TOWER OF BABEL
11 And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech. 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. 3 And they said one to another, Go to, let us make brick, and burn them throughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for morter. 4 And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth. 5 And the Lord came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded. 6 And the Lord said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do. 7 Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech. 8 So the Lord scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city. 9 Therefore is the name of it called Babel; because the Lord did there confound the language of all the earth: and from thence did the Lord scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth.
vs 1 The descendants of Noah make up all the peoples of the earth. God had given language to His creatures, this language probably underwent changes due to different clans. The language was able to be understood by all peoples. The years from creation to flood were 1656. It appears another 293 years pass before Abram is born. In total we are approximately 2000 years from creation. How intelligent might this group of people be? Shem lived 600 years. The knowledge and skills that they acquired would not be lost nearly as fast. They would have been able to teach others and others would have been able to build upon that knowledge. In 1440 Gutenberg invented the movable type printing press, since then we have slowly been able to accumulate knowledge in a way similar to a long lived person. Couple this with our interpretation of languages, we are currently as close to this scenario, as any group of people in the past. In the past 540 we have seen advancements that have changed how we understand every aspect of the creation.
vs 2 The land of Shinar if believed to be between the Euphrates and Tigris in southern Mesopotamia. Here they are under the leadership of Nimrod. Nimrods name means "we shall rebel". Nimrod is the great hunter, possibly a hunter of men. A ruler that has created a society that will attempt to supplant their reliance on God. He has unified a group of skilled, intelligent artisans, that together will stop spreading to the entire world and populating it, and instead, aspire to reach the heavens.
vs 3 We see them conspiring within their own counsel. This is a contrast to Gods counsel. They now will make their decisions based on their will. This is in contrast to seeking Gods will. They had the skill and ability to fire bricks, this would allow them to build a structure that is strong and not as susceptible to the elements.
vs 4 Here is symbol of Satan's city. Mans attempt to usurp God. Babylon is first introduced here and will endure through time. Along with the building of the city, they will build a tower, possibly a ziggurat, that would act as a stairway to the gods.
Let us make a name for ourselves. This is rebellion against being scattered throughout the world and repopulating it. If people move out into the rural areas, they will not have to rely on the city government. They will not be able to join their forces to create great building projects. This in turn will immortalize the names of those that build these great structures. God has provided a way for people to immortalize their names, that is to procreate. This is the promise God will make to Abram. This generation rejects this and above all they wish that their name be remembered.
vs 5 God is seen in the reality in which we understand Him. He has allowed men to go about fulfilling their desires until they reach a point at which God decides that they have crossed a line in which they will not return to him on their own. God comes down to the tower in which men are building to reach to the heavens, how ironic.
vs 6-7 This statement confirms that men will continue in their rebellion, and with the knowledge that they are accumulating, they will achieve great heights of sinfulness. To slow this ascent to total destruction, God will change their languages, causing them to coalesce into groups with the same language. God here says, "let us go down". This may be an illusion to the Trinity.
vs 8 Not only will their languages be confused, but they will be scattered. How often have we resisted Gods will, only to be painfully moved by Him into his will. How much easier it would be if we just listened.
vs 9 Babel is used as a pun here. Merriam Webster notes that in Akkadian, babel means "gate of God". In Hebrew it is very similar to the word that means "confusion".
God will make a statement at Pentecost, that He is in control of our understanding of all languages.
vs 2 The land of Shinar if believed to be between the Euphrates and Tigris in southern Mesopotamia. Here they are under the leadership of Nimrod. Nimrods name means "we shall rebel". Nimrod is the great hunter, possibly a hunter of men. A ruler that has created a society that will attempt to supplant their reliance on God. He has unified a group of skilled, intelligent artisans, that together will stop spreading to the entire world and populating it, and instead, aspire to reach the heavens.
vs 3 We see them conspiring within their own counsel. This is a contrast to Gods counsel. They now will make their decisions based on their will. This is in contrast to seeking Gods will. They had the skill and ability to fire bricks, this would allow them to build a structure that is strong and not as susceptible to the elements.
vs 4 Here is symbol of Satan's city. Mans attempt to usurp God. Babylon is first introduced here and will endure through time. Along with the building of the city, they will build a tower, possibly a ziggurat, that would act as a stairway to the gods.
Let us make a name for ourselves. This is rebellion against being scattered throughout the world and repopulating it. If people move out into the rural areas, they will not have to rely on the city government. They will not be able to join their forces to create great building projects. This in turn will immortalize the names of those that build these great structures. God has provided a way for people to immortalize their names, that is to procreate. This is the promise God will make to Abram. This generation rejects this and above all they wish that their name be remembered.
vs 5 God is seen in the reality in which we understand Him. He has allowed men to go about fulfilling their desires until they reach a point at which God decides that they have crossed a line in which they will not return to him on their own. God comes down to the tower in which men are building to reach to the heavens, how ironic.
vs 6-7 This statement confirms that men will continue in their rebellion, and with the knowledge that they are accumulating, they will achieve great heights of sinfulness. To slow this ascent to total destruction, God will change their languages, causing them to coalesce into groups with the same language. God here says, "let us go down". This may be an illusion to the Trinity.
vs 8 Not only will their languages be confused, but they will be scattered. How often have we resisted Gods will, only to be painfully moved by Him into his will. How much easier it would be if we just listened.
vs 9 Babel is used as a pun here. Merriam Webster notes that in Akkadian, babel means "gate of God". In Hebrew it is very similar to the word that means "confusion".
God will make a statement at Pentecost, that He is in control of our understanding of all languages.
SHEMS DESCENDANTS
10 These are the generations of Shem: Shem was an hundred years old, and begat Arphaxad two years after the flood: 11 and Shem lived after he begat Arphaxad five hundred years, and begat sons and daughters. 12 And Arphaxad lived five and thirty years, and begat Salah: 13 and Arphaxad lived after he begat Salah four hundred and three years, and begat sons and daughters. 14 And Salah lived thirty years, and begat Eber: 15 and Salah lived after he begat Eber four hundred and three years, and begat sons and daughters. 16 And Eber lived four and thirty years, and begat Peleg: 17 and Eber lived after he begat Peleg four hundred and thirty years, and begat sons and daughters. 18 And Peleg lived thirty years, and begat Reu: 19 and Peleg lived after he begat Reu two hundred and nine years, and begat sons and daughters. 20 And Reu lived two and thirty years, and begat Serug: 21 and Reu lived after he begat Serug two hundred and seven years, and begat sons and daughters. 22 And Serug lived thirty years, and begat Nahor: 23 and Serug lived after he begat Nahor two hundred years, and begat sons and daughters. 24 And Nahor lived nine and twenty years, and begat Terah: 25 and Nahor lived after he begat Terah an hundred and nineteen years, and begat sons and daughters. 26 And Terah lived seventy years, and begat Abram, Nahor, and Haran.
TERAHS DESCENDANTS
27 Now these are the generations of Terah: Terah begat Abram, Nahor, and Haran; and Haran begat Lot. 28 And Haran died before his father Terah in the land of his nativity, in Ur of the Chaldees. 29 And Abram and Nahor took them wives: the name of Abram’s wife was Sarai; and the name of Nahor’s wife, Milcah, the daughter of Haran, the father of Milcah, and the father of Iscah. 30 But Sarai was barren; she had no child. 31 And Terah took Abram his son, and Lot the son of Haran his son’s son, and Sarai his daughter in law, his son Abram’s wife; and they went forth with them from Ur of the Chaldees, to go into the land of Canaan; and they came unto Haran, and dwelt there. 32 And the days of Terah were two hundred and five years: and Terah died in Haran.