Let us go down, &c.— God is said to go down, when he executes any work upon earth, which makes his power and presence signally known. The plural us is another proof of the sacred doctrine of the Trinity. See note on ch. Genesis 1:26.
And there confound their language— If this word (language) in the first verse, imports not only speech, but sentiment, the confusion here occasioned by the Lord among them, must have been in both. He not only occasioned a confusion and dissension of sentiment among them, but also a confusion in their language or speech, insomuch that one man was not able to understand what another said. We have no business to examine into the manner how this might be occasioned, when we consider, that it was the immediate work of God; who, doubtless, by a thousand means could have effected this end: nor does there appear more difficulty in occasioning such a confusion in language, or pronunciation, than of giving the power of speaking all languages to men utterly unskilled in them. See Acts 2. Certain however it is, that the confusion produced the end designed by the Lord, and brought on that dispersion and division of mankind, which was a natural consequence of division either in language or sentiment: those who understood the same language, and were of the same sentiments, naturally uniting together. So the earth came to be peopled; these men gradually separating, most probably by joint consent, and the generality of them leaving the city and tower they had begun to build, which, from that event, was called Babel, or confusion: and thus did the Lord scatter or disperse them over all the earth; that is, by means of this event, he caused them to be dispersed; the scripture frequently applying that directly to God, which is only the consequence of his agency.
It has been inquired, in what the crime of these builders at Babel more especially consisted? In answer to which, let the reader consider what hath been said of their attempt, in the note on Acts 2:4. And it will also appear, that, by this scheme, a great part of the earth would have been for a long time uninhabited, uncultivated, and over-run with wild beasts. But, most probably, the bad effects which this project would have had upon the minds, the morals, and the religion of mankind, was the chief reason why God interposed to crush it as soon as it was formed. It had manifestly a direct tendency to tyranny, oppression, and slavery; whereas, in forming several independent governments, by a small body of men, the ends of government, and the security of liberty and property, would be much better attended to, and more firmly established; which, in fact, was generally the case. Corruption may creep into religion under any constitution; but tyranny and despotic power is the readier and surest way to deprive men of the use of understanding and conscience: and vice and idolatry would have spread much faster, had the whole world, in one body, been under the absolute dominion of vicious, insolent, and idolatrous monarchs. This would have been a state of things just in the opposite extreme of the ante-diluvian licentiousness, and would have been nearly as pernicious to all morality and religion, as it must have sunk mankind into the basest servility of soul, and have stocked the earth with a mean-spirited race of mortals, who durst not open their own eyes, make any generous use of their own faculties, or relish the bounties of heaven with pleasure and thankfulness.
For these wise and beneficent reasons, I presume, the Divine Providence interposed, and baffled the project, (which, in the then circumstances of the projectors, would otherwise have been unhappily successful,) by confounding their language in such a manner, as that they could not understand one another. Thus the contagion of wickedness, for some time at least, had bounds set to it; evil example was confined, and could not stretch its influence beyond the limits of one country: nor could wicked projects be carried on with universal concurrence by many little colonies, separated by the natural boundaries of mountains, rivers, and deserts, and hindered from associating together by a variety of languages, unintelligible to each other. And further, in this dispersed state, they would, whenever God pleased, be made checks reciprocally upon each other by invasions and wars; which would weaken the power and humble the pride of corrupt and vicious communities. This dispensation, therefore, was properly calculated to prevent a second universal degeneracy; God therein dealing with men as rational agents, and suiting his designs to their present state and circumstances. This dispersion probably happened about two hundred and forty years after the flood.
REFLECTIONS.—We have here, 1. The name God gives these mighty workers, the children of men. Observe, (1.) They are children of vanity; foolish in their designs, and weak in their efforts against God. (2.) They are children of corruption, wicked as well as weak; and therefore obnoxious, in their state of degeneracy, to the divine displeasure.
2. God's resolution to confound their enterprize. He beheld their pride, but he is able to abase them. When the wicked say, "Let us cast off his bands, and break his cords from us," they are but forging their own chains. God mocks at the impotent attempt, and will make it appear as foolish as it is impious.
3. The method God took: he confounded their language; a method perfectly effectual to prevent their design: they could no longer join in counsel, nor obey command. Whenever he pleaseth, he can as easily disappoint the devices of the wicked, as he now divided their tongues. It was a mercy he visited them no farther: had he said, Let us go down, and consume them utterly, he had been righteous; but he mingles mercy with judgment in this world: it is in the next, where the impenitent will have judgment without mercy.
4. The effect produced: they left off to build. It is high time to have done, when God stands against us.