Commentaries for Genesis Chapter 11 One language in the world, The building of Babel. Davidson, Robert. ( Gen 11:1-4) A tower in the land of Shinar . Hence none can find fault, and none can have cause to complain; as the salvation which for a time appeared to be restricted to a few, is now on the authority of God, liberally offered to the whole human race! 3. Abram himself saith, she was the daughter of his father, but not the daughter of his mother. God confounds their language, and scatters them over the whole earth, 5-9. Their distinction from the children of God, from whom those daringbuilders had separated themselves, and built this tower to support and perpetuate the separation. The contents of this chapter seem to precede in time those of chapter 10. How little do we know of those that are gone before us in this world, even those that lived in the same places where we live! Bochart has observed that there is a place called Ouri, south of the Euphrates, in the way from Nisibis to the river Tigris. And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech. Updated. So the LORD scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city. His departure out of Ur of the Chaldees, with his father Terah, and his nephew Lot, and the rest of his family, in obedience to the call of God. Of God's just wrath, all weak and heart-deprived. His country: Ur of the Chaldee's - An idolatrous country, where even the children of Eber themselves degenerated. The Pulpit Commentary reasons that since Abraham was 75 years old when Terah died, Terah must have been in his 130th year at the birth of Abraham. We do not know who wrote the Book of Genesis. That 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. That Eber, from whom the Hebrews were denominated, was thelongest lived of any that were born after the flood; which perhaps was the reward of his strict adherence to the ways of God. That there was an observable gradual decrease in the years of theirlives. << Genesis 10 | Genesis 11 | Genesis 12 >>. And Serug lived thirty years, and begat Nahor: And Serug lived after he begat Nahor two hundred years, and begat sons and daughters. ", One brings him up a hammer. Genesis 11:10 begins the section dealing with the generations of Shem; 11:27 begins a section which runs through 25:11, dealing with the generations of Terah, the father of Abraham, or Abram, as he was first named. Any discussion of work in biblical perspective eventually finds itself grounded on passages in this book. Every language is confounded less or more but that of eternal truth. Isaiah 46:11, represents Cyrus as coming from the east against Babylon. One would have spikes, and him a spade they give; Thus crossly crost, they prate and point in vain: These masons then, seeing the storm arrived. The invention of new arts and trades must give birth to a variety of terms and expressions. Genesis 11:32 says, "The days of Terah were two hundred and five years, and Terah died in Haran." 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. Afterwards the designs of God's endless mercy were more particularly unfolded; and the word, which seemed to be confined for two thousand years to the descendants of a single family, bursts forth on all hands, salvation is preached to the Gentiles, and thus in Abram's seed all the nations of the earth are blessed. The first nine verses tell us how the dispersion of nations over the whole earth started out. Genesis 11:1-32 . 11: 26 says: "After Terah had lived 70 years, he became the father of Abram, Nahor and Haran." of We may here lament the loss of the universal use of the Hebrew tongue, which from henceforth 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. Whatever their design might have been, it is certain that this temple or tower was afterwards devoted to idolatrous purposes. This one language, which apparently went back to Eden, was not Hebrew. We all suffer hereby to this day: in all the inconveniences we sustain by the diversity of languages, and all the 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 of one another's languages, for ought I know, are owing to this confusion of tongues. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. †This "Prologue" to Genesis presents the material in the form of myths within a religious framework and seeks to see extrabiblical tales behind the events of creation, the Fall, the Flood, and the tower of Babel. 4. Now the LORD had said to Abram: “Get out of your country, From your family And from your father’s house, To a land that I will show you. Verses 1-4 1. ENTONCES TODA LA TIERRA DE UNA LENGUA. These Chasdim, whence the Χαλδαιοι, Chaldeans, of the Septuagint, Vulgate, and all later versions, afterwards settled on the south of the Euphrates. Where, when, and to whom, are comparatively matters of small importance. What name was given this locality, and why (Genesis 11:9)? Those who are through grace, heirs of the land of promise, ought to remember what was the land of their birth; what was their corrupt and sinful state by nature. Or indeed of those who are our contemporaries, but in distant places. But if this be the case, have not others cause to complain because not thus favored? To make them a name: they would do something to be talked of byposterity. i., c. 13, edit. 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. This chapter leaves them in Haran or Charran, a place about the 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. I will make you a great nation; I will bless you And make your name great; And you shall be a blessing. 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. The pedigree of the sons of God down to Abraham, ver. 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 we do not knowwhen that person wrote the book. Not at all, unless the favoring of the one for a time should necessarily cut off the others for ever. California - Do Not Sell My Personal Information. So God divided mankind by tribe and tongue. Humanly speaking, the earth could not have so speedily peopled, had it not been for this very circumstance which the counsel of man had devised to prevent it. Their language was confounded. 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. ( Gen 11:1-4) A tower in the land of Shinar . Genesis 49:11. Genesis 11:28 "And Haran died before his father Terah in the land of his nativity, in Ur of the Chaldees." Genesis 11:1. The Arabic, Chaldee, Syriac, and Ethiopic, still bear the most striking resemblance to their parent, the Hebrew. And it is very probable that it was from this country that the wise men came to adore Christ; for it is said they came from the east to Jerusalem, Matthew 2:1. Salem Media Group. Before the tribes and nations described in Genesis 10 were formed, all the people of the earth shared one language and one culture. Read Genesis 11 commentary using Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible (Concise). And because the verb פוץ brev eht esua phuts, or נפץ naphats, used by Moses, signifies, not only to scatter, but also to break to pieces; whence thunder, Isaiah 30:30, is called נפץ nephets, a breaking to pieces; hence they supposed the whole work was broken to pieces and overturned. And they said one to another, Go to, let us make brick, and burn them throughly. On this point Bochart observes that these things are taken from the Chaldeans, who preserve many remains of ancient facts; and though they often add circumstances, yet they are, in general, in some sort dependent on the text. Their presumptuous provoking design, which was to build a city and a tower ( v. 1-4 ). From Chesed descended the Chasdim, whose language was the same as that of the Amorites, Daniel 1:4; Daniel 2:4. Genesis 37 is a sad commentary on Jacob's dysfunctional family, in which ten sons plot to kill their half-brother, eventually sell him, and then lie to their father. There is an ancient tradition that Moses wasthe author. 1. But through a just judgment of God, the language of all those who have attempted to do this has been confounded, and the word of the Lord abideth for ever. 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. Article Images Copyright © 2021 Getty Images unless otherwise indicated. He is arguably the most famous man of the Old Testament, and certainly one of the most influential men of history. Their weakness and frailty, it was a foolish thing for the childrenof men, worms of the earth, to defy heaven. Haran, the father of Lot, of whom it is here said. 1. One calls for planks, another mortar lacks; They bear the first a stone, the last an axe. That Babel was built in the land of Shinar we have the authority of the sacred text to prove; and that Babylon was built in the same country we have the testimony of Eusebius, Praep. And he wasnot merely recording ancient history. 2001-05-26; 14:31:23utc. Those who dwelt in Ur were either priests or astronomers, Daniel 2:10, and also idolaters, Joshua 24:2, Joshua 24:3, Joshua 24:14, Joshua 24:15. “And it come about as they journeyed east, that they found a plain in the land of Shiner and settled there” (Genesis 11:2). It shows how Noah's descendents became scattered across the world and the reason for their distribution. Abram was first favored; that time, that country, and that person were chosen by infinite wisdom, for there and then God chose to commence these mighty operations of Divine goodness. Whereas mention had before been made of Babylon in a single word, Moses now more largely explains whence it derived its name. 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. His father was Terah, of whom it is said. We learn that it is by God’s decree that there are so many languages on the earth. (Read all of Genesis 11) Verse 1. The children of men were now finally scattered, and never will come all together again 'till the great day. 1, p. 1213), and the culture from 10,000-8,000 B.C. John Trapp Complete Commentary. Then they said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks and bake them thoroughly.”. After he begot Arphaxad, Shem lived five hundred years, and begot sons and daughters. Isaac and Jacob also received the promises, the twelve patriarchs through their father, and the whole Jewish people through them. A sybil, whose oracle is yet extant, spoke both of it and of the confusion of tongues; so did Eupolemus and Abydenus. Genesis 11:27-28 "Now these [are] the generations of Terah: Terah begat Abram, Nahor, and Haran; and Haran begat Lot." As in previous volumes within the Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture, the range of comment contained in Genesis 1--11 spans from the first century to the eighth, from East to West, and from Greek and Latin speakers to Syriac. And because they were much addicted to astronomy, and probably to judicial astrology, hence all astrologers were, in process of time, called Chaldeans, Daniel 2:2-5. Please enter your email address associated with your Salem All-Pass account, then click Continue. Genesis 11 - Commentary by Rev. 1 - 4. Abraham is said to have come from the east to Canaan, Isaiah 41:2; but it is well known that he came from Mesopotamia and Chaldea. Genesis 11. Genesis /. 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. 11:1 "the whole earth used the same language" It is obvious that Genesis 11 explains the dispersion described in Genesis 10. In Genesis 49:11 and Genesis 49:12 Jacob finishes his blessing on Judah by depicting the abundance of his possessions in the promised land. GENESIS 11. Here is an expression after the manner of men; The Lord came down to see the city. 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. 5. However, Genesis 37 is also a commentary on God's grace and sovereign will. January February March April May June July August September October November December 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022. With this blow of the avenging rod of God came to an end the third … Genesis 11 Commentary. 3. And Haran died before his father Terah in the land of his nativity, in Ur of the Chaldees. 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. The dispersion of the sons of men at Babel, ver. And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us … How have men toiled to make this language clothe their own ideas; and thus cause God to speak according to the pride, prejudice and worst passions of men! (ABD, vol. i., c. 5. But this is not the case. And the whole earth was of one language — Now while they all understood one another, they would be the more capable of helping one another, and the less inclinable to separate. Obviously, chapter eleven moves back to the beginning of the previous chapter. “Era entonces toda la tierra de una lengua y unas mismas palabras” (v. 1). Abram (later changed to "Abraham") is mentioned 312 times in 272 verses in the Bible. We are including a special comment on this verse because of the alleged contradiction regarding the age of Terah and Abram's leaving Haran when he was 75 years of age ( Acts 7:4 ). The author was not merely collecting ancient stories. Now Terah lived seventy years, and begot Abram: Genesis 11:26 is the first mention of Abram. The learned are almost unanimously of opinion that the ancient inhabitants of this region were ignicolists or worshippers of fire, and in that place this sort of worship probably originated; and in honor of this element, the symbol of the Supreme Being, the whole country, or a particular city in it, might have had the name Ur. Similarly, Augustine devoted portions of five works to the first chapter of Genesis. 1692. The country, being plain, yielded neither stone nor mortar, yet this did... 3. This language of truth all the ancient and modern Babel builders have not been able to confound, notwithstanding their repeated attempts. There we have the story of how the … Genesis 11 - Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Bible . It certainly was not the work of a moment; different climates must have a considerable share in the formation of tongues, by their influence on the organs of speech. 2Y aconteció que, como se partieron de oriente, hallaron una vega en la tierra de Sinar, y asentaron allí. An account of this tower, and of the confusion of tongues, is given by several ancient authors. (Observe that Babylon and Babel are the same.) The builders were scattered abroad from thence upon the face of thewhole earth - They departed in companies after their families and after their tongues. Commentary on the Bible, by Adam Clarke [1831]. Genesis 11:1 "And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech." The rest of the chapter goes back to the genealogy of Shem. And Shem lived after he begat Arphaxad five hundred years, and begat sons and daughters. God, who when he made man taught him tospeak, now made those builders to forget their former language; and to speak a new one, which yet was the same 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. The book of Genesis is the foundation for the theology of work. 1. The confusion of tongues, The builders of Babel dispersed. James Gray - Concise Bible Commentary. GÉNESIS 11:1-2. Genesis 1-11. This appears to have been founded on "whose top may reach to heaven," which has been already explained. Their sinfulness, they were the sons of Adam, so it is in theHebrew; nay, of that Adam, that sinful disobedient Adam, whose children are by nature children of disobedience. They said, Go to, let us make brick ( Genesis... 2. 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. And Terah lived seventy years, and begat Abram, Nahor, and Haran. 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. Introduction to Genesis 1-11. Proud member And Abram and Nahor took them wives: the name of Abram's wife. Genesis 11 commentary 1. ADAM CLARKE'S BIBLE COMMENTARY -GENESIS 11. of a revolt in the eastern provinces, beyond the Euphrates. These observations are sufficient to remove all difficulty from this place. Chesed was the son of Nahor, the son of Terah, Genesis 22:22. All the inhabitants of the earth, speaking one language and dwelling in one place, Genesis 11:1, Genesis 11:2, purpose to build a city and a tower to prevent their dispersion, Genesis 11:3, Genesis 11:4.God confounds their language, and scatters them over the whole earth, Genesis 11:5-9.Account of the lives and families of the postdiluvian patriarchs. What was the result (Genesis 11:8)? Then they said to one another, "Come, let us make bricks and bake them thoroughly." What was the divine plan of frustration (Genesis 11:7)? It probably had its name Ur אור, which signifies fire, from the worship practiced there. Man had migrated to the fertile plain in the land of Shinar and there settled down. For a full and rational view of this subject, into which the nature of these notes forbids me farther to enter, I must refer my reader to Dr. Hales's laborious work, "A New Analysis of Sacred Chronology," vol. The dispersion of the sons of men at Babel ( v. 1-9 ), where we have, 1. It stands at the conclusion of what is known as the Primeval History that comprises Genesis 1-11. 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. Introduction. 6. Their weakness and frailty, it was a foolish thing for the childrenof men, worms of the earth, to defy heaven. This is unfortunate, since his works contain priceless gems of information that are found nowhere except in the ancient writings of the Jews. The oldest written language known to moderns is cuneiform Sumerian, dating from 3,000 B.C. Genesis 11. But we can see thatGenesis is a very old book. Su. "Hew this brick,". “The whole land” evidently means the whole then known world with all its human inhabitants. Their building was stopped, they left off to build the city - This wasthe effect of the confusion of their tongue's; for it not only disabled them from helping one another, but probably struck a damp upon their spirits, since they saw the hand of the Lord gone out against them. Have not been able to confound, notwithstanding their repeated attempts the,... Think that it is certain that this temple or tower was afterwards devoted to idolatrous.. 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