Genesis — Chapter 11

AND THE EARTH WAS OF ONE TONGUE AND OF THE SAME SPEECH. — Before the confusion at Babel, all humanity spoke one language — Hebrew (common opinion: Philo, Josephus, Chrysostom, Augustine, Bede, Alcuin, Lyranus, Abulensis). This was the original language given to Adam; Hebrew is thus the mother of all languages. At Babel, God divided this one tongue into 70 (or 72) languages, one for each family or nation descended from the three sons of Noe.

AND WHEN THEY REMOVED FROM THE EAST, THEY FOUND A PLAIN IN THE LAND OF SENNAAR, AND DWELT IN IT. — Moving from Armenia (where the ark rested) eastward to Mesopotamia, they found the plain of Shinar (= Babylonia). Lapide identifies Sennaar with Babylonia/Chaldaea proper.

AND THEY SAID: COME, LET US MAKE A CITY AND A TOWER THE TOP WHEREOF MAY REACH TO HEAVEN. — The sin of Babel: not the building itself (cities and towers are legitimate) but the pride and rebellion behind it. Three interpretations of their purpose: (1) Josephus, Chrysostom, others: to resist another flood; (2) to ascend to heaven and conquer it; (3) most probable — to make themselves a great name and prevent their dispersion, defying God's command to fill the earth. The tower was a symbol of pride and self-glorification against God. Tropologically: a tower is built in the heart each time we prefer our own glory to God's (Augustine, De Civ. Dei XVI, 4).

AND THE LORD CAME DOWN TO SEE THE CITY AND THE TOWER. — Anthropomorphic language: God \"came down\" = turned His gaze from general to particular providence and executed judgment. He had warned already through Noah's preaching; now the time of patience is over.

COME YE, THEREFORE, LET US GO DOWN, AND THERE CONFOUND THEIR TONGUE. — Another divine plural (as in Gen. 1:26: \"Let us make man\"): spoken by the Father to the Son and Holy Spirit. The confusion of tongues was not an evil but a divine mercy — preventing a consolidated tyranny under Nemrod and dispersing men as God had commanded (Gen. 9:1: fill the earth). Lapide: from this division of tongues all human languages derive; hence comparative linguistics confirms Scripture.

AND SO THE LORD SCATTERED THEM FROM THAT PLACE INTO ALL LANDS, AND THEY CEASED TO BUILD THE CITY. — The dispersion fulfilled God's command (Gen. 9:1). The 70 (LXX 72) nations correspond to the 70 languages (one per family group). From this dispersion all the nations of the earth arose.

THESE ARE THE GENERATIONS OF SEM. — From Sem to Abraham: 10 generations (as from Adam to Noe). Lapide notes: from Sem to Abraham = 390 years (from Hebrew text). This is the second age of the world.

AND THARE LIVED SEVENTY YEARS, AND BEGOT ABRAM AND NACHOR AND ARAN. — Thare (Terah) begets Abraham at age 70. Abram is listed first not because he was the eldest but because he was the most important (Thomas Aquinas, Lyranus; cf. how Shem is listed before his elder brothers Gen. 10:21). Lapide: Aran (Haran) was the firstborn, who died before his father.

AND ARAN DIED BEFORE THARE HIS FATHER, IN THE LAND OF HIS NATIVITY IN UR OF THE CHALDEES. — Haran died in Ur of the Chaldees before his father — the first death of a son before his father mentioned in Scripture. This established the custom of mourning for sons dying before parents. Ur of the Chaldees = a city in Babylonia (various identGn

UR OF THE CHALDEES. — Ur is identified by many (Josephus, Jerome, Philo, Abulensis) with the city called by the Persians and Chaldaeans \"Ur\" or \"Or,\" on the Persian Gulf in Babylonia — the home of the family of Terah and Abraham. Others suggest it was a place in Mesopotamia proper. In any case Abraham's divine call (Acts 7:2: \"the God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Charran\") was given to him at Ur, making his journey a response to divine election.