The planet is home to thousands of different people groupings as well as many languages and dialects. Why does this occur? From where did this linguistic diversity originate?
You can find the answer to this query in Genesis 11:1–9. “Now the whole earth used the same language and the same words,” according to the first line of this chapter (Genesis 11:1). “The LORD confused the language of the whole earth; and from there the LORD scattered them abroad over the face of the whole earth,” according to the conclusion of the narrative (Genesis 11:9). What transpired between these verses that caused God to disperse them and confuse human language?
Disobeying God
To put it succinctly, they disregarded God in an effort to become well-known. Let’s examine how this happened.
First, it says that “they found a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there” (Genesis 11:2). What is wrong with this? Well, in Genesis 1:28 it says, “God blessed them [Adam and Eve]; and God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth” (see also Gen. 9:1,7). So it was God’s will and blessing that mankind multiply and spread abroad, over the whole earth. In Genesis 11, however, we find that man settled in one location and sought to make a name for themselves by building a large and tall tower, thus keeping them from having to spread abroad. The people saw themselves as being independent of God and self-sufficient. It is also thought by some that the tower they built consisted of a temple or shrine, which may communicate that they were practicing idolatry or astrology. Apparently they thought that if they remained together they could accomplish great and mighty things. Well, according to God’s word, this was true: “The LORD came down to see the city and the tower which the sons of men had built. The LORD said, ‘Behold, they are one people, and they all have the same language. And this is what they began to do, and now nothing which they purpose to do will be impossible for them’” (Genesis 11:5-7). These ‘great works’ of man were not in line with God’s will, nor was it to His glory, so God judged them for it.
God will have His purpose
Ultimately, God has a purpose that He will pursue. God distorted their language to hinder their godless endeavor and cause them to spread abroad because man disobeyed God’s will for them to do so. The tower is named Babel (lit. bewildered) for this reason.
Amazingly, God draws Abram to Himself in the following chapter, blesses him, and declares that “in you all the families of the earth will be blessed” (Genesis 12:3). It seems that God intended for humanity to proliferate and disperse worldwide in order to make His glory and grace known through providing a blessing to all of humanity dispersed over the globe. “Worthy are You [Christ] to take the book and to break its seals; for You were slain, and purchased for God with Your blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation” (Revelation 5:9) is how God fulfills this promise of blessings in Jesus Christ.
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