Genesis 11

A city and a tower. Some fancy one thing to be expressed in two words: “a city and a tower,” being a city with turrets. But both this verse and the next express them so severally, that we ought to.think them to have been distinct. Yet, that the tower was, part of the city, is plain by verse 8. where it is said, € l they left off to build the city/’ making no mention of the tower: which was contained in the city, as a part of it; and may well be thought to have been the Acropolis (as the Greeks speak), a strong place in the highest part of the city; such as we call a citadel. For the Scripture by a tower, means some fortress to keep out an enemy, which was wont to be built in the mids* of the city, that it might command every part of it Some fancy the temple of Belus, beforcmentioned, was afterward built where this tower stood; and was nothing else but the tower perfected for another use. Or, rather, a temple was built round about the tower, which stood in the midst of it, as Herodotus describes it, (lib. i.)‘By pi<ry 3e tov Upov wvpyoQ tTTepeog, &c. in the midst of the temple was a strong tower, Sec. Whose top may reach up unto heaven.] i. e. To the clouds. As much as to say, an exceeding high tower. For the same is said of the walls of the cities of Canaan, (Deut i. 28. ix. 1.) and therefore can mean no more here. And is an usual phrase in Scripture; as, when the Psalmist says, they that sail upon the sea are sometime lifted up to heaven, (cvii. 25.) which is a language that other authors speak; for Homer mentions a fir-tree which was ovpwofn’MQ, extended to lieaven, i. e. very tall. Which I note to shew the senseless spile of Julian the apostate, who endeavoured to discredit this sacred story, by the poetical fiction of the giants warring with heaven: as if there were no more truth in the one than in the other. But St. Cyril, in his fourth book against him, truly observes, that, in Scripture, this phrase, ek ovpavbv, to heaven, is put avrl rod fyovg, for that which is highly elevated, as this tower was. Which being half a quarter of a mile in breadth and length, had another tower stood upon it; and a third upon that, and soon, /xx’P< °" ° KT0> ™pyw (as Herodotus speaks), till tJtere were eight towers in all: which made it of a vast height. Let us make us a name, &c] Here he plainly acquaints us with their intention in building this city and tower: which was to be a perpetual monument of their fame; to spread it far and wide, while they were alive; and that their names might live in this monument when they were dead: all posterity saying, such and such persons were the founders of the first and mother city of the world. So David is said to have got himself a name, (2 Sam. viii. 13.) i. e. extended his fame by his great achievements. And God is said to do the same, (Isai. lxiii. 12. 14.) Therefore there was no occasion for assigning other reasons for the building of this tower, when Moses gives one so clearly. That which hath been commonly fancied is, that they might secure themselves against another inundation: from which they were secured by the Divine promise (if they would believe it), together with the addition of a sign to it, (ix. 12.) And, if they did not believe it, why did they come down from the mountains into the plain country to build this tower; which might more rationally have been erected upon the top of the highest mountains, if their meaning had been, by this means, to preserve themselves from future floods? If there were any other meaning besides that mentioned by Moses, I should think that most probable which I find in Dr. Jackson, (book L on the Creed, chap. 16.) That it might be " a refuge whereunto they might resort, and continue their combination:" something of which seems to be intimated in the next words. There is a conjecture also made by a most worthy friend of mine, a good while ago, Dr. Tenison, now bishop of Lincoln, in his book of Idolatry (which is not inconsistent with these), that this tower was consecrated by the builders of it to the sun, as the cause of drying up the waters of the deluge, (orrather, as the most illustrious andnearest resem* blance of the Schechinah, as I noted on chap.iv.) and that it was intended as an altar whereon to sacrificetoit. But it is propounded only as a conjecture: which those Jews seem also to have had in their minds, who, by the word Shem, (name) understand God: as if their meaning were, " lot us make us a god;" and raise him a temple. And perhaps future times did convert it to that use. Lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the ivhole earth.] Here they speak as if they feared a dispersion; but it is hard to tell from what cause, unless it were this, that Noah having projected a division of the earth among his posterity, (for it was a deliberate business, as I noted upon x. 5.) these people had no mind to submit unto it; and therefore built this fortress to defend themselves in their resolution of not yielding to his design. Thus the most learned Usher, (ad A. M. 1757.) But what they dreaded they brought upon themselves by their own vain attempt to avoid it rand now there is no memory preserved of the names of those that conspired in this attempt. Thus what Solomon saith, was long before verified, £Prov. x. 24.) " The fear of the wicked shall, come upon him." But this evil by God’s providence was attended with a great good: for by this dispersion the whole earth was peopled, and the foundation laid of several great nations and kingdoms. so great after this dispersion, when he came out of Arabia, or some neighbouring country, and settled hero in Babel; which was called by this name, upon occasion of the confusion of languages, and had it not before. Which is an argument that what w T c read, (x. 10, 11.) must be understood to have happened after this time. But, if all this be truci that some of Chain’s raco began this design, which other bad people were too much disposed to follow, and that they who retained the true religion (from whom Abraham descended) were not of the number, it is credible that they escaped the punishment here mentioned (in the next verses), retaining still their ancient seat, and the ancient language also; which continued in the family of Hebcr, and was called Hebrew. N Ver. G. And the Lord said, &c] This verse only expresses a resolution to spoil their projeot, and the necessity of so doing.

Genesis 11:5

And the Lord came down to see, &c. This is an accommodation to our conceptions, and means no more, but that by the effects he made it appear, that he observed their motions and knew their intentions. Winch the children of men builded.] Itis generally agreed that children ofmenin Scripture, is opposed to children of God; as bad men and infidels are to the good and the faithful. Which gives us to understand, that neither Noah, nor Shera,norArphaxad, Salah,orHeber,were engaged in this work; but some of the worser sort of people, who degenerated from the piety of their ancestors. It is probable some of the race of Ham; who, itis likely, carried much of the spirit of Cain with him into the ark: otherwise he could not have behaved himself so vilely towards his father after they came out of it. For that terrible judgment, it seems, had not reformed him; and then it is no wonder if he grew more wicked after it was over. Josephus and others take •Nimrod (his grandchild) to have been the ^pxny^r^, as his word is, ringleader of this crew, who combined in this design. But I take it to be more probable that he came and settled here after the dispersion. For there being not much above a hundred years between the flood and this time, it is not likely such a great kingdom could be erected in that space, as we read of, (Gen. x. 10.) And therefore he grew

Genesis 11:7

Let us.~\ The rabbins fancy this is spoken to the angels. Butitis beyond the angelical power to alter men’s minds so in a moment, that they shall not be able to understand what they did before. Therefore God spake to himself: and this phrase suggests to us more persons than one in the godhead. In short, none but He, who taught men at first to speak, could, in an instant, make that variety of speech which is described in the next words. Novatianus •therefore anciently took it, that this was spoken by God to his Son. Confound their language.] The word confound is to be marked; for God did not make every one speak a new different language, but they had such a confused remembrance of the original language which they spake before, as made them speak it very differently: so that by the various inflexions, and terminations, and pronunciations of divers dialects, they could no more understand one another, than they who understand Latin can understand those who speak French, Italian, or Spanish; though these languages arise out of it. And yet it is not to be thought, there were as many several dialects as there were men, so that none of them understood another; for this would not merely have dispersed mankind, but destroyed them. It being impossible to live without society, or to have society without understanding one another; for if the father could not have understood the son, nor the husband his wife, there could have been no comfort in living together. Therefore it is likely that every family had its peculiar dialect; or rather the same common dialect (or way of speaking) was given to those families whom God would have to make one colony in the following dispersion. Unto which dispersion they were constrained by their not being able to have such familiarity as they had before with every body; but only with those who understood their particular speech. Into how many languages they were divided, none can determine. The Hebrews fancy into seventy, which opinion hath much prevailed, being grounded upon the foregoing chapter; where the descendants from the sons of Noah were justso many. The Greek fathers made them seventytwo, because the Greek version adds two more (Elisa among the sons of Japheth, and Cainan among the sons of Shcm), and the Latin fathers follow them. But this is a very weak foundation; it being apparent that many of the sons of Canaan iised the very same language in their country, and so did Javan and Elishah in Greece: and in other places, so many concurred in the use of the same speech, that scarce thirty remains of the soenty to be distinct, as Bochart hath observed. See Sclden, lib.ii. de Synedr. cap.i). sect. iii.

Genesis 11:8

So the Lord scattered them. Broke their combination by making them speak several languages, which cut off the common bond of one society. For, as the unity of one common language (to use the words of Mr. Mede, p. 362.) had knit all mankind into one community; so God in his wisdom saw that plurality of languages was the best means to force them into a plurality of societies. Abroad from thence.] Into all the regions of the north, south, and west; the cast being inhabited before by Noah, and such of his offspring as abode with him. Which is not to be understood as if they were immediately scattered into the remotest places from Babel, but first into the neighbouring countries, and by degrees into those which were further off, according as their families increased. How long this dispersion happened after the flood, cannot be certainly determined; but we can demonstrate it was not much above one hundred years. For Pcleg (in whose days this came to pass, x. 25.) was born but a hundred and one years after; as was observed before upon that place. Now some think this division was made just at his birth; which St. Austin takes to have been the reason why his father called him Peleg, " Quia tunc ei natus est, quando per linguas terra divisa est;" Because he was then born to him, when the earth was divided by their languages. But the text doth not make this out, for it only says in his days the earth was divided. And the thirteen sons of Joktan (Peleg’s brother) who had their share in this division, being notthenborn, we must conclude, that if this division began at Peleg’s birth, it was not finished till some years after. Elmacinus says in the fortieth year of Peleg’s age; the Hebrews generally say at his death. See HottingerV Smegma Orient, p. 62. and 16G. And they left off to build the tower.] I see no reason to believe that God overturned it by a terrible tempest, as Epiphanius expresses it, Toy wvpyoy ov^wv po\ij dv£<rrpt$ty. Which is the opinion of Josephus, (lib. i. cap. 5. Antiq.) and Abydenus, mentioned by Euscbius, (lib. ix. cap. 4. Prsepar. Evang.) and divers others of the ancients; nor is there any ground for what others say, (particularly Benjamin Tudcl. in his Itinerary, p. 77.) that it was burnt by fire from heaven. For Moses doth not intimate that it was either burnt or overturned; but only that they desisted from their enterprise: which naturally ceased, when they could no longer join to carry on the building. Which may father lead us to think, that the city and tower stood long after this; and that Bochart’s conjecture is not unreasonable, that it was the very tower which was afterwards consecrated to Belus, described by Herodotus, (lib. i.) For it is evident, that though this city and country lay waste for some time, men being frighted by the confusion of their languages from living there; yet Nimrod, a bold man, came and made this the scat of his empire: and it is very probable, carried on that work which was broke off by the dispersion. For it is not said, (Gen. x. 10.) that he built Babel, (as he did Nineveh, and other cities, ver. 11.) but only that it was " the beginning of his kingdom," the head city, where he made his residence.

Genesis 11:9

Therefore is the name of it called Babel. Which signifies in Hebrew confusion; so frivolous is their conceit who make it to have been called by this name, from Babylon, the son of Belus. All the difficulty is to know who called it by this name. Some think the children of Heber, in whose family the original language continued; but it may be as rationally conceived, that, in the confusion of languages, all retained some of the ancient words, and particularly this, by which they all commonly called this place. Confound the language of all the earth.] That is, the language of all those people who were in this western colony; not the language of Noah, and his plantation more easterly, who kejO:, as I said, the primitive language. Scatter them abroad upon the face, &c] This dispersion was so ordered, that each family and each nation dwelt by itself; which could not well be done, as Mr. Mede observes, but by directing an orderly division; either by casting of lots, or choosing according to their birthright, after portions of the earth were set out according to the number of their nations and families. For otherwise, some would not have been content to go so far north as Magog did; and others suffered to enjoy more pleasant countries.

Genesis 11:10

These are the generations of Shem. It appears from the foregoing chapter, that these here mentioned were not all the persons who descended from him; but these were the ancestors of Abram, whom Moses derives by these from Shem. •

Genesis 11:11

Lived, after lie begat Arphaxad, five hundred years. So that, as he had seen Methuselah and Lamech before the flood, he might also see, not only Abram, but his son Isaac, who by this account was one-and-twenty years old when Shem died.

Genesis 11:14

Begat Eber. Who was the father of those from, whom came the Hebrew nation; Abram being descended from him in the sixth generation. And that nation being called Eber, (Numb.xxiv. 24.) and “the children of Eber,” (Gen. x. 21.) it is not reasonable, as I observed before, to seek for any other derivation of the name of Hebrews. Ver. IG. Peleg, or Phaleg.] It is not unlikely that either he, or some of his posterity in memory of him, gave name to a town upon Euphrates called Phalga; not far from the place where Chaborus runs into it, upon which Harah (or Charrah) stood, built -by Haran, Abram’s brother.

Genesis 11:18

Reu. (or Ragau f as some pronounce the Hebrew word) gave name to a field near Assyria, (Judith i. 5.) or, as Tobit saith, in Media; where Strabo mentions a city called Raga, and so doth Steph^nus,‘Pdya ttAic cv Mb»%. In the hundred and thirtieth year of his life, if we may believe Elmacinus, (p. 29.) Nimrod began to reign in Babylon; and in his days also, he says, the Egyptian king* dom began. Which need not seem strange, though scarce two hundred years were passed since the flood, when wc consider the vast increase of people in these ages, from a few planters, within such a compass of time; and likewise the extraordinary fruitfulness which God after the flood bestowed upon them for the peopling of the earth. For he says twice to Noah and his sons, immediately after they came out of the ark, " Increase and mnltiply, (xi. 1. 7.) and replenish the earth." From this antiquity of the Egyptian kingdom, it is, that the later Pharaohs called themselves " the sons of ancient kings," (Isa. xix. 11.) -InRcu’stimc also/both the Egyptians and Babylonians now began to make images and worship them, if Patricides may be credited. See Hotting. Smegma Orient, cap. 8. n. 10.

Genesis 11:20

Begat Serug. From whom (Bochartris thinks) some of his descendants might call the city Sarug: which the Arabian geographer says was near to Charne, or Haran. He first began to celebrate every year th6 memory of famous men, after they were dead, and commanded them to be honoured as benefactors, if we may believe Suidas, in the word ^epi/^, and Damascen, and a long roll of other authors mentioned by Jacobus Gcuslus, (par. i. cap. 2. De Victimis Humanis.) Ver; 22. Begat Nahor.] The same writers say, that idolatry increasing much in his days, there was a great earthquake (the first that had been observed) which overturned their temples, and broke their images in Arabia.

Genesis 11:24

Terah. Whom they make to have been an idolatrous priest; but to have repented and been converted to the worship of the true God. See ver. 31.

Genesis 11:26

And Terah lived seventy years, and begat Abram, Nahor, and Haran. i. e. He was seventy years old before he had any children, and then had three sons one after another; who are not set down in the order wherein, they were born. For Abram’s being first named doth not prove him to have been the’ eldest sou of Terah, no more than Shem’s being first named among Noah’s three sons, proves him to have been the first-born, (ix. 18.) For there are good reasons to prove that Abram was born sixty years after Haran; who was the eldest son; having two daughters married to his two brothers, Nahor and Abram; who seems to be the youngest, though named first, both her6 and in the next verse, because of his preeminence. See ver. 32.

Genesis 11:28

Haran died before his father, &c. In his own country (as it here follows), out of which he did not go, as the rest of his family did. In Ur of the Chaldees.] That part of Mesopotamia which was next to Assyria, is called the land of the Chaldees. For Ur, as Abarbinel observes, was in Mesopotamia; lying in’ the way from Tigris to Nisibis. And therefore St. Stephen makes Mesopotamia and the land of the Chaldees the very same, (Acts vii. 2. 4.) Eupolemus, indeed, as Bochart notes, places this Ur, from whence Abram came, (ver.‘31.) in Babylon; but Ammianus: speaks of an Ur in Mesopotamia, situated as beforementioned; which wc have reason to think was the place from whence Abraham came, because from thence to Canaan the way lay straight through Charran (or Haran), but it did not do so “if he came from Babylon. And no good account can be given why he should go about through Mesopotamia and Charran, when there was a shorter way through Arabia, if’ he came from Babylon. Ver: 29. The father of Iscah.] i. e. Of Sarai, whom Ahram married; she being his eldest brother’s daughter, sister to Lot. For Haran had three children, Lot, (ver. 27.) and Milchah, whom Nahor married, and Sarah, whom Abram married. That is, Haran dying, the two remaining brethren married his two daughters. For if we should’ understand any body else by Iscah but Sarah, there is no account whence she descended; which Moses sure would not have omitted, because it very much concerned his na* tion to know from whom they came, both by tho father’s and the mother’s side. It is no wonder she should have