Walk in the Bible - Genesis 11

Genesis - Chapter 11

    

     Verse 1 starts right away by letting us know that everyone was in the same place and had the same language. Rashi and Radak both state this language was Hebrew, and as a matter of fact most scholars agree with them that that's what it was! Verse 2 pretty much lets us know that they were living as nomads, bringing their goats wherever grazing was good. Radak tell us that the Shinar valley was likely the valley of the Euphrates and Tigris River. This would have been a very fertile area AND we're told in Genesis 10:10 this would have been the stronghold for King Nimrod as well. 

     Verse 2 also tells us that once they got to that region, and remember they're all moving together, they stopped and decided to set up a city for all of them there. GOD had told them to spread out back in Genesis 9:7, and here's man , a few generations after the flood wanting to do their own thing! In fact, Verse 3 shows them wanting to build homes out of brick rather than use the tents they were using and literally stop moving around. Verse 4 shows them talking about building a city with a tower so they wouldn't  be scattered around the earth.

     Once again, GOD had told them to abound in the earth, not just stay in one place, so that's the first mistake they made, but it won't be the only one they make!  Notice in verse four that they're stating that they want to make a name for themselves ?  That's the second mistake they made. They were attempting to set themselves up as the rulers of their lands, and as we say back in Genesis 1, GOD rules the land, he made it, he named it, it's HIS , not ours to rule over. Trying to take what belongs to GOD isn't going to work, GOD just wouldn't allow for it, as you'll see shortly!

     Verse 5 shows GOD coming down to look at the city and the tower. Obviously, this is metaphorical, since GOD is omniscient and therefore would have known already what was happening in detail in this city. Interestingly enough, Radak tells us that per the custom of the time, a venerable Torah sage would have been exempt from personally taking home someone's lost property or looking for it's owner, so the fact that the Torah (Old Testament) says GOD came down likely gave them pause to think ! Additionally, none of the Egyptian or Canaanite gods came back down to Earth, they stayed up the heavens where their home was presumed to be, and that's it !

      Verse 6 shows GOD not really happy with what the people were doing.  He'd told the to fill up the earth, and yet they insisted on staying in one place. Secondly, they were looking to make a name for themselves, as they said, literally they wanted to make themselves higher than anyone else in the land. Remember too, that this is being written during the Exodus, and most pagan cultures would have had temples to their gods placed on high spots in their land, like towers or mountains, so it could have been likely that the people of Babel would have placed some kind of altar on the top of the tower once it was done. In short, the town and the tower were objects of idolatry, which GOD would not accept. Remember JESUS HIMSELF said "He who exalts himself will be humbled, he who humbles himself will be exalted" (Matthew 23:12).

      Verse 7 shows GOD scattering the language to make the people scatter.  Chizkuni tells us that the word using here is close to the word "thoroughly mix up".  From studying languages a bit, I can tell you that some languages are definitely mixed up. For example, in Argentina, the language spoken is Spanish, BUT, it's mixed with Italian words. For example, the typical Spanish "good-bye" is "Adios", in Argentina, however, it's "Ciao" (pronounced "Chow") which is what would be said in Italy.   Tagalog and Cebuano, both languages spoken in the Philippine Islands, have words in common, but the syntax is different and it's mixed with words from other languages as well. Even English has words from other languages!  GOD really DID mix the languages up, completely!

     In mixing the language up, GOD got people do to what he asked them to do in the first place, they fell in with people who spoke their same language and moved to other areas where that language grew and evolved. Verse 8 shows that happening.  By moving the people away, even though some DID stay with that city, it stopped them from building that tower as there were a lot fewer hands to do the work. Rashi points out that what they feared happening, that they'd be scattered is just exactly what happened to them in the end. 

     Verse 9 shows the town being named "Babel" which , according to the JPS Torah Commentary, is a play on the word "Balal" which means confusion.  Rabbineu Bahya points out that in this case, the punishment fit the crime. This whole event started with the people speaking up and deciding to build a great city and tower. Now, as a result, they are unable to communicate with each other at all!

     Verse 10 picks up with the line of Shem, now, it already told us a bit about Shem's line in, chapter 10, however, it's going back to his lineage for two reasons.  First, per Chizkuini, it's showing us that Shem's line is not a part of the lineage of those that got involved with building the tower of Babel. Secondly, his line, as we'll see in a moment, traces directly to (at least in the old Testament ) one of the founding fathers of the Hebrew nation!  This line will move a bit quicker as you'll see in a moment!

     First, take notice of how old Shem was he had his son, 100 years old.  Also, bear in mind that this is going back in time to before the Tower of Babel, just so you keep this in mind! Now the Bible says he had Arpachshad and this occurred two years after the flood. Verse 11 says he lived 500 years, so that would make him about 600 years old when he died. Now look at verse 12, it says Arpachshad was 35 years old when he had his son. All of a sudden it looks like people are having children at a younger age.

     Verse 14 says that after Arpachshad had Selah, his son, he lived 403 years, that would make him about 438 years old when he died, a full 136 years younger than his father was!  in Verse 15 , Selah had his son, Eber at 30 years old and in verse 16, it says he lived for 403 years, making him 463 years old when he died, do you see the trend here?  People are starting to have children earlier and die earlier. Now Verse  17 shows Eber having his son Peleg at 43 years of age. Eber is said to have lived for 430 years after , making him 447 years old, making him younger than his father when he died.

     Remember, in Genesis 10:25 Peleg was named Peleg because, according his father , his days on earth would be divided. Literally, he would lived half of the expected life span.  Peleg, in Verse 18 is shown having his first boy, Reu at 30 years old. Verse 19 says he lived to 209 years of age, making him 239 years old when he died. He's literally close to half of his father's age when he dies!

     In Verse 20 we're told that Reu had his first boy, Serug at 32 years old. Verse 21 tells us that he lived to 207 years old, that would make him 229 years old when he died, still younger than his father!  Verse 22 tells us that Serug was 30 years old when he had his first son, Nahor. Verse 23 tells us that he lived for 200 years, making him 230 years old when he died, just 1 year older than his father.  As you can see, the lifespan of all man kind had definitely dropped by at least 200 years!!

     Verse 24 tells us that Nahor had his son, Terah when he was 29 years old and verse 25 tell us he lived 119 years after that. That means he died at 144 years of age, 86 years younger than his father did.  Now in case you're wondering, this lineage is winding up, and you'll see in a moment why this lineage is recorded despite the fact that no one really founds any cities or does anything great just yet!  In fact, verse 26 will get us to the reason for the lineage.

     Verse 26 shows us that when he was  70 , Terah had 3 sons, Abram, Nahor and Haran.  Now Nahor is named after Tehra's father, however, Abram's the one we're really interested in as he will become the father of the Hebrew nation. That's why the lineage was kept, to trace Abram's lineage back to Seth , then back to Noah!  Verse 28 tells us that Haran, who's Tahor's son, had a son Lot. This does two things, it shows that Lot is ALSO related to Shem and Abram as well.

     Verse 29 tells us that Haran, Tahor's son, died during his life time, but goes into no detail as to what happened. However, the Midrash Aggadah, Siftei Chakhamin, Rashi and Rabineu Bahya all agree that Haran was thrown into a furnace for smashing his father's idols.  His father lived in Chaldean territory and was likely a pagan, as Abram was taught to be , growing up.  Verse 29 also tells us that Abram took a wife, Sari. According to  Genesis 20:12, she's his half-sister. GOD would outlaw that kind of thing in Leviticus 8:9-11, but for now, he hasn't.

     Verse 30 tells us that Sari was barren. Now, the rabbinical scholars have stated various reasons for this, and quite frankly, they don't agree with each other. To be honest, it's not really important WHY she could have children at this point.  Verse 31 tells us that Terah, the father of Abram took his family on a journey to Canaan, but only made it as far as Haran.  Chizkuni tells us that this is because Terah died in Haran. Verse 32 backs that fact up. At this point, the chapter ends, but it's at least introduced up to Abram and Sari, who will become more prominent in the next chapter!! 

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     In Summary - this passage starts with everyone in the same place, even though they were told to spread out.

When they didn't want to , GOD saw fit to get them to spread out.   It ends with Terah, the father of Abram leaving his village with Abram and his family and not quite making it there. Abram then stopped moving at Haran.

     It also covers what happens when anyone tries to lift themselves up, and it typically never ends well.  The coming chapter will tell us what happens when someone humbles themselves. 

     

     JESUS, GOD'S son, came down to Earth, just like GOD did, and what's more, he became one of us. Powerless, instead of powerful, meek instead of mighty. He preached peace, not war. He even humbled himself to the point that the died a horrible death, one we deserved, but by doing this, he made it possible for us to go directly to GOD, and live abundantly here in Earth as well as heaven. If you're not sure you have this abundant life, reach out, I'll be happy to talk to you about it!