One language (Earth, Kingdom, followers, Jehovah, translation)

[Bright-ness' Shadow]

Assuming that Genesis was written chronologically -

Wasn't the tower of Babel destroyed because everyone spoke one language? - and every group now spoke languages that other groups could not understand? Gen 11:1

1 Now the whole world had one language and a common speech.

Gen 11:7

7 Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other.

Now let's back up one chapter. Chapter 10 lists the descendants of Noah - nations formed by those God placed on the ark. They all spoke one language and that was the result of God annillating the rest of the nations. Gen 11:2 tells us the place of the Tower of Babel was Shinar and that was in the realm of Nimrod a descendant of Ham who was on the boat. And Ninrod was the greatgrandson of Noah.

Let me get this straight - for four generations, the language of the world was ONE and God didn't like that????? Didn't God set that up by killing the rest of the world?

[may]

At that time ‘all the earth was of one language and one set of words.’ (Genesis 11:1) Living then was the man Nimrod, "a mighty hunter in opposition to Jehovah." (Genesis 10:8, 9) Mankind’s invisible archenemy, Satan, especially used Nimrod to set up the earthly part of the Devil’s organization. Nimrod wanted to make a name for himself, and that arrogant attitude spread to his followers, who embarked on a special construction project in the land of Shinar. According to Genesis chapter 11, verse 4, they said: "Come on! Let us build ourselves a city and also a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a celebrated name for ourselves, for fear we may be scattered over all the surface of the earth." That venture in opposition to God’s command to "fill the earth" ended when Jehovah confused the language of the rebels. "Accordingly," says the Bible account, "Jehovah scattered them from there over all the surface of the earth, and they gradually left off building the city." (Genesis 9:1; 11:2-9) That city was named Babel, or Babylon (meaning, "Confusion"), "because there Jehovah mixed up the speech of all the earth."—Byington.

[Bright-ness' Shadow]

Originally Posted by may

...Nimrod, "a mighty hunter in opposition to Jehovah." (Genesis 10:8, 9) Mankind’s invisible archenemy, Satan, especially used Nimrod to set up the earthly part of the Devil’s organization. ...Byington.

I wonder what version of the Bible Byington was using for that translation does not appear in any of the online versions at BibleGateway.com. I also do not see scriptual authority for Satan's participation in building the Tower.

Please expalin.

[Scuba Pete]

Where there is pride, you can be sure that Satan is involved. The tower was motivated by a people wanting to become God, but not wishing to immitate him.

[may]

Originally Posted by pah

I wonder what version of the Bible Byington was using for that translation does not appear in any of the online versions at BibleGateway.com. I also do not see scriptual authority for Satan's participation in building the Tower.

Please expalin.

Nim´rod).

Son of Cush. (1Ch 1:10) The rabbinic writings derived the name Nimrod from the Hebrew verb ma·radh´, meaning "rebel." Thus, the Babylonian Talmud (Erubin 53a) states: "Why, then, was he called Nimrod? Because he stirred up the whole world to rebel (himrid) against His [God’s] sovereignty."—Encyclopedia of Biblical Interpretation, by Menahem M. Kasher, Vol. II, 1955, p. 79. So Nimrod had the same attitude as satan ,after all ,satan means resister
His city is the first city that the Bible names after the Flood, and it became the beginning of Nimrod’s kingdom. (Gen. 10:8-12) It was built to obstruct the carrying out of God’s will concerning the earth as man’s home. It was made the seat of false religion, which is denoted by the fact that the city builders started putting up a "tower with its top in the heavens." All this project was planned and carried forward to make a name, not for the God of Noah, but for the city builders, particularly for Nimrod its king, who came to be called "Nimrod a mighty hunter in opposition to Jehovah."

The first human government in recorded history was founded some 4,000 years ago by Nimrod. This great-grandson of Noah made himself a king and became, as he is described in the Bible, "a mighty hunter in opposition to Jehovah." (Genesis 10:8, 9) By setting himself up as ruler in opposition to Jehovah, Nimrod made himself a political god. As such, he had the backing of God’s chief opposer, the false god Satan the Devil. (2 Corinthians 4:4) So Nimrod’s rule was a counterfeit of the real theocracy.

When the inhabitants of Nimrod’s empire were later scattered throughout the earth, people continued to assume that their governments were theocratic, that is, deriving authority from the god or gods they worshiped. (Genesis 11:1-9) "Theocracy" thus came to be used, says The Encyclopedia of Religion, "to describe that early phase of ancient oriental civilization in which there was no distinction between religion and the state."

[Bright-ness' Shadow]

Originally Posted by may

Nim´rod).

Son of Cush. (1Ch 1:10) The rabbinic writings derived the name Nimrod from the Hebrew verb ma·radh´, meaning "rebel." Thus, the Babylonian Talmud (Erubin 53a) states: "Why, then, was he called Nimrod? Because he stirred up the whole world to rebel (himrid) against His [God’s] sovereignty."—Encyclopedia of Biblical Interpretation, by Menahem M. Kasher, Vol. II, 1955, p. 79. So Nimrod had the same attitude as satan ,after all ,satan means resister
His city is the first city that the Bible names after the Flood, and it became the beginning of Nimrod’s kingdom. (Gen. 10:8-12) It was built to obstruct the carrying out of God’s will concerning the earth as man’s home. It was made the seat of false religion, which is denoted by the fact that the city builders started putting up a "tower with its top in the heavens." All this project was planned and carried forward to make a name, not for the God of Noah, but for the city builders, particularly for Nimrod its king, who came to be called "Nimrod a mighty hunter in opposition to Jehovah."

The first human government in recorded history was founded some 4,000 years ago by Nimrod. This great-grandson of Noah made himself a king and became, as he is described in the Bible, "a mighty hunter in opposition to Jehovah." (Genesis 10:8, 9) By setting himself up as ruler in opposition to Jehovah, Nimrod made himself a political god. As such, he had the backing of God’s chief opposer, the false god Satan the Devil. (2 Corinthians 4:4) So Nimrod’s rule was a counterfeit of the real theocracy.

When the inhabitants of Nimrod’s empire were later scattered throughout the earth, people continued to assume that their governments were theocratic, that is, deriving authority from the god or gods they worshiped. (Genesis 11:1-9) "Theocracy" thus came to be used, says The Encyclopedia of Religion, "to describe that early phase of ancient oriental civilization in which there was no distinction between religion and the state."

Look, May, this is all well and good until you start building on Gen 10:8-9. I said that particular translation giving "in opposition" is not present in more than a half-dozen versions of the bible. I must ask you to prove that "in opposition" is in fact the correct translation and to acknowledge your error in the giving Nimrod the distinction of being the "first human government".

[Bright-ness' Shadow]

Originally Posted by NetDoc

Where there is pride, you can be sure that Satan is involved. The tower was motivated by a people wanting to become God, but not wishing to immitate him.

How can I or you be sure that Satan is involved? Gen 11:4 would alllow for a purpose of glorifying God as evidenced in the mighty and decorated cathederals built thoughout history. Are all the cathederals (or churches) under the auspicies (which is a naming) of the Catholic Church or TV evangelicals built with the involvement of the devil. I'm sure some are - but all?

[jewscout]

Originally Posted by pah

Look, May, this is all well and good until you start building on Gen 10:8-9. I said that particular translation giving "in opposition" is not present in more than a half-dozen versions of the bible. I must ask you to prove that "in opposition" is in fact the correct translation and to acknowledge your error in the giving Nimrod the distinction of being the "first human government".

Here's the translation given by Chabad.org's online Tanach just for the hell of it...

Originally Posted by Gen 10:8-9

And Cush begot Nimrod; he began to be a mighty man in the land. He was a mighty hunter before the Lord; therefore it is said, "Like Nimrod, a mighty hunter before the Lord."

and for the record...there is no mention of The satan, or Samael or anyother demonic force in the scripture or the commentary of Rashi (i'm starting to like Rashi...he's anally retentive about grammer which is helpful in understanding the translation )

[jewscout]

Originally Posted by pah

Assuming that Genesis was written chronologically -

Wasn't the tower of Babel destroyed because everyone spoke one language? ....
Let me get this straight - for four generations, the language of the world was ONE and God didn't like that????? Didn't God set that up by killing the rest of the world?

actually the destruction of the tower of Babel and the "confusing" of the languages was due to the fact that Nimrod, who based on the commentary given by Rashi, was turning people away from G-d and convinced the nations of the world to work together to build this Tower of Babel...

Originally Posted by Gen. 11:1

1. Now the entire earth was of one language and uniform words.

Originally Posted by Rashi

and uniform words Heb. דְבָרִים אִחָדִים. They came with one scheme and said,“He had no right to select for Himself the upper regions. Let us ascend to the sky and wage war with Him.” Another explanation: [they spoke] against the Sole One of the world. Another explanation of דְבָרִים אִחָדִים (other editions read: דְבָרִים חַדִים, sharp words): They said, “Once every 1,656 years, the sky totters, as it did in the time of the Flood. Come and let us make supports for it.” - [from Gen. Rabbah 28:6, Tan. Buber Noach 24]

Nimrod had convinced the nations of man to act against G-d, and because they all spoke one language it made communications and conspiring easy...

Originally Posted by Gen 11:3

3. And they said to one another, "Come, let us make bricks and fire them thoroughly"; so the bricks were to them for stones, and the clay was to them for mortar.

And they said to one another One nation to another nation, Mizraim to Cush; and Cush to Put; and Put to Canaan. - [from Gen. Rabbah 38:8]

and then HaShem comes down to see what the deuce is going on and says...

Originally Posted by Gen.11:6

6. And the Lord said, "Lo! [they are] one people, and they all have one language, and this is what they have commenced to do. Now, will it not be withheld from them, all that they have planned to do?

Originally Posted by Rashi

Lo! [they are] one people All this goodness they have: that they are one people, and that they all have one language, and they have commenced to do this!- [from Seder Eliyahu Rabbah, ch. 31]

So he confused their languages so they would not be able to continue building this Tower...
Interesting to note that one of the fears the people had was...

Originally Posted by Gen. 11:4

4. And they said, "Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make ourselves a name, lest we be scattered upon the face of the entire earth."

ultimately came to pass because the mucked up...