Genesis 11

Genesis 11:1-4

We have in this chapter, 1. The dispersion of the sons of men at Hebal. (1.) The cause. Their presumptuous design is build a city, and a tower, &c. ver. 1—4. (2.) The righteous judgment of God upon them in disappointing their design, by confounding their decreases, and by scattering them, ver. 5—9. 2. The judgment of the sons of God down to Abraham, ver. 10—20. with a general answer of his family, and removal out of his native country, ver. 27. ad fmem. ¶ Heb. Lp. ¶ Heb. Woron. ¶ On earth, word, as chap. xii. 21. ¶ 5. See, e., a word-Chom. 1. 2. ¶ Heb. R. man: if it is be sought, 3. See. ¶ Heb. R. then to a hearing. Though the division of the earth had been made either by the appointment of God, or the wisdom of Noah foreseeing the increase of men, they were lost to separate; and as they brought corruption out of the ark, as well as into it, now it appears abundantly in their daring attempt and design: We have here. 1. Their resolution. To build a tower. Probably the metropists of their kingdom: in order thus to be united under one visible head, Noond their king, and hereby to procure themselves a name to their latest potterity; and by this also they hoped to prevent their dispersion, and to disappoint the purposed division. Note, (1.) They who seek a great name by bad ways, will often find it, but stamped with infamy. (2.) When the presumptuous sinner, or the self-sufficient, build up their hopes of heaven highest, their confusion is nearest, and their own mind inevitable. (3.) There is no counsel or might against the Lord; they who attempt to disappoint his determination, only in the end cover themselves with shame. 2. A precious plain in the land of Shinar, where they dwelt, afforded them abundance, and unity of language united them in their designs. Note, Many a worldly heart is so pleased with VOL. I. his accommodations on earth, that here he would rain build his abode; and putting his name in this Shinar, look no farther. 3. The methods they pursued. 1. They encouraged each other. Go to. When people are unanimous, what can they not accomplish? 2. They provided materials the most durable, and therefore promised themselves fiercely in their undertaking. Learn hence, 1. The great help of animal efforts: Shall the children of this world unite, and shall the children of God be divided? 2. Nothing so promising as to resolve, and do; they set about the work immediately. To die only resolving, as is the case of many, is never the way to build the tower that can reach to heaven. 5. And the LORD came down to be the city and the tower, which the children of men builded. 6. And the LORD said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be refrained from them, which they have imagined to do. 7. Go to, ’let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech. 8. So the LORD scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city. 9. Therefore is the name of it called ‘Babel’, because the LORD did there confound the language of all the earth: and from thence told the LORD scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth.

Genesis 11:5-9

The thing dishealed the Lord. Therefore he comes down (speaking after the moment of men) to see, and on the spot to judge concerning the undertaking. We have here, 1. The name God gives, these mighty workers, the children of men. The sons of God in Eber’s family had nothing to do with their daring rebels; but they had much to fear from them, and therefore they widely separated. Note, 1. The children of men are children of vanity; foolish in their designs, and weak in their efforts against God. 2. They are children of corruption, wicked as well as weak; and therefore obnoxious to the divine displeasure. 2. God’s resolution to confound their enterprise. He beheld their pride, but he is able to abide them; and if he suffers them to proceed, it is only to make his power more to appear, and their thame to be double. Learn, (1.) God does not always stop the sinner in his mid career, but suffers him to go on and prosper, for many a long day; but mark the end of those men. (2.) When the wicked say, Let us call off his hands, and break his coats from us, they are but forging their own chains. God works at the impotent attempt, and will make it appear as foolish as it is impious. 3. The method God took. He confounded their language; a method perfectly effectual to prevent the design: they could no longer join in counsel, nor obey command. Whenever he pleaseth, he can as easily disappoint the devices of the wicked, as he now divided their tongues. It was a mercy he visited them no farther: had he said, let us go down and continue them utterly, he had been righteous; but he mingles mercy with judgment in this world: ’tis in the next where they will have judgment without mercy. But it was a heavy stroke on them and their potterity; they were thus cut off from converting with the people of God, as well as from all intercourse with one another. The latter, perhaps, the most terrible disappointment, but the sinner the heavier judgment. 4. The effect produced: they left off to build. It is high time to have done, when God stands against us. And dispersed accouting to the divisions allotted them: thus the very evil they would avoid, came upon them. The name they proposed for honour, becomes Babel, confusion; nor ever again will there be perfect unity on the earth. Note, (1.) The trouble we seek to avoid by unlawful means, will certainly come upon us more severely, by the very methods we make use of to escape it. (2.) It is God’s work to separate as well as unite, and oftentimes he brings good out of evil: by the scattering of the church, Acts viii. 4. the gospel was propagated; by the dispersion of men, the earth was repentified. 10. ¶ Thefe are the generations of Shem: Shem was an hundred years old, and begat Arphazad two years after the flood. 11. And Shem lived after he begat Arphazad five hundred years, and begat sons and daughters. 12. And Arphazad lived five and thirty years, and begat Salah. 13. And Arphazad lived after he begat Salah four hundred and three years, and begat sons and daughters. 14. And Salah lived thirty years, and begat Eber. 15. And Salah lived after he begat Eber four hundred and three years, and begat sons and daughters. 16. And Eber lived four and thirty years, and begat Peleg. 17. And Eber lived after he begat Peleg four hundred and thirty years. G thirty 35.

thirty years, and begat sons and daughters. 18. And Peleg lived thirty years and begat Reu. 19. And Peleg lived after he begat Reu two hundred and nine years, and begat sons and daughters. 20. And Reu lived two and thirty years and begat Serug. 21. And Reu lived after he begat Serug two hundred and seven years, and begat sons and daughters. 22. And Serug lived thirty years, and begat Nahor. 23. And Serug lived after he begat Nahor two hundred years, and begat sons and daughters. 24. And Nahor lived nine and twenty years, and begat Terah. 25. And Nahor lived after he begat Terah an hundred and nineteen years, and begat sons and daughters. 26. And Terah lived seventy years, and begat Abram, Nahor, and Haran.

9. 27—28. The defendants of Shem to Abram the father of the faithful, are here recounted. This genealogy is preferred for our fakes, that we might see the fulfillment of God’s promise in the woman’s feud; among which merciless Abram stands in so distinguished a light. Note, The parts of Scripture which seem least practical, are not always least useful. The genealogies which lead to Christ, are names of gold. It is observable, the age of men gradually decreased, whether from any physical exiles after the flood, operating on their bodies, or God’s immediate hand. It is a blessing now to us, that three-fore years and ten are the limits: a soul that is seeking God, will count it enough to be so long confined in a sinful world.

10. Now these are the generations of Terah: Terah begat Abram, Nahor, and Haran; and Haran begat Lot. 28. And Haran died before his father Terah, in the land of his nativity, in Ur of the Chaldees. 29. And Abram and Nahor took them wives; the name of Abrams wife was Sarai; and the name of Nahors wife is Milcali, the daughter of Haran, the father of Milcali, and the father of Icah. 30. But ‘Sarai was barren; she had no child. 31. And Terah took Abram his son, and Lot the son of Haran, his sons son, and Sarai his daughter in law, his son Abrams 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. 32. And the days of Terah were two hundred and five years: And Terah died in Haran.

11. 27—32. The account of Abram begins, so eminent in the succeeding history. We have mention made of, 1. His father, Terah, of whom it is God he served other Gods, Jof. xxiv. 2. Idolatry came in betimes. It is the nature of fallen men to depart from the living God. 3. His brothers and family. Nahor, and Haran, the father of Lot, who died before Terah. Death gives no quarter to young or old. And Icah, perhaps the fame as Sarai, afterwards his wife, Chap. xxii. 12. 4. The country; Ur of the Chaldees, an idolatrous place; yet there dwelt the patriarchs. Note, 1. It is a miserable thing to be born in a country of idolators; it is worse still to live among them; and worst of all, as Haran did, to die among them. 2. It behoves us much to enquire, if we are got out of the land of our nativity; for we are born in wickedness; better never have been born, than not to have removed from thence by being new born. 3. There removal to Charran, where Terah died. Many reach Charran, who come not to Canaan; not far from the kingdom, but never enter it.

N. B. 9. 26. Though Abram be here mentioned the first of Terah’s children, yet it is probable that he was the youngest, and mentioned the first only by way of eminence, as Shem was before; because he was to be the progenitor of our Lord. Certain it is, that he was not born this year: Haran must probably was. Abram was not born till 60 years afterwards; for he was but 75 years old when he left Haran or Charran, chap. xii. 4. and Terah was dead before he left it. F. 32. But from this year to Terah’s death, were 135 years; therefore Abram must have been born in the 130th year of Terah’s life, just 60 years from this year 2050.

Genesis 11:24-27

22. And * Ham the father of Canaan saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brethren without. 23. And Shem and Japheth took a garment, and laid it upon both their shoulders, and went backward, and covered the nakedness of their father; and their faces were backward, and they saw not their fathers nakedness.

v. 22, 23. We have here the different conduct of Noah’s sons on the occasion.

1. Ham’s undisturbed and impiety. He was rather pleased than grieved at what he saw; derided, rather than compassionate his unhappy father; and published, instead of concealing his shame. Note, 1. It is a sure proof of a wicked heart, when ever we can be pleased with others son. 2. Our father’s shame is our own, and he must be a bad bird indeed that defies his own self. 3. How particularly careful should parents be a drunken father, can with no shadow of reason expect sobriety or modesty in his son.

2. Shem and Japheth’s tenderness: they will not see it themselves; they would conceal it from others. 1. Love will cover the sins of our neighbour. 2. Duty and reverence for our parents or superiors, will make us twice careful to conceal their faults.

3. And Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his younger son had done unto him. 25. And he said, Curled be Canaan; a servant of servants shall be be unto his brethren. 26. And he said, Blessed be the LORD God of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant. 27. God shall enlarge Japheth, and he shall dwell in the tents of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant.

Or servant to them. Or per-

He awoke. ‘Tis mercy, when he sleep the sleep of sin, he did not sleep the sleep of death; but God restored him not only to his senses, but his favour. He foretels the future condition of his children.

1. A curse on Ham and his descendants for his wickedness. The Cananines left the effect of this 800 years after, when the Jews, Shem’s posterity, either destroyed or reduced them to the most abject servitude. Learn hence, 1. Though God’s curses are long delayed, yet they will take effect at last. 2. That God fathers entail God’s visitations on the children brought up in their wicked ways. How dreadful a scene in the day of judgment, to have children’s blood required at their ungodly parents hands.

2. The blessing on Shem and Japheth.

3. On Shem. (1.) Spiritual blessings. The Lord is his God, and more than all is conspired in this. That man, that house, that people must needs he blessed, who have the Lord for their God. (2.) Temporal blessings; Canaan shall be his servant. Though the people of God expect not their kingdom in this world, they shall have enough of it; and by and by they shall rule over the nations with a red of iron, Rev. ii. 27.

4. On Japheth. (1.) An enlargement of territory. His posterity prepled Europe; great part of Asia, and probably America. (2.) His dwelling in the tents of Shem. His partaking of the spiritual benediction with him. The Gentiles were to be connected, and united to the Israel of God. (3.) Canaan must serve him too. In virtue of which, his posterity successively were followed by Afghian, Chaldeans, Gretians, and Romans. Note, 1. ‘Tis not dwelling in large tents, but in God’s tents, is the valuable mercy. 2. Though Shem had the blessing first, yet, blessed be God, Japheth’s spiritual border is now most enlarged: thus the last shall be first.

6. ¶ And Noah lived after the flood three hundred and fifty years. 29. And all the days of Noah were nine hundred and fifty years: and he died.

v. 28, 29. His long life was a great mercy to the world: his experience as a man would direct them in their worldly labour; but his preaching as a prophet, where his congregation were all his children too, would have a more blessed influence still, to direct them to heaven. Having lived for God in two bad worlds, he now, no doubt, from with God in a better.