Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech.
When the tower was only partly built, God Himself interposed to defeat it by sending angels to confuse the one language then spoken, so that orders passed along the chain of messengers between top and base were misunderstood or reversed. The resulting dismay ended harmony and stopped the work, turning united builders into angry, striving factions who abandoned the tower, grouped by common speech, and scattered to found distinct nations, while lightning broke off its upper part as proof of divine judgment. They had joined in rebellion against the direction to disperse and replenish the earth, determining instead to remain one body and build a city and heaven-high tower as metropolis of a universal empire, to make themselves independent of God and secure against another flood and to exalt human fame. The confounding shows that God rules supreme over human plans and can frustrate even fully united rebellion to show men that they are only men. Judgment was delayed for the sake of God-fearing men drawn into the scheme and to give opportunity for repentance, yet to those set against Him it was great loss and a lasting lesson, shutting them out from those who could have given them light and proving that self-reliant movements to reach heaven by human devising gain nothing but confusion.
Rebellion at Babel
Genesis 11:7 belongs to the first great apostasy after the Flood, when Noah's descendants increased in number and those who desired to forget their Creator and cast off the restraint of His law separated from the worshipers of God and journeyed to the plain of Shinar on the banks of the Euphrates. There apostasy led to division, with those separating themselves from the worshipers of Jehovah determining to build a city and in it a tower reaching unto heaven.
Contrary to God's direction to disperse throughout the earth to replenish and subdue it, the builders determined to keep their community united in one body and to prevent scattering abroad into colonies. They purposed to found a monarchy that should eventually embrace the whole earth, with their city as the metropolis of a universal empire whose glory would command the admiration and homage of the world. The undertaking was a confederacy born of rebellion against God to thwart His purposes, established for self-exaltation and not for the glory of God and in opposition to His law, rejecting His counsel to carry out their own purposes.
They built a city and a tower of stupendous height reaching unto heaven, meant to be the wonder of the world and a monument of their own power and wisdom to perpetuate their fame to the latest generations and render the founders illustrious. It was made so high that no flood could rise to the top and so massive that nothing could sweep it away, hoping to make themselves independent of God and to secure their own safety against another deluge. They feared another flood despite God's covenant, resenting His destruction of the ancient world and cursing of the earth, and sought safety by building above the floodwaters, even to ascend to the region of the clouds to ascertain the cause of the flood. The project also aimed to exalt human pride and the pride of the projectors and to turn future generations away from God into idolatry.
The builders had separated themselves from the faithful followers of God and corrupted the system of sacrificial offerings first established with Adam after his fall and taught by him to his descendants. They had no faith in the Redeemer to come, but offered animals and extravagant gifts to gods of their own making and to gods of silver and gold instead of to the God of heaven. Part of the tower when only partly finished was already used as a dwelling, while other richly furnished rooms were set apart for idols, as the people rejoiced in their success, praised gods of silver and gold, and set themselves against the Ruler of heaven and earth. Their superstition taught that more valuable offerings pleased their gods more and brought greater favor, prosperity, and riches to the nation, so that even human beings were often sacrificed to senseless idols, and many of the laws governing these nations were cruel in the extreme, made by men whose hearts were not softened by divine grace, passing over debasing crimes lightly while visiting small offenses with cruel punishment.
The undertaking was a heaven-daring confederacy in which the great majority were fully united. Yet some God-fearing men living among them had been deceived by the pretensions of the ungodly and drawn into their schemes, but refused to join the confederacy to thwart God's purposes and would not be deceived by its wonderful representations and grand outlook. For the sake of these loyal ones judgment was delayed to give time to reveal true character, and God Himself interposed between His cause and the plans of men in answer to the prayer of those who loved and feared Him, bearing long with perversity and giving ample opportunity for repentance while marking all devices to resist the authority of His just and holy law.
Had the builders been permitted to go on unchecked they would have demoralized the world by their wonderful plans. Had they succeeded, a mighty power would have borne sway, banishing righteousness and inaugurating a new religion that mixed certain religious ideas with a mass of erroneous theories. That mixture would have closed the door to peace, happiness, and security, and would have banished knowledge of the law of Jehovah, holy, just, and good, from the minds of men, so that men would not think it necessary to obey the divine statutes and the divine precepts would have been ignored and forgotten. In place of the divine precepts they would have substituted laws framed in accordance with the desires of their selfish hearts in order to carry out their purposes, under determined men inspired and urged on by the first great rebel who would permit nothing to interfere with their plans or to stop them in their evil course.
The dispersion from Babel provides the time setting for the founding of Nineveh, which was founded about the time of that dispersion.
God Confounds Their Speech
When the tower was only partly finished, God Himself interposed to defeat the builders by sending angels to confound their language. The tower had grown so tall that workmen at the top could not speak directly with those at the base, so men were stationed at different heights to receive and pass along orders for material and directions for the work. The confounding struck that chain of messengers, disrupting the words as messages passed from one to another.
Until then all the people had spoken one language. But as messages were relayed they became confused, so that material was called for which was not needed and directions were delivered often the reverse of those given, with wrong materials reaching the top. Those who could understand one another then separated from the rest.
The resulting confusion and dismay destroyed harmony and cooperation and brought all work to a complete standstill. The builders could not explain the strange misunderstandings, and in rage and disappointment reproached one another with angry words. Their united undertaking ended in strife and even bloodshed, and they abandoned the tower.
Those who could understand one another formed separate groups and scattered across the earth. From that scattering arose distinct peoples speaking different languages, and different languages and nations were founded. In this way the confederacy was broken up and men were dispersed abroad.
Lightnings from heaven broke off the upper part of the tower and cast it to the ground. This overthrow of the memorial of rebellion was an evidence of God's displeasure. It showed that however great men's selfish works may be, no human structure can shut out judgment.
Divine Purpose and Lessons
The confounding of speech shows that there is a God who rules in the heavens over human plans and rebellion. He is supreme, and He can frustrate united human undertakings, confuse language and multiply confusion, to make rebellious men feel that they are only men. When the tower was only partly finished, while part of it was already used as a dwelling and richly furnished rooms were set apart for idols, and while the people rejoiced in success, praised gods of silver and gold, and set themselves against the Ruler of heaven and earth, He sent angels to defeat them. They struck the chain of messengers stationed at different heights to pass orders for material and directions between the top and the base, so that wrong material was called for, messages became confused, and orders were delivered often the reverse of those given, until then all having spoken one language. The result was confusion and dismay, lack of harmony and cooperation, a complete standstill of the work, angry reproaches among builders who could not explain the misunderstandings, and the breakup of the confederacy in strife and bloodshed, with those who could understand one another separating to form distinct peoples, languages and nations, while lightnings from heaven broke off the upper part of the tower and cast it to the ground.
The interposition was God's own coming down to see the idol-building city and tower in answer to the prayer of those who loved and feared Him at the first great apostasy after the Flood, defeating the purpose of the builders and overthrowing the memorial of their rebellion. The confounding was an evidence of His displeasure over the tower and over resistance to the authority of His just and holy law. At the same time it showed that He bears long with perversity and gives ample opportunity for repentance, yet marks all devices framed to resist Him.
The confusion was a great loss to those who set themselves against Him. His purpose was that as men went forth to found nations in different parts of the earth they should carry with them a knowledge of His will, that the light of truth might shine undimmed to succeeding generations. Noah lived three hundred and fifty years after the Flood and Shem lived five hundred years, so their descendants had opportunity to become acquainted with God's requirements and the history of His dealings with their fathers. But they were unwilling to listen to these unpalatable truths and had no desire to retain God in their knowledge, and by the confusion of tongues they were in great measure shut out from intercourse with those who might have given them light.
The confusion of tongues created a barrier to mutual understanding that resulted from sin and prevents full communication between people, and therefore points to a time when nothing will hinder communion. The builders had used wonderful talent and ambition to reach heaven by their own devising because they would not trust God's way of safety in the ark that had been built, and God quenched the project with confusion of tongues to teach that such self-reliant movements gain nothing but confusion. Their ambitious building could not secure them against judgment, showing that men may build great works for selfish ends, but no human structure can shut out the messengers of doom.
When the tower was only partly built, God Himself interposed to defeat it by sending angels to confuse the one language then spoken, so that orders passed along the chain of messengers between top and base were misunderstood or reversed. The resulting dismay ended harmony and stopped the work, turning united builders into angry, striving factions who abandoned the tower, grouped by common speech, and scattered to found distinct nations, while lightning broke off its upper part as proof of divine judgment. They had joined in rebellion against the direction to disperse and replenish the earth, determining instead to remain one body and build a city and heaven-high tower as metropolis of a universal empire, to make themselves independent of God and secure against another flood and to exalt human fame. The confounding shows that God rules supreme over human plans and can frustrate even fully united rebellion to show men that they are only men. Judgment was delayed for the sake of God-fearing men drawn into the scheme and to give opportunity for repentance, yet to those set against Him it was great loss and a lasting lesson, shutting them out from those who could have given them light and proving that self-reliant movements to reach heaven by human devising gain nothing but confusion.
Rebellion at Babel
Genesis 11:7 belongs to the first great apostasy after the Flood, when Noah's descendants increased in number and those who desired to forget their Creator and cast off the restraint of His law separated from the worshipers of God and journeyed to the plain of Shinar on the banks of the Euphrates. There apostasy led to division, with those separating themselves from the worshipers of Jehovah determining to build a city and in it a tower reaching unto heaven.
Contrary to God's direction to disperse throughout the earth to replenish and subdue it, the builders determined to keep their community united in one body and to prevent scattering abroad into colonies. They purposed to found a monarchy that should eventually embrace the whole earth, with their city as the metropolis of a universal empire whose glory would command the admiration and homage of the world. The undertaking was a confederacy born of rebellion against God to thwart His purposes, established for self-exaltation and not for the glory of God and in opposition to His law, rejecting His counsel to carry out their own purposes.
They built a city and a tower of stupendous height reaching unto heaven, meant to be the wonder of the world and a monument of their own power and wisdom to perpetuate their fame to the latest generations and render the founders illustrious. It was made so high that no flood could rise to the top and so massive that nothing could sweep it away, hoping to make themselves independent of God and to secure their own safety against another deluge. They feared another flood despite God's covenant, resenting His destruction of the ancient world and cursing of the earth, and sought safety by building above the floodwaters, even to ascend to the region of the clouds to ascertain the cause of the flood. The project also aimed to exalt human pride and the pride of the projectors and to turn future generations away from God into idolatry.
The builders had separated themselves from the faithful followers of God and corrupted the system of sacrificial offerings first established with Adam after his fall and taught by him to his descendants. They had no faith in the Redeemer to come, but offered animals and extravagant gifts to gods of their own making and to gods of silver and gold instead of to the God of heaven. Part of the tower when only partly finished was already used as a dwelling, while other richly furnished rooms were set apart for idols, as the people rejoiced in their success, praised gods of silver and gold, and set themselves against the Ruler of heaven and earth. Their superstition taught that more valuable offerings pleased their gods more and brought greater favor, prosperity, and riches to the nation, so that even human beings were often sacrificed to senseless idols, and many of the laws governing these nations were cruel in the extreme, made by men whose hearts were not softened by divine grace, passing over debasing crimes lightly while visiting small offenses with cruel punishment.
The undertaking was a heaven-daring confederacy in which the great majority were fully united. Yet some God-fearing men living among them had been deceived by the pretensions of the ungodly and drawn into their schemes, but refused to join the confederacy to thwart God's purposes and would not be deceived by its wonderful representations and grand outlook. For the sake of these loyal ones judgment was delayed to give time to reveal true character, and God Himself interposed between His cause and the plans of men in answer to the prayer of those who loved and feared Him, bearing long with perversity and giving ample opportunity for repentance while marking all devices to resist the authority of His just and holy law.
Had the builders been permitted to go on unchecked they would have demoralized the world by their wonderful plans. Had they succeeded, a mighty power would have borne sway, banishing righteousness and inaugurating a new religion that mixed certain religious ideas with a mass of erroneous theories. That mixture would have closed the door to peace, happiness, and security, and would have banished knowledge of the law of Jehovah, holy, just, and good, from the minds of men, so that men would not think it necessary to obey the divine statutes and the divine precepts would have been ignored and forgotten. In place of the divine precepts they would have substituted laws framed in accordance with the desires of their selfish hearts in order to carry out their purposes, under determined men inspired and urged on by the first great rebel who would permit nothing to interfere with their plans or to stop them in their evil course.
The dispersion from Babel provides the time setting for the founding of Nineveh, which was founded about the time of that dispersion.
God Confounds Their Speech
When the tower was only partly finished, God Himself interposed to defeat the builders by sending angels to confound their language. The tower had grown so tall that workmen at the top could not speak directly with those at the base, so men were stationed at different heights to receive and pass along orders for material and directions for the work. The confounding struck that chain of messengers, disrupting the words as messages passed from one to another.
Until then all the people had spoken one language. But as messages were relayed they became confused, so that material was called for which was not needed and directions were delivered often the reverse of those given, with wrong materials reaching the top. Those who could understand one another then separated from the rest.
The resulting confusion and dismay destroyed harmony and cooperation and brought all work to a complete standstill. The builders could not explain the strange misunderstandings, and in rage and disappointment reproached one another with angry words. Their united undertaking ended in strife and even bloodshed, and they abandoned the tower.
Those who could understand one another formed separate groups and scattered across the earth. From that scattering arose distinct peoples speaking different languages, and different languages and nations were founded. In this way the confederacy was broken up and men were dispersed abroad.
Lightnings from heaven broke off the upper part of the tower and cast it to the ground. This overthrow of the memorial of rebellion was an evidence of God's displeasure. It showed that however great men's selfish works may be, no human structure can shut out judgment.
Divine Purpose and Lessons
The confounding of speech shows that there is a God who rules in the heavens over human plans and rebellion. He is supreme, and He can frustrate united human undertakings, confuse language and multiply confusion, to make rebellious men feel that they are only men. When the tower was only partly finished, while part of it was already used as a dwelling and richly furnished rooms were set apart for idols, and while the people rejoiced in success, praised gods of silver and gold, and set themselves against the Ruler of heaven and earth, He sent angels to defeat them. They struck the chain of messengers stationed at different heights to pass orders for material and directions between the top and the base, so that wrong material was called for, messages became confused, and orders were delivered often the reverse of those given, until then all having spoken one language. The result was confusion and dismay, lack of harmony and cooperation, a complete standstill of the work, angry reproaches among builders who could not explain the misunderstandings, and the breakup of the confederacy in strife and bloodshed, with those who could understand one another separating to form distinct peoples, languages and nations, while lightnings from heaven broke off the upper part of the tower and cast it to the ground.
The interposition was God's own coming down to see the idol-building city and tower in answer to the prayer of those who loved and feared Him at the first great apostasy after the Flood, defeating the purpose of the builders and overthrowing the memorial of their rebellion. The confounding was an evidence of His displeasure over the tower and over resistance to the authority of His just and holy law. At the same time it showed that He bears long with perversity and gives ample opportunity for repentance, yet marks all devices framed to resist Him.
The confusion was a great loss to those who set themselves against Him. His purpose was that as men went forth to found nations in different parts of the earth they should carry with them a knowledge of His will, that the light of truth might shine undimmed to succeeding generations. Noah lived three hundred and fifty years after the Flood and Shem lived five hundred years, so their descendants had opportunity to become acquainted with God's requirements and the history of His dealings with their fathers. But they were unwilling to listen to these unpalatable truths and had no desire to retain God in their knowledge, and by the confusion of tongues they were in great measure shut out from intercourse with those who might have given them light.
The confusion of tongues created a barrier to mutual understanding that resulted from sin and prevents full communication between people, and therefore points to a time when nothing will hinder communion. The builders had used wonderful talent and ambition to reach heaven by their own devising because they would not trust God's way of safety in the ark that had been built, and God quenched the project with confusion of tongues to teach that such self-reliant movements gain nothing but confusion. Their ambitious building could not secure them against judgment, showing that men may build great works for selfish ends, but no human structure can shut out the messengers of doom.