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Genesis 11:9 King James Version with Strong's Concordance (STRONG)

9 Therefore is the name of it H8034 called H7121 Babel; H894 because the LORD H3068 did there confound H1101 the language H8193 of all the earth: H776 and from thence did H6327 the LORD H3068 scatter them abroad H6327 upon the face H6440 of all the earth. H776

Cross Reference

Genesis 10:10 STRONG

And the beginning H7225 of his kingdom H4467 was Babel, H894 and Erech, H751 and Accad, H390 and Calneh, H3641 in the land H776 of Shinar. H8152

Genesis 10:5 STRONG

By these were the isles H339 of the Gentiles H1471 divided in H6504 their lands; H776 every one H376 after his tongue, H3956 after their families, H4940 in their nations. H1471

Genesis 10:20 STRONG

These are the sons H1121 of Ham, H2526 after their families, H4940 after their tongues, H3956 in their countries, H776 and in their nations. H1471

Genesis 10:25 STRONG

And unto Eber H5677 were born H3205 two H8147 sons: H1121 the name H8034 of one H259 was Peleg; H6389 for in his days H3117 was the earth H776 divided; H6385 and his brother's H251 name H8034 was Joktan. H3355

Genesis 10:31-32 STRONG

These are the sons H1121 of Shem, H8035 after their families, H4940 after their tongues, H3956 in their lands, H776 after their nations. H1471 These are the families H4940 of the sons H1121 of Noah, H5146 after their generations, H8435 in their nations: H1471 and by these were the nations H1471 divided H6504 in the earth H776 after H310 the flood. H3999

Isaiah 13:1-14 STRONG

The burden H4853 of Babylon, H894 which Isaiah H3470 the son H1121 of Amoz H531 did see. H2372 Lift ye up H5375 a banner H5251 upon the high H8192 mountain, H2022 exalt H7311 the voice H6963 unto them, shake H5130 the hand, H3027 that they may go H935 into the gates H6607 of the nobles. H5081 I have commanded H6680 my sanctified ones, H6942 I have also called H7121 my mighty ones H1368 for mine anger, H639 even them that rejoice H5947 in my highness. H1346 The noise H6963 of a multitude H1995 in the mountains, H2022 like as H1823 of a great H7227 people; H5971 a tumultuous H7588 noise H6963 of the kingdoms H4467 of nations H1471 gathered together: H622 the LORD H3068 of hosts H6635 mustereth H6485 the host H6635 of the battle. H4421 They come H935 from a far H4801 country, H776 from the end H7097 of heaven, H8064 even the LORD, H3068 and the weapons H3627 of his indignation, H2195 to destroy H2254 the whole land. H776 Howl H3213 ye; for the day H3117 of the LORD H3068 is at hand; H7138 it shall come H935 as a destruction H7701 from the Almighty. H7706 Therefore shall all hands H3027 be faint, H7503 and every man's H582 heart H3824 shall melt: H4549 And they shall be afraid: H926 pangs H6735 and sorrows H2256 shall take hold H270 of them; they shall be in pain H2342 as a woman that travaileth: H3205 they shall be amazed H8539 one H376 at another; H7453 their faces H6440 shall be as flames. H3851 Behold, the day H3117 of the LORD H3068 cometh, H935 cruel H394 both with wrath H5678 and fierce H2740 anger, H639 to lay H7760 the land H776 desolate: H8047 and he shall destroy H8045 the sinners H2400 thereof out of it. For the stars H3556 of heaven H8064 and the constellations H3685 thereof shall not give H1984 their light: H216 the sun H8121 shall be darkened H2821 in his going forth, H3318 and the moon H3394 shall not cause her light H216 to shine. H5050 And I will punish H6485 the world H8398 for their evil, H7451 and the wicked H7563 for their iniquity; H5771 and I will cause the arrogancy H1347 of the proud H2086 to cease, H7673 and will lay low H8213 the haughtiness H1346 of the terrible. H6184 I will make a man H582 more precious H3365 than fine gold; H6337 even a man H120 than the golden wedge H3800 of Ophir. H211 Therefore I will shake H7264 the heavens, H8064 and the earth H776 shall remove H7493 out of her place, H4725 in the wrath H5678 of the LORD H3068 of hosts, H6635 and in the day H3117 of his fierce H2740 anger. H639 And it shall be as the chased H5080 roe, H6643 and as a sheep H6629 that no man taketh up: H6908 they shall every man H376 turn H6437 to his own people, H5971 and flee H5127 every one H376 into his own land. H776

Acts 17:26 STRONG

And G5037 hath made G4160 of G1537 one G1520 blood G129 all G3956 nations G1484 of men G444 for to dwell G2730 on G1909 all G3956 the face G4383 of the earth, G1093 and hath determined G3724 the times G2540 before appointed, G4384 and G2532 the bounds G3734 of their G846 habitation; G2733

1 Corinthians 14:23 STRONG

If G1437 therefore G3767 the whole G3650 church G1577 be come together G4905 into G1909 one place, G846 and G2532 all G3956 speak G2980 with tongues, G1100 and G1161 there come in G1525 those that are unlearned, G2399 or G2228 unbelievers, G571 will they G2046 not G3756 say G2046 that G3754 ye are mad? G3105

Jeremiah 50:1-46 STRONG

The word H1697 that the LORD H3068 spake H1696 against Babylon H894 and against the land H776 of the Chaldeans H3778 by H3027 Jeremiah H3414 the prophet. H5030 Declare H5046 ye among the nations, H1471 and publish, H8085 and set up H5375 a standard; H5251 publish, H8085 and conceal H3582 not: say, H559 Babylon H894 is taken, H3920 Bel H1078 is confounded, H3001 Merodach H4781 is broken in pieces; H2865 her idols H6091 are confounded, H3001 her images H1544 are broken in pieces. H2865 For out of the north H6828 there cometh up H5927 a nation H1471 against her, which shall make H7896 her land H776 desolate, H8047 and none shall dwell H3427 therein: they shall remove, H5110 they shall depart, H1980 both man H120 and beast. H929 In those days, H3117 and in that time, H6256 saith H5002 the LORD, H3068 the children H1121 of Israel H3478 shall come, H935 they and the children H1121 of Judah H3063 together, H3162 going H1980 and weeping: H1058 they shall go, H3212 and seek H1245 the LORD H3068 their God. H430 They shall ask H7592 the way H1870 to Zion H6726 with their faces H6440 thitherward, H2008 saying, Come, H935 and let us join H3867 ourselves to the LORD H3068 in a perpetual H5769 covenant H1285 that shall not be forgotten. H7911 My people H5971 hath been lost H6 sheep: H6629 their shepherds H7462 have caused them to go astray, H8582 they have turned them away H7725 H7726 on the mountains: H2022 they have gone H1980 from mountain H2022 to hill, H1389 they have forgotten H7911 their restingplace. H7258 All that found H4672 them have devoured H398 them: and their adversaries H6862 said, H559 We offend H816 not, because they have sinned H2398 against the LORD, H3068 the habitation H5116 of justice, H6664 even the LORD, H3068 the hope H4723 of their fathers. H1 Remove H5110 out of the midst H8432 of Babylon, H894 and go forth H3318 H3318 out of the land H776 of the Chaldeans, H3778 and be as the he goats H6260 before H6440 the flocks. H6629 For, lo, I will raise H5782 and cause to come up H5927 against Babylon H894 an assembly H6951 of great H1419 nations H1471 from the north H6828 country: H776 and they shall set themselves in array H6186 against her; from thence she shall be taken: H3920 their arrows H2671 shall be as of a mighty H1368 expert man; H7919 H7921 none shall return H7725 in vain. H7387 And Chaldea H3778 shall be a spoil: H7998 all that spoil H7997 her shall be satisfied, H7646 saith H5002 the LORD. H3068 Because ye were glad, H8055 because ye rejoiced, H5937 O ye destroyers H8154 of mine heritage, H5159 because ye are grown fat H6335 as the heifer H5697 at grass, H1877 H1758 and bellow H6670 as bulls; H47 Your mother H517 shall be sore H3966 confounded; H954 she that bare H3205 you shall be ashamed: H2659 behold, the hindermost H319 of the nations H1471 shall be a wilderness, H4057 a dry land, H6723 and a desert. H6160 Because of the wrath H7110 of the LORD H3068 it shall not be inhabited, H3427 but it shall be wholly desolate: H8077 every one that goeth H5674 by Babylon H894 shall be astonished, H8074 and hiss H8319 at all her plagues. H4347 Put yourselves in array H6186 against Babylon H894 round about: H5439 all ye that bend H1869 the bow, H7198 shoot H3034 at her, spare H2550 no arrows: H2671 for she hath sinned H2398 against the LORD. H3068 Shout H7321 against her round about: H5439 she hath given H5414 her hand: H3027 her foundations H803 are fallen, H5307 her walls H2346 are thrown down: H2040 for it is the vengeance H5360 of the LORD: H3068 take vengeance H5358 upon her; as she hath done, H6213 do H6213 unto her. Cut off H3772 the sower H2232 from Babylon, H894 and him that handleth H8610 the sickle H4038 in the time H6256 of harvest: H7105 for fear H6440 of the oppressing H3238 sword H2719 they shall turn H6437 every one H376 to his people, H5971 and they shall flee H5127 every one H376 to his own land. H776 Israel H3478 is a scattered H6340 sheep; H7716 the lions H738 have driven him away: H5080 first H7223 the king H4428 of Assyria H804 hath devoured H398 him; and last H314 this Nebuchadrezzar H5019 king H4428 of Babylon H894 hath broken his bones. H6105 Therefore thus saith H559 the LORD H3068 of hosts, H6635 the God H430 of Israel; H3478 Behold, I will punish H6485 the king H4428 of Babylon H894 and his land, H776 as I have punished H6485 the king H4428 of Assyria. H804 And I will bring H7725 Israel H3478 again H7725 to his habitation, H5116 and he shall feed H7462 on Carmel H3760 and Bashan, H1316 and his soul H5315 shall be satisfied H7646 upon mount H2022 Ephraim H669 and Gilead. H1568 In those days, H3117 and in that time, H6256 saith H5002 the LORD, H3068 the iniquity H5771 of Israel H3478 shall be sought for, H1245 and there shall be none; and the sins H2403 of Judah, H3063 and they shall not be found: H4672 for I will pardon H5545 them whom I reserve. H7604 Go up H5927 against the land H776 of Merathaim, H4850 even against it, and against the inhabitants H3427 of Pekod: H6489 waste H2717 and utterly destroy H2763 after H310 them, saith H5002 the LORD, H3068 and do H6213 according to all that I have commanded H6680 thee. A sound H6963 of battle H4421 is in the land, H776 and of great H1419 destruction. H7667 How is the hammer H6360 of the whole earth H776 cut asunder H1438 and broken! H7665 how is Babylon H894 become a desolation H8047 among the nations! H1471 I have laid a snare H3369 for thee, and thou art also taken, H3920 O Babylon, H894 and thou wast not aware: H3045 thou art found, H4672 and also caught, H8610 because thou hast striven H1624 against the LORD. H3068 The LORD H3068 hath opened H6605 his armoury, H214 and hath brought forth H3318 the weapons H3627 of his indignation: H2195 for this is the work H4399 of the Lord H136 GOD H3069 of hosts H6635 in the land H776 of the Chaldeans. H3778 Come H935 against her from the utmost border, H7093 open H6605 her storehouses: H3965 cast her up H5549 as heaps, H6194 and destroy her utterly: H2763 let nothing of her be left. H7611 Slay H2717 all her bullocks; H6499 let them go down H3381 to the slaughter: H2874 woe H1945 unto them! for their day H3117 is come, H935 the time H6256 of their visitation. H6486 The voice H6963 of them that flee H5127 and escape out H6405 of the land H776 of Babylon, H894 to declare H5046 in Zion H6726 the vengeance H5360 of the LORD H3068 our God, H430 the vengeance H5360 of his temple. H1964 Call together H8085 the archers H7228 against Babylon: H894 all ye that bend H1869 the bow, H7198 camp H2583 against it round about; H5439 let none thereof escape: H6413 recompense H7999 her according to her work; H6467 according to all that she hath done, H6213 do H6213 unto her: for she hath been proud H2102 against the LORD, H3068 against the Holy One H6918 of Israel. H3478 Therefore shall her young men H970 fall H5307 in the streets, H7339 and all her men H582 of war H4421 shall be cut off H1826 in that day, H3117 saith H5002 the LORD. H3068 Behold, I am against thee, O thou most proud, H2087 saith H5002 the Lord H136 GOD H3069 of hosts: H6635 for thy day H3117 is come, H935 the time H6256 that I will visit H6485 thee. And the most proud H2087 shall stumble H3782 and fall, H5307 and none shall raise him up: H6965 and I will kindle H3341 a fire H784 in his cities, H5892 and it shall devour H398 all round about H5439 him. Thus saith H559 the LORD H3068 of hosts; H6635 The children H1121 of Israel H3478 and the children H1121 of Judah H3063 were oppressed H6231 together: H3162 and all that took them captives H7617 held them fast; H2388 they refused H3985 to let them go. H7971 Their Redeemer H1350 is strong; H2389 the LORD H3068 of hosts H6635 is his name: H8034 he shall throughly H7378 plead H7378 their cause, H7379 that he may give rest H7280 to the land, H776 and disquiet H7264 the inhabitants H3427 of Babylon. H894 A sword H2719 is upon the Chaldeans, H3778 saith H5002 the LORD, H3068 and upon the inhabitants H3427 of Babylon, H894 and upon her princes, H8269 and upon her wise H2450 men. A sword H2719 is upon the liars; H907 and they shall dote: H2973 a sword H2719 is upon her mighty men; H1368 and they shall be dismayed. H2865 A sword H2719 is upon their horses, H5483 and upon their chariots, H7393 and upon all the mingled people H6153 that are in the midst H8432 of her; and they shall become as women: H802 a sword H2719 is upon her treasures; H214 and they shall be robbed. H962 A drought H2721 is upon her waters; H4325 and they shall be dried up: H3001 for it is the land H776 of graven images, H6456 and they are mad H1984 upon their idols. H367 Therefore the wild beasts of the desert H6728 with the wild beasts of the islands H338 shall dwell H3427 there, and the owls H1323 H3284 shall dwell H3427 therein: and it shall be no more inhabited H3427 for ever; H5331 neither shall it be dwelt H7931 in from generation H1755 to generation. H1755 As God H430 overthrew H4114 Sodom H5467 and Gomorrah H6017 and the neighbour H7934 cities thereof, saith H5002 the LORD; H3068 so shall no man H376 abide H3427 there, neither shall any son H1121 of man H120 dwell H1481 therein. Behold, a people H5971 shall come H935 from the north, H6828 and a great H1419 nation, H1471 and many H7227 kings H4428 shall be raised up H5782 from the coasts H3411 of the earth. H776 They shall hold H2388 the bow H7198 and the lance: H3591 they are cruel, H394 and will not shew mercy: H7355 their voice H6963 shall roar H1993 like the sea, H3220 and they shall ride H7392 upon horses, H5483 every one put in array, H6186 like a man H376 to the battle, H4421 against thee, O daughter H1323 of Babylon. H894 The king H4428 of Babylon H894 hath heard H8085 the report H8088 of them, and his hands H3027 waxed feeble: H7503 anguish H6869 took hold H2388 of him, and pangs H2427 as of a woman in travail. H3205 Behold, he shall come up H5927 like a lion H738 from the swelling H1347 of Jordan H3383 unto the habitation H5116 of the strong: H386 but I will make H7323 them suddenly H7280 run away H7323 H7323 from her: and who is a chosen H977 man, that I may appoint H6485 over her? for who is like me? and who will appoint me the time? H3259 and who is that shepherd H7462 that will stand H5975 before H6440 me? Therefore hear H8085 ye the counsel H6098 of the LORD, H3068 that he hath taken H3289 against Babylon; H894 and his purposes, H4284 that he hath purposed H2803 against the land H776 of the Chaldeans: H3778 Surely the least H6810 of the flock H6629 shall draw them out: H5498 surely he shall make their habitation H5116 desolate H8074 with them. At the noise H6963 of the taking H8610 of Babylon H894 the earth H776 is moved, H7493 and the cry H2201 is heard H8085 among the nations. H1471

Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Genesis 11

Commentary on Genesis 11 Matthew Henry Commentary


Chapter 11

The old distinction between the sons of God and the sons of men (professors and profane) survived the flood, and now appeared again, when men began to multiply: according to this distinction we have, in this chapter,

  • I. The dispersion of the sons of men at Babel (v. 1-9), where we have,
    • 1. Their presumptuous provoking design, which was to build a city and a tower (v. 1-4).
    • 2. The righteous judgment of God upon them in disappointing their design, by confounding their language, and so scattering them (v. 5-9).
  • II. The pedigree of the sons of God down to Abraham (v. 10-26), with a general account of his family, and removal out of his native country (v. 27, etc.).

Gen 11:1-4

The close of the foregoing chapter tells us that by the sons of Noah, or among the sons of Noah, the nations were divided in the earth after the flood, that is, were distinguished into several tribes or colonies; and, the places having grown too strait for them, it was either appointed by Noah, or agreed upon among his sons, which way each several tribe or colony should steer its course, beginning with the countries that were next them, and designing to proceed further and further, and to remove to a greater distance from each other, as the increase of their several companies should require. Thus was the matter well settled, one hundred years after the flood, about the time of Peleg's birth; but the sons of men, it should seem, were loth to disperse into distant places; they thought the more the merrier and the safer, and therefore they contrived to keep together, and were slack to go to possess the land which the Lord God of their fathers had given them (Jos. 18:3), thinking themselves wiser than either God or Noah. Now here we have,

  • I. The advantages which befriended their design of keeping together,
    • 1. They were all of one language, v. 1. If there were any different languages before the flood, yet Noah's only, which it is likely was the same with Adam's, was preserved through the flood, and continued after it. 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.
    • 2. They found a very convenient commodious place to settle in (v. 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. Note, Inviting accommodations, for the present, often prove too strong temptations to the neglect of both duty and interest, as it respects futurity.
  • II. The method they took to bind themselves to one another, and to settle together in one body. 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. Their unanimous resolution is, Let us build ourselves a city and a tower. It is observable that the first builders of cities, both in the old world (ch. 4:17), and in the new world here, were not men of the best character and reputation: tents served God's subjects to dwell in; cities were first built by those that were rebels against him and revolters from him. Observe here,
    • 1. How they excited and encouraged one another to set about this work. They said, Go to, let us make brick (v. 3), and again, (v. 4), Go to, let us build ourselves a city; by mutual excitements they made one another more daring and resolute. Note, Great things may be brought to pass when the undertakers are numerous and unanimous, and stir up one another. Let us learn to provoke one another to love and to good works, as sinners stir up and encourage one another to wicked works. See Ps. 122:1; Isa. 2:3, 5; Jer. 50:5.
    • 2. What materials they used in their building. The country, being plain, yielded neither stone nor mortar, yet this did not discourage them from their undertaking, but they made brick to serve instead of stone, and slime or pitch instead of mortar. See here,
      • (1.) What shift those will make that are resolute in their purposes: were we but zealously affected in a good thing, we should not stop our work so often as we do, under pretence that we want conveniences for carrying it on.
      • (2.) What a difference there is between men's building and God's; when men build their Babel, brick and slime are their best materials; but, when God builds his Jerusalem, he lays even the foundations of it with sapphires, and all its borders with pleasant stones, Isa. 54:11, 12; Rev. 21:19.
    • 3. For what ends they built. Some think they intended hereby to secure themselves against the waters of another flood. God had told them indeed that he would not again drown the world; but they would trust to a tower of their own making, rather than to a promise of God's making or an ark of his appointing. If, however, they had had this in their eye, they would have chosen to build their tower upon a mountain rather than upon a plain, but three things, it seems, they aimed at in building this tower:-
      • (1.) It seems designed for an affront to God himself; for they would build a tower whose top might reach to heaven, which bespeaks a defiance of God, or at least a rivalship with him. They would be like the Most High, or would come as near him as they could, not in holiness but in height. They forgot their place, and, scorning to creep on the earth, resolved to climb to heaven, not by the door or ladder, but some other way.
      • (2.) They hoped hereby to make themselves a name; they would do something to be talked of now, and to give posterity to know that there had been such men as they in the world. Rather than die and leave no memorandum behind them, they would leave this monument of their pride, and ambition, and folly. Note,
        • [1.] Affectation of honour and a name among men commonly inspires with a strange ardour for great and difficult undertakings, and often betrays to that which is evil and offensive to God.
        • [2.] It is just with God to bury those names in the dust which are raised by sin. These Babel-builders put themselves to a great deal of foolish expense to make themselves a name; but they could not gain even this point, for we do not find in any history the name of so much as one of these Babel-builders. Philo Judaeus 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.
      • (3.) They did it to prevent their dispersion: Lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the earth. "It was done' (says Josephus) "in disobedience to that command (ch. 9:1), Replenish the earth.' God orders them to disperse. "No,' say they, "we will not, we will live and die together.' In order hereunto, they engage themselves and one another in this vast undertaking. That they might unite in one glorious empire, they resolve to build this city and tower, to be the metropolis of their kingdom and the centre of their unity. It is probable that the band of ambitious Nimrod was in all this. He could not content himself with the command of a particular colony, but aimed at universal monarchy, in order to which, under pretence of uniting for their common safety, he contrives to keep them in one body, that, having them all under his eye, he might not fail to have them under his power. See the daring presumption of these sinners. Here is,
        • [1.] A bold opposition to God: "You shall be scattered,' says God. "But we will not,' say they. Woe unto him that thus strives with his maker.
        • [2.] A bold competition with God. It is God's prerogative to be universal monarch, Lord of all, and King of kings; the man that aims at it offers to step into the throne of God, who will not give his glory to another.

Gen 11:5-9

We have here the quashing of the project of the Babel-builders, and the turning of the counsel of those froward men headlong, that God's counsel might stand in spite of them. Here is,

  • I. The cognizance God took of the design that was on foot: The Lord came down to see the city, v. 5. It is an expression after the manner of men; he knew it as clearly and fully as men know that which they come to the place to view. Observe,
    • 1. Before he gave judgment upon their cause, he enquired into it; for God is incontestably just and fair in all his proceedings against sin and sinners, and condemns none unheard.
    • 2. It is spoken of an act of condescension in God to take notice even of this building, which the undertakers were so proud of; for he humbles himself to behold the transactions, even the most considerable ones, of this lower world, Ps. 113:6.
    • 3. It is said to be the tower which the children of men built, which intimates,
      • (1.) Their weakness and frailty as men. It was a very foolish thing for the children of men, worms of the earth, to defy Heaven, and to provoke the Lord to jealousy. Are they stronger than he?
      • (2.) Their sinfulness and obnoxiousness. They were the sons of Adam, so it is in the Hebrew; nay, of that Adam, that sinful disobedient Adam, whose children are by nature children of disobedience, children that are corrupters.
      • (3.) Their distinction from the children of God, the professors of religion, from whom these daring builders had separated themselves, and built this tower to support and perpetuate the separation. Pious Eber is not found among this ungodly crew; for he and his are called the children of God, and therefore their souls come not into the secret, nor unite themselves to the assembly, of these children of men.
  • II. The counsels and resolves of the Eternal God concerning this matter; he did not come down merely as a spectator, but as a judge, as a prince, to look upon these proud men, and abase them, Job 40:11-14. Observe,
    • 1. He suffered them to proceed a good way in their enterprise before he put a stop to it, that they might have space to repent, and, if they had so much consideration left, might be ashamed of it and weary of it themselves; and if not that their disappointment might be the more shameful, and every one that passed by might laugh at them, saying, These men began to build, and were not able to finish, that so the works of their hands, from which they promised themselves immortal honour, might turn to their perpetual reproach. Note, God has wise and holy ends in permitting the enemies of his glory to carry on their impious projects a great way, and to prosper long in their enterprises.
    • 2. When they had, with much care and toil, made some considerable progress in their building, then God determined to break their measures and disperse them. Observe,
      • (1.) The righteousness of God, which appears in the considerations upon which he proceeded in this resolution, v. 6. Two things he considered:-
        • [1.] Their oneness, as a reason why they must be scattered: "Behold, the people are one, and they have all one language. If they continue one, much of the earth will be left uninhabited; the power of their prince will soon be exorbitant; wickedness and profaneness will be insufferably rampant, for they will strengthen one another's hands in it; and, which is worst of all, there will be an overbalance to the church, and these children of men, if thus incorporated, will swallow up the little remnant of God's children.' Therefore it is decreed that they must not be one. Note, Unity is a policy but it is not the infallible mark of a true church; yet, while the builders of Babel, though of different families, dispositions, and interests, were thus unanimous in opposing God, what a pity is it, and what a shame, that the builders of Sion, though united in one common head and Spirit, should be divided, as they are, in serving God! But marvel not at the matter. Christ came not to send peace.
        • [2.] Their obstinacy: Now nothing will be restrained from them; and this is a reason why they must be crossed and thwarted in their design. God had tried, by his commands and admonitions, to bring them off from this project, but in vain; therefore he must take another course with them. See here,
          • First, The sinfulness of sin, and the wilfulness of sinners; ever since Adam would not be restrained from the forbidden tree, his unsanctified seed have been impatient of restraint and ready to rebel against it.
          • Secondly, See the necessity of God's judgments upon earth, to keep the world in some order and to tie the hands of those that will not be checked by law.
      • (2.) The wisdom and mercy of God in the methods that were taken for the defeating of this enterprise (v. 7): Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language. This was not spoken to the angels, as if God needed either their advice or their assistance, but God speaks it to himself, or the Father to the Son and Holy Ghost. They said, Go to, let us make brick, and Go to, let us build a tower, animating one another to the attempt; and now God says, Go to, let us confound their language; for, if men stir up themselves to sin, God will stir up himself to take vengeance, Isa. 59:17, 18. Now observe here,
        • [1.] The mercy of God, in moderating the penalty, and not making it proportionable to the offence; for he deals not with us according to our sins. He does not say, "Let us go down now in thunder and lightning, and consume those rebels in a moment;' or, "Let the earth open, and swallow up them and their building, and let those go down quickly into hell who are climbing to heaven the wrong way.' No; only, "Let us go down, and scatter them.' They deserved death, but are only banished or transported; for the patience of God is very great towards a provoking world. Punishments are chiefly reserved for the future state. God's judgments on sinners in this life, compared with those which are reserved, are little more than restraints.
        • [2.] The wisdom of God, in pitching upon an effectual expedient to stay proceedings, which was the confounding of their language, that they might not understand one another's speech, nor could they well join hands when their tongues were divided; so that this would be a very proper method both for taking them off from their building (for, if they could not understand one another, they could not help one another) and also for disposing them to scatter; for, when they could not understand one another, they could not take pleasure in one another. Note, God has various means, and effectual ones, to baffle and defeat the projects of proud men that set themselves against him, and particularly to divide them among themselves, either by dividing their spirits (Jdg. 9:23), or by dividing their tongues, as David prays, Ps. 55:9.
  • III. The execution of these counsels of God, to the blasting and defeating of the counsels of men, v. 8, 9. God made them know whose word should stand, his or theirs, as the expression is, Jer. 44:28. Notwithstanding their oneness and obstinacy, God was too hard for them, and wherein they dealt proudly he was above them; for who ever hardened his heart against him and prospered? Three things were done:-
    • 1. Their language was confounded. God, who, when he made man, taught him to speak, and put words into his mouth fit to express the conceptions of his mind by, now caused these builders to forget their former language, and to speak and understand a new one, which yet was common to those of the same tribe or family, but not to others: those of one colony could converse together, but not with those of another. Now,
      • (1.) This was a great miracle, and a proof of the power which God has upon the minds and tongues of men, which he turns as the rivers of water.
      • (2.) This was a great judgment upon these builders; for, being thus deprived of the knowledge of the ancient and holy tongue, they had become incapable of communicating with the true church, in which it was retained, and probably it contributed much to their loss of the knowledge of the true God.
      • (3.) We all suffer by it, to this day. In all the inconveniences we sustain by the diversity of languages, and all the pains and trouble we are at to learn the languages we have occasion for, we smart for the rebellion of our ancestors at Babel. Nay, and those unhappy controversies which are strifes of words, and arise from our misunderstanding one another's language, for aught I know are owing to this confusion of tongues.
      • (4.) The project of some to frame a universal character, in order to a universal language, how desirable soever it may seem, is yet, I think, but a vain thing to attempt; for it is to strive against a divine sentence, by which the languages of the nations will be divided while the world stands.
      • (5.) We may here lament the loss of the universal use of the Hebrew tongue, which from this time was the vulgar language of the Hebrews only, and continued so till the captivity in Babylon, where, even among them, it was exchanged for the Syriac.
      • (6.) As the confounding of tongues divided the children of men and scattered them abroad, so the gift of tongues, bestowed upon the apostles (Acts 2), contributed greatly to the gathering together of the children of God, who were scattered abroad, and the uniting of them in Christ, that with one mind and one mouth they might glorify God, Rom. 15:6.
    • 2. Their building was stopped: They left off to build the city. This was the effect of the confusion of their tongues; for it not only incapacitated them for helping one another, but probably struck such a damp upon their spirits that they could not proceed, since they saw, in this, the hand of the Lord gone out against them. Note,
      • (1.) It is wisdom to leave off that which we see God fights against.
      • (2.) God is ale to blast and bring to nought all the devices and designs of Babel-builders. He sits in heaven, and laughs at the counsels of the kings of the earth against him and his anointed; and will force them to confess that there is no wisdom nor counsel against the Lord, Prov. 21:30; Isa. 8:9, 10.
    • 3. The builders were scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth, v. 8, 9. They departed in companies, after their families, and after their tongues (ch. 10:5, 30, 31), to the several countries and places allotted to them in the division that had been made, which they knew before, but would not go to take possession of till now that they were forced to it. Observe here,
      • (1.) The very thing which they feared came upon them. That dispersion which sought to evade by an act of rebellion they by this act brought upon themselves; for we are most likely to fall into that trouble which we seek to evade by indirect and sinful methods.
      • (2.) It was God's work: The Lord scattered them. God's hand is to be acknowledged in all scattering providences; if the family be scattered, relations scattered, churches scattered, it is the Lord's doing.
      • (3.) Though they were as firmly in league with one another as could be, yet the Lord scattered them; for no man can keep together what God will put asunder.
      • (4.) Thus God justly took vengeance on them for their oneness in that presumptuous attempt to build their tower. Shameful dispersions are the just punishment of sinful unions. Simeon and Levi, who had been brethren in iniquity, were divided in Jacob, ch. 49:5, 7; Ps. 83:3-13.
      • (5.) They left behind them a perpetual memorandum of their reproach, in the name given to the place. It was called Babel, confusion. Those that aim at a great name commonly come off with a bad name.
      • (6.) The children of men were now finally scattered, and never did, nor ever will, come all together again, till the great day, when the Son of man shall sit upon the throne of his glory, and all nations shall be gathered before him, Mt. 25:31, 32.

Gen 11:10-26

We have here a genealogy, not an endless genealogy, for here it ends in Abram, the friend of God, and leads further to Christ, the promised seed, who was the son of Abram, and from Abram the genealogy of Christ is reckoned (Mt. 1:1, etc.); so that put ch. 5, ch. 11, and Mt. 1, together, and you have such an entire genealogy of Jesus Christ as cannot be produced, for aught I know, concerning any person in the world, out of his line, and at such a distance from the fountain-head. And, laying these three genealogies together, we shall find that twice ten, and thrice fourteen, generations or descents, passed between the first and second Adam, making it clear concerning Christ that he was not only the Son of Abraham, but the Son of man, and the seed of woman. Observe here,

  • 1. Nothing is left upon record concerning those of this line but their names and ages, the Holy Ghost seeming to hasten through them to the story of Abram. How little do we know of those that have gone before us in this world, even those that lived in the same places where we live, as we likewise know little of those that are our contemporaries in distant places! we have enough to do to mind the work of our own day, and let God alone to require that which is past, Eccl. 3:15.
  • 2. There was an observable gradual decrease in the years of their lives. Shem reached to 600 years, which yet fell short of the age of the patriarchs before the flood; the next three came short of 500; the next three did not reach to 300; after them we read not of any that attained to 200, except Terah; and, not many ages after this, Moses reckoned seventy, or eighty, to be the utmost men ordinarily arrive at. When the earth began to be replenished, men's lives began to shorten; so that the decrease is to be imputed to the wise disposal of Providence, rather than to any decay of nature. For the elect's sake, men's days are shortened; and, being evil, it is well they are few, and attain not to the years of the lives of our fathers, ch. 47:9.
  • 3. Eber, from whom the Hebrews were denominated, was the longest-lived of any that was born after the flood, which perhaps was the reward of his singular piety and strict adherence to the ways of God.

Gen 11:27-32

Here begins the story of Abram, whose name is famous, henceforward, in both Testaments. We have here,

  • I. His country: Ur of the Chaldees. This was the land of his nativity, an idolatrous country, where even the children of Eber themselves had degenerated. Note, Those who are, through grace, heirs of the land of promise, ought to remember what was the land of their nativity, what was their corrupt and sinful state by nature, the rock out of which they were hewn.
  • II. His relations, mentioned for his sake, and because of their interest in the following story.
    • 1. His father was Terah, of whom it is said (Jos. 24:2) that he served other gods, on the other side of the flood, so early did idolatry gain footing in the world, and so hard is it even for those that have some good principles to swim against the stream. Though it is said (v. 26) that when Terah was seventy years old he begat Abram, Nahor, and Haran (which seems to tell us that Abram was the eldest son of Terah, and was born in his seventieth year), yet, by comparing v. 32, which makes Terah to die in his 205th year, with Acts 7:4 (where it is said that he was but seventy-five years old when he removed from Haran), it appears that he was born in the 130th year of Terah, and probably was his youngest son; for, in God's choices, the last are often first and the first last. We have,
    • 2. Some account of his brethren.
      • (1.) Nahor, out of whose family both Isaac and Jacob had their wives.
      • (2.) Haran, the father of Lot, of whom it is here said (v. 28) that he died before his father Terah. Note, Children cannot be sure that they shall survive their parents; for death does not go by seniority, taking the eldest first. The shadow of death is without any order, Job 10:22. It is likewise said that he died in Ur of the Chaldees, before the happy removal of the family out of that idolatrous country. Note, It concerns us to hasten out of our natural state, lest death surprise us in it.
    • 3. His wife was Sarai, who some think, was the same with Iscah, the daughter of Haran. Abram himself says of her that she was the daughter of his father, but not the daughter of his mother, ch. 20:12. She was ten years younger than Abram.
  • III. His departure out of Ur of the Chaldees, with his father Terah, his nephew Lot, and the rest of his family, in obedience to the call of God, of which we shall read more, ch. 12:1, etc. This chapter leaves them in Haran, or Charran, a place about mid-way between Ur and Canaan, where they dwelt till Terah's head was laid, probably because the old man was unable, through the infirmities of age, to proceed in his journey. Many reach to Charran, and yet fall short of Canaan; they are not far from the kingdom of God, and yet never come thither.