Genesis 11 - Introduction
_MEN BEGIN TO BUILD THE CITY AND TOWER OF BABEL: GOD CONFOUNDS THEIR LANGUAGE: AND DISPERSES THEM OVER ALL THE EARTH. THE POSTERITY OF SHEM: ABRAM MARRIES SARAI: TERAH DIES._... [ Continue Reading ]
_MEN BEGIN TO BUILD THE CITY AND TOWER OF BABEL: GOD CONFOUNDS THEIR LANGUAGE: AND DISPERSES THEM OVER ALL THE EARTH. THE POSTERITY OF SHEM: ABRAM MARRIES SARAI: TERAH DIES._... [ Continue Reading ]
THE WHOLE EARTH— All the inhabitants of the earth, before they were divided and dispersed, spoke one _common language,_ as descended from one common parent. The word, rendered _languages_ שׂפה _sapah,_ signifies _lip,_ as the margin of our Bibles has it; and the word דברים _debarim, speech,_ is plur... [ Continue Reading ]
AS THEY JOURNEYED FROM THE EARTH— Hence it seems to follow, that the whole posterity of Noah continued together, till now, united under one common head, most probably living in tents, and, according to the most early custom, removing from place to place, for the better convenience of pasturage and t... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THEY SAID ONE TO ANOTHER, &C.— United in language and sentiment, they agreed to provide proper materials, and so to build a city, which might be a more certain habitation than moveable tents, which might also unite them under one government and polity, and give them strength and celebrity. The m... [ Continue Reading ]
GO TO, LET US BUILD, &C.— They proposed to build a magnificent city with a _tower,_ either for defence or for religion, though for the latter most probably; _whose top,_ says our translation, _may reach unto heaven._ There is nothing in the Hebrew for _may reach;_ it is only said there, _and its hea... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE LORD CAME DOWN TO SEE, &C. — All allow, _the Lord's coming down to see the city and tower,_ is to be understood, "after the manner of men," by way of accommodation to our conceptions; and means no more, than that by the effects he made it appear, that he observed their motions, and knew thei... [ Continue Reading ]
THE PEOPLE IS ONE— One in _sentiment_ and _design,_ and one in _language_ also: this seems to confirm the opinion advanced in note on Genesis 11:1.... [ Continue Reading ]
LET US GO DOWN, &C.— God is said to _go down,_ when he executes any work upon earth, which makes his power and presence signally known. The plural us is another proof of the sacred doctrine of the Trinity. See note on ch. Genesis 1:26. _AND THERE CONFOUND THEIR LANGUAGE_— If this word (_language_) i... [ Continue Reading ]
THESE ARE THE GENERATIONS OF SHEM— The sacred historian having thus far given us an account of such events as concern all mankind, now prepares to quit the narration of general transactions, for the more immediate history of that _family,_ which was chosen by God to be the vehicle of his sacred prom... [ Continue Reading ]
THESE ARE THE GENERATIONS OF TERAH— It may be proper to remark, that it appears, from this genealogy, that these patriarchs begat children about the age of thirty, which may therefore serve as a mean number in any calculation. When it is said, that Terah lived seventy years, and begat three sons, it... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY WENT FORTH FROM UR—TO GO INTO CANAAN—AND CAME UNTO HARAN— Terah, with his son Abram with Sarai, and his grandson Lot, leaving Nahor and his family behind, from what motive it doth not appear, probably from the call of God, Nehemiah 9:7, left Ur of the Chaldees, purposing to go into the land of... [ Continue Reading ]