Genesis Chapter 11 Commentary by Mark Dunagan

Genesis Chapter 11:1-9

Outline: I.

The One Language World: 11:1

II.

The Movements of Post-Flood Man: 11:2

III.

Defiance To The Divine Directive: 11:3-4

IV.

The Lord's Examination: 11:5-6

V.

The Lord's Judgment: 11:7-9

“The primeval history reaches its fruitless climax as man, conscious of new abilities, prepares to glorify and fortify himself by collective effort. The elements of the story are timelessly characteristic of the spirit of the world. The project is typically

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grandiose; men describe it excitedly to one another as if it were the ultimate achievement--very much as modern man glories in his space projects. At the same time they betray their insecurity as they crowd themselves to preserve their identity and control their fortunes” (Kidner p. 109). “Perhaps as many as one thousand years elapsed between the great flood and Babel” (Davis p. 144).

Genesis 11:1 “And the whole earth was of one language and of one speech” “And”: Or now. This event took place before the ancestors of Noah's three sons had become divided into various nationalities or ethnic groups. The nations in chapter 10 are the result or aftermath of the Tower of Babel. We are not sure how long this event took place after the flood. (a) If the Tower of Babel took place during the days of Peleg (Genesis 10:25). (b) And if the genealogies in chapter 11 are complete (no gaps), then the earliest date for the Tower of Babel would be 100 years after the flood (Genesis 11:10-16 (2+35+30+34). Yet note, the text doesn't say that the earth was divided when Peleg was born, rather it says “for in his days”, i.e. sometime during his lifetime (Genesis 10:25), and Peleg lived for 239 years (Genesis 11:18-19). “Was”: At one time. This makes perfect sense in view of the fact that the entire earth was repopulated from one single family. The advocates of a local flood theory, especially if they believe that the flood did not kill all men, are forced to conclude that God did not confuse the speech of all men.

“One language and of one speech”: “Used the same language and the same words” (NASV). “One vocabulary” (Mof). “Used the same pronunciation and the same words” (Watson p. 109). “The matter was well as the form of human speech was the same” (P.P. Comm. p. 163). “That all men were of one language and dialect should not be surprising since they were fundamentally united in the sons of Noah.

Research in the area of comparative grammar has demonstrated that known languages are related and could have descended from one language” (Davis p. 144).

Language poses a big problem for the Evolutionist. (a) According to Evolution, the earliest languages of mankind should be the most primitive, yet such is not the case. “Ancient Chinese was harder than modern Chinese, ancient Greek than modern Greek. One of the most difficult of all written languages is Sanskrit, which goes back to 1500 B.C. Each verb had about 500 parts...Chinese writing goes back to 2000 B.C. and has 6000 characters or letters (compare our 26)...The Eskimos use

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63 forms of the present tense, and their 'simple' nouns have 252 inflections (changed endings of words, e.g. he-him; she-her; they-them” (Watson pp. 109-110). (b) A simple language doesn't exist. (c) Human language is a far cry from the methods of communication used in the animal creation. Now, since God created the animals, their methods of communication reflect His wisdom, but the language of man is something entirely different. “A large group of Eastern languages are ‘tonal’, i.e. you must not only say the right word but also say it in the right tone, other-wise it will mean something different” (Watson p. 110). The unity of the human race is seen in the fact that any man or woman can learn any language (with time, desire and study).

Genesis 11:2 “And it came to pass, as they journeyed east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar. And they dwelt there” “And it came to pass”: An unspecific period of time has elapsed. “As they”: The descendants of the original survivors of the flood. Initially Noah's descendants all remained together. “Journeyed”: “Lit., to pull up stakes” (Leupold p. 384). “Lit., in their journeyings suggests the idea of the migration of nomadic hordes” (P.P. Comm. p. 163). This also suggests that they may have been traveling for some time.

“East”: From Ararat to the land of Shinar would be a south-easterly journey. This reveals that the mountainous region of Ararat did not satisfy the immediate ancestors of Noah's three sons. Morris notes, “As the people migrated eastward...they finally came to Shinar and the fertile Mesopotamian plain...Perhaps the region reminded them of their antediluvian home...for they named the rivers Tigris and Euphrates after two of the streams that had once flowed from the Garden” (p. 266).

“They found a plain in the land of Shinar”: This geographical region has already been located and defined for the reader (Genesis 10:10), and will again (Daniel 1:12). “Is yet that extremely fertile land that the ancients praised so highly, attributing to it two hundred fold fertility and more...So fertile a land invites men to ‘settle down’” (Leupold p. 384). “These people who had been living in a mountainous area found a fertile plain or valley. We should probably think of an area where alluvial deposits had formed a broad valley in the lower drainage of the great rivers, the Tigris and the Euphrates” (Aalders p. 246). “They found probably expresses their relief that they can now settle down” (Wenham p. 239).

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Perceived human need verses Divine need

Genesis 11:3 “And they said one to another, Come, let us make brick, and burn them thoroughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for mortar” “They said one to another”: “Lit., a man to his neighbor” (P.P. Comm. p. 164). “To make the scene as vivid as possible the writer takes us back to the first counsels that were held as the titanic project got under way” (Leupold p. 385). “The population soon grew to the point where not all their attention had to be given merely to food production, and it became possible to develop an urban community” (Morris p.

267). “Come”: “With great eagerness of spirit they encourage one another...’come on’” (Leupold p. 385). “Let us make brick”: “Good building stones were not conveniently accessible on the river plains, and timber was not durable enough for the permanent structures they had in mind” (Morris p. 268). “Here then a new material for constructing homes and public buildings was developed” (Aalders p.

246). “And burn them thoroughly, and they had brick for stone”: “The more common manner of construction in antiquity was apparently to use stone, with clay mortar. When bricks were used, as in Egypt or Assyria, they were only sun-dried.

The Babylonian construction was stronger and more enduring, so the writer called special attention to it. Furnace-treated bricks were used instead of stone...Archaeology has revealed that this type of kiln-fired brick and asphalt construction was common in ancient Babylon” (Morris p. 268).

“Abundant remains of similar structures display how very accurate the author is in his statement...Such structures cohere very firmly to this present day. To a nonBabylonian such a mode of building would seem strange as well as particularly worthy of notice” (Leupold pp. 385-386). “The description of their building technique is informative. The inhabitants settled on using fire-hardened brick...This was eminently appropriate since southern Mesopotamia, which rich in alluvial deposition, lacked significant quantities of stone of any kind” (Davis p. 145).

Indirectly this infers that the initial audience to read Genesis was Israelite. Moses and the Hebrews had seen huge stone structures in Egypt (the Pyramids existed 1000 years before Moses). And the land of Palestine abounds in stones. Such a side note would be needed and appreciated for an audience from that background.

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“And slime had they for mortar”: “Was probably tarry material from the abundant asphalt pits in the Tigris-Euphrates valley” (Morris p. 268). “The bitumen which boils up from subterranean fountains like oil or hot pitch in the vicinity of Babylon...Layard testifies that so firmly have the bricks been united that it is almost impossible to detach one from the mass” (P.P. Comm. p. 164). “Amid the ruins of Babylon ancient bricks have been discovered, in large quantities...The ordinary size of these bricks is twelve to fourteen inches square, and three to four inches thick”. 1 If people would have just believed what the Bible had said, nobody would have been surprised when oil was discovered in this part of the world.

Genesis 11:4 “And they said, Come, let us build us a city, and a tower, whose top {may reach} unto heaven, and let us make us a name. Lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth” “Let us build us a city”: That is, a permanent community of strong buildings.

There is nothing wrong in merely building a city or a tall building, s more is going on here than mere construction as the text will reveal. Obviously, there is nothing sinful about living in a permanent structure (1 Corinthians 11:22). “And a tower”: “That is the equivalent of a modern skyscraper” (Hamilton p. 352). “Usually it is understood to be a very high landmark associated with the city and its worshippers. Several very large, staged temple-towers, or multi-storied ziggurats (temple-towers) have been discovered in Babylonia. One such ziggurat in Babylon was a marvel of colored, glazed tiles, standing over 297 feet high” (Davis p. 146).

“The cities of Nippur, Larsa, and Sippar each called their Ziggurratu by the name 'E-dur-an-ki' (‘The house of the bond between heaven and earth’.) The one at Babylon had inscribed in its foundation, by Nabopolassar (625-605 B.C.), ‘Marduk had me lay its foundation in the heart of the earth and lift its pinnacle in the sky”. 2 “Whose top may reach unto heaven”: Various views exist concerning this "goal" of the original builders:

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Manners And Customs of the Bible. James. M. Freeman p. 14.

2

Zond. Ency. 'Babel, City And Tower Of'. p. 439.

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It seems clear that the language is somewhat figurative, for it is hard to believe that the builders actually thought they could "storm the gates of heaven".

“It probably should be seen as a determination to build a tower of great height, probably equal to the height of the distant mountains...Their purpose is clearly expressed in that they wanted a central point of reference that could be seen by all” (Aalders pp. 247-248). Compare with the same type of language in the following passages: Deuteronomy 1:28; 9:1.

Davis suggests, “and they were attempting to protect themselves from, among other things, another divine judgment like the flood...If, therefore, a structure higher than the mountains could be erected, men reason, they would be safe whatever God might do” (p. 148). This tower may have been an prayer tower, i.e. with the image of an idol on top or part of the city's defensive system. The following phrases clearly tell us that it was built in defiance to God's plan and that it was the product of human arrogance.

“And let us make us a name”: “If we take "name" to signify reputation, as our translation reflects, then the connection would be that the completion of such a titanic building would bring a certain fame and immortality to its builders” (Hamilton p. 353). “These builders are, for one thing, strenuously determined to achieve fame. No effort is to be spared. If stones are not available, they must be manufactured. Nothing shall deter these men, so greedy of enhancing the glory of their own name” (Leupold p. 387).

Nothing has really changed: (a) Many people are still more concerned about making a "name" for themselves, then glorifying the "name" of God. (b) People still try to find a "refuge" from God. Many modern "towers of Babel" exist in our own time. Somehow we think that technology is a fortress that will protect us from God's judgment. If we can just extend our lives long enough, cure cancer, and all diseases, get off this planet and survive in space, find some "proof" of Evolution, or convince ourselves that a "sin" is genetic---then we can finally get God off our backs.

Not the tremendous efforts put forth by mankind. When people complain that God's moral standard is too high or the work assigned to the Church is an

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impossible task, they do not have a leg to stand on. Often the unbelieving world puts us to shame. Just look at what man is able to accomplish when he believes in what he is doing. Mankind is without excuse. We have built highways, dams, skyscrapers, cities, gone to the moon and back, and so on. All of this places us in a position of being without excuse for not serving God. For the above human achievements are proof that man can do great things, when he wants to. We only have two basic choices in this life. Either we can pursue a course of personal glory or we can strive to bring honor to God. There is no middle ground (Matthew 16:2426).

“Lest we be scattered”: Of course this goal was in direct violation to the command of God, given to their ancestors (Genesis 9:1). In modern times many have ridiculed the idea of "nationalism", that is, pride in one's country. Many utopian thinkers are convinced that one world, with one language and governing body would be much better than the present state of affairs. This text reveals that "unity" is not an inherent good, if the people being "united" are not serving God. Kidner points out, “It makes it clear that unity and peace and are not ultimate goods: better division than collective apostasy (Luke 12:51)” (p. 110).

I'm really not sure why they feared "being scattered abroad": (a) The rulers may have "feared" losing control of the people. Hence a rallying point was needed to unify the expanding population. (b) They may have feared that “the basic human drives of curiosity and independence of spirit might impel many among them to want to explore and develop the unknown regions in other parts of the world” (Morris pp. 269-270). (c) In the end it appears to me that the writer is telling us that more than one wrong motive was involved in this undertaking, like most worldly enterprises, i.e. greed, fear, arrogance, fame, and so on.

As noted in the previous handout on Chapters 9-10, it looks like Nimrod (10:8-11) could have been alive during Peleg's time. Nimrod is a grandson of Ham and Peleg is a great-great grandson of Shem (10:21-25). Hence (we are speculating now), Nimrod's colonizing expedition into Assyria (10:11-12), may have either been a result or aftermath of the confusion at Babel or an attempt to thwart independent expansion.

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God Takes Action

Genesis 11:5 “And Jehovah came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded “Came down to see”: God already knew about the tower and the city. “Such anthropomorphisms (assigning human characteristics to God) certainly do not imply a limited, human concept of God...What we are told then, in this ‘God came down to see’, is that God was fully aware of what mankind was about” (Aalders p.

248). In addition, such language allows for irony. Mankind is really impressed with what they are building, why the top is going to "reach unto the heavens", yet in reality it is so small, that God must come down to see it. “Which the children of men builded”: “Had built” (NASV). There is some question as to "when" God stopped this project. From 11:8 “they left off building the city”, it appears that they were not finished when God interrupted the project. (a) They may have finished the tower, but not the city when God came down. (b) When God came down that "finished the project", even though man was not finished in his own mind. “When God considered what mankind was doing, this in itself sealed its termination. Men were still working busily, fully of enthusiasm for their unholy plan, but when God took account of what was going on, it was as good as ended. This, then, explains the use of a verb form denoting completed action (‘builded’), even while the project was still continuing” (Aalders p. 248).

This simply tells us that all the resources, energy, creativity and enthusiasm cannot make up for God being against what we are involved in (Psalm 127:1-2 “Except Jehovah build the house, They labor in vain that build it”). At times Christians get discouraged when they see the apparent success that human religions are having.

It is easy to feel sorry for ourselves when we see the vast resources that the unbelieving world possesses. It is so easy to forget that all such structures, plans and organizations are built on sand (Matthew 7:24-27).

Genesis 11:6 “And Jehovah said, Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language. And this is what they begin to do. And now nothing will be withholden from them, which they purpose to do”

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“They are one people, and they have all one language”: “The words indicate unity of effort, as well as concentration of design” (P.P. Comm. p. 165). “The key to this unholy venture on the part of humanity lay in their common language. The fact that they all spoke one language enabled them to collaborate in their plans and to cooperate in their activities” (Aalders p. 249). “And this is what they begin to do”: This is just the beginning of projects spawned by human arrogance. Kind of like Jesus' expression “For if they do these things in the green tree, what will happen in the dry?” (Luke 23:31) “Now nothing will be withholden from them”: God takes human rebellion very seriously. Our potential for evil should scare us (Ecclesiastes 9:18). With one simple choice I could make my own life very miserable and also very easily bring misery and heartache to the lives of many others. “God does not scoff at the building and consider it much ado about nothing. There is no suggestion that he views it as a joke...In fact, if something is not done to abort the project, the consequences can be far-reaching” (Hamilton p. 354). More is at stake here that simply man's violation of "fill the earth". Unfortunately, we just assume that God ended this project merely because it violated His will, yet God also ended this project for "our own good".

Consider what Davis says, “Does not a plurality of nations and languages present worldwide advance--cultural, economic, and religious? One world government probably would result ultimately not in human progress but in slavery” (p. 150).

The honest reality, is that in a world in which most people remain sinners, “one monolithic world state might conceivably put an end to all further political experiment and result in an irreversible totalitarianism” (Davis p. 151).

Genesis 11:7 "Come, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech” “Come, let us go down”: God takes action, when mankind takes the wrong action (11:4). Men forget that they are not the only ones in the universe with a plan. “Let us”: Genesis 1:26,27.

“Confound their language”: “Normally the Lord allows men and nations to pursue their own ways without supernatural interference (Acts 17:30-31). Man is

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free and responsible; and though he will eventually suffer the consequences of his evil deeds, God is long-suffering. Therefore ungodliness often seems to thrive without hindrance in the affairs of men. But there have been a few occasions on which the accomplishment of God's very purposes for the world become so endangered that divine intervention was required” (Morris p. 272).

Consider how God intervened. He did so in a way that still respected human freewill. He did not mystically change the minds of these builders, neither did He physically force them to stop. He simply confused their language. After the confusion the building ceased (11:8). Many groups with the same language could have stayed on. The fact that the project was abandoned demonstrates: (a) Some may have been forced and intimidated into supporting the project (slavery). (b) The project was huge, too big for a small group to tackle. (c) Or, no one was willing to abandon all their time, to finish it. (d) Or again, the Tower of Babel may have been something like modern Communism---the Tower of Babel was great, just so long as you were among the elite or in a position of leadership. Yet for everyone else, it meant a lot a sweat and hard work. Somebody said that Communism praises the "peasant", unfortunately nobody wants to be a peasant.

Exactly how God confused man's language has been the subject of considerable speculation. Some assert that the change was in the organs of speech, others that it “Had a much deeper foundation in the human mind” (Davis p. 150). This second interpretation makes more sense to me. Hamilton notes, “His method is perhaps surprising: he will confuse their language. Why not simply topple the tower?

Because that would solve the problem only temporarily. Towers are replaceable” (p. 355).

“That they may not understand one another’s speech”: “Presumably individual members of each family group could still understand each other (Genesis 10), but otherwise everyone else was talking nonsense. Various ones thought others were mocking them. Foremen became irritated when their crews would not obey their orders, and workmen imagined their bosses were making sport of them and trying to make them look bad...Loud, incoherent arguments erupted throughout the city...Finally there was nothing to do but separate...No further urban cooperation ...was possible;... each family group had to learn how to meet its own needs directly” (Morris p. 274).

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Genesis 11:8 “So Jehovah scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth. And they left off building the city”

Consider the "ease" at which God is able to undo the grandest schemes of mankind.

“God defeated man's purpose so as to prevent man from injuring himself further” (Leupold p. 391).

Many inferences can be gleaned from this verse: (a) For awhile after this dispersion, everything went back to square one. Each tribe or group had to develop skills which they had previously depended upon others to provide. (b) Morris notes, “Remains of these original occupation sites naturally suggest to evolutionists a ‘stone-age culture’, but actually they reflect only a very temporary situation” (p. 275). (c) Before permanent homes could be built, these new clans or families would have lived in temporary shelters or even caves. New homes had to be built, tools had to be rebuilt, some skills (metal-working, etc..) had to be relearned by some in the family. (d) Each tribe would begin to develop its own distinctive culture, dress, and customs. (e) As these family groups inter-married (the only possibility) if you could not communicate with anyone else, various genetic characteristics began to dominate the particular tribes, skin colors, etc... (f) Some tribes or family groups adapted well on their own, they multiplied, built cultures, cities, while others may have died out. Some would become strong and aggressive and drive out any "foreigners" and even take over the land occupied by other tribes.

“Some clever tribes, like the Chinese, Babylonians and Greeks, eventually worked out a new alphabet to fit their new languages, and made immense strides forward in mathematics, astronomy, engineering, etc” (Watson p. 111). Science seems to confirm this event, “Increasingly in recent years has archaeology been confirming that civilization appeared more or less contemporaneously in all parts of the world, only a few millennia ago” (Morris p. 275). “The multiplicity of languages (over 3000) upon the face of the earth is a monument not to human ingenuity but to human sin” (Leupold p. 382).

Anthropologists have a difficult time in explaining why mankind would leave the fertile plains of Mesopotamia to live in environments less productive or advantageous. Even secular writers believe that the land between the two rivers is

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the "cradle of civilization". Some say they went in search of better hunting grounds, they migrated to avoid fighting with their neighbors, there may have been a sudden famine, or the population density became too thick. A better explanation is what this chapter teaches.

Genesis 11:9 “Therefore was the name of it called Babel. Because Jehovah did there confound the language of all the earth. And from thence did Jehovah scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth” “Babel”: A term meaning “confusion”: “As the family units gradually packed their goods and departed from Babel, the last memory of the place was one of a loud ‘babble’” (Morris p. 277). “The ancient Babylonians, however, called the city 'Babilu', meaning ‘gate of God’” (Davis p. 150). I think Morris is right when he says, “It was later that those who remained in Babel tried to upgrade its meaning by claiming it meant ....’gate of God’” (p. 278). God reminds us, the original civilization in the plains of Shinar, did not have a glorious beginning. Man often likes to redefine God's terms (Isaiah 5:20). “Babylon” is also a fitting symbol for centers from which ungodly influences are spread (Revelation 18). We hear a lot of "talk" from the world and much of it is nothing more than confusion and "babble", i.e. the babble that there is no such thing as absolute truth.

Conclusion

Like the Flood of Noah, various corrupted versions of this event have survived in various cultures. “Armenian writings speak of a generation of giants who proposed to build a high tower. But a violent wind destroyed the structure and also cast strange words among the people which caused disunity and confusion” (Aalders p.

252). The reader should also note that ruins of enormous building projects have been discovered in the area of Babel.

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