Genesis 11:1 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

The whole earth— All the inhabitants of the earth, before they were divided and dispersed, spoke one common language, as descended from one common parent. The word, rendered languages שׂפה sapah, signifies lip, as the margin of our Bibles has it; and the word דברים debarim, speech, is plural, and may be rendered "the same words:" so that, probably, hereby is only expressed, that "all men used the same words pronounced in the same manner; they had the same pronunciation, and the same language." Mr. Parkhurst observes, that as sapah signifies sense, sentiment, as well as speech and language, the meaning of this place is, "that mankind in general were unanimous in their speech and counsels, and appeared so in their sentiments and designs (probably because united under one political government); and coming to the delightful plain of Shinar, they intended all to settle there, instead of spreading themselves into the unknown countries of the earth; and to this purpose encouraged one another to build a large city, and a high tower or temple, to prevent their separation, Genesis 11:4 but that God miraculously interposed, and confounded or frustrated this rebellious scheme, which was inconsistent with his will." It clearly appears, that whatever further may be implied, the words certainly express an intercommunity of the same language, and a confusion of that common language afterwards, Genesis 11:7. The reader will be pleased to remember, that when it is said in the foregoing chapter, that the earth was divided by Noah's posterity according to their tongues or language, we remarked, at the beginning of that chapter, that the division of the earth was posterior to the event recorded here, of the confusion of languages.