-32, “You saw, O king, and behold, a great image. This image, mighty and of exceeding brightness, stood before you, and its appearance was frightening. The head of this image was of fine gold, its chest and arms of silver, its middle and thighs of bronze,”
Zechariah 5:11
Zechariah 5:11 also mentions Shinar, “And he said to me, ‘To build a house for it in the land of Shinar; and when this is prepared, they will set the basket there on its base.'”
- Shinar is often associated with Babylon in the Bible.
- It was the location of the Tower of Babel incident.
- Shinar represented a place of rebellion against God and pride in human achievements.
- The mention of Shinar in the Bible serves as a reminder of the consequences of disobedience and the importance of humility before God.
The name “Shinar” appears only once in the Bible, in Genesis 10:10. It is used to describe a region that includes Babylonia and Assyria (modern-day Iraq). The book of Genesis mentions Shinar as the location where Nimrod founded the first kingdom, presumably to unite his people against God’s will. This is one of many references to Shinar in ancient texts—most notably The Epic of Gilgamesh, which describes Shinar as part of a larger group of people called Sumerians.
The Bible mentions a place called Shinar, but it doesn’t say much about it. The first time is in Genesis 10:10, where it’s called the land of Shinar and the people are said to be “of one speech” (KJV). The second time is in Genesis 11:2-9, where it’s said that people built a city and then decided to build a tower “whose top may reach unto heaven.” God saw this and made them speak different languages so they couldn’t finish the tower.
The word “Shinar” comes from an Akkadian word meaning “plain,” which makes sense because the Bible says that Shinar was on a plain by the Euphrates River. However, there are different theories about what this might have looked like. Some scholars believe that Shumer refers to Sumerian civilization or Mesopotamia as a whole; others think Shumer refers specifically to southern Mesopotamia near Ur or Babylon; still others think it refers to northern Mesopotamia near Nineveh or Assyria; while some scholars think Shumer refers only to southern Mesopotamia near Ur or Babylon.
What Is The Land of Shinar Called Today
Shinar (/ˈʃaɪnɑːr/; Hebrew שִׁנְעָר Šīnʿār, Septuagint Σενναάρ Sennaár) is the name for the southern region of Mesopotamia used by the Hebrew Bible.
What is Shinar in the Bible?
Shinar was a place, a land. It is also the biblical name for the land of the original tower of Babel (Genesis 10:10).
Shinar is where Abraham’s descendants settled after they were led out of Egypt by Moses. Shinar was located in Mesopotamia (modern Iraq), between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers (Genesis 11:2). When Abram left Haran to return to his homeland, he traveled through this region on his way back to Canaan (Genesis 12:1).
After God told Abram that he would give him land for an inheritance and make him into a great nation, Abram’s nephew Lot chose five cities in which his family could settle down near their relatives (Genesis 13:12-13). These cities were Gomorrah, Admah, Zeboiim and Zoar—all located within close proximity to each other in the area known today as southern Syria or northern Jordan (Deuteronomy 29:23; Jeremiah 49:18).
Shinar Bible Verses
- Genesis 10:10
- Genesis 11:2
- Daniel 1:2
- Isaiah 11:11
Genesis 11:1-9 ESV / 50 helpful votes
Now the whole earth had one language and the same words. And as people migrated from the east, they found a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there. And they said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks, and burn them thoroughly.” And they had brick for stone, and bitumen for mortar. Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth.” And the Lord came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of man had built. …
Genesis 11:1-32 ESV / 31 helpful votes
Now the whole earth had one language and the same words. And as people migrated from the east, they found a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there. And they said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks, and burn them thoroughly.” And they had brick for stone, and bitumen for mortar. Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth.” And the Lord came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of man had built. …
Genesis 11:4 ESV / 27 helpful votes
Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth.”
Genesis 11:1 ESV / 23 helpful votes
Now the whole earth had one language and the same words.
Zephaniah 3:9 ESV / 19 helpful votes
“For at that time I will change the speech of the peoples to a pure speech, that all of them may call upon the name of the Lord and serve him with one accord.
Genesis 11:6 ESV / 16 helpful votes
And the Lord said, “Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language, and this is only the beginning of what they will do. And nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them.
Genesis 9:1 ESV / 15 helpful votes
And God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth.
Job 40:1-24 ESV / 11 helpful votes
And the Lord said to Job: “Shall a faultfinder contend with the Almighty? He who argues with God, let him answer it.” Then Job answered the Lord and said: “Behold, I am of small account; what shall I answer you? I lay my hand on my mouth. I have spoken once, and I will not answer; twice, but I will proceed no further.” …
Genesis 10:5 ESV / 11 helpful votes
From these the coastland peoples spread in their lands, each with his own language, by their clans, in their nations.
Genesis 10:1-32 ESV / 11 helpful votes
These are the generations of the sons of Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Sons were born to them after the flood. The sons of Japheth: Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras. The sons of Gomer: Ashkenaz, Riphath, and Togarmah. The sons of Javan: Elishah, Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim. From these the coastland peoples spread in their lands, each with his own language, by their clans, in their nations. …
Deuteronomy 32:8 ESV / 9 helpful votes
When the Most High gave to the nations their inheritance, when he divided mankind, he fixed the borders of the peoples according to the number of the sons of God.
Genesis 10:10 ESV / 9 helpful votes
The beginning of his kingdom was Babel, Erech, Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar.
Genesis 11:9 ESV / 8 helpful votes
Therefore its name was called Babel, because there the Lord confused the language of all the earth. And from there the Lord dispersed them over the face of all the earth.
Genesis 6:1-22 ESV / 8 helpful votes
When man began to multiply on the face of the land and daughters were born to them, the sons of God saw that the daughters of man were attractive. And they took as their wives any they chose. Then the Lord said, “My Spirit shall not abide in man forever, for he is flesh: his days shall be 120 years.” The Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of man and they bore children to them. These were the mighty men who were of old, the men of renown. The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. …
Genesis 11:5 ESV / 6 helpful votes
And the Lord came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of man had built.
Genesis 1:28 ESV / 6 helpful votes
And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”
Revelation 11:1 ESV / 5 helpful votes
Then I was given a measuring rod like a staff, and I was told, “Rise and measure the temple of God and the altar and those who worship there,
Revelation 1:1 ESV / 5 helpful votes
The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John,
Revelation 1:1-20 ESV / 5 helpful votes
The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw. Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near. John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood …
Deuteronomy 1:28 ESV / 5 helpful votes
Where are we going up? Our brothers have made our hearts melt, saying, “The people are greater and taller than we. The cities are great and fortified up to heaven. And besides, we have seen the sons of the Anakim there.”’
Genesis 11:8-9 ESV / 5 helpful votes
So the Lord dispersed them from there over the face of all the earth, and they left off building the city. Therefore its name was called Babel, because there the Lord confused the language of all the earth. And from there the Lord dispersed them over the face of all the earth.
Genesis 11:8 ESV / 5 helpful votes
So the Lord dispersed them from there over the face of all the earth, and they left off building the city.
Genesis 11:7 ESV / 5 helpful votes
Come, let us go down and there confuse their language, so that they may not understand one another’s speech.”
Colossians 3:3 ESV / 4 helpful votes
For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
Acts 14:16 ESV / 4 helpful votes
In past generations he allowed all the nations to walk in their own ways.
Genesis 6:6 ESV / 4 helpful votes
And the Lord regretted that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart.
Genesis 11:3 ESV / 3 helpful votes
And they said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks, and burn them thoroughly.” And they had brick for stone, and bitumen for mortar.
Genesis 11:2 ESV / 3 helpful votes
And as people migrated from the east, they found a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there.
Genesis 1:1 ESV / 3 helpful votes
In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.
Acts 17:26 ESV / 2 helpful votes
And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place,
Genesis 11:5-9 ESV / 2 helpful votes
And the Lord came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of man had built. And the Lord said, “Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language, and this is only the beginning of what they will do. And nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them. Come, let us go down and there confuse their language, so that they may not understand one another’s speech.” So the Lord dispersed them from there over the face of all the earth, and they left off building the city. Therefore its name was called Babel, because there the Lord confused the language of all the earth. And from there the Lord dispersed them over the face of all the earth.
Genesis 9:1-29 ESV / 2 helpful votes
And God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth. The fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth and upon every bird of the heavens, upon everything that creeps on the ground and all the fish of the sea. Into your hand they are delivered. Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. And as I gave you the green plants, I give you everything. But you shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood. And for your lifeblood I will require a reckoning: from every beast I will require it and from man. From his fellow man I will require a reckoning for the life of man. …
Genesis 1:1-31 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful
In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day. …
Additional information about Shinar in the Bible
It is important to note that the Tower of Babel was not built in Shinar because there was nothing else to do. The tower was built as an attempt to reach heaven and obtain divine favor. It’s also important to note that the Tower of Babel is mentioned in Genesis 11:1-9, which is part of the Book of Genesis in the Bible.
While there are many other places in the Bible where shinar appears, this has been a brief overview on some key details regarding shinar as it relates specifically to Shinar, Iraq (also known as “ancient Babylon”).
Shinar is a term in the Bible that refers to a region of Mesopotamia that corresponds roughly with modern-day Iraq.
Shinar is a term in the Bible that refers to a region of Mesopotamia that corresponds roughly with modern-day Iraq. Shinar was the location of the Tower of Babel and the birthplace of Abraham.
The word “Shinar” in Hebrew means “the land of two rivers,” referring to the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers, which flow together at this point on their way southeastward toward the Persian Gulf.