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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)
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變亂口音(主前2247年)
¹ 那時,天下人的口音、言語都是一樣。
² 他們往東邊遷移的時候,在示拿地遇見一片平原,就住在那裡。
³ 他們彼此商量說:來吧!我們要做磚,把磚燒透了。他們就拿磚當石頭,又拿石漆當灰泥。
⁴ 他們說:來吧!我們要建造一座城和一座塔,塔頂通天,為要傳揚我們的名,免得我們分散在全地上。
前一章的結尾告訴我們,藉著挪亞的兒子們,或在挪亞的兒子們之中,\「洪水以後,列國在地上分地居住」——意即被分作若干支派或殖民群;又因地已對他們顯得狹小,或是挪亞所指定,或是由他兒子們彼此商定,每個支派或殖民群當向何方前發,從鄰近的國度起首,並打算越走越遠,彼此相離越來越遠,隨著各自隊伍的增加而有此需要。如此,事情在洪水之後一百年——約在法勒出生之時——便已妥善安排妥當;然而看來人的兒女們不願分散到遠方;他們以為人越多越熱鬧、越安全,因此設法保持在一起,並且「耽延不去得耶和華他們列祖的神所賜給他們的地」(書十八3),自以為比神或挪亞更有智慧。如今此處我們有,
I. 有助於他們保持在一起之計畫的種種便利。1. 他們都「言語一樣」(創十一1)。若洪水之前已有不同的語言,然而唯有挪亞的語言——大概與亞當的相同——藉著洪水得以存留,並延續到洪水之後。如今,既然他們都能彼此聽懂,他們便更可能彼此相愛,更有能力彼此相助,也更不傾向於彼此分離。2. 他們尋得一處非常便利、宜居之地(創十一2),「示拿地的平原」——寬闊的平原,足以「容納」他們全體,又是肥沃的平原,按他們現有的人數而言足以供養他們全體,雖然他們或許沒有考慮到,當他們的人數增多之時,將為他們留下多少餘地。當留意:眼前的吸引人的便利,往往成為太強的試探,使人忽視將來的責任與利益。
II. 他們用以彼此聯合、並結為一體的方法。他們不願在神的保護之下平安離去以擴展疆界,反而在疆界上設防;如同決心與天交戰之人,他們擺出防守的姿態。他們一致的決議是:「我們要為自己建造一座城和一座塔」。當留意,無論在舊世界(創四17),還是在此處的新世界,首批建城之人,都不是品格與聲譽最佳之人:神的子民以帳棚為居所便足夠;城首先是由那些背叛神、偏離神的人所建造。當觀察此處,
1. 他們如何彼此激發、彼此鼓勵,以動手這工。他們說:「來吧!我們做磚吧」(創十一3),又說(創十一4):「來吧!我們為自己建造一座城吧」;藉著彼此激發,他們使對方更加膽大堅決。當留意:當承擔者人數眾多且同心合意、彼此激勵之時,大事便可成就。讓我們學會彼此激發愛心、激發善行,正如罪人彼此挑唆、彼此鼓勵去作惡工一般。見詩一二二1;賽二3、5;耶五十5。
2. 他們在建造上用了甚麼材料。那地既是平原,既不出石頭,也不出灰泥,然而這並未使他們對這工程氣餒,他們卻以磚代石,以石漆或瀝青代灰泥。當見此處:(1) 那些在心意上堅決的人,必想方設法:我們若在善事上同樣熱心,便不會像我們現在這樣,常常以缺少推動工程之便利為藉口而停工。(2) 人的建造與神的建造之間有何等差別:人建造巴別之時,磚與石漆便是他們最好的材料;但當神建造祂的耶路撒冷之時,祂甚至以「藍寶石立根基,又以寶石為四圈」(賽五十四11–12;啟二十一19)。
3. 他們建造的目的何在。有人認為他們打算藉此保護自己,免受另一次洪水的侵害。神固然曾告訴他們不再用水淹沒世界;然而他們寧可倚靠自己所造的塔,也不肯倚靠神所立的應許或神所指定的方舟。然而,他們若真有此意,便會選擇在山上而非平原上建塔;看來他們建這座塔有三個目的:
(1) 看來是為了向神自己挑釁;因為他們要建造一座「塔頂通天」的塔,這表明對神的蔑視,或至少是與祂爭競。他們要「與至上者同等」,或要盡量靠近祂——不是在聖潔上,而是在高度上。他們忘記了自己的本位,不屑於在地上爬行,決意爬上天去——不是從門或梯子上去,而是別的路。
(2) 他們盼望藉此使自己得名;他們要作些可被談論的事,並讓後世知道世上曾有他們這樣的人。他們寧可留下這驕傲、野心與愚妄的記念碑,也不願死後不留痕跡。當留意:[1] 對人間尊榮與名聲的渴慕,常激發人作宏大艱難之工的奇異熱忱,並常引人陷入邪惡得罪神之事。[2] 因罪而得高舉的名,神將之埋於塵土之中,乃是公義。這些巴別的建造者花費大量愚妄的代價,為要使自己得名;然而他們連這一點也不能達成,因為我們在任何歷史中都找不到這些巴別建造者中哪怕一人的名字。猶太哲學家斐羅說,他們各人把自己的名字刻在一塊磚上,「in perpetuam rei memoriam——作永遠的記念」;然而這也於事無補。
(3) 他們這樣作是為了防止分散:「免得我們分散在全地上」。「這是違背那條命令而作的」(約瑟夫語),即(創九1):「充滿全地」。神吩咐他們分散。「不」,他們說,「我們不願;我們要生死與共」。為此,他們使自己與彼此投入這項浩大工程。他們為了聯合成一個榮耀的帝國,決定建造這城與這塔,作他們國度的京城與合一的中心。雄心勃勃的寧錄的黨羽或許在其中。他不以統領一個殖民群為滿足,而圖謀普世王權;為達此目的,他藉著為共同安全而聯合的藉口,設法使他們結為一體,好叫一切都在他眼下,便不至於不在他的權下。請看這些罪人大膽的狂妄。此處有:[1] 對神大膽的對抗:神說「你們要分散」;他們卻說「我們不願」。「那與造他的主爭論的人有禍了」。[2] 對神大膽的競逐。作普世的君王、萬有的主、萬王之王,是神的特權;那圖謀此位的人,是要踏進神的寶座,而神必不將自己的榮耀歸給別人。
⁵ 耶和華降臨,要看看世人所建造的城和塔。
⁶ 耶和華說:看哪,他們成為一樣的人民,都是一樣的言語,如今既做起這事來,以後他們所要做的事就沒有不成就的了。
⁷ 我們下去,在那裡變亂他們的口音,使他們的言語彼此不通。
⁸ 於是耶和華使他們從那裡分散在全地上;他們就停工,不造那城了。
⁹ 因為耶和華在那裡變亂天下人的言語,使眾人分散在全地上,所以那城名叫巴別。
此處我們看到巴別建造者的計畫被挫敗,那些悖逆之人的謀算被推翻,好叫神的謀算得以在他們的反對中站立。此處有,
I. 神對這正在進行之計畫的察看:「耶和華降臨,要看看那城」(創十一5)。這是按人的樣式說的話;祂對此知道得如同人到場觀看那般清楚完全。當觀察:1. 在對他們的事判斷之前,祂先查問;因為神在一切對罪與罪人的對待上,無可置疑地公義公平,並不未審先判。2. 神注意這些建造者所引以為傲的這建築,被說成是神一種屈尊的作為;因為祂俯首觀看這低下世界的事,甚至其中最重大的事(詩一一三6)。3. 此處說是「世人所建造的塔」,這暗示:(1) 他們作為人的軟弱與脆弱。地上之蟲的世人要挑戰上天,要惹動主的嫉恨,是極其愚妄的事。「他們比祂強嗎?」(2) 他們的罪性與可責。希伯來文作「亞當的兒子」;不,是那亞當——那犯罪悖逆的亞當——的兒子,他的兒女按本性就是悖逆之子,是敗壞之子。(3) 他們與神的兒女——信仰的承認者——之間的分別;這些大膽的建造者已從其中分別出來,並建造這塔以支持並延續這分離。敬虔的希伯不見於這群不敬虔的人之中;因為他和他的被稱為神的兒女,所以他們的心不進入這些世人之子的秘密之中,也不與他們的會相聯合。
II. 永生神關於此事的謀算與定意;祂降臨不是僅作旁觀者,而是作審判官,作君王,為「觀看驕傲的人,使他降卑」(伯四十11–14)。當觀察,
1. 祂容許他們在他們的事業上推進相當遠,然後才加以阻止,好使他們有空間可以悔改;他們若還有那麼多的考慮,便可自己羞愧、自己厭倦;若不如此,他們的失敗便更可羞,每一個經過的人都可以嗤笑他們,說:「這些人開了工,卻不能完工」,使他們手中所造、本以為可得不朽之尊榮的工程,反成了他們永遠的羞辱。當留意:神容許祂榮耀的仇敵把他們不敬虔的計畫推進甚遠,並在其事業上長久亨通,是有智慧而聖潔的目的。
2. 當他們費盡心力、勞苦地在建造上有了相當的進展之時,神才決定挫敗他們的計畫,把他們分散。當觀察,
(1) 神的公義,這顯明在祂據以作出此決定的考慮之中(創十一6)。祂考慮兩件事:[1] 他們的合一——這是他們必須被分散的理由:「看哪,他們成為一樣的人民,都是一樣的言語。他們若仍是一樣,地上必有大片無人居住之處;他們君王的權勢必很快過分膨脹;邪惡與褻瀆必猖獗到無可忍受,因為他們必在其中彼此堅固;而最糟的是,教會必被壓倒,這些世人之子若如此結合,必吞滅神兒女剩下的小群。」因此,他們不可合一,已經定了。當留意:合一是種策略,卻不是真教會無誤的標誌;然而巴別的建造者,雖出於不同的家族、性情與利益,卻如此同心合意地反對神,錫安的建造者,雖聯於一個共同的元首與聖靈,卻在事奉神的事上如此分崩離析,這是何等可惜、何等可羞!但不必以為希奇。基督來並不是叫地上太平。[2] 他們的頑梗:「如今他們所要做的事就沒有不成就的了」;這是他們必須在其計畫上受挫受阻的理由。神曾以祂的命令與警戒,試圖使他們放棄這計畫,卻歸徒然;因此祂必須另想辦法對待他們。當見此處:第一,罪的罪性與罪人的頑梗;自從亞當不肯受禁樹的約束以來,他未成聖的後裔便不能忍受約束,總是預備好要背叛。第二,當見神在地上施行審判的必要,以保守世界有某種秩序,並捆住那些不肯受律法約束之人的手。
(2) 神的智慧與憐憫,在所採用的挫敗這事業的方法中(創十一7):「來吧!我們下去,在那裡變亂他們的口音」。這話不是對天使說的,彷彿神需要他們的意見或幫助,而是神對自己說的,或是父對子與聖靈說的。他們曾說:「來吧!我們做磚吧」、「來吧!我們建造一座塔吧」,彼此挑動去作這嘗試;如今神說:「來吧!我們變亂他們的口音」;因為人若挑動自己犯罪,神必挑動自己施報(賽五十九17–18)。當觀察此處:[1] 神的憐憫,減輕了刑罰,不使其與過犯相稱;因為「祂沒有按我們的罪過待我們」。祂沒有說:「我們現在帶著雷轟閃電下去,頃刻之間消滅那些叛徒」;或「讓地開口,把他們和他們的建築吞滅,讓那些走錯路要爬上天的人快快下到地獄去」。不;只是說:「我們下去,把他們分散」。他們該死,卻只被放逐或流配;因為神對一個惹動祂的世界極其忍耐。刑罰主要留待將來的世界。神今生對罪人的審判,與所保留的相比,幾乎不過是約束而已。[2] 神的智慧,選擇了一個有效的辦法來止住工程,就是變亂他們的口音,使他們言語彼此不通;他們的舌頭既分裂,也不能好好聯手;因此這既是使他們放下建造之工的合適方法(因為他們若不能彼此聽懂,就不能彼此相助),也是使他們傾向分散的合適方法(因為他們既不能彼此聽懂,就不能在彼此身上得著樂趣)。當留意:神有各樣且有效的方法,可以挫敗驕傲人反對祂的計畫,特別是要使他們之間分裂——或分裂他們的心志(士九23),或分裂他們的舌頭,如大衛所求(詩五十五9)。
III. 這些神之謀算的執行,使人類的謀算歸於挫敗與無效(創十一8–9)。神使他們知道「誰的話立得住,是祂的話,還是他們的話」——如耶四十四28所說。雖然他們合一而頑梗,神卻比他們更強,他們所傲然行事之處,祂在他們之上;因為「誰向神剛硬而得亨通呢?」有三件事作成了:
1. 他們的口音被變亂。神當初造人之時,教導他說話,把合宜的話放在他口中,以表達他心中的意念;如今神使這些建造者忘記他們從前的語言,而說並聽懂一種新的語言——這語言在同一支派或家族中是相通的,卻不與別的相通:一個殖民群中的人可以彼此交談,卻不能與另一個殖民群的人交談。如今,(1) 這是一大神蹟,證明神在人心中與舌頭上的大能——祂將人的舌頭如水流的河道那樣轉流。(2) 這對這些建造者是一大審判;因為他們既被剝奪了那古老而神聖的語言,便不能與持守這語言的真教會相通;這或許也大大促使他們失去對真神的認識。(3) 我們直到今日都因此受苦。我們因語言的繁多所受的一切不便,以及為學習我們所需的語言所費的一切辛勞與麻煩,都是為我們祖先在巴別的背叛受罰。不但如此,那些不幸的爭辯——那些為字句之爭,並源於彼此聽不懂對方語言的爭辯——據我所知,也是因這變亂口音而起。(4) 有人企圖設計一種通用文字,以建立一種通用語言,這雖看來可羨,我卻以為是徒然的嘗試;因為這是要對抗神聖的判語——只要世界還存留,列國的語言便要被分散。(5) 我們可在此嘆息希伯來語失去通用之用;從此時起,希伯來語只是希伯來人的通行語,直到被擄於巴比倫之時,連在他們中間,它也被亞蘭語所取代。(6) 變亂口音既分散了世人之子、使他們分散各處,照樣,賜給使徒們的「方言」(徒二1–13)也大大有助於聚集那四散的神的兒女,使他們在基督裡合而為一,好叫他們一心一口榮耀神(羅十五6)。
2. 他們的工程停頓了:「他們就停工,不造那城了」。這是變亂口音的結果;因為這不但使他們無力彼此相助,或許也在他們心中投下如此重的打擊,使他們不能繼續,因為他們在其中看見了主的手出來反對他們。當留意:(1) 我們看見神所反對的事便當放下,這是智慧。(2) 神能挫敗並使巴別建造者的一切計謀設計歸於無有。祂坐在天上,嗤笑地上君王謀算反對祂和祂受膏者的計謀;並要強使他們承認,反對耶和華的智慧與謀算都不能立得住(箴二十一30;賽八9–10)。
3. 建造者被分散在全地之上(創十一8–9)。他們按著家族、按著方言(創十5、20、31)成群離去,前往那已分的分配中所指定給他們的各國各地——這些他們早已知道,卻不肯去得,直到如今被迫如此行。當觀察此處:(1) 他們所怕的事正臨到他們。他們想用背叛之舉逃避的分散,卻因這舉動而自招;因為我們用曲折罪惡的方法所要逃避的患難,最有可能臨到我們。(2) 這是神的工作:「耶和華使他們分散」。在一切分散的護理中,都當承認神的手;若是家庭分散、親屬分散、教會分散,都是主所作的。(3) 雖然他們彼此聯盟堅固,耶和華卻使他們分散;因為神所要分開的,無人能使之合一。(4) 如此,神公義地為他們在那傲然建塔的嘗試中合一而報應他們。羞辱性的分散,是罪惡性結黨聯盟的公義刑罰。西緬和利未曾在罪中為弟兄,卻在雅各中被分開(創四十九5、7;詩八十三3–13)。(5) 他們留下了一個永遠記念其羞辱的記念物,就是那地方所得的名字。它被稱為「巴別」——「變亂」。那些圖謀大名的人,通常以「壞」名收場。(6) 世人之子如今終於被分散,他們從未、也永不會再全體聚集,直到那大日,人子坐在祂榮耀的寶座上,萬民都聚集在祂面前(太二十五31–32)。
¹⁰ 閃的後代記在下面:閃一百歲生了亞法撒,在洪水之後二年。
¹¹ 閃生亞法撒之後又活了五百年,並且生兒養女。
¹² 亞法撒活到三十五歲,生了沙拉。
¹³ 亞法撒生沙拉之後又活了四百零三年,並且生兒養女。
¹⁴ 沙拉活到三十歲,生了希伯。
¹⁵ 沙拉生希伯之後又活了四百零三年,並且生兒養女。
¹⁶ 希伯活到三十四歲,生了法勒。
¹⁷ 希伯生法勒之後又活了四百三十年,並且生兒養女。
¹⁸ 法勒活到三十歲,生了拉吳。
¹⁹ 法勒生拉吳之後又活了二百零九年,並且生兒養女。
²⁰ 拉吳活到三十二歲,生了西鹿。
²¹ 拉吳生西鹿之後又活了二百零七年,並且生兒養女。
²² 西鹿活到三十歲,生了拿鶴。
²³ 西鹿生拿鶴之後又活了二百年,並且生兒養女。
²⁴ 拿鶴活到二十九歲,生了他拉。
²⁵ 拿鶴生他拉之後又活了一百一十九年,並且生兒養女。
²⁶ 他拉活到七十歲,生了亞伯蘭、拿鶴、哈蘭。
此處我們看到一份家譜——不是無窮的家譜,因為它在此以亞伯蘭——神的朋友——為終,並且進一步指向基督,那應許的後裔,祂是亞伯蘭的子孫,從亞伯蘭起,基督的家譜便被數算(太一1–17等);所以將創五、創十一10–26、太一1–17合在一起,你便得到一份關乎耶穌基督如此完整的家譜——據我所知,世上任何在祂血脈之外、距源頭如此遙遠的人物,都無法產生如此完整的家譜。將這三份家譜並列,我們便會發現,在第一亞當與第二亞當之間,過了二十再加四十二代,就是兩個十代,以及三個十四代——這清楚說明基督不僅是亞伯拉罕的兒子,也是人子,並且是女人的後裔。當觀察此處:1. 關於這一脈的人,除了他們的名字與年齡,別無所記,聖靈似乎匆匆越過他們,要趕快到亞伯蘭的故事。我們對在我們以先於這世上的人——甚至那些住在我們如今所住之地的人——所知何其少!正如我們對那些在遠方與我們同時代的人所知也少!我們自己的本分已夠我們忙碌;讓神獨自去「追究過去的事」(傳三15)。2. 他們壽命的年歲有明顯的逐漸減少。閃達六百歲,但仍不及洪水前列祖的壽數;接下來的三位不到五百歲;再下三位不到三百歲;在他們之後,除了他拉,我們再沒讀到有人達到二百歲;再過不多的世代,摩西便以七十或八十為人通常所能達到的極限。當地上開始被充滿之時,人的壽數便開始縮短;因此這減少當歸於護理之智慧安排,而非本性之衰敗。為選民的緣故,日子被縮短了;既是邪惡的,便是少有的好,「達不到我們列祖一生的年歲」(創四十七9)。3. 希伯——希伯來人之名由他而得——是洪水之後所生的人中最長壽的;這或許是他獨特的敬虔與嚴格遵行神道路的賞賜。
英文原文
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)
繁體中文
他拉的後代（主前 1921 年）
²⁷ 他拉的後代記在下面：他拉生亞伯蘭、拿鶴、哈蘭；哈蘭生羅得。 ²⁸ 哈蘭死在他的出生地迦勒底的吾珥，在他父親他拉之先。 ²⁹ 亞伯蘭、拿鶴各娶了妻：亞伯蘭的妻子名叫撒萊；拿鶴的妻子名叫密迦，是哈蘭的女兒；哈蘭是密迦和亦迦的父親。 ³⁰ 撒萊不生育，沒有孩子。 ³¹ 他拉帶著他兒子亞伯蘭和他孫子哈蘭的兒子羅得，並兒婦亞伯蘭的妻子撒萊，出了迦勒底的吾珥，要往迦南地去。他們走到哈蘭，就住在那裡。 ³² 他拉共活了二百零五歲，就死在哈蘭。
亞伯蘭的故事從此開始——此後他的名字在兩約之中都赫赫有名。此處我們有：
一、他的本國：迦勒底的吾珥。這是他的出生之地，一個拜偶像的國家，連希伯的子孫自己也在那裡墮落了。當注意：那些因恩典成為應許之地後嗣的人，當記念自己的出生之地是何地——記念自己本性上敗壞有罪的光景，記念自己所從而鑿出的磐石。
二、他的親屬——為他的緣故、並因他們在以下故事中的關係而被提及。1. 他的父親是他拉——論到他，書 24:2 說他在大河那邊事奉別神。偶像崇拜在世界中得勢何其早，而那些有幾分好原則的人要逆流而上又是何其難。雖然創 11:26 說他拉七十歲生了亞伯蘭、拿鶴、哈蘭（這似乎告訴我們亞伯蘭是他拉的長子，生於他七十歲那年），但把創 11:32（說他拉二百零五歲死）與徒 7:4（說他從哈蘭出來時不過七十五歲）相比較，便顯出亞伯蘭是生在他拉一百三十歲那年，很可能是他最小的兒子；因為在神的揀選中，在後的常是在前的，在前的常是在後的。2. 關於他兄弟的一些記載。（一）拿鶴——以撒和雅各的妻子都是從他家族中娶的。（二）哈蘭——羅得的父親；此處論到他說（創 11:28）：他死在他父親他拉之先。當注意：兒女不能確保比父母活得久；因為死並不按長幼次序，先取長的。死蔭的幽暗毫無次序（伯 10:22）。經上又說他死在迦勒底的吾珥——在全家從那拜偶像之國喜樂地遷出之前。當注意：我們當趕快離開自己天然的光景，免得死在其中將我們擒獲。3. 他的妻子是撒萊——有人以為她就是哈蘭的女兒亦迦。亞伯蘭自己論到她說，她是她父親的女兒，卻不是她母親的女兒（創 20:12）。她比亞伯蘭小十歲。
三、他從迦勒底的吾珥出來——與他父親他拉、姪兒羅得、以及其餘的家人同行——是順服神的呼召；這事我們要在創 12:1-20 等處多讀。本章把他們留在哈蘭（即迦蘭）——一個介於吾珥與迦南之間約居中的地方；他們在那裡住到他拉離世為止，也許是因為這老人因年邁的軟弱不能繼續前行。許多人到了迦蘭，卻仍達不到迦南；他們離神的國不遠，卻始終沒有進去。
英文原文
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.
神的兒子與人的兒女(敬虔者與褻瀆者)之間自古的區別,在洪水之後仍存留,如今當世人開始繁衍時又再度顯明。按這區分,本章我們有:I. 人的兒女在巴別的分散(創十一1–9),其中包含:1. 他們狂妄且惹動神怒的計謀——建造一座城和一座塔(創十一1–4)。2. 神在他們身上公義的審判,藉著變亂他們的口音、使他們分散,而挫敗了他們的計謀(創十一5–9)。II. 神的兒女的家譜,從閃一直到亞伯拉罕(創十一10–26),並概述了他的家族,以及他離開本鄉的經過(創十一27–32等)。