Of Nations and Languages (RJS)

Last updated on: May 4, 2016 at 6:21 am by RJS

Of Nations and Languages (RJS) 2016-05-04T06:21:49-05:00 RJS

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

The primeval history of Genesis 1-11 ends with two genealogies and an excursion to the tower of Babel (another Sunday School staple). We’ve discussed the Tower of Babel before in posts Babel in Ancient Context where John Walton’s commentaries were considered and then Babel as Ideological Critique based on J. Richard Middleton’s reading of the story. Both Tremper Longman and Bill Arnold focus on the story as part of the repeating theme of sin, judgement, and grace in the major passages of Genesis 1-11.

The Tower of Babel (2242 BC according to Bishop Ussher) is a tale that defies a literal reading. At least today it defies a literal reading. When the world seemed “small” and confined to a bubble around one location, with with fuzzy ideas of what might (or might not) lie just outside the known … then it was possible to conceive of but one language until ca. 4200 years ago followed by diaspora populating the earth. But this simply doesn’t match the evidence. Among other things the idea of one language until just before Abraham, with the settling of Egypt after Babel, strains credulity. Although it is difficult to pinpoint the origin of language as words without artifacts leaves not evidence, written language provides enough evidence. The oldest ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs date to something like 5000 years ago, a little more recent than Sumerian cuneiform which originated something like 5500 years ago, and there is little likelihood these very early written languages represent similar spoken languages. In fact, there is some evidence that a written Chinese language may have also developed some 5000 years ago, possibly more, and this language certainly wasn’t similar to Sumerian or Egyptian. This, along with a well documented and much earlier dispersion of human population, is enough to set aside the literal reading as the global origin of languages.

The Babel story is flanked by two genealogies. The first, in chapter 10, is often referred to as the table of nations. All three of the commentaries considered here, Tremper Longman III (Genesis in the Story of God Bible Commentary), John Walton (The NIV Application Commentary Genesis), and Bill Arnold (Genesis (New Cambridge Bible Commentary)), consider the Babel story to be a chronological precursor to the table of nations. This is significant in the more conservative (i.e. literal-local) reading of John Walton as well as the reading of Bill Arnold.

The Table of Nations isn’t a genealogy in the usual sense. Although it traces populations from Noah and his sons the interest isn’t in the the fathers and sons. “The content suggests that rather than an interest in descent this chapter intends to comment on ancient perceptions of national and linguistic relationships.” (Longman, p. 141) This could be at the time of Moses if he is the author as Walton assumes, or at a somewhat later time. Walton notes:

The list of the sons of Shem, Ham, and Japeth contains seventy names, and we cannot believe for a moment that this is accidental. Seventy stands for totality and completion. More important, the concept of seventy nations is offered as the design of God. (p. 367)

The division between the three does not represent language groups, (because, for example, Canaanite is Semitic). It should also be noticed that not all of the seventy names are individuals. A number of them clearly name people groups (see esp. 10:15-17). Others are well-known as city names (e.g., Sidon) or geographic designations (e.g., Mizraim, Tarshish, Sheba), but possibly the list considers patronymic ancestors of those places. (p. 368)

Longman quotes from Walton’s commentary and concludes “This “genealogy” is really a primitive linguistic, political map that reflects the realities of a later time, certainly no earlier than the time of Moses.” (p. 143) Walton suggests that the divisions between the three sons of Noah are at least partially geographical. Arnold suggests that “it may be better to think in terms of the sociopolitical position of the perceived groups: those who were seafarers (Japheth), those who were pastoral nomads (Shem), and those responsible for urban civilization (Ham).” (p. 116)

It is significant that the Canaanites cursed by Noah in 9:25 “Cursed be Canaan; lowest of slaves shall he be to his brothers,” are singled out in the table of nations: “And the territory of the Canaanites extended from Sidon, in the direction of Gerar, as far as Gaza, and in the direction of Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim, as far as Lasha.” (10:19)

The fact that the geographical boundaries given here roughly correspond to later Israel’s homeland, and the fact that this land is inhabited by numerous Canaanite groups prepares the reader for significant features of the ancestral narratives of Genesis, and indeed for the Pentateuch and Joshua as well. (Arnold p. 117)

Babel. The story of Babel naturally precedes the table of nations. Here human sin results in punishment and the confusion of tongues and cultures that separates humankind. Whatever the sin was precisely, it certainly had to do with people making a name for themselves rather than obeying God. Walton suggests that “with the development of urbanization people began to envision their gods in human terms. People here no longer trying to be like God, but more insidiously, were trying to bring god down to the level of fallen humanity.” (p. 377) It probably isn’t coincidence that urbanization plays a large role with the descendants of Ham and in the story of Babel. Israel, descended from Shem, on the other hand was identified with pastoral nomads, at least early on. At any rate the language is confused and the peoples dispersed. The passage ends with a word play on Babel or Babylon. The name of the city was viewed by the people to be Akkadian for “gate of the gods.” The narrator or author of the story in Genesis connects it with a similar Hebrew word meaning “to confuse.” Longman suggests that “the narrator/author was fully aware that this explanation was pejorative and not the actual description of how the name came about.” (p. 150)

Perhaps as the table of nations provides a political map of relationships for the known world at the time of Moses (or later), the story of Babel is an excursus to place the confusion of peoples and tongues into theological context.

The genealogy of Shem. Following the incident at Babel the story picks up again with Shem and his descendants. It isn’t a simple repetition, but a bridge that leads from the primeval history in Genesis 2-11 to the patriarchs. Where the genealogy in the table of nations lists five sons of Shem, this genealogy takes only the middle son and follows his line to Terah and to Abraham. Like the genealogy of Seth in chapter 5 where ten generations lead to Noah and his three sons, here ten generations lead from Shem to Terah and his three sons. Longman comments:

If this genealogy is taken literally and as an exhaustive account of the line, Shem, Noah’s son, lived forty years beyond the death of Abraham. Indeed, Abraham would have been two years old when Noah died. This is not likely, though such a stilted reading of the text is supported by some. Ancient genealogies did not function like modern ones and are often constructed for literary and theological purposes rather than historical ones. This genealogy also has ten names, suggestive of literary shaping. (p. 152)

Arnold is more definite. This is a stylized literary structure to connect Abraham, Isaac and Jacob to Noah and to Adam. In particular, this genealogy serves to conclude the primeval history before beginning the story of the patriarchs and the founding of Israel.

The next post on Genesis will look in more detail at the theology and purpose of the primeval history of Genesis 2-11 as a whole. In the process I’ll bring a new book and perspective into the mix, Walter Moberly’s The Theology of the Book of Genesis (Old Testament Theology).

If you wish to contact me directly you may do so at rjs4mail[at]att.net.

If interested you can subscribe to a full text feed of my posts at Musings on Science and Theology.

Uncategorized

Previous Post

May 3, 2016

Once Again, What is the "Apocalyptic" Paul?

Next Post

May 3, 2016 Does Church Architecture Matter? (I think so.)

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Acts of the Apostles Adam Advent Anabaptism Angels Anglican Apologetics Atonement Baptism BCP Prayers Bible Biblical Studies Birds Blogging Bloglossary Bonhoeffer Books Calvinism Christianity Church Church History Coffee Colossians Commentary Recs Conversion Creation Creeds Culture Death Ecclesiastes Economics Education Embracing Grace Emergent Emerging Movement Eschatology Essays Ethics Eucharist Evangelicalism Family Fasting Fathers Fellowship of Differents Footsteps Tour Fun and Whimsical Gospel Grace Happiness Heaven Hell Holy Spirit Irenaeus James Jesus Jesus Creed Job Justification Kingdom of God Law Lectures Lent Liberalism Love and Marriage Mabanteneni Manhood Mary Miracles Missio Alliance MissioLife Missional Missional Jesus Movies and Film New Perspective Northern Seminary OneLife Origins Project Orthodox Parables Pastor's Spouse Pastoring and Leading Pastoring and Preaching Patristics Paul Paul-John Tour Pharisees Pietism Political Theology Prayer and Formation Preaching Problems for Faith Psalm 119 Psalms Public Issues Purgatory Religions Resurrection Revelation Romans Rule of JCreed Science and Faith Sermon on the Mount Sports Ten Commandments Theology Third Way Top Ten Lists Translations Uncategorized Universalism University Ministry Way Out Weekly Meanderings Wisdom Women and Ministry Work Worship Writing & Blogging Youth Ministry

Select a Month July 2021 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 May 2007 April 2007 March 2007 February 2007 January 2007 December 2006 November 2006 October 2006 September 2006 August 2006 July 2006 June 2006 May 2006 April 2006 March 2006 February 2006 January 2006 December 2005 November 2005 October 2005 September 2005 August 2005 July 2005 June 2005 May 2005 April 2005 0000

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Which book comes immediately after the Gospels in the New Testament?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Acts 1 Corinthians Hebrews Romans