Knowing The Word in Genesis 11:1-9, The Tower of Babel

The narrative structure & palistrophe of the Tower of Babel

v. 1 Introduction

v. 2 Scene 1: The travels of mankind

vv. 3-4 Scene 2: Human plans to build a city and tower

v. 5 Scene 3: Divine inspection visit

vv. 6-7 Scene 4: Divine plans to frustrate mankind

v. 8 Scene 5: Mankind is scattered and the building stopped

v. 9 Conclusion: What Babel means

A The whole earth had one language (11:1)

B there (11:2)

C said to one another (11:3)

D Come let us make bricks (11:3)

E Come let us build ourselves (11:4)

F a city and a tower (11:4))

G the Lord came down to see (11:5)

F’ the city and the tower (11:5)

E’ which the children of man had built (11:5)

D’ Come let us . . . confuse their language (11:7)

C’ one another’s speech (11:7)

B’ from there (11:9)

A’ the language of all the earth (11:9)

1 Now the whole earth had one language and the same words. 2 And as people migrated from the east, they found a plain in the land of Shinar [Babel] and settled there. 3 And they said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks, and burn them thoroughly.” And they had brick for stone, and bitumen for mortar. 4 Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens [an attempt to become like God], and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed [a rejection of the divine command to be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth] over the face of the whole earth.” 5 And the Lord came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of man had built. [He could barely see it from where he was!] 6 And the Lord said, “Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language, and this is only the beginning of what they will do. And nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them. [See Gen 3:22, “Since man has become like one of us . . .”] 7 Come, let us [inviting the angels] go down and there confuse their language, so that they may not understand one another's speech.” 8 So the Lord dispersed them from there over the face of all the earth [another expulsion due to sin], and they left off building the city. [They failed.] 9 Therefore its name was called Babel, because there the Lord confused the language of all the earth. And from there the Lord dispersed them over the face of all the earth.

[The completed tower was supposed to be a monument to human achievement. Instead the unfinished tower became a reminder of divine judgment. Throughout the Bible Babylon is seen as the embodiment of human pride and godlessness. Where and when does the confusion of languages get reversed? Hint: Look at Acts chapter 2.]