Chapter commentary
Genesis Chapter 11
서론
Untitled
简体中文
English original
The old distinction between the sons of God and the sons of men (professors and profane) survived the flood, and now appeared again, when men began to multiply: according to this distinction we have, in this chapter, I. The dispersion of the sons of men at Babel (Ge 11:1-9), where we have, 1. Their presumptuous provoking design, which was to build a city and a tower, Ge 11:1-4. 2. The righteous judgment of God upon them in disappointing their design, by confounding their language, and so scattering them, Ge 11:5-9. II. The pedigree of the sons of God down to Abraham (Ge 11:10-26), with a general account of his family, and removal out of his native country, Ge 11:27-32, etc.
1-26
The Confusion of Tongues (2247 BC)
简体中文
口音的变乱（主前 2247 年）
¹ 那时，天下人的口音、言语，都是一样。
² 他们往东边迁移的时候，在示拿地遇见一片平原，就住在那里。
³ 他们彼此商量说：来罢，我们作砖，把砖烧透了。他们就拿砖当石头，又拿石漆当灰泥。
⁴ 他们说：来罢，我们要建造一座城和一座塔，塔顶通天，为要传扬我们的名，免得我们分散在全地上。
前一章末了告诉我们，借着挪亚的儿子们，或在挪亚的儿子们中间，洪水之后列国在地上分开，即被区分为几个支派或殖民地；那地既对他们渐显窄小，每一支派或殖民地当往哪个方向前行——从最近的国境开始，打算越来越远、彼此相离越来越远地迁移，随着各自人数的增加而有此需要——便由挪亚所指定，或由他的儿子们彼此商定。如此，洪水之后一百年，约在法勒出生之时，这事安排妥当了；然而人的儿子们似乎不愿分散到远处；他们以为人越多越热闹、越安全，因此图谋聚在一起，迟迟不去得耶和华他们列祖的神所赐给他们为业的地（书 18:3），以为自己比神或挪亚更聪明。如今此处我们有：
I. 有利于他们聚在一起之计划的便利：1. 他们都口音一样（创 11:1）。洪水之前若有别的语言，也只有挪亚的——大概与亚当的相同——被保全度过洪水，并在洪水之后延续。如今，他们既都彼此听得懂，便更可能彼此相爱，更能彼此帮助，更不倾向于彼此分离。2. 他们找到了一个非常便利、合宜的安顿之处（创 11:2），在示拿地的一片平原——一片宽广的平原，能容纳他们全部，一片肥沃的平原，按他们目前的人数，足以供养他们全部——虽然他们也许没有考虑到，当他们的人数增多之时，还有什么地方容纳他们。当知：眼前悦人的便利，往往成为过于强烈的试探，使人忽视关乎将来的本分和利益。
II. 他们为要彼此连结、合为一体而采取的方法。他们没有渴慕在神的保护下平安离别以扩展疆界，反而图谋设防；如同那些决心与天交战的人，他们摆出了防御的阵势。他们一致的决议是：*我们要建造一座城和一座塔。*可留意的是，无论在古世界（创 4:17）还是在此新世界中，头一批建城的人都不是品格最好、声望最高的人：神的子民以帐棚为居所就够了；城首先是由那些背叛他、背离他的人所建的。在此观察：
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他们如何彼此激发、彼此鼓励开始这工程。他们说：来罢，我们作砖（创 11:3），又说（创 11:4）：*来罢，我们要建造一座城；*借着彼此的激发，他们使自己更加胆大、更加坚决。当知：当承办者人数众多、同心合意、彼此挑旺之时，大事便可成就。让我们学习彼此激发爱心和善工，正如罪人彼此挑旺、彼此鼓励去作恶工。见（诗 122:1；赛 2:3,5；耶 50:5）。
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他们在建造中用了什么材料。那地既是平原，不出产石头和灰泥，这却没有使他们气馁，他们便拿砖当石头，石漆或柏油当灰泥。在此请看：(1.) 那些心意坚决的人会如何设法：我们若在一桩善事上火热，便不会像如今这样常常借口缺乏便利而停工。(2.) 人的建造与神的建造之间有何等差别：当人建造他们的巴别，砖和石漆便是他们最好的材料；但当神建造他的耶路撒冷，他甚至以蓝宝石立它的根基，以悦人的石头定它的边界（赛 54:11-12；启 21:19）。
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他们建造的目的何在。有人认为他们借此要保护自己免受另一次洪水之害。神确已告诉他们他不再淹没世界；他们却宁可信赖自己手造的塔，也不信赖神所立的应许或他所定的方舟。然而他们若真有此意，便会选择在山上而非平原上建塔，但看来他们建这塔有三个目的：
(1.) 这似乎是针对神自己的冒犯；因为他们要建一座塔顶通天的塔，这表明对神的公然挑衅，或至少要与他争竞。他们要与至高者同等，或要尽可能靠近他——不是在圣洁上，而是在高度上。他们忘记了自己的位置，不甘在地上爬行，决意要爬上天去——不是借着门或梯子，而是从别处爬。
(2.) 他们希望借此为自己立名；他们要作些现今可被人谈论的事，并让后代知道世上曾有过他们这样的人。他们宁可留下这骄傲、野心、愚妄的纪念碑，也不愿死了之后不留一丝痕迹。当知：[1.] 对人间的尊荣和名声的渴慕，通常激发人对伟大艰难事业的一种奇特热心，并常常引人陷入那邪恶、得罪神的事。[2.] 神将那些因罪而得的名埋在尘土之中，这是公义的。这些巴别的建造者为要立名，费了许多愚昧的代价；却连这一点也未能达到，因为我们在任何历史中都找不到这些巴别建造者中哪怕一个人的名字。斐洛说，他们各人把自己的名字刻在一块砖上，in perpetuam rei memoriam——作为永远的记念；然而这也未能为他们效力。
(3.) 他们这样作是为了防止分散：免得我们分散在全地上。“这是违背那条命令（创 9:1）遍满地面而作的。”（约瑟夫语）神吩咐他们分散。他们说：不，我们不分散，我们要活在一起、死在一起。为此，他们彼此在这巨大的工程上立约。为要联合成一个荣耀的帝国，他们决意建造这座城和这座塔，作他们国度的中心和合一的中心。很可能这一切背后都有野心勃勃的宁录的那一伙。他不满足于统管一个殖民地，而志在普世的君权；为此，他借口为共同的安危而联合，图谋使他们合为一体，为要既把他们全放在自己眼下，便不至于不把他们放在自己权下。请看这些罪人胆大妄为的僭越。此处有：[1.] 对神的公然对抗：神说你们要分散。他们却说我们不。那与造他的主争论的有祸了。[2.] 与神的公然争竞。作普世的君王、万有的主、万王之王，是神的特权；那图谋此位的人，就是要踏进神的宝座——神必不将他的荣耀归给别神。
⁵ 耶和华降临，要看看世人所建造的城和塔。
⁶ 耶和华说：看哪，他们成为一样的人民，都是一样的言语，如今既作起这事来，以后他们所要作的事，就没有不成就的了。
⁷ 我们下去，在那里变乱他们的口音，使他们的言语彼此不通。
⁸ 于是耶和华使他们从那里分散在全地上。他们就停工不造那城了。
⁹ 因为耶和华在那里变乱天下人的言语，使众人分散在全地上，所以那城名叫巴别。
此处我们有巴别建造者之计划的被挫败，以及那些乖戾之人谋略的 headlong 翻转，为要使神的谋略不顾他们而得以立定。此处有：
I. 神对那正在酝酿中之图谋的察看：耶和华降临，要看看那城（创 11:5）。这是照人的方式而说的表达；他之知道它，如同人知道那来到现场察看之事一样清楚、一样充分。请观察：1. 在他对他们的事下判断以先，他先查明；因为神在他一切对付罪和罪人的行事上，是无可辩驳地公正公平的，绝不未经听讯而定罪。2. 神留意连这建造——承办者为之如此骄傲的建造——也被说成是一种 condescension；因为他俯首观看这低下世界的事务，连其中最重大的事务（诗 113:6）。3. 这被称为人的儿子们所建造的塔，这暗示：(1.) 他们作为人的软弱和脆弱。人的儿子们——地上的虫子——竟敢向天挑衅、惹动主的嫉恨，这是何等愚昧。他们比他更强么？(2.) 他们的罪性和当罚性。希伯来文说他们是亚当的儿子；不，是那亚当——那有罪、悖逆的亚当——的儿子，他的儿女按本性就是悖逆之子，是败坏之子。(3.) 他们与神的儿女——宗教的认信者——的区别，这些胆大包天的建造者已从中分别出来，并建造这塔来支持和延续这种分别。敬虔的希伯不见于这群不敬虔的团伙中；因为他和他的被称为神的儿女，所以他们的灵魂不进入这些人的儿子们的秘密，也不与他们的大会联合。
II. 永恒的神关于此事的谋略和决意；他并非仅作旁观者而下来，而是作为审判官、作为君王下来，观看骄傲的人，使他们降卑（伯 40:11-14）。请观察：
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他容许他们在事业上进行得相当远，然后才加以阻止，为要给他们悔改的空间；若他们还有那么多考虑力，便可能自己 ashamed 于它、厌倦于它；若不然，他们的失望便更加羞耻，每一个过路的人都嘲笑他们说：这些人开了工，却不能完工，使他们手所作的工——他们本指望借此得着不朽尊荣的——反成为他们永远的羞辱。当知：神容许他荣耀的仇敌在不敬虔的图谋上进行得很远、在他们的图谋中长久顺利，是有智慧、圣洁的目的的。
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当他们费了许多心思和劳苦、在建城上已取得相当进展之时，神才定意打破他们的图谋、分散他们。请观察：
(1.) 神的公义，这显明在他据以作出这决意的考虑之中（创 11:6）。他考虑两件事：[1.] 他们的合一，作为他们必须被分散的理由：*看哪，他们成为一样的人民，都是一样的言语。*他们若继续为一，地上大部分将无人居住；他们君王的权势将很快失控；邪恶和亵渎将猖獗得无法忍受，因为他们要彼此坚固；而最糟的是，教会将要被压倒，这些人的儿子们若如此合为一体，将吞灭神儿女的少许余数。所以事已定规，他们不可为一。当知：合一是策略，却不是真教会无误的标记；然而，巴别的建造者虽属不同的家族、性情和利益，却如此同心合意地敌挡神，锡安的建造者虽在一个共同的首领和圣灵里联合，却在事奉神的事上如此分裂——这是何等可惜、何等可羞！但不要以为希奇。基督来并不是叫地上太平。[2.] 他们的顽梗：如今既作起这事来，以后他们所要作的事，就没有不成就的了；这是他们必须在其图谋上受挫、受阻的理由。神曾借他的命令和劝戒试图使他们放弃这图谋，却归于徒然；所以他必须对他们另想办法。在此请看：第一，罪的罪性和罪人的固执；自从亚当不愿被约束、远离那禁树以来，他那未成圣的种子便一直不能忍受约束，随时准备反叛约束。第二，请看神在地上审判的必要性，为要使世界保持某种秩序，并捆住那些不肯受律法约束之人的手。
(2.) 神在为挫败这事业所采取的方法中的智慧和怜悯（创 11:7）：我们下去，在那里变乱他们的口音。这话不是对天使说的，仿佛神需要他们的建议或帮助，而是神对自己说，或父对子和圣灵说。他们说：来罢，我们作砖，来罢，我们建造一座塔，彼此挑旺去尝试；如今神说：来罢，我们变乱他们的口音；因为人若激发自己去犯罪，神必激发自己去施报（赛 59:17,18）。在此观察：[1.] 神的怜悯，在于减轻了刑罚，没有使它与罪过相称；因为他没有按我们的罪过待我们。他没有说：*让我们现在带着雷霆闪电下去，顷刻之间消灭这些叛徒；或让地开口，把他们和他们的建筑吞下去，让那些走错路爬向天的人快快落入地狱。不；只是让我们下去，分散他们。*他们当死，却只是被放逐、被迁徙；因为神对一个惹动他的世界所施的忍耐甚大。刑罚主要保留给来世。神在今生对罪人的审判，与那所保留的相比，不过是约束而已。[2.] 神的智慧，在于选定了一个有效的方策来中止其进程，那就是变乱他们的口音，使他们言语彼此不通；他们的舌头既被分开，便不能很好地携手；如此这便是一个既合宜于使他们停止建造（因为他们若听不懂彼此，便不能彼此帮助），也合宜于使他们倾向于分散（因为他们若听不懂彼此，便不能在彼此身上得着喜悦）的方法。当知：神有各种、且有效的方法来 baffling、挫败那敌挡他的骄傲之人的图谋，特别是使他们彼此分裂——或借分开他们的心（士 9:23），或借分开他们的口音，如大卫所祈求的（诗 55:9）。
III. 神这些谋略的执行，使人的谋略落空受挫（创 11:8,9）。神使他们知道谁的话立得住，是他的还是他们的（耶 44:28）。尽管他们合一、顽梗，神却胜过了他们；在他们所骄傲行事之处，他高出他们；因为*谁向神刚硬而得亨通呢？*三件事作成了：
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他们的口音被变乱。神在人受造之时教他说话，把合宜的话放在他口中，以表达他心中的意念；如今他使这些建造者忘记从前的语言，说一种新的话、听一种新的话——这新的话在同一支派或家族中却是通用的，在别的支派中则不然：一个殖民地的人能彼此交谈，却不能与另一个殖民地的人交谈。如今，(1.) 这是一件大神迹，是神在人心中和舌上有大能的明证——他如支配水流一样支配它们。(2.) 这对这些建造者是一桩大刑罚；因为他们既如此被剥夺了对那古老、圣洁之言语的知识，便变得不能与那持守这言语的真教会相通，大概这也大大促成他们丧失了对真神的知识。(3.) 我们众人至今都因之受苦。我们因语言繁多所受的一切不便，我们为学习所需语言所费的一切辛苦和麻烦，都是为着我们在巴别的祖先们的叛逆而受苦。不，那些不幸的、因言语而起的争辩——就是言语的争辩，因我们误解彼此的语言而起——据我所知，也是由于这口音的变乱。(4.) 有些人提议发明一种通用文字、以建立一种通用语言，这虽似乎 desirable，我却以为是徒然的尝试；因为这是与神的一句判语相争——只要世界还在，列国的语言就要被分开。(5.) 我们在此可悲叹希伯来语普遍使用的丧失，它从此之时起只是希伯来人的通用语言，并如此延续到被掳巴比伦之时——在那里，甚至在 他们中间，它也被亚兰语所取代。(6.) 正如口音的变乱使人的儿子们分裂、分散，照样赐给使徒的口音的恩赐（徒 2:1-13），大大有助于聚集那分散的神的儿女，使他们在基督里合一，使他们同心合意、一口地荣耀神（罗 15:6）。
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他们的建造停止了：*他们就停工不造那城了。*这是口音变乱的果效；因为它不仅使他们不能彼此帮助，大概也在他们的灵里投下如此的重压，使他们不能继续，因为他们在此看见主的手已经出来攻击他们。当知：(1.) 我们若看见神与之相争，便当停工，这是智慧。(2.) 神能使一切巴别建造者的计谋和设计落空、归于无有。他坐在天上，笑看地上君王谋算敌挡他和他的受膏者；并要迫使他们承认：没有任何智慧、谋略能敌挡耶和华（箴 21:30；赛 8:9,10）。
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建造者被分散在全地面上（创 11:8,9）。他们按着家族、按着口音（创 10:5,20,31）一队一队地出发，前往在已经作好的分配中所分给他们的各邦国和各处——这些他们早已知道，只是直到如今被迫才去占有。在此观察：(1.) 他们所惧怕的那事临到了他们。他们想借叛逆之举逃避的那分散，正是他们借这举动招到自己身上的；因为我们最可能陷入的，正是我们借不正当、有罪的方法所想逃避的那患难。(2.) 这是神的作为：耶和华使他们分散。在一切分散的护理中，都当承认神的手；无论是家族被分散、亲属被分散、教会 被分散，这都是主的作为。(3.) 他们虽彼此联盟极其坚固，耶和华却分散了他们；因为人所连结的，神若要拆开，无人能保守。(4.) 如此神公义地为他们因在那僭妄建塔之尝试中的合一而报仇。羞辱的分散，是有罪联合的公正刑罚。西缅和利未曾在罪中为弟兄，在雅各中却被分开（创 49:5,7；诗 83:3-13）。(5.) 他们在那地的名字上留下了一份永久的羞辱记念。那地被称为巴别——变乱。那些图谋大名的人，通常落得一个坏名。(6.) 人的儿子们如今被最终分散，此后再没有、也永不会再全部聚拢，直到那大日——人子坐在他荣耀的宝座上，万民都被聚集在他面前（太 25:31,32）。
¹⁰ 闪的后代记在下面：洪水以后二年，闪一百岁生了亚法撒。
¹¹ 闪生亚法撒之后，又活了五百年，并且生儿养女。
¹² 亚法撒活到三十五岁，生了沙拉。
¹³ 亚法撒生沙拉之后，又活了四百零三年，并且生儿养女。
¹⁴ 沙拉活到三十岁，生了希伯。
¹⁵ 沙拉生希伯之后，又活了四百零三年，并且生儿养女。
¹⁶ 希伯活到三十四岁，生了法勒。
¹⁷ 希伯生法勒之后，又活了四百三十年，并且生儿养女。
¹⁸ 法勒活到三十岁，生了拉吴。
¹⁹ 法勒生拉吴之后，又活了二百零九年，并且生儿养女。
²⁰ 拉吴活到三十二岁，生了西鹿。
²¹ 拉吴生西鹿之后，又活了二百零七年，并且生儿养女。
²² 西鹿活到三十岁，生了拿鹤。
²³ 西鹿生拿鹤之后，又活了二百年，并且生儿养女。
²⁴ 拿鹤活到二十九岁，生了他拉。
²⁵ 拿鹤生他拉之后，又活了一百一十九年，并且生儿养女。
²⁶ 他拉活到七十岁，生了亚伯兰、拿鹤、哈兰。
此处我们有一份家谱——不是无穷的家谱，因为在此它终结于亚伯兰——神的朋友，并进一步引向基督，就是那所应许的后裔，他是亚伯兰的儿子；从亚伯兰起，基督的家谱被算起（太 1:1-17 等）；所以把创 5、11:10-26、太 1:1-17放在一起，你就有了一份关于耶稣基督的完整家谱——据我所知，世上任何在他谱系之外、离源头如此遥远的人，都无法提供这样的家谱。把这三份家谱放在一起，我们便发现，在首先的亚当和末后的亚当之间，经过了二十加三个十四代，使基督的事清晰明了——他不仅是亚伯拉罕之子，更是人子，是女人的后裔。在此观察：1. 关于这一谱系中的人，除了他们的名字和寿数，什么也没有留下记录，圣灵似乎匆匆穿过他们，要赶到亚伯兰的故事。我们对那些在我们以先活在世上的人——连那些活在我们如今所居之处的人——所知何其少；正如我们对于那些在远处与我们同时代的人所知甚少一样！我们管好自己当日的工便够了，让神去追究已过的事（传 3:15）。2. 他们寿命的年数有可观察到的逐渐减少。闪达到六百岁，这仍不及洪水前族长的寿数；其后的三个不到五百；再后的三个不到三百；他们之后，我们未读到有谁达到二百，除了他拉；此后不多几个世代，摩西便以七十或八十为常人所能达到的极限。当地开始被人充满，人的寿命便开始缩短；所以这减少当归于护理智慧的分派，而非本性的衰败。为选民的缘故，人的日子被缩短；日子既邪恶，少些便是好的，也达不到我们列祖寿命的年数（创 47:9）。3. 希伯——希伯来人因他而得名——是洪水后出生的人中最长寿的，这也许是他非凡的敬虔和对神之道的严格持守所得的赏赐。
English original
The Confusion of Tongues (2247 BC)
¹ And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech.
² And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar; and they dwelt there.
³ And they said one to another, Go to, let us make brick, and burn them thoroughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for mortar.
⁴ And they said, Go to, 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.
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 to them, and designing to proceed farther and farther, and to remove to a greater distance from each other, as the increase of their several companies should require. Thus was the matter well settled, one hundred years after the flood, about the time of Peleg's birth; but the sons of men, it should seem, were loth to disperse into distant places; they thought the more the merrier and the safer, and therefore they contrived to keep together, and were slack to go to possess the land which the Lord God of their fathers had given them (Jos 18:3), thinking themselves wiser than either God or Noah. Now here we have,
I. The advantages which befriended their design of keeping together, 1. They were all of one language, Ge 11:1. If there were any different languages before the flood, yet Noah's only, which it is likely was the same with Adam's, was preserved through the flood, and continued after it. Now, while they all understood one another, they would be the more likely to love one another, and the more capable of helping one another, and the less inclinable to separate one from another. 2. They found a very convenient commodious place to settle in (Ge 11:2), a plain in the land of Shinar, a spacious plain, able to contain them all, and a fruitful plain, able, according as their present numbers were, to support them all, though perhaps they had not considered what room there would be for them when their numbers should be increased. Note, Inviting accommodations, for the present, often prove too strong temptations to the neglect of both duty and interest, as it respects futurity.
II. The method they took to bind themselves to one another, and to settle together in one body. Instead of coveting to enlarge their borders by a peaceful departure under the divine protection, they contrived to fortify them, and, as those that were resolved to wage war with Heaven, they put themselves into a posture of defence. Their unanimous resolution is, Let us build ourselves a city and a tower. It is observable that the first builders of cities, both in the old world (Ge 4:17), and in the new world here, were not men of the best character and reputation: tents served God's subjects to dwell in; cities were first built by those that were rebels against him and revolters from him. Observe here,
1. How they excited and encouraged one another to set about this work. They said, Go to, let us make brick (Ge 11:3), and again, (Ge 11:4), Go to, let us build ourselves a city; by mutual excitements they made one another more daring and resolute. Note, Great things may be brought to pass when the undertakers are numerous and unanimous, and stir up one another. Let us learn to provoke one another to love and to good works, as sinners stir up and encourage one another to wicked works. See Ps 122:1, Isa 2:3,5, Jer 50:5.
2. What materials they used in their building. The country, being plain, yielded neither stone nor mortar, yet this did not discourage them from their undertaking, but they made brick to serve instead of stone, and slime or pitch instead of mortar. See here, (1.) What shift those will make that are resolute in their purposes: were we but zealously affected in a good thing, we should not stop our work so often as we do, under pretence that we want conveniences for carrying it on. (2.) What a difference there is between men's building and God's; when men build their Babel, brick and slime are their best materials; but, when God builds his Jerusalem, he lays even the foundations of it with sapphires, and all its borders with pleasant stones, Isa 54:11-12, Re 21:19.
3. For what ends they built. Some think they intended hereby to secure themselves against the waters of another flood. God had told them indeed that he would not again drown the world; but they would trust to a tower of their own making, rather than to a promise of God's making or an ark of his appointing. If, however, they had had this in their eye, they would have chosen to build their tower upon a mountain rather than upon a plain, but three things, it seems, they aimed at in building this tower:—
(1.) It seems designed for an affront to God himself; for they would build a tower whose top might reach to heaven, which bespeaks a defiance of God, or at least a rivalship with him. They would be like the Most High, or would come as near him as they could, not in holiness but in height. They forgot their place, and, scorning to creep on the earth, resolved to climb to heaven, not by the door or ladder, but some other way.
(2.) They hoped hereby to make themselves a name; they would do something to be talked of now, and to give posterity to know that there had been such men as they in the world. Rather than die and leave no memorandum behind them, they would leave this monument of their pride, and ambition, and folly. Note, [1.] Affectation of honour and a name among men commonly inspires with a strange ardour for great and difficult undertakings, and often betrays to that which is evil and offensive to God. [2.] It is just with God to bury those names in the dust which are raised by sin. These Babel-builders put themselves to a great deal of foolish expense to make themselves a name; but they could not gain even this point, for we do not find in any history the name of so much as one of these Babel-builders. Philo Judæus says, They engraved every one his name upon a brick, in perpetuam rei memoriam—as a perpetual memorial; yet neither did this serve their purpose.
(3.) They did it to prevent their dispersion: Lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the earth. "It was done" (says Josephus) "in disobedience to that command (Ge 9:1), Replenish the earth." God orders them to disperse. "No," say they, "we will not, we will live and die together." In order hereunto, they engage themselves and one another in this vast undertaking. That they might unite in one glorious empire, they resolve to build this city and tower, to be the metropolis of their kingdom and the centre of their unity. It is probable that the band of ambitious Nimrod was in all this. He could not content himself with the command of a particular colony, but aimed at universal monarchy, in order to which, under pretence of uniting for their common safety, he contrives to keep them in one body, that, having them all under his eye, he might not fail to have them under his power. See the daring presumption of these sinners. Here is, [1.] A bold opposition to God: "You shall be scattered," says God. "But we will not," say they. Woe unto him that thus strives with his Maker. [2.] A bold competition with God. It is God's prerogative to be universal monarch, Lord of all, and King of kings; the man that aims at it offers to step into the throne of God, who will not give his glory to another.
⁵ And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded.
⁶ And the LORD said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do.
⁷ Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech.
⁸ So the LORD scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city.
⁹ Therefore is the name of it called Babel; because the LORD did there confound the language of all the earth: and from thence did the LORD scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth.
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, Ge 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; for God is incontestably just and fair in all his proceedings against sin and sinners, and condemns none unheard. 2. It is spoken of as an act of condescension in God to take notice even of this building, which the undertakers were so proud of; for he humbles himself to behold the transactions, even the most considerable ones, of this lower world, Ps 113:6. 3. It is said to be the tower which the children of men built, which intimates, (1.) Their weakness and frailty as men. It was a very foolish thing for the children of men, worms of the earth, to defy Heaven, and to provoke the Lord to jealousy. Are they stronger than he? (2.) Their sinfulness and obnoxiousness. They were the sons of Adam, so it is in the Hebrew; nay, of that Adam, that sinful disobedient Adam, whose children are by nature children of disobedience, children that are corrupters. (3.) Their distinction from the children of God, the professors of religion, from whom these daring builders had separated themselves, and built this tower to support and perpetuate the separation. Pious Eber is not found among this ungodly crew; for he and his are called the children of God, and therefore their souls come not into the secret, nor unite themselves to the assembly, of these children of men.
II. The counsels and resolves of the Eternal God concerning this matter; he did not come down merely as a spectator, but as a judge, as a prince, to look upon these proud men, and abase them, Job 40:11-14. Observe,
1. He suffered them to proceed a good way in their enterprise before he put a stop to it, that they might have space to repent, and, if they had so much consideration left, might be ashamed of it and weary of it themselves; and if not that their disappointment might be the more shameful, and every one that passed by might laugh at them, saying, These men began to build, and were not able to finish, that so the works of their hands, from which they promised themselves immortal honour, might turn to their perpetual reproach. Note, God has wise and holy ends in permitting the enemies of his glory to carry on their impious projects a great way, and to prosper long in their enterprises.
2. When they had, with much care and toil, made some considerable progress in their building, then God determined to break their measures and disperse them. Observe,
(1.) The righteousness of God, which appears in the considerations upon which he proceeded in this resolution, Ge 11:6. Two things he considered:—[1.] Their oneness, as a reason why they must be scattered: "Behold, the people are one, and they have all one language. If they continue one, much of the earth will be left uninhabited; the power of their prince will soon be exorbitant; wickedness and profaneness will be insufferably rampant, for they will strengthen one another's hands in it; and, which is worst of all, there will be an overbalance to the church, and these children of men, if thus incorporated, will swallow up the little remnant of God's children." Therefore it is decreed that they must not be one. Note, Unity is a policy, but it is not the infallible mark of a true church; yet, while the builders of Babel, though of different families, dispositions, and interests, were thus unanimous in opposing God, what a pity is it, and what a shame, that the builders of Sion, though united in one common head and Spirit, should be divided, as they are, in serving God! But marvel not at the matter. Christ came not to send peace. [2.] Their obstinacy: Now nothing will be restrained from them; and this is a reason why they must be crossed and thwarted in their design. God had tried, by his commands and admonitions, to bring them off from this project, but in vain; therefore he must take another course with them. See here, First, The sinfulness of sin, and the wilfulness of sinners; ever since Adam would not be restrained from the forbidden tree, his unsanctified seed have been impatient of restraint and ready to rebel against it. Secondly, See the necessity of God's judgments upon earth, to keep the world in some order and to tie the hands of those that will not be checked by law.
(2.) The wisdom and mercy of God in the methods that were taken for the defeating of this enterprise (Ge 11:7): Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language. This was not spoken to the angels, as if God needed either their advice or their assistance, but God speaks it to himself, or the Father to the Son and Holy Ghost. They said, Go to, let us make brick, and Go to, let us build a tower, animating one another to the attempt; and now God says, Go to, let us confound their language; for, if men stir up themselves to sin, God will stir up himself to take vengeance, Isa 59:17,18. Now observe here, [1.] The mercy of God, in moderating the penalty, and not making it proportionable to the offence; for he deals not with us according to our sins. He does not say, "Let us go down now in thunder and lightning, and consume those rebels in a moment;" or, "Let the earth open, and swallow up them and their building, and let those go down quickly into hell who are climbing to heaven the wrong way." No; only, "Let us go down, and scatter them." They deserved death, but are only banished or transported; for the patience of God is very great towards a provoking world. Punishments are chiefly reserved for the future state. God's judgments on sinners in this life, compared with those which are reserved, are little more than restraints. [2.] The wisdom of God, in pitching upon an effectual expedient to stay proceedings, which was the confounding of their language, that they might not understand one another's speech, nor could they well join hands when their tongues were divided; so that this would be a very proper method both for taking them off from their building (for, if they could not understand one another, they could not help one another) and also for disposing them to scatter; for, when they could not understand one another, they could not take pleasure in one another. Note, God has various means, and effectual ones, to baffle and defeat the projects of proud men that set themselves against him, and particularly to divide them among themselves, either by dividing their spirits (Jdg 9:23), or by dividing their tongues, as David prays, Ps 55:9.
III. The execution of these counsels of God, to the blasting and defeating of the counsels of men, Ge 11:8,9. God made them know whose word should stand, his or theirs, as the expression is, Jer 44:28. Notwithstanding their oneness and obstinacy, God was too hard for them, and wherein they dealt proudly he was above them; for who ever hardened his heart against him and prospered? Three things were done:—
1. Their language was confounded. God, who, when he made man, taught him to speak, and put words into his mouth fit to express the conceptions of his mind by, now caused these builders to forget their former language, and to speak and understand a new one, which yet was common to those of the same tribe or family, but not to others: those of one colony could converse together, but not with those of another. Now, (1.) This was a great miracle, and a proof of the power which God has upon the minds and tongues of men, which he turns as the rivers of water. (2.) This was a great judgment upon these builders; for, being thus deprived of the knowledge of the ancient and holy tongue, they had become incapable of communicating with the true church, in which it was retained, and probably it contributed much to their loss of the knowledge of the true God. (3.) We all suffer by it, to this day. In all the inconveniences we sustain by the diversity of languages, and all the pains and trouble we are at to learn the languages we have occasion for, we smart for the rebellion of our ancestors at Babel. Nay, and those unhappy controversies which are strifes of words, and arise from our misunderstanding one another's language, for aught I know are owing to this confusion of tongues. (4.) The project of some to frame a universal character, in order to a universal language, how desirable soever it may seem, is yet, I think, but a vain thing to attempt; for it is to strive against a divine sentence, by which the languages of the nations will be divided while the world stands. (5.) We may here lament the loss of the universal use of the Hebrew tongue, which from this time was the vulgar language of the Hebrews only, and continued so till the captivity in Babylon, where, even among them, it was exchanged for the Syriac. (6.) As the confounding of tongues divided the children of men and scattered them abroad, so the gift of tongues, bestowed upon the apostles (Ac 2:1-13), contributed greatly to the gathering together of the children of God, who were scattered abroad, and the uniting of them in Christ, that with one mind and one mouth they might glorify God, Ro 15:6.
2. Their building was stopped: They left off to build the city. This was the effect of the confusion of their tongues; for it not only incapacitated them for helping one another, but probably struck such a damp upon their spirits that they could not proceed, since they saw, in this, the hand of the Lord gone out against them. Note, (1.) It is wisdom to leave off that which we see God fights against. (2.) God is able to blast and bring to nought all the devices and designs of Babel-builders. He sits in heaven, and laughs at the counsels of the kings of the earth against him and his anointed; and will force them to confess that there is no wisdom nor counsel against the Lord, Pr 21:30, Isa 8:9,10.
3. The builders were scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth, Ge 11:8,9. They departed in companies, after their families, and after their tongues (Ge 10:5,20,31), to the several countries and places allotted to them in the division that had been made, which they knew before, but would not go to take possession of till now that they were forced to it. Observe here, (1.) The very thing which they feared came upon them. That dispersion which sought to evade by an act of rebellion they by this act brought upon themselves; for we are most likely to fall into that trouble which we seek to evade by indirect and sinful methods. (2.) It was God's work: The Lord scattered them. God's hand is to be acknowledged in all scattering providences; if the family be scattered, relations scattered, churches scattered, it is the Lord's doing. (3.) Though they were as firmly in league with one another as could be, yet the Lord scattered them; for no man can keep together what God will put asunder. (4.) Thus God justly took vengeance on them for their oneness in that presumptuous attempt to build their tower. Shameful dispersions are the just punishment of sinful unions. Simeon and Levi, who had been brethren in iniquity, were divided in Jacob, Ge 49:5,7, Ps 83:3-13. (5.) They left behind them a perpetual memorandum of their reproach, in the name given to the place. It was called Babel, confusion. Those that aim at a great name commonly come off with a bad name. (6.) The children of men were now finally scattered, and never did, nor ever will, come all together again, till the great day, when the Son of man shall sit upon the throne of his glory, and all nations shall be gathered before him, Mt 25:31,32.
¹⁰ These are the generations of Shem: Shem was a hundred years old, and begat Arphaxad two years after the flood:
¹¹ And Shem lived after he begat Arphaxad five hundred years, and begat sons and daughters.
¹² And Arphaxad lived five and thirty years, and begat Salah:
¹³ And Arphaxad lived after he begat Salah four hundred and three years, and begat sons and daughters.
¹⁴ And Salah lived thirty years, and begat Eber:
¹⁵ And Salah lived after he begat Eber four hundred and three years, and begat sons and daughters.
¹⁶ And Eber lived four and thirty years, and begat Peleg:
¹⁷ And Eber lived after he begat Peleg four hundred and thirty years, and begat sons and daughters.
¹⁸ And Peleg lived thirty years, and begat Reu:
¹⁹ And Peleg lived after he begat Reu two hundred and nine years, and begat sons and daughters.
²⁰ And Reu lived two and thirty years, and begat Serug:
²¹ And Reu lived after he begat Serug two hundred and seven years, and begat sons and daughters.
²² And Serug lived thirty years, and begat Nahor:
²³ And Serug lived after he begat Nahor two hundred years, and begat sons and daughters.
²⁴ And Nahor lived nine and twenty years, and begat Terah:
²⁵ And Nahor lived after he begat Terah a hundred and nineteen years, and begat sons and daughters.
²⁶ And Terah lived seventy years, and begat Abram, Nahor, and Haran.
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 (Mt 1:1-17, etc.); so that put Ge 5, 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, laying these three genealogies together, we shall find that twice ten, and thrice fourteen, generations or descents, passed between the first and second Adam, making it clear concerning Christ that he was not only the Son of Abraham, but the Son of man, and the seed of woman. Observe here, 1. Nothing is left upon record concerning those of this line but their names and ages, the Holy Ghost seeming to hasten through them to the story of Abram. How little do we know of those that have gone before us in this world, even those that lived in the same places where we live, as we likewise know little of those that are our contemporaries in distant places! we have enough to do to mind the work of our own day, and let God alone to require that which is past, Ec 3:15. 2. There was an observable gradual decrease in the years of their lives. Shem reached to 600 years, which yet fell short of the age of the patriarchs before the flood; the next three came short of 500; the next three did not reach to 300; after them we read not of any that attained to 200, except Terah; and, not many ages after this, Moses reckoned seventy, or eighty, to be the utmost men ordinarily arrive at. When the earth began to be replenished, men's lives began to shorten; so that the decrease is to be imputed to the wise disposal of Providence, rather than to any decay of nature. For the elect's sake, men's days are shortened; and, being evil, it is well they are few, and attain not to the years of the lives of our fathers, Ge 47:9. 3. Eber, from whom the Hebrews were denominated, was the longest-lived of any that was born after the flood, which perhaps was the reward of his singular piety and strict adherence to the ways of God.
27-32
The Generations of Terah (1921 BC)
简体中文
他拉的后代（主前1921年）
²⁷ 他拉的后代记在下面：他拉生亚伯兰、拿鹤、哈兰；哈兰生罗得。
²⁸ 哈兰死在他的出生地、迦勒底的吾珥，在他父亲他拉之先。
²⁹ 亚伯兰、拿鹤各娶了妻：亚伯兰的妻子名叫撒莱；拿鹤的妻子名叫密迦，是哈兰的女儿；哈兰是密迦和亦迦的父亲。
³⁰ 撒莱不生育，没有孩子。
³¹ 他拉带着他儿子亚伯兰、和他孙子哈兰的儿子罗得、并他儿妇亚伯兰的妻子撒莱，一同出了迦勒底的吾珥，要往迦南地去。他们走到哈兰，就住在那里。
³² 他拉共活了二百零五岁，就死在哈兰。
从此开始了亚伯兰的记载，他的名字自此在新旧两约中都赫赫有名。我们在此看到：
I. 他的本乡：迦勒底的吾珥。这是他出生之地，是拜偶像之地，就连希伯的子孙也在那里堕落了。当注意：那些蒙恩成为应许之地后嗣的人，理当记念自己本来的出生之地是何等败坏罪恶的天性状态，记念自己是怎样从那磐石中被凿出来的。
II. 他的亲族——为他本人的缘故，也因他们在下文事迹中的关联而被提及：1. 他的父亲是他拉，论到他，经上记着（书 24:2）他在大河那边事奉别神。可见拜偶像在世上扎根之早，也可见那些虽有几分善念的人，要逆流而行是何等艰难。虽然经上说（创 11:26）他拉七十岁生了亚伯兰、拿鹤、哈兰（这似乎告诉我们亚伯兰是他拉的长子，生于他拉七十岁那年），但将创 11:32（他拉活了二百零五岁才死）与徒 7:4（亚伯兰从哈兰迁出时不过七十五岁）两相比较，便可知亚伯兰乃是在他拉一百三十岁那年生的，很可能是他的幼子；因为在神的拣选中，末后的常成为在前的，在前的常成为在后的。还有：2. 关于他兄弟的若干记述。(1.) 拿鹤，以撒和雅各二人的妻子都出自他的家族。(2.) 哈兰，罗得的父亲，论到他在此有记（创 11:28）他死在他父亲他拉之先。当注意：儿女并不能确定必能活得比父母久；因为死亡并不按长幼次序，先取最长的。死荫的幽谷毫无次序，伯 10:22。经上又记着他死在迦勒底的吾珥，是死在这家族未蒙福迁出那拜偶像之地以先。当注意：我们当竭速脱离自己的天性状态，免得死亡在其中将我们忽然抓住。3. 他的妻子是撒莱，有人认为她就是哈兰的女儿亦迦。亚伯兰自己也论到她说，她是他父亲的女儿，却不是他母亲的女儿，创 20:12。她比亚伯兰小十岁。
III. 他从迦勒底的吾珥出来，与父亲他拉、侄儿罗得并其余的家人同行，为要顺服神的呼召——这一点我们将在创 12:1-20等处读到更详尽的记载。本章将他们留在哈兰（Charran）——这地方约在吾珥与迦南之间，他们住在那里直到他拉归了坟；这大概是因为老人因年迈体弱，已不能继续前行。许多人到了哈兰，却未能到达迦南；他们离神的国不远，却始终没有进去。
English original
The Generations of Terah (1921 BC)
²⁷ Now these are the generations of Terah: Terah begat Abram, Nahor, and Haran; and Haran begat Lot.
²⁸ And Haran died before his father Terah in the land of his nativity, in Ur of the Chaldees.
²⁹ And Abram and Nahor took them wives: the name of Abram's wife was Sarai; and the name of Nahor's wife, Milcah, the daughter of Haran, the father of Milcah, and the father of Iscah.
³⁰ But Sarai was barren; she had no child.
³¹ And Terah took Abram his son, and Lot the son of Haran his son's son, and Sarai his daughter in law, his son Abram's wife; and they went forth with them from Ur, of the Chaldees, to go into the land of Canaan; and they came unto Haran, and dwelt there.
³² And the days of Terah were two hundred and five years: and Terah died in Haran.
Here begins the story of Abram, whose name is famous, henceforward, in both Testaments. We have here,
I. His country: Ur of the Chaldees. This was the land of his nativity, an idolatrous country, where even the children of Eber themselves had degenerated. Note, Those who are, through grace, heirs of the land of promise, ought to remember what was the land of their nativity, what was their corrupt and sinful state by nature, the rock out of which they were hewn.
II. His relations, mentioned for his sake, and because of their interest in the following story. 1. His father was Terah, of whom it is said (Jos 24:2) that he served other gods, on the other side of the flood, so early did idolatry gain footing in the world, and so hard is it even for those that have some good principles to swim against the stream. Though it is said (Ge 11:26) that when Terah was seventy years old he begat Abram, Nahor, and Haran (which seems to tell us that Abram was the eldest son of Terah, and was born in his seventieth year), yet, by comparing Ge 11:32, which makes Terah to die in his 205th year, with Ac 7:4 (where it is said that he was but seventy-five years old when he removed from Haran), it appears that he was born in the 130th year of Terah, and probably was his youngest son; for, in God's choices, the last are often first and the first last. We have, 2. Some account of his brethren. (1.) Nahor, out of whose family both Isaac and Jacob had their wives. (2.) Haran, the father of Lot, of whom it is here said (Ge 11:28) that he died before his father Terah. Note, Children cannot be sure that they shall survive their parents; for death does not go by seniority, taking the eldest first. The shadow of death is without any order, Job 10:22. It is likewise said that he died in Ur of the Chaldees, before the happy removal of the family out of that idolatrous country. Note, It concerns us to hasten out of our natural state, lest death surprise us in it. 3. His wife was Sarai, who some think, was the same with Iscah, the daughter of Haran. Abram himself says of her that she was the daughter of his father, but not the daughter of his mother, Ge 20:12. She was ten years younger than Abram.
III. His departure out of Ur of the Chaldees, with his father Terah, his nephew Lot, and the rest of his family, in obedience to the call of God, of which we shall read more, Ge 12:1-20, etc. This chapter leaves them in Haran, or Charran, a place about mid-way between Ur and Canaan, where they dwelt till Terah's head was laid, probably because the old man was unable, through the infirmities of age, to proceed in his journey. Many reach to Charran, and yet fall short of Canaan; they are not far from the kingdom of God, and yet never come thither.
神的儿子们与人的儿子们（即信者与俗人）之间的古远区分，在洪水之后依然存留，如今在人开始繁衍之时再度显明。循此区分，本章记有：I. 人的儿子们在巴别的分散（创 11:1-9），其中有：1. 他们狂妄惹神怒气的图谋——要建造一座城和一座塔（创 11:1-4）。2. 神借着变乱他们的口音、将他们分散，从而挫败其图谋的公义审判（创 11:5-9）。II. 神的儿子们直到亚伯拉罕的家谱（创 11:10-26），以及关于他的家族和他离开本乡的大略记述（创 11:27-32 等）。