Genesis 11

The tower of Babel (vs. 1-9). This event must have happened very soon after the flood while nearly all of mankind was still bunched together. A group of men decide to build a tower “whose top is in the heavens” (v. 4). A bit of an exaggeration, and the real problem here is also stated in verse 4: “let us make a name for ourselves.” Pride and arrogance. The Lord’s statement in verse 6, though negative here, does have its positive overtones: “And the LORD said, ‘Indeed the people are one and they all have one language, and this is what they begin to do; now nothing that they propose to do will be withheld from them.’” The “positive” is that if people are “one,” then “nothing that they propose to do will be withheld from them.” A united people can accomplish a lot.

The Lord confused their languages so that they could not communicate effectively, so they gave up the project. And it helped in the spreading of humanity across the globe. The word “Babel” means “mingle, confound, destroy.” Some have suggested that this tower of Babel was built on the location of Babylon, and hence the city obtained its name from the tower. Almost assuredly not.

The Messianic genealogy of Shem (vs. 10-26). Remember…remember…remember…the theme of Genesis and the Old Testament: Christ is coming. As he does frequently in the book, Moses disposes of the less important first—Cain’s genealogy in chapter 4, followed by the Messianic genealogy of Seth in chapter 5. Then in chapter 10, he recounts Japheth’s and Ham’s genealogy, then briefly the line of Shem that didn’t end in Abraham. Now, in chapter 11, Moses focuses in on the truly essential again: Shem’s descendents through Arphaxad to Abraham. And, of course, Abraham is one of the most important men in the Bible, the father of the Jewish nation, the peoples through whom the Messiah would come. God continues to narrow the focal point on particular people and families so that we will know exactly where to look for the Redeemer promised in Genesis 3:15.

The genealogy of Terah (vs. 27-32). Terah was the father of Abraham. A little information about him is given here—his sons and a grandson named Lot, who will be important in subsequent chapters. Moses sums up some events generically here, like the move from Ur of the Chaldees to Haran. The purpose of this move, apparently, was God’s call of Abraham as recorded in chapter 12. Stephen tells us in Acts 7:2-4 that Abraham received his call from God while living in Ur, thus the events in Genesis 11:31-32 happen after chapter 12:1-3. Again, Moses has done this before: summarize major events then hone in on the specific and significant.

Incidentally, we know from archeological remains and ancient records that Ur of the Chaldees was a large, very important city in Sumer. Abraham was a Sumerian. His father was a polytheist (Joshua 24:2), which means, no doubt, that Abraham was raised in that environment. Which makes his faith in God all the more impressive. Where did he hear about this God and how did his faith in Him become so strong that he would leave his home—Ur—and go to where Jehovah directed him, a place he had never been before? I don’t know the answer to that, but I do know it speaks very, very highly of Abraham and is one of the reasons he is among the most outstanding human beings who has ever lived.