Genesis 11:1-9

Cross-references For Better Understanding a Related Topics b Additional Materials c

Summary

• The origin of multiple languages; the means by which God scattered the nations.

Details and Comments

This information is actually the second part of the historical record that listed the nations (chapter 10). It explains why the nations developed.

• The people want to remain together as one group, rather than obeying God's command to spread out across the earth.

• This is possible because they are capable of understanding each other.

• To put a stop (or restraint) on their rebellion, God creates "confusion" in their language; so that the various family groups cannot understand each other.

• This ends their unified rebellion; and since they can't understand each other, they go their separate ways.

This event occurred a few generations after the start of the Third World Ecosystem (perhaps during the life of Peleg Genesis 10:25), and is the reason for the "Table of Nations" in chapter 10.

Scripture

Genesis 11:1-9 - The dispersing of the peoples (nations) - explanation of how the earth was "divided" (Genesis 10:25).

Scripture Passage	Comments and Links
Gen 11:1 The whole earth was of one language and of one speech.	Before this judgment, there had always been one language and one speech. It will also be that way in the future. Language Issues
Gen 11:2 It happened, as they traveled east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar, and they lived there. Gen 11:3 They said one to another, "Come, let's make bricks, and burn them thoroughly." They had brick for stone, and they used tar for mortar. Gen 11:4 They said, "Come, let's build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top reaches to the sky, and let's make ourselves a name, lest we be scattered abroad on the surface of the whole earth."	This was a rebellion against God's command to "fill the earth." The offspring of Shem, Ham and Japheth did not want to spread out. Instead, they built a city, with the same spirit of rebellion as Cain had, when he did so. They wanted to give themselves their own significance ("name"). The Concept of "City" Getting a "name" would (so they thought) prevent them from scattering. The Concept of "Name" Tar - This is bitumen, a petroleum product. Fossil Fuels and Related Compounds
Gen 11:5 Yahweh came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men built. Gen 11:6 Yahweh said, "Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language, and this is what they begin to do. Now nothing will be withheld from them, which they intend to do. Gen 11:7 Come, let's go down, and there confuse their language, that they may not understand one another's speech."	This was temporarily reversed at Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit caused people from many nations to understand the preaching of the apostles (Acts 2)! The Confusion of Languages
Gen 11:8 So Yahweh scattered them abroad from there on the surface of all the earth. They stopped building the city. Gen 11:9 Therefore its name was called Babel, because there Yahweh confused the language of all the earth. From there, Yahweh scattered them abroad on the surface of all the earth.	This judgment prevents a universal rebellion. Though they can still rebel, they cannot cooperate in it. Today people are striving for a common language (or equivalent)... in preparation for a unified rebellion at the end of the present Third World. Babel, Babylon This judgment also had a significant impact on the "gene pool" of the various groups. Had they obeyed God and spread out with one universal language and speech, people across the entire world would have been able to freely mingle and marry; and a greater genetic diversity would have been maintained. But now, with the inability of each group to understand the others, there was increasing isolation. Because of this, the genetic variation within each group became smaller. Gene Pool Issues

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—— To avoid any copyright issues, all Scripture is either from a public domain translation (such as the World English Bible), my own translation, or a combination of these. ——

The name "Yahweh," when present in an Old Testament passage, represents the Hebrew name for the God of the Bible.

Unless otherwise noted, all notes and comments are © by Dennis Hinks.