Genesis 11: The Tower of Babel and the Lineage of Abraham
And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech.
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.
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.
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.
And the Lord came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded.
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.
Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech.
So the Lord scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city.
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.
These are the generations of Shem: Shem was an hundred years old, and begat Arphaxad two years after the flood:
And Shem lived after he begat Arphaxad five hundred years, and begat sons and daughters.
And Arphaxad lived five and thirty years, and begat Salah:
And Arphaxad lived after he begat Salah four hundred and three years, and begat sons and daughters.
And Salah lived thirty years, and begat Eber:
And Salah lived after he begat Eber four hundred and three years, and begat sons and daughters.
And Eber lived four and thirty years, and begat Peleg:
And Eber lived after he begat Peleg four hundred and thirty years, and begat sons and daughters.
And Peleg lived thirty years, and begat Reu:
And Peleg lived after he begat Reu two hundred and nine years, and begat sons and daughters.
And Reu lived two and thirty years, and begat Serug:
And Reu lived after he begat Serug two hundred and seven years, and begat sons and daughters.
And Serug lived thirty years, and begat Nahor:
And Serug lived after he begat Nahor two hundred years, and begat sons and daughters.
And Nahor lived nine and twenty years, and begat Terah:
And Nahor lived after he begat Terah an hundred and nineteen years, and begat sons and daughters.
And Terah lived seventy years, and begat Abram, Nahor, and Haran.
Now these are the generations of Terah: Terah begat Abram, Nahor, and Haran; and Haran begat Lot.
And Haran died before his father Terah in the land of his nativity, in Ur of the Chaldees.
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.
But Sarai was barren; she had no child.
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.
And the days of Terah were two hundred and five years: and Terah died in Haran.
Genesis 11, a pivotal chapter, bridges the gap between the post-flood world and the dawn of God's covenant with Abraham. It reveals God's sovereign intervention in human affairs and sets the stage for the unfolding of His redemptive plan. This chapter can be divided into two main sections: the story of the Tower of Babel (Genesis 11:1-9) and the genealogy from Shem to Abram (Genesis 11:10-32).
I. The Tower of Babel: A Declaration of Independence
A. The Gathering in Shinar (Genesis 11:1-2)
Genesis 11:1-2 tells us that the whole world had one language and a common speech. As people migrated eastward, they settled in the land of Shinar. The subtle but significant detail of moving "east" echoes previous instances in Genesis where eastward movement symbolized a departure from God's presence, as seen with Adam and Eve (Genesis 3:24) and Cain (Genesis 4:16). This geographical detail hints that humanity is once again drifting away from God.
B. The Ambition of Babel (Genesis 11:3-4)
In Shinar, the people embarked on an ambitious project: building a city and a tower "with its top in the heavens" (Genesis 11:4). Their intentions were twofold: to make a name for themselves and to avoid being scattered across the earth. This was a direct act of defiance against God's command to "fill the earth" (Genesis 1:28, Genesis 9:1). They sought to create a centralized, man-made civilization, prioritizing their own glory over God's will.
The construction of the city represented the building of a civilization, while the tower symbolized the establishment of a human-centered religious order. This was, in essence, a declaration of independence from God, a pursuit of humanism. They desired the benefits of God's provision without submitting to His authority, much like teenagers who want independence while retaining the perks of living under parental care.
C. God's Intervention (Genesis 11:5-9)
Genesis 11:5 states that "the Lord came down to see the city and the tower that the people were building." While the people aimed to reach heaven, God had to descend merely to observe their efforts, highlighting the vast chasm between divine and human power.
God recognized the potential consequences of their unified effort. Genesis 11:6 says, "If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them." God wasn't threatened by their power, but He understood that a unified, sinful humanity could unleash unimaginable evil upon the earth. To prevent this, God confused their language, causing them to misunderstand one another and ultimately scattering them across the globe (Genesis 11:7-9).
The result was twofold: the construction of the city ceased (Genesis 11:8), and God's original purpose of filling the earth was accomplished (Genesis 11:9). The city was named Babel, meaning "confusion," a perpetual reminder of humanity's failed attempt to usurp God's authority. This serves as a warning: pursuing God's blessings without His instruction can lead to incomplete or even disastrous outcomes for any nation or civilization.
The story of the Tower of Babel is structured as a chiasm, a literary mirror image. Everything mankind attempts in the first half of the narrative is undone in the second half. The building of the city, Babel, later to be called Babylon, ceases. Later, when the Israelites came into conflict with the powerful Babylonians, the name of this city was a reminder that God's power was far greater than the plans and might of mere human beings.
II. From Shem to Abram: Tracing the Lineage of Promise (Genesis 11:10-32)
A. The Genealogy (Genesis 11:10-26)
The second part of Genesis 11 shifts focus to the genealogy from Shem, Noah's son, to Abram. This lineage highlights how God preserved His redemptive plan despite the pervasive evil in the world. It also shows the gradual decline in human lifespan after the flood, from centuries to roughly a century by the time of Abram.
B. Terah's Journey and Abram's Calling (Genesis 11:27-32)
The genealogy narrows its focus as it approaches Abram, whose name means "exalted father." The narrative introduces Terah, Abram's father, and his family's journey from Ur of the Chaldeans, a prosperous city in Mesopotamia, towards Canaan, the promised land (Genesis 11:31). However, they settled in Haran, located in modern-day northern Syria, and remained there until Terah's death (Genesis 11:31-32).
This sets the stage for God's call to Abram in the following chapter, where He commands Abram to leave his home and journey to the promised land. Abram, later renamed Abraham, and his wife Sarai (later Sarah) would become pivotal figures in Israel's history, the ancestors of God's chosen people.
Genesis 11 serves as a transition, moving from the failure of Babel to the next stage of God's redemptive plan. God was still keeping his program going, despite the evil that needed to be addressed in the world. Life and longevity were declining, but God was establishing his purposes through the genealogical record.
In Conclusion:
Genesis 11 is a powerful reminder of God's sovereignty and His unwavering commitment to His redemptive purposes. It highlights the futility of human ambition when divorced from God's will and emphasizes the importance of obedience to His call. As we trace the lineage from Shem to Abram, we see God's faithfulness in preserving His promise and preparing the way for the coming of the Messiah. This chapter encourages us to examine our own ambitions, ensuring that they align with God's will and contribute to His kingdom purposes.
And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech.
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.
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.
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.
And the Lord came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded.
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.
Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech.
So the Lord scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city.
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.
These are the generations of Shem: Shem was an hundred years old, and begat Arphaxad two years after the flood:
And Shem lived after he begat Arphaxad five hundred years, and begat sons and daughters.
And Arphaxad lived five and thirty years, and begat Salah:
And Arphaxad lived after he begat Salah four hundred and three years, and begat sons and daughters.
And Salah lived thirty years, and begat Eber:
And Salah lived after he begat Eber four hundred and three years, and begat sons and daughters.
And Eber lived four and thirty years, and begat Peleg:
And Eber lived after he begat Peleg four hundred and thirty years, and begat sons and daughters.
And Peleg lived thirty years, and begat Reu:
And Peleg lived after he begat Reu two hundred and nine years, and begat sons and daughters.
And Reu lived two and thirty years, and begat Serug:
And Reu lived after he begat Serug two hundred and seven years, and begat sons and daughters.
And Serug lived thirty years, and begat Nahor:
And Serug lived after he begat Nahor two hundred years, and begat sons and daughters.
And Nahor lived nine and twenty years, and begat Terah:
And Nahor lived after he begat Terah an hundred and nineteen years, and begat sons and daughters.
And Terah lived seventy years, and begat Abram, Nahor, and Haran.
Now these are the generations of Terah: Terah begat Abram, Nahor, and Haran; and Haran begat Lot.
And Haran died before his father Terah in the land of his nativity, in Ur of the Chaldees.
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.
But Sarai was barren; she had no child.
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.
And the days of Terah were two hundred and five years: and Terah died in Haran.
Genesis 11, a pivotal chapter, bridges the gap between the post-flood world and the dawn of God's covenant with Abraham. It reveals God's sovereign intervention in human affairs and sets the stage for the unfolding of His redemptive plan. This chapter can be divided into two main sections: the story of the Tower of Babel (Genesis 11:1-9) and the genealogy from Shem to Abram (Genesis 11:10-32).
I. The Tower of Babel: A Declaration of Independence
A. The Gathering in Shinar (Genesis 11:1-2)
Genesis 11:1-2 tells us that the whole world had one language and a common speech. As people migrated eastward, they settled in the land of Shinar. The subtle but significant detail of moving "east" echoes previous instances in Genesis where eastward movement symbolized a departure from God's presence, as seen with Adam and Eve (Genesis 3:24) and Cain (Genesis 4:16). This geographical detail hints that humanity is once again drifting away from God.
B. The Ambition of Babel (Genesis 11:3-4)
In Shinar, the people embarked on an ambitious project: building a city and a tower "with its top in the heavens" (Genesis 11:4). Their intentions were twofold: to make a name for themselves and to avoid being scattered across the earth. This was a direct act of defiance against God's command to "fill the earth" (Genesis 1:28, Genesis 9:1). They sought to create a centralized, man-made civilization, prioritizing their own glory over God's will.
The construction of the city represented the building of a civilization, while the tower symbolized the establishment of a human-centered religious order. This was, in essence, a declaration of independence from God, a pursuit of humanism. They desired the benefits of God's provision without submitting to His authority, much like teenagers who want independence while retaining the perks of living under parental care.
C. God's Intervention (Genesis 11:5-9)
Genesis 11:5 states that "the Lord came down to see the city and the tower that the people were building." While the people aimed to reach heaven, God had to descend merely to observe their efforts, highlighting the vast chasm between divine and human power.
God recognized the potential consequences of their unified effort. Genesis 11:6 says, "If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them." God wasn't threatened by their power, but He understood that a unified, sinful humanity could unleash unimaginable evil upon the earth. To prevent this, God confused their language, causing them to misunderstand one another and ultimately scattering them across the globe (Genesis 11:7-9).
The result was twofold: the construction of the city ceased (Genesis 11:8), and God's original purpose of filling the earth was accomplished (Genesis 11:9). The city was named Babel, meaning "confusion," a perpetual reminder of humanity's failed attempt to usurp God's authority. This serves as a warning: pursuing God's blessings without His instruction can lead to incomplete or even disastrous outcomes for any nation or civilization.
The story of the Tower of Babel is structured as a chiasm, a literary mirror image. Everything mankind attempts in the first half of the narrative is undone in the second half. The building of the city, Babel, later to be called Babylon, ceases. Later, when the Israelites came into conflict with the powerful Babylonians, the name of this city was a reminder that God's power was far greater than the plans and might of mere human beings.
II. From Shem to Abram: Tracing the Lineage of Promise (Genesis 11:10-32)
A. The Genealogy (Genesis 11:10-26)
The second part of Genesis 11 shifts focus to the genealogy from Shem, Noah's son, to Abram. This lineage highlights how God preserved His redemptive plan despite the pervasive evil in the world. It also shows the gradual decline in human lifespan after the flood, from centuries to roughly a century by the time of Abram.
B. Terah's Journey and Abram's Calling (Genesis 11:27-32)
The genealogy narrows its focus as it approaches Abram, whose name means "exalted father." The narrative introduces Terah, Abram's father, and his family's journey from Ur of the Chaldeans, a prosperous city in Mesopotamia, towards Canaan, the promised land (Genesis 11:31). However, they settled in Haran, located in modern-day northern Syria, and remained there until Terah's death (Genesis 11:31-32).
This sets the stage for God's call to Abram in the following chapter, where He commands Abram to leave his home and journey to the promised land. Abram, later renamed Abraham, and his wife Sarai (later Sarah) would become pivotal figures in Israel's history, the ancestors of God's chosen people.
Genesis 11 serves as a transition, moving from the failure of Babel to the next stage of God's redemptive plan. God was still keeping his program going, despite the evil that needed to be addressed in the world. Life and longevity were declining, but God was establishing his purposes through the genealogical record.
In Conclusion:
Genesis 11 is a powerful reminder of God's sovereignty and His unwavering commitment to His redemptive purposes. It highlights the futility of human ambition when divorced from God's will and emphasizes the importance of obedience to His call. As we trace the lineage from Shem to Abram, we see God's faithfulness in preserving His promise and preparing the way for the coming of the Messiah. This chapter encourages us to examine our own ambitions, ensuring that they align with God's will and contribute to His kingdom purposes.