A word list … (I’m indebted to Allen P. Ross, “The Dispersion of the Nations in Genesis 11:1-9,” Bibliotheca Sacra [Apr.-June, 1981], pp. The Babylonian soil is still celebrated for these architectural materials. Verse 4. Note, [1.] Verse Genesis 11:4. To do so would be to rebel against habit without reason, and to put himself out of relation with the other speakers of the only known tongue. Genesis 28:12). Waltke, Genesis, p. These verses describe the nature of that change by which this form of human selfishness is to be checked. 2. A determination to make a permanent abode in this productive spot is immediately formed. Abraham lived to be over one hundred and sixty. This prohibition was directly intended to counteract the bad example of Cain and Lamek, and to deter those who slew animals from slaying men; and provision was made for the enforcement of its penalty by the institution of civil government. The deification of Roman emperors in the Christian era and their hatred of God were only the eventual developments of the tragedy at Babel. Hence, we perceive that the interposition of Providence in confounding the lip of mankind, is the historical solution of the enigma of philology; the existence of diversity of language at the same time with the natural persistency of form and the historical unity of the human race. The preaching of Noah was a new mode of urging the truths of God on the minds of men, now somewhat exercised in reflective thought. The builders of the "tower" seem to have intended that it serve as a memorial or landmark, among other things. This gives the character of a lurking desire for empire and self-aggrandizement to the design of the leaders - a new form of the same selfish spirit which animated the antediluvian men of name Genesis 6:4. Or did he put the dirt in his eye and spit in his eye and mix it up?" It is said that the gods sent strong winds against them, which dispersed both them and their work. 176-77. It is probable that most of the Shemites spoke dialects of this well-defined type of human speech. You had your chance". to the heavenly bodies: and, to make this interpretation the more probable, he says that previously to this time the descendants of Noah were all agreed in one form of religious worship, (for so he understands ושפה אחת vesaphah achath, and of one lip,) i.e. But the Scriptures record none of the names of the perpetrators. Let's join together. He at length appointed the limit of a hundred and twenty years. Babel was one of the cities founded by Nimrod in the land of Shinar, ancient Babylonia (see 10:8-12). That was an incomplete obedience. And there was a famine in the land: so Abram went down into Egypt to sojourn there; for the famine was grievous in the land ( Genesis 12:8-10 ). Bibliothec, l. 2. p. 96. l. 9. c. 14. p. 416. w Apud Diodor. Hence, it appears that the one primitive tongue was made manifold by diversifying the law of structure, without interfering with the material of which it was composed. Terah lived seventy years, and he begat Abram, Nahor, and Haran ( Genesis 11:26 ). Cain was consumed with anger and jealousy, so he murdered his brother Abel. 1. ], "By placing the Tower of Babel incident just prior to the patriarchal stories, the biblical writer is suggesting, in the first place, that post-Flood humanity is as iniquitous as pre-Flood humanity. So you have a discrepancy in mathematics here. "It was done" (says Josephus) "in disobedience to that command (Genesis 9:1; Genesis 9:1), Replenish the earth." He's the prime example of the man who believes. Now, while they all understood one another, they would be the more likely to love one another, and the more capable of helping one another, and the less inclinable to separate one from another. God continued to honor Abraham. Verse Genesis 11:4. Or did he go occasionally? And then you'd have to know whether or not you respected him. In judgment for trying to establish a world state in opposition to divine rule (human government run amuck), God struck the thing that bound people together, namely, a common language. Or did he spit on the ground and mix it up? Now God's command was to actually fill the earth. The same writer also declared, "That the tower of Genesis 11 is a Babylonian ziggurat is obvious on every ground. But it is quite possible that originally the Gospel was there indeed in the stars as far as the message of God to man.Now it would seem that the Magi who came from the east to find the Christ child were reading correctly the heavens. It was about four hundred miles from Haran, down to the land of Canaan to the area of Shechem where he was ultimately to end up. I'll make you a great nation". He wasn't perfect.God doesn't use perfect people because they don't exist. He placed the ministers and symbols of his presence before it when they were expelled. Found inside11:1–9) The nations scattered (Introversion and Alternation) X|a| (Gen. 11:1) Unity b| (11:2) Shinar Y| (11:3–4) The tower; man's building Y| (11:5) The ... The dispersion of the sons of men at Babel (Genesis 11:1-9), where we have, 1. The sacred writer does not care to distinguish the ordinary from the extraordinary in the procedure of Divine Providence, inasmuch as he ascribes all events to the one creating, superintending, and administering power of God. The lack of pasture for their flocks and provision for themselves leads to a progressive migration. Smegma, p. 264. c Vid. Philo Judæus says, They engraved every one his name upon a brick, in perpetuam rei memoriam--as a perpetual memorial; yet neither did this serve their purpose. They indicate a people still comparatively unsophisticated in their habits. “Therefore was the name of it called Babel, because the Lord had there confounded the lip of all the land.”. The dispersion of the sons of men at Babel (v. 1 … A. Of one lip, and one stock: of words. The developing of this religious system. These forms of human selfishness still linger about the primary commands of the two tables. Four hundred-mile journey, which in those days, with all of the animals and everything else, must have taken quite a long time indeed. [Note: Wenham, Genesis 1-15, p. Further results will soon appear. Thus, from the root “fer,” we get “fer, ferre, ferens, fert, ferebat, feret, ferat, ferret;” φέρε phere, φέρειν pherein, φέρων pherōn, φέει pherei, ἔφερε ephere, φέρῃ pherē, φέροι pheroi, etc. The whole earth was of one language, and one speech ( Genesis 11:1 ). Now that encourages me for some silly reason because I also have my moments of weaknesses. One writer argued for the identification of the tower of Babel incident with the demise and dispersion of the last great Sumerian dynasty centered at Ur. They said, "Come, let us build for ourselves a city, and a tower whose top will reach into heaven, and let us make for ourselves a name, otherwise we will be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth. Found inside – Page 192Commentary on Genesis 4:3-5.13 God Must Have Given Fire as a Sign of Approval. Johannes Brenz: God acknowledged and approved Abel's offering but repudiated ... And that spreading out then into the world and scattering abroad upon the face of the earth as is described.Now we're going to zero in down to Abraham because that's where our story must move. He made of him a great nation. 3 They said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks and burn them thoroughly.” And they used brick for stone, and they … 1692. 119-138, for most of these insights.) But despotism for the few or the one, implies slavery and all its unnumbered ills for the many. And it is not the least important part of true prudence, to have death before our eyes in the midst of life, for the purpose of accustoming ourselves to moderation. 11:4), Abel's was a more excellent sacrifice than Cain's: either (1.) The Tower of Babel. [Note: Hamilton, pp. The Story of Jesus small group video Bible study is a seven-week exploration into the life and ministry of Jesus that is adapted from the original The Story Adult Curriculum. Misunderstanding naturally follows, and begets mistrust. The opening words of the creation account in Genesis are a familiar story to many of us. r In Pirke Eliezer, c. 24. s Apud Diodor. In the nature of it. 2. And when Abraham came to this area, he built an altar. Hence, the permission of animal food might now be safely given, especially when accompanied with the express prohibition of manslaying, under the penalty of death by the hands of the executioner. The dispersion of mankind at the same time put an end to the ambitious projects of the few. [Note: Sailhamer, The Pentateuch . See Jarchi in loco. In order hereunto, they engage themselves and one another in this vast undertaking. The present singular passage explains the nature of that unprecedented change by which mankind passed from one family with a mutually intelligible speech, into many nations of diverse tongues and lands. We find that English is a language that has borrowed much from Latin and from Greek.So there have been developed languages from the basic language system, but God divided their languages. 3 They said to each other, “Come, let’s make bricks and bake them thoroughly.” They used brick instead of stone, and tar for mortar. Wordly things, are the only things that carnal, wicked people set their hearts upon, and are most clever and industrious about. This law has been fixed as the habitude of his mind, from which he only deviates on learning and imitating some of the formative processes of another tongue. Genesis 11:4. II. Both brothers offered God a sacrifice, but God only looked with favour on Abel’s offering. J. P. Fokkelman, Narrative Art in Genesis, p. 22; Wenham, Genesis 1-15, pp. It is here artfully inserted, however, in the popular exclamation, as the people are prone to imagine the glory even of the despot to be reflected on themselves. In all probability the ancient tradition that Nimrod himself was deified and worshiped as Merodach or Marduk in Babylon, and that his wife Semaramis[13] received divine honors would appear to be founded in fact. l. 1. c. 4. sect. Matthew Henry :: Commentary on Genesis 11 ← Back to Matthew Henry's Bio & Resources. ut supra, (Sicul. But the lack of interest in holy things would account for their disappearance among the former. Hence, the propriety of the phrase, “the Lord came down.” He still deals in mercy with a remnant of the human race, and has visited the earth and manifested His presence in a wondrous way. 1. p. 331. And he would have a different word for each action. In reality, God is omnipresent. 2. But Abraham started off journeying in obedience to God from the Ur of the Chaldees. Cain's was only a sacrifice of acknowledgment offered to the Creator; the meat-offerings of the fruit of the ground were no more, and, for aught I know, they might be offered in innocency. Genesis 11:8,9 So the LORD scattered them abroad from there on the face of all the … Psalm 92:9 For, see, your enemies, O LORD, for, see, your enemies shall perish; … Luke 1:51 He has showed strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in … 3. u Apud Euseb. Genesis 11 – Mankind after the Flood; the Tower of Babel A. We can see this in the literary structure of the passage. Smegma, p. 264. But because of the longevity, at sixty-five you were still really, you know, in your prime of youth in a sense of beauty. The speakers of the primitive language, however, would alone retain the knowledge of such a book if extant. "A masterpiece of contemporary Bible translation and commentary."—Los Angeles Times Book Review, Best Books of 1999 Acclaimed for its masterful new translation and insightful commentary, The David Story is a fresh, vivid rendition of one ... In the nature of it. This agrees with Strabo's account of it, who calls it a pyramid, and says it was a furlong high (y): according to Rauwolff (z), the tower of Babel is still in being; this, says he, we saw still (in 1574), and it is half a league in diameter; but it is so mightily ruined, and low, and so full of vermin, that hath bored holes through it, that one may not come near it for half a mile, but only in two months in the winter, when they come not out of their holes. Now the whole earth had one language and one speech. This appears to have been taken from the Chaldean history, in which it is said their dispersion was made to the four winds of heaven, בארבע רוחי שמיא bearba ruchey shemaiya, i.e. But, at the end of the Tower of Babel, the people, who feared being scattered . Found inside3 Thu, Oct. 4 Animals Climb Aboard Genesis 7:11–16 Fri, Oct. 5 The Flood Destroys All Earthly Life Genesis 7:17–24 Sat, Oct. 6 Survivors Disembark Genesis ... The universality of application is clearly and constantly maintained throughout the whole passage. Found inside – Page 212events and meaning of Biblical “history” as independent of the words of ... Genesis 11:4 to be the construction of a tower accessing this high level of the ... Commentary on Genesis 1:1—2:4a. It gives you just a fabulous view. It's 'deserty'. GOD CREATES THE UNIVERSE (1) II. The effect of the divine interposition is noted in Genesis 11:8-9. For the day of Jehovah of Armies is upon every one proud and high and upon every one that is lifted up, and he shall be humbled; and upon all the cedars of Lebanon that are high and lifted up, and upon all the oaks of Bashan; and upon all the high mountains, and upon all the hills that are lifted up, and upon every lofty tower, and upon every fenced wall (Isaiah 2:11-18); concerning the love of self, which is described by the "cedars," "oaks," "mountains," "hills," and "tower" that are "high" and "lifted up. V1-16. But even if this two-volumed Bible were not possessed by the nations in a written form, its presence here, at the head of the writings of divine truth, marks the catholic design of the Old Testament, and intimates the comprehension of the whole family of man within the merciful purposes of the Almighty. It was probably from this disguised representation of the Hebrew text that the Greek and Roman poets took their fable of the giants waging war with the gods, and piling mountain upon mountain in order to scale heaven. Thus problem (ch. Let us build us a city and a tower — On this subject there have been various conjectures. ), Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture: Old Testament I: Genesis 1-11 (Downers Grove, Illinois: InterVarsity Press, 2001) Mathews, Kenneth A., . So don't worry that you're not perfect. Found insideGenesis 11:1 Genesis 11:2 Genesis 11:3 Genesis 11:4 Genesis 11:5 Genesis 11:6 Genesis 11:7 Genesis 11:8 Genesis 11:9 Genesis 11:10 Genesis 11:27 Genesis ... 2 And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar; and they dwelt there. Instead of coveting to enlarge their borders by a peaceful departure under the divine protection, they contrived to fortify them, and, as those that were resolved to wage war with Heaven, they put themselves into a posture of defence. But these expositions are constrained; nor is there any reason which requires us to apply what they here say, to the curse which was inflicted upon them. And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top. [2.] Arphaxad lived five, thirty-five years, and begat Salah ( Genesis 11:12 ): And we get, he begat Eber and we follow down to Abraham, and actually that's the one where we're coming to, so let's go on to verse twenty-six. Cf. Found insideTo those familiar with the work of Bruce K. Waltke, the significance and value of Genesis will be instantly apparent. But this type of language was extended beyond the Shemites to the Kenaanites and perhaps some other Hamites. And that they were reading truly the signs that God had placed there. 1. p. 331. d Perizonius, apud Universal History, ib. John Piper poignantly shares what God wants us to know about his sovereignty and Christ's supremacy when we encounter sin or tragedy. And he removed from thence unto a mountain on the east of Bethel, and he pitched his tent, having Bethel on the west, and Hai [or Ai] on the east ( Genesis 12:8 ): Now when Joshua came in later to conquer the land, he came up from Jericho and conquered Ai and then onto Bethel. Mors sola fatetur Quantula sint hominum corpuscula.” Ju5. . The human race, consisting it might be of five hundred families, journeys eastward, with a few points of deflection to the south, along the Euphrates valley, and comes to a plain of surpassing fertility in the land of Shinar (Herod. 6. 4. God continued to bless Abraham. "Whose top may reach unto heaven ..." This expression is viewed by many as merely a rhetorical way of expressing great height, or as a device by which they might avoid disaster of another flood, or as some kind of a fortification, but we cannot accept any understanding of this that leaves out of sight the religious and theological aspect of it. In Genesis 12:1-3 we find the answer to that question. Ours must surely be a highly cultured form of language, the English language. The seventy-five and the seventy makes a hundred and forty-five years, and yet he lived to be two hundred and five years old. Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament "And now (sc., because thou hast done this) be cursed from the earth." "The tower of Babel story is the last great judgment that befell mankind in primeval times. So long as a national speech retains any of its forms, they continue to be part of that special type by which it is characterized. God had instructed man to fill the earth (Genesis 1:28), to spread over the whole planet. But they altogether went from the Ur of the Chaldees ( Genesis 11:31 ). the name of Abram's wife was Sarai; and the name of Nahor's wife was Milcah, for she was also the daughter of Haran ( Genesis 11:29 ), the father of Milcah, and the father of Iscah. See Psalms 122:1; Isaiah 2:3; Isaiah 2:5; Jeremiah 50:5. It is as truly a covenant of grace as that with Abraham. Their unanimous resolution is, Let us build ourselves a city and a tower. And accordingly this is the very point in which the historian marks the interposition of the Almighty. Having completed the table of nations, the sacred writer, according to his wont, goes back to record an event of great moment, both for the explanation of this table and for the future history of the human race. Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers, Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament. “Behold, the people is one.” And the close is on this point in keeping with the commencement. And a salutary dread of death, as the express penalty of disobedience, was a needful lesson in the infancy of the human race. They would be like the Most High, or would come as near him as they could, not in holiness but in height. Sicul. They stopped with his father. There are possible explanations for and which one is correct, of course, we don't know.Chapter 12. He lingered in the garden as long as his forbearance could be expected to influence man for good. But some of these primitive cultures have so many words for "man". Why did you say, She is my sister? It's barbar, oh; he's a barbar. They said, Go to, let us make brick (Genesis 11:3; Genesis 11:3), and again, (Genesis 11:4; Genesis 11:4), Go to, let us build ourselves a city; by mutual excitements they made one another more daring and resolute. It's good to know that Abraham wasn't perfect nor was his faith perfect. The place is really dry. Unity of counsel and of action becomes impossible. Now God is establishing covenant with Abraham. We cannot tell how many of the Gentiles explicitly or implicitly consented to this general covenant and partook of its blessings. Many have discerned this. By such an example, however, we are admonished how fitting it is that we should live and die humbly. 11:4), not just because it was an animal, nor just because it was the very best of what he had, nor even that it was the culmination of a zealous heart for God; but, because it was in every way obediently given according to what God must have revealed (though not recorded in Genesis). New from Best-Selling Author John Piper From Genesis to Revelation, the providence of God directs the entire course of redemptive history. l. 9. c. 14. p. 416. Whether or not you know how old was Terah when Abraham was born, we don't know. And anybody who didn't speak Greek was a barbar because your language sounded so funny. Being therefore strictly united in all things, coming to the fertile plains of Shinar they proposed to settle themselves there, instead of spreading themselves over all the countries of the earth, according to the design of God; and in reference to this purpose they encouraged one another to build a city and a tower, probably a temple, to prevent their separation, "lest," say they, "we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth:" but God, miraculously interposing, confounded or frustrated their rebellious design, which was inconsistent with his will; see Deuteronomy 32:8; Acts 17:26; and, partly by confounding their language, and disturbing their counsels, they could no longer keep in a united state; so that agreeing in nothing but the necessity of separating, they went off in different directions, and thus became scattered abroad upon the face of the earth. i., c. 13, edit. And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar, and they dwelt there. Found inside – Page 334GENESIS 4:4a. And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. Here, if you look at the acts of their worship themselves, ... Patricides, p. 13. apud Hottinger. To see the wider context, we need to look back to the story of Noah and the flood (Genesis 7-9) They wanted to "empower" themselves. l. 16. p. 508. z Travels, ut supra. Some of its contents might be preserved in the memory, and handed down to the posterity of the founders of the primeval nations. Chapter 11. This is an hyperbolical form of speech, in which they boastingly extol the loftiness of the structure they are attempting to raise. But when you start putting the ages together, you find that Abraham actually left, if Terah lived to be two hundred and five years old, then he was seven years old when Abraham was born then, and Abraham was seventy-five when he left. It just is a beautiful vantage-point in that mountainous area between Bethel and Ai. They found a very convenient commodious place to settle in (Genesis 11:2; Genesis 11:2), a plain in the land of Shinar, a spacious plain, able to contain them all, and a fruitful plain, able, according as their present numbers were, to support them all, though perhaps they had not considered what room there would be for them when their numbers should be increased. Found inside – Page 141Humanity's Space and God's Space in Genesis 11:1–9 Humanity's Space God's Space Gen 11:1 ... Gen 11:4 should be seen as a specific explanation of Gen 11:3. Come and follow Me" ( Matthew 8:21-22 ). This is the perpetual infatuation of the world; to neglect heaven, and to seek immortality on earth, where every thing is fading and transient. It's an attempt to sort of countermand God's commandment. It is spoken by the great bulk of the descendants of Japheth, and embraces a series of cognate modes of communication, extending from India to the various European colonies of America. The city would henceforth be abandoned to the immediate party of Nimrod. And so many times when we read about faith and the exploits of faith, we think, "But I'm so weak and I've blown it so many times, surely I can't do it". l. 4. p. 28, 29. Now again we're describing the activities of God in human terms as though God were coming down and looking things over. And just because you slipped back and have your moments doesn't mean that God won't honor you and honor your faith, or that God doesn't love you and wants to still work in a powerful way in your life, just because you blow it and you stop at Haran. [Note: Ross, Creation and . (x) Clio sive, l. 1. c. 181. Tired of seeing ads while studying? "The whole earth was of one language, one speech.". The Targums, both of Jonathan ben Uzziel and of Jerusalem, assert that the tower was for idolatrous worship; and that they intended to place an image on the top of the tower with a sword in its hand, probably to act as a talisman against their enemies. For he who vehemently desires to be great in the world, is first contumelious towards men, and at length, his profane presumption breaks forth against God himself; so that after the example of the giants, he fights against heaven. Now there is a seeming contradiction of scripture here when you get in the New Testament and Stephen is talking about Abraham being called of God to leave the Ur of the Chaldees and to go to Israel, how that after he said Terah died, Abraham then went on to Canaan. They say Babel was built by the giants, because Nimrod, one of the builders, is called in the Hebrew text גבור gibbor, a mighty man; or, as the Septuagint, γιγας, a giant. The ziggurat was a step-ladder edifice, made up of mud bricks, whose bottom was square or rectangular. “And now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do.” Now that they have made this notable beginning of concentration, ambition, and renown, there is nothing in this way which they will not imagine or attempt. And they said, go to, let us build us a city and a tower, &c.] Some Jewish writers F18 say, these are the words of Nimrod to his people; but it is a question whether he was now born, or if he was, must be too young to be at the head of such a body of people; but they are spoken to one another, or by the principal men among them to the common people, advising and encouraging … It just means that they talk some other language rather than the cultured Greek.And so from that we get the word "barbarian" but it originally was just a, you know, just a sound that they made, unintelligible sound by which they were sort of mimicking any language other than Greek. according to him, they had one litany; and as God confounded their litany, they began to disagree in their religious opinions, and branched out into sects and parties, each associating with those of his own sentiment; and thus their tower or temple was left unfinished.

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