Genesis 11:1-11

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Genesis 11:1-4

The close of the foregoing chapter tells us that by the sons of Noah, or among the sons of Noah, the nations were divided in the earth after the flood, that is, were distinguished into several tribes or colonies; and, the places having grown too strait for them, it was either appointed by Noah, or agreed upon among his sons, which way each several tribe or colony should steer its course, beginning with the countries that were next them, and designing to proceed further and further, and to... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Genesis 11:5-9

We have here the quashing of the project of the Babel-builders, and the turning of the counsel of those froward men headlong, that God's counsel might stand in spite of them. Here is, I. The cognizance God took of the design that was on foot: The Lord came down to see the city, Gen. 11:5. It is an expression after the manner of men; he knew it as clearly and fully as men know that which they come to the place to view. Observe, 1. Before he gave judgment upon their cause, he enquired into it;... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Genesis 11:10-26

We have here a genealogy, not an endless genealogy, for here it ends in Abram, the friend of God, and leads further to Christ, the promised seed, who was the son of Abram, and from Abram the genealogy of Christ is reckoned (Matt. 1:1-17); so that put Gen. 5:1-32; 11:10-26; Matt. 1:1-17, together, and you have such an entire genealogy of Jesus Christ as cannot be produced, for aught I know, concerning any person in the world, out of his line, and at such a distance from the fountain-head. And,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 11:1

And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech ,.... Or had been F23 ויהי "et fuerat", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator; "caeterum fuit olim", Schmidt. , before the flood, and from that time to this, and still was, until the confusion took place; the account of which, and the occasion of it, are given in this chapter: by the whole earth is meant the inhabitants of it, see Isaiah 37:18 and so the Jerusalem Targum paraphrases the words,"and all the generations of the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 11:2

And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east ,.... That is, the inhabitants of the whole earth; not Ham and his posterity only, or Nimrod and his company; but as all the sons of Noah and his posterity for a while dwelt together, or at least very near each other, and finding the place where they were too scanty for them, as their several families increased, they set out in a body from the place where they were, to seek for a more convenient one: it seems a little difficult how to... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 11:3

And they said one to another, go to ,.... Advising, exhorting, stirring up, and encouraging one another to the work proposed, of building a city and tower for their habitation and protection; saying: let us make brick, and burn them thoroughly ; they knew the nature of bricks, and how to make them before: according to Sanchoniatho F8 Apud Euseb. Evangel. Praepar. l. 1. p. 35. , the brothers of Vulcan, or Tubalcain, before the flood, were the first inventors of them; for he relates,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 11:4

And they said, go to, let us build us a city and a tower ,.... Some Jewish writers F18 In Pirke Eliezer, c. 24. say, these are the words of Nimrod to his people; but it is a question whether he was now born, or if he was, must be too young to be at the head of such a body of people; but they are spoken to one another, or by the principal men among them to the common people, advising and encouraging to such an undertaking. It is generally thought what led them to it was to secure them... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 11:5

And the Lord came down to see the city and the tower ,.... Not locally or visibly, being immense, omnipresent, and invisible; nor in order to see and take notice of what he otherwise could not see from heaven, for he is omniscient; but this is spoken after the manner of men, and is to be understood of some effects and displays of his power, which were manifest, and showed him to be present: the Targum is,"and the Lord was revealed to take vengeance on them on account of the business of the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 11:6

And the Lord said ,.... Not to the angels, as Aben Ezra, but rather to the Son and Spirit, or within himself: behold, the people is one, and they have all one language ; which some think is spoken ironically; but I see no reason why it may not be understood seriously, that the people who were concerned in this building were unanimous, not only in their religious principles, such as they were, as Aben Ezra, but in their counsel, purpose, and design in building; they went on with great... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 11:7

Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language ,.... These words are not spoken to the angels, as the Targum and Aben Ezra; for, as Philo the Jew observes F8 De Confus. Ling. p. 344. , they are said to some as co-workers with God, which angels could not be in this work of confounding the language of men; it being above the power of creatures so to work upon the mind, and on the faculty of speech, as to make such an alteration as was at the confusion of tongues, when men... read more

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