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Scott's Reference Library
Genesis 11:1 through Genesis 11:9 (NIV)
1Now the whole world had one language and a common speech. 2As men moved
eastward,£ they found a plain in Shinar£ and settled there.
3They said to each other, “Come, let’s make bricks and bake them thoroughly.”
They used brick instead of stone, and tar for mortar. 4Then they said, “Come,
let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that
we may make a name for ourselves and not be scattered over the face of the whole
earth.”
5But the LORD came down to see the city and the tower that the men were
building. 6The LORD said, “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.
7Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand
each other.”
8So the LORD scattered them from there over all the earth, and they stopped
building the city. 9That is why it was called Babel£—because there the LORD
confused the language of the whole world. From there the LORD scattered them
over the face of the whole earth.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible
VERSES 1-4
How soon men forget the most tremendous judgments, and go back to their former
crimes! Though the desolations of the deluge were before their eyes, though they
sprang from the stock of righteous Noah, yet even during his life-time,
wickedness increases exceedingly. Nothing but the sanctifying grace of the Holy
Spirit can remove the sinful lusts of the human will, and the depravity of the
human heart. God’s purpose was, that mankind should form many nations, and
people all lands. In contempt of the Divine will, and against the counsel of
Noah, the bulk of mankind united to build a city and a tower to prevent their
separating. Idolatry was begun, and Babel became one of its chief seats. They
made one another more daring and resolute. Let us learn to provoke one another
to love and to good works, as sinners stir up and encourage one another to
wicked works.
VERSES 5-9
Here is an expression after the manner of men; The Lord came down to see the
city. God is just and fair in all he does against sin and sinners, and condemns
none unheard. Pious Eber is not found among this ungodly crew; for he and his
are called the children of God; their souls joined not themselves to the
assembly of these children of men. God suffered them to go on some way, that the
works of their hands, from which they promised themselves lasting honour, might
turn to their lasting reproach. God has wise and holy ends, in allowing the
enemies of his glory to carry on their wicked projects a great way, and to
prosper long. Observe the wisdom and mercy of God, in the methods taken for
defeating this undertaking. And the mercy of God in not making the penalty equal
to the offence; for he deals not with us according to our sins. The wisdom of
God, in fixing upon a sure way to stop these proceedings. If they could not
understand one another, they could not help one another; this would take them
off from their building. God has various means, and effectual ones, to baffle
and defeat the projects of proud men that set themselves against him, and
particularly he divides them among themselves. Notwithstanding their union and
obstinacy God was above them; for who ever hardened his heart against him, and
prospered? Their language was confounded. We all suffer by it to this day: in
all the pains and trouble used to learn the languages we have occasion for, we
suffer for the rebellion of our ancestors at Babel. Nay, and those unhappy
disputes, which are strifes of words, and arise from misunderstanding one
another’s words, for ought we know, are owing to this confusion of tongues. They
left off to build the city. The confusion of their tongues not only unfitted
them for helping one another, but they saw the hand of the Lord gone out against
them. It is wisdom to leave off that which we see God fights against. God is
able to blast and bring to nought all the devices and designs of Babel-builders:
there is no wisdom nor counsel against the Lord. The builders departed according
to their families, and the tongue they spake, to the countries and places
allotted to them. The children of men 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.