Genesis 11:4

Translations

Modern

“Come,” they said, “let us build for ourselves a city with a tower that reaches to the heavens, that we may make a name for ourselves and not be scattered over the face of all the earth.”

Traditional

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.

Literal

And they said, “Come, let us build for ourselves a city and a tower, and its top in the heavens, and let us make for ourselves a name, lest we be scattered over the face of all the earth.”

Latin

…et dixerunt: Venite, faciamus nobis civitatem et turrim, cujus culmen pertingat ad cælum: et celebremus nomen nostrum antequam dividamur in universas terras.

Original

Hebrew

English

“Come,” they said, “let us build for ourselves a city with a tower that reaches to the heavens, that we may make a name for ourselves and not be scattered over the face of all the earth.”

Notes

Genesis 11:4

Far from the original garden (2:15), the first cities of Genesis represent arrogance (4:17), tyranny (10:8–12), and evil (18:20–21). The city on the Babylonian plain attracted human pride and idol worship.
a tower that reaches to the heavens: This was probably a temple-tower (a ziggurat). In ancient Babylonian cities, people considered ziggurats to be sacred mountains where gods came down to earth. Jacob’s dream in 28:12 might indicate this idea.
that we may make a name for ourselves: The tower builders wanted fame through their idol-worshiping ambition. God promised to make Abram famous because of his humble obedience (12:2).

Genesis 11:1–9

The story of the unfinished tower continues themes from the Table of Nations (chapter 10). These themes include language and human unity. The builders wanted independence from God, which recalls the rebellion in the garden of Eden (chapter 3). This also helps show why Abram’s faithful response to God is needed (chapter 12) during a time of disorder among the nations.

The scattering of the nations also points forward to later warnings given to Israel. God warned that idolatry would lead to their being scattered, and that their cities would be ruined (see Leviticus 26:33; Numbers 10:35; Deuteronomy 4:27; 28:64; 30:3).

In the timeline of Genesis, this goes back to an earlier time. It explains how the nations spread out during the time of Peleg (see Genesis 10:25).

Genesis 10:1–11:9

The fifth account (10:1) in Genesis (see study note on 2:4) unites the Table of Nations (10:2–32) and the Babel story (11:1–9) around the theme of scattering the nations (10:5, 18; 11:4, 8–9). The Table of Nations appears before the Babel story, but the Babel event explains how the nations and languages in that list came to exist.

By placing these events in this order, Genesis connects the filling of the earth with the blessing God gave to Noah and his sons (see 9:1 and study note). It shows that the growth of the nations comes from God’s blessing.

This order also prepares for Abram’s call (12:1–3). Abram’s call shows God’s answer to the problem seen at Babel (11:1–9), where humans were separated from God. Through Abram, God begins to restore that relationship.

Theme notes and profiles

Babylon Babel: The Dispersion of Nations Symbolic Numbers

Events

Tower of Babelc. 2246 BC

Related verses

John 5:44
How can you believe if you accept glory from one another, yet do not seek the glory that comes from the only God?
Deuteronomy 1:28
Where can we go? Our brothers have made our hearts melt, saying: ‘The people are larger and taller than we are; the cities are large, with walls up to the heavens. We even saw the descendants of the Anakim there.’”
Luke 1:51
He has performed mighty deeds with His arm; He has scattered those who are proud in the thoughts of their hearts.
Daniel 4:30
…the king exclaimed, “Is this not Babylon the Great, which I myself have built as a royal residence by the might of my power and for the glory of my majesty?”
Deuteronomy 9:1
Hear, O Israel: Today you are about to cross the Jordan to go in and dispossess nations greater and stronger than you, with large cities fortified to the heavens.
Psalm 49:11–13
Their graves are their eternal homes—their dwellings for endless generations—even though their lands were their namesakes.
Proverbs 10:7
The memory of the righteous is a blessing, but the name of the wicked will rot.
2 Samuel 8:13
And David made a name for himself when he returned from striking down eighteen thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt.
Daniel 4:11
The tree grew large and strong; its top reached the sky, and it was visible to the ends of the earth.
Genesis 6:4
The Nephilim were on the earth in those days—and afterward as well—when the sons of God had relations with the daughters of men. And they bore them children who became the mighty men of old, men of renown.
Genesis 11:8–9
So the LORD scattered them from there over the face of all the earth, and they stopped building the city.
Psalm 92:9
For surely Your enemies, O LORD, surely Your enemies will perish; all evildoers will be scattered.

Genesis 11:4

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