SEV Biblia, Chapter 11:4
Y dijeron: Dad acá, edifiquémonos ciudad, y torre, que tenga la cabeza en el cielo; y hagámonos nombrados, por ventura nos esparciremos sobre la faz de toda la tierra.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Genesis 11:4
Verse 4. Let us build us a city and a tower] On this subject there have been various conjectures. Mr. Hutchinson supposed that the design of the builders was to erect a temple to the host of heaven - the sun, moon, planets, &c.; and, to support this interpretation, he says µymb warw verosho bashshamayim should be translated, not, whose top may reach unto heaven, for there is nothing for may reach in the Hebrew, but its head or summit to the heavens, i.e. to the heavenly bodies: and, to make this interpretation the more probable, he says that previously to this time the descendants of Noah were all agreed in one form of religious worship, (for so he understands tja hpw vesaphah achath, and of one lip,) i.e. according to him, they had one litany; and as God confounded their litany, they began to disagree in their religious opinions, and branched out into sects and parties, each associating with those of his own sentiment; and thus their tower or temple was left unfinished. It is probable that their being of one language and of one speech implies, not only a sameness of language, but also a unity of sentiment and design, as seems pretty clearly intimated in Genesis xi. 6. Being therefore strictly united in all things, coming to the fertile plains of Shinar they proposed to settle themselves there, instead of spreading themselves over all the countries of the earth, according to the design of God; and in reference to this purpose they encouraged one another to build a city and a tower, probably a temple, to prevent their separation, ""lest,"" say they, ""we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth:"" but God, miraculously interposing, confounded or frustrated their rebellious design, which was inconsistent with his will; see Deuteronomy xxxii. 8; Acts xvii. 26; and, partly by confounding their language, and disturbing their counsels, they could no longer keep in a united state; so that agreeing in nothing but the necessity of separating, they went off in different directions, and thus became scattered abroad upon the face of the earth. The Targums, both of Jonathan ben Uzziel and of Jerusalem, assert that the tower was for idolatrous worship; and that they intended to place an image on the top of the tower with a sword in its hand, probably to act as a talisman against their enemies. Whatever their design might have been, it is certain that this temple or tower was afterwards devoted to idolatrous purposes. Nebuchadnezzar repaired and beautified this tower, and it was dedicated to Bel, or the sun.
An account of this tower, and of the confusion of tongues, is given by several ancient authors. Herodotus saw the tower and described it. A sybil, whose oracle is yet extant, spoke both of it and of the confusion of tongues; so did Eupolemus and Abydenus. See Bochart Geogr. Sacr., lib. i., c. 13, edit. 1692. On this point Bochart observes that these things are taken from the Chaldeans, who preserve many remains of ancient facts; and though they often add circumstances, yet they are, in general, in some sort dependent on the text. 1. They say BHebel was built by the giants, because Nimrod, one of the builders, is called in the Hebrew text rwbg gibbor, a mighty man; or, as the Septuagint, gigav, a giant. 2. These giants, they say, sprang from the earth, because, in chap. x. 11, it is said, He went, awhh Prah m min haarets hahiv, out of that earth; but this is rather spoken of Asshur, who was another of the BHebel builders. 3. These giants are said to have waged war with the gods, because it is said of Nimrod, Genesis x. 9, He was a mighty hunter before the Lord; or, as others have rendered it, a warrior and a rebel against the Lord. See Jarchi in loco. 4. These giants are said to have raised a tower up to heaven, as if they had intended to have ascended thither. This appears to have been founded on ""whose top may reach to heaven,"" which has been already explained. 5. It is said that the gods sent strong winds against them, which dispersed both them and their work. This appears to have been taken from the Chaldean history, in which it is said their dispersion was made to the four winds of heaven, aym yjwr [brab bearba ruchey shemaiya, i.e. to the four quarters of the world. 6. And because the verb Åwp phuts, or Åpn naphats, used by Moses, signifies, not only to scatter, but also to break to pieces; whence thunder, Isa. xxx. 30, is called Åpn nephets, a breaking to pieces; hence they supposed the whole work was broken to pieces and overturned. It was probably from this disguised representation of the Hebrew text that the Greek and Roman poets took their fable of the giants waging war with the gods, and piling mountain upon mountain in order to scale heaven. See Bochart as above.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-4 - How soon men forget the most tremendous judgments, and go back to their former crimes! Though the desolations of the deluge were before their eyes, though they sprang from the stock of righteous Noah, yet eve during his life-time, wickedness increases exceedingly. Nothing but the sanctifying grace of the Holy Spirit can remove the sinful lusts of the human will, and the depravity of the human heart. God's purpose was that mankind should form many nations, and people all lands. I contempt of the Divine will, and against the counsel of Noah, the bul of mankind united to build a city and a tower to prevent their separating. Idolatry was begun, and Babel became one of its chie seats. They made one another more daring and resolute. Let us learn to provoke one another to love and to good works, as sinners stir up an encourage one another to wicked works.
Original Hebrew
ויאמרו 559 הבה 3051 נבנה 1129 לנו עיר 5892 ומגדל 4026 וראשׁו 7218 בשׁמים 8064 ונעשׂה 6213 לנו שׁם 8034 פן 6435 נפוץ 6327 על 5921 פני 6440 כל 3605 הארץ׃ 776
