The Tower of Babel: An Easy and Helpful Guide
Introduction
The Tower of Babel is a fascinating and enduring story from the Bible, found in Genesis 11:1-9. It tells of humanity’s attempt to build a city and a tower tall enough to reach the heavens. It also tells of the subsequent divine intervention that scattered the people and confused their language.
The Tower of Babel story in the Bible is a cornerstone narrative, brimming with profound lessons and timeless themes. This blog post considers the Tower of Babel's historical, theological, and cultural dimensions providing a comprehensive guide that illuminates the story’s enduring significance.
The Tower of Babel Story in Genesis 11:1-9
1. And the whole earth was of one language and of one speech.
2. And it came to pass, as they journeyed east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar; and they dwelt there.
3. And they said one to another, Come, let us make brick, and burn them thoroughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for mortar.
4. And they said, Come, let us build us a city, and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven, and let us make us a name; lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.
5. And Jehovah came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded.
6. And Jehovah said, Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language; and this is what they begin to do: and now nothing will be withholden from them, which they purpose to do.
7. Come, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech.
8. So Jehovah scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off building the city.
9. Therefore was the name of it called Babel; because Jehovah did there confound the language of all the earth: and from thence did Jehovah scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth.
Understanding Why Did They Build the Tower of Babel?
After the Great Flood, humanity is commissioned to go into the world and flourish. The people on the plain of Shinar, refuse. Instead, the people ambitiously set out to build a monumental city and tower to “make a name” for themselves.
After the Great Flood, humanity is commissioned to go into the world and flourish. The people on the plain of Shinar, refuse. Instead, they ambitiously set out to build a monumental city and tower to “make a name” for themselves.
The obvious question is motive. Why did the people build the Tower of Babel?
Why Did They Build The Tower of Babel?
Pridefulness: The story explains they wanted to, “make a name for themselves,” which would hint at pridefulness. Instead of going out into the world and making God’s name known by subduing creation and creating cities of peace and justice, they go up to make a name for themselves. This is the prevailing theory. Other theories are nuanced and supplemental to this.
Lack of Trust and Obedience: Another theory is that in the collective memory of these people is The Great Flood. What if they travel into the great unknown and another flood occurs? Why not build a high tower to escape future floods? They are established on a plain. They can grow food and the tower can serve as a residence and grain silo. Even if the flood waters come their food and safety will be secure.
As the narrative unfolds, we learn that God is displeased with their plans. Their refusal to carry out the calling given to Adam and Eve to care for all the earth is seen as prideful and dangerous. God decides to thwart their plans by confusing their language, which disperses them as God wants.
The people are scattered over the face of the earth. Thus, the city was named Babel, which means “confusion.”
Read my reflective piece here: Brick by Brick
Read my Commissioning Sermon: Hey, Now, Sermons Make Terrible Towers.
What Does the Tower of Babel Mean? Theological Reflections on Genesis 11:1-9
Genesis 11:1-9, the story of the Tower of Babel, has been a subject of theological reflection for centuries. This narrative, which depicts humanity's attempt to build a tower reaching the heavens and God's subsequent intervention, is rich with themes and lessons.
Unity and Diversity
Human Unity
In Genesis 9 the post-flood humans are told to “be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth.” The narrative begins by describing a united humanity speaking a single language. Their unity represents our potential and speaks to the ability to share a common purpose or mission. This unity, however, is disrupted by errant human ambition and pride.
Divine Intervention and Diversity
God’s decision to confuse their one language and scatter the people can be understood as a divine act that introduces diversity. Since the “Table of Nations” is in the following chapter, this act can be connected to the development or an explanation for the development of the diverse cultures and languages in the world from an ancient perspective.
This diversity is not seen as punishment but as a divine gift that fosters growth, and creativity, insists on cooperation, and necessitates dependence on God’s guidance.
Human Pride and God’s Sovereignty
The Sin of Pride
At the heart of the Babel story is the sin of pride. The builders' desire to "make a name for ourselves" (Genesis 11:4) reflects human arrogance and the desire for self-glorification. Theologically, this mirrors the original sin in the Garden of Eden, where Adam and Eve sought to become like God. The Tower of Babel symbolizes humanity's recurrent attempt to be independent of God.
God's Sovereignty
God's intervention at Babel demonstrates the Lord’s sovereignty over human affairs. Despite human attempts to defy divine will, God's purposes prevail. Genesis 1 and 2 highlight God’s sovereignty by using the phrase, “And God said . . . and it was so.” God’s naming of night and day, land and sky, and declaring various parts of creation good demonstrates his rule over them. The Tower of Babel story highlights this as God names their actions as wrong and ill-fated, and it was so.
The Babel story reflects a key theological theme: God's ultimate authority and the futility of human efforts to challenge His plans. Just as God sets boundaries for the darkness and the water, God sets limits for human ambition. There is right and wrong, as the Psalmist will sing about.
Notice the confusion: multiple design styles, collapsing walls, and a lop-sided foundation. When we forego humility our pride projects often collapse.
Judgment and Mercy
Judgment
A theme of judgment has been steady in the biblical narrative thus far. Adam and Eve were expelled from Eden, Cain was banished, Earth experienced the Great Flood, to name a few. The confusion of languages and the scattering of people is understood as an act of judgment in response to human hubris. It serves as a reminder that humans are under God.
Mercy
A theme of mercy has also been steady in the biblical narrative. Adam and Eve are clothed by God and given the promise of a serpent-crushing heir. Cain is not killed in judgment but is protected with a mark. God covenants with Earth that a great flood will never cover it again. Along with confusion, God’s judgment creates a variety of languages and cultures.
The Tower of Babel and the Rest of the Bible
1. The Fall of Lucifer (Isaiah 14:12-15, Ezekiel 28:12-17)
The Tower of Babel story shows human pride and divine judgment at war. Lucifer, a name for the enemy of God, desires to be like God because of his pridefulness and is cast down from heaven.
The builders want to go up and make a name for themselves in pride and are cast down. Lucifer is cast down because he becomes puffed up in his pride and desires to be in the place of God.
Both stories highlight the consequences of pride and the futility of defying God.
2. The Fall of Adam and Eve (Genesis 3)
Aren’t we all tempted to go beyond reasonable boundaries at times?
Adam and Eve’s disobedience in the Garden of Eden reflects the pride and rebellion seen in the Tower of Babel story. In both cases, humans attempt to overstep their bounds, leading to God’s intervention and judgment – leaving all homeless (Adam and Eve out of Eden and the builders without a city of tower).
3. Building of the Temple Under King Solomon (1 Kings 5-8)
Unlike the Tower of Babel, the Temple Solomon built was sanctioned by God. Human endeavors, even ambitious ones, can be divinely blessed when they align with God’s will and make God’s name great.
4. The Great Commission (Matthew 28: 19-20)
Jesus commands his disciples to make disciples of all nations, essentially saying, “Be fruitful and multiply.” He tells them to disperse when the Spirt comes upon them. They are not to stay in Jerusalem and make a name for themselves. They are to scatter to make Christ’s name great through all the earth.
5. The Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1-12)
The Tower of Babel and Pentecost is a contrast of enormous proportions. Some think of Pentecost as a reversal of Babel as so many people from various nations come together in one place and hear one message in their own language. The message they hear makes Christ’s name great.
In Pentecost the Holy Spirit descends on the apostles, enabling them to speak in various languages. The various languages clarify communication and bring unity by spreading the Gospel to all nations. It shows God’s power to bring diverse people together through the Spirit.
Is the Tower of Babel Real? What is Myth?
Historically, the story of the Tower of Babel has been interpreted in various ways. It is worthwhile to take a moment to understand how the word “myth” is used to value the biblical text.
The Several Uses of Myth
When scholars refer to biblical stories like the Tower of Babel as a “myth,” they are not necessarily dismissing them as fiction or using the term derisively.
A myth is a sacred story that conveys fundamental truths and beliefs of a religious tradition or culture. As noted above, the Tower of Babel story highlights themes of human ambition, divine sovereignty, and the origin of languages. Narrative myths often seek to explain the world through a theological perspective.
A myth explains the origin of certain practices, phenomena, or features of the natural world. The myth/story of Adam and Eve and the Serpent explains why there is suffering in the world. The Tower of Babel story explains why there are diverse languages on Earth.
Myths are complex stories with overlapping ideas, meanings, and structures. Some ideas are often shared in similar stories in other cultures.
Myths usually contain themes and characters that are universally shared across cultures. Hubris, divine intervention, and confusion are themes in the Tower of Babel known worldwide. This concept explains why the stories of the Bible, when explained well usually impact the reader or listener.
Myths may but may not always adhere to strictly historical accuracy. They may incorporate historical or cultural elements of the people who told them. As discussed below, scholars analyze the Tower of Babel to ancient ziggurats of Mesopotamia.
Along with being its genre, myths operate on a symbolic level, bringing into focus deeper meanings through the story.
Tower of Babel Location? Babylon?
The Tower of Babel, as described in Genesis 11:1-9, is traditionally believed to have been located in the ancient city of Babylon, in the region known as Shinar. Shinar is often identified with southern Mesopotamia, which is identified with modern-day Iraq.
Babylon was a major city in Mesopotamia and was known for its impressive architecture, especially its ziggurats. Ziggurats are massive, terraced temple towers. Some scholars believe these ziggurats inspired the biblical account of the Tower of Babel.
The specific structure that is most often linked to the Tower of Babel is the Etemenanki ziggurat, a temple tower dedicated to the Babylonian god Marduk. The word “Etemenanki” means “House of the Foundation of Heaven and Earth.” It stood a staggering 300 (91 meters) tall and was integral to Babylon’s religious and cultural life.
This tower’s ruins are located 56 miles south of Baghdad, Iraq.
Though some suggest with warrant Babylon’s location and influence on the story, the exact location of the Tower of Babel is unknown. No definitive archaeological evidence conclusively states its location.
Is the Tower of Babel Real?
It seems likely that the story of the Tower of Babel is a myth (see above) that teaches us about the limits of ambition, pride, and disobedience and reiterates God’s sovereign rule over all people.
It is helpful to remember that Jesus often spoke in stories called parables. The story about the Prodigal Son may not have happened in a family exactly the way Jesus said, but it is a story that is lived out frequently across cultures and countries. The big idea is not that it is a story that happened, but that it is a story that happens and there are lessons to learn.
At the same time, depending on one’s view of when the story in Genesis was written, one could understand how the ziggurats of Babylon influenced the lessons elucidated in the text.
The Tower of Babel in Art
The Tower of Babel story in Genesis 11:1-9 fills the human imagination with possibilities. Art history is filled with depictions of this chaotic scene on the plains of Shinar.
1. The Tower of Babel(c. 1410-1430) by the Bedford Master: This illumination from the "Bedford Hours" depicts a bustling construction site with a massive, multi-tiered tower rising in the center.
A miniature from The Bedford Hours, circa 1410.
2. Pieter Bruegel the Elder’s "The Tower of Babel" (1563) vividly depicts the grandiose yet unfinished structure. Notice the fantastical nature of the tower with an array of architectural styles, which speaks to the confusion of languages.
Bruegel’s is the most influential painting on the subject of the Tower of Babel.
3. La Tour de Babel, Lucas van Valckenborch (1535–1597)
Notice the open plain and incomplete top.
Conclusion
The story of the Tower of Babel continues to resonate with readers because it grapples with timeless questions about our place in the world, our relationship with God, and the dangers of unbridled ambition. Are we also not mindful of communication, cooperation, and humility any time we work with others on any project of importance?
Whether interpreted literally, metaphorically, or symbolically, the Tower of Babel offers relevant lessons today. It asks us to reflect on our motivations and to consider the consequences of striving for greatness beyond reasonable limits.
The story leaves us with a sense of hope. The work of the tower gradually slows, the tools are laid down, and the crowd disperses, but God’s plan continues to unfold. Even amidst the babel, the message of redemption and mercy is heard.
