THE SIN OF THE NATIONS (11:1-9).
We are now to be shown why the nations divided up into different languages with the consequent suspicions, hatreds and warfares which resulted. Overall it will be seen as a result of puffed up pride and deliberate rebellion against God. (This chapter is only seen as a new chapter in our Bibles. In the record it was simply a continuation of the narrative). God has not been mentioned in Genesis 10 except as a superlative (Genesis 11:9). The nations have grown without God. Now we are to see that the situation in Genesis 10 was caused by Yahweh as a result of man's sinfulness and rebellion.
‘Now the whole earth was of one language and one speech.'
It is noteworthy in Genesis 10 that, although there was no suggestion of splitting nations according to language, reference to differing languages is made in Genesis 10:5; Genesis 10:20, and Genesis 10:31. That was in preparation for this chapter, as was the diversity of nations. Clearly to begin with, all the sons of Noah spoke the same language. The writer is asking, what then was the cause of the later distinctions?
‘And it came about as they journeyed East that they found a plain in the land of Shinar and they dwelt there.'
“They” simply refers to those who made the choice to go. There is an interesting comparison here with Cain. It was Cain who left the mainstream of those who worshipped Yahweh and set up a ‘city', in his case of tents, in order to demonstrate his independence and for mutual protection, and in order to build an alternative lifestyle and civilisation. Here we are clearly to see a group of Noah's descendants doing the same, but with less excuse for they have not yet been branded as outcasts. They made a free choice. The writer saw their aim as being to find somewhere where they could establish themselves in independence of God.
The land of Shinar is where Nimrod will later come in search of glory and conquest (Genesis 10:10). It is the name of Babylonia proper. This will be the beginning of the symbol of Great Babylon which is later seen as the ultimate in rebellion against God (see Revelation 17-18).
‘And they said to one another, “Go to, let us make brick and burn them thoroughly.” And they had brick for stone and slime for mortar.'
There is the idea here that they build with perishable materials, material that will not last, although they themselves no doubt saw it as a great advance. This may well be intended to signify the first invention of such building methods, and be seen by the writer as a sign of man's inventiveness replacing God's provision. It is part of their rebellion. But he knew that brick and mortar would not have the durability of stone.
‘And they said, “Go to, let us build ourselves a city and a tower whose top may reach to heaven, and let us make us a name lest we be scattered abroad on the face of the earth.” '
The building of a city is a sign of self sufficiency. They are banding together rather than depending on Yahweh. They no longer wish to depend on His protection, but will protect themselves. Great cities were later compared to prostitutes because they offered illicit enjoyment and took men's minds away from God.
“A tower whose top may reach to heaven”. This is a graphic way of saying a very high tower (see Deuteronomy 1:28), but it probably contains in it the idea of connecting with the gods. It was not the height of the tower but the type of tower that was significant. It was almost certainly a ziggurat. These buildings, which became a regular feature of life in Mesopotamia, were stepped buildings which were meant to represent a mountain, and at the top of it was a sanctuary. It was felt that the gods dwelt on mountains, so that provision is being made for them to dwell in the city. Thus this represented idol worship. The tower, like the city itself, is seen by the writer as a further sign of rebellion against Yahweh, replacing Him with more amenable gods who will act according to their will.
“Let us make us a name lest we be scattered abroad.” Their aim was to fill the surrounding people with fear so that they might be free from attack. Their expectation was that their strength in gathering together, and the fearful tower in their midst, which would convince people that the gods were with them, would be sufficient to prevent any attack. Thus they would be safe and would not become scattered. They should have been concerned for the name of Yahweh, but they were only concerned for their own name. This contrasts with Genesis 4:26. They have repudiated His name.
‘And Yahweh came down to see the city and the tower which the children of men built.'
The words are deliberately ironic. They are telling us that the city and tower were so small that God could not see them from where He was and so had to come down to have a look, and a laugh. ‘He who sits in the heavens will laugh, Yahweh will have them in derision, then will he speak to them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure' (Psalms 2:4). The whole Psalm is apposite here.
“The children of men”, stressing that they are but human beings after all and not gods. Their pitiable buildings are not a threat to God, only to themselves.
‘And Yahweh said, “Behold, they are one people, and they all have one language, and this is what they begin doing. And now nothing that they purpose to do will be withheld from them. Go to, let us go down and there confound their language that they may not understand one another”s speech”.'
Yahweh would work on the principle of divide and conquer. Having begun in this way these men will continue with greater and greater rebellion, and lead others astray with them. So the best way to limit this was to confound their language so that men would not necessarily understand each other.
“Go to, let us go down ---”. Further deliberate irony. These men in their pride, arrogance and self-confidence had encouraged each other twice with ‘go to' (let us get on with it), now it is Yahweh's turn to say the third ‘go to'. Three is the number of completeness so that the third encouragement completes the scenario. When He acts it brings things to their conclusion.
“Let US go down --”. Yahweh will take His angels with Him to have a look (see 1 Kings 22:19 on; Job 1:6). Compare 1:26 where the angels were first called on to behold the creation of man. Now they must witness his humiliation. These men are to be a spectacle to the heavenly beings who surround the throne of God. They seek to build a mountain to serve gods. Let those who alone populate the heavens behold their folly.
This statement of Yahweh, communicated to some godly man, is the basis of this covenant record. It is a word spoken by Yahweh in a theophany and thus preserved for that reason.
‘So Yahweh scattered them abroad from there on the face of all the earth and they ceased building the city.'
We must notice carefully what happened and what did not happen. There is no suggestion that the tower fell down. No cataclysmic event is described. They do not suddenly start to speak different languages.
“Yahweh scattered them abroad”. It is not difficult to see how. Other men, seeing what they are about, attack them before it is too late, as Nimrod would later (10:10). (Alternatively there may have been climactic storms and lightning striking the city which caused them to flee in terror, or disease and pestilence and famine may have caused their flight. Whatever it was they fled never to return). Thus their efforts have proved in vain and they are scattered. The final result will be that their languages will begin to change until they are dialects, and will continue to change even more and establish more advanced systems, until they are unrecognisable to each other.
‘Therefore its name was called “Babel” (similar to ‘balel' - to confound) because Yahweh there confounded the language of all the earth, and from there Yahweh scattered them abroad on the face of the earth.'
Bab - el means literally ‘the gate of god' (compare Babylonian ‘bab ili') but the writer makes a play on words to change it to signify confusion. The gate that these men thought would lead them to the gods resulted only in their confusion. So as the writer looks back on what happened he recognises what its final consequences were.
There is a partially parallel account of this event elsewhere where Ur-Nammu (3rd millennium BC) is seen as commanded by the gods to build a ziggurat, but the gods are then offended and throw it down, confusing men's languages and scattering them over the earth. The throwing down of the tower is clearly an addition to the story suggesting that the Ur Nammu version is later than an earlier account on which Genesis is based. Unlike this story with its deep undertones that was but an example of the irascibility of the gods.
The final result is that mankind is to be scattered and split up. By their act of independence unity and brotherhood is gone. The world is no longer one.