detail in the genealogy of Genesis 10. In the midst of the genealogical information
concerning Ham, one of his descendants is described in detail. Nimrod, who is a mighty
warrior and hunter, is the first to establish a kingdom, named Babel (think “Babylon”),
“in the land of Shinar” (Gn 10:10). When Genesis 11 notes that
people are gathering in
the plains of Shinar, this geographical repetition suggests that the gathering is likely led
by Ham’s descendant Nimrod. What is more, the city that they are building belongs to
the kingdom of Babel.
The main building project in Babel is a tower that will reach “with its top in the
heavens” (Gn 11:4). The term
Babel, in its original language, means “gate of God.” The
building of the tower was an attempt to force entry into heaven, a proud claim of access
into the world of the divine. It may also have been an attempt
at an insurance policy
against another flood. In the Tower of Babel, we see sin taking on a new dimension. Until
now, sin had only created division. Now it creates unity; but it is a false, prideful, worldly
unity that is hostile to God. At the Tower of Babel, the human race bands together to
attempt the creation of a sort of artificial heaven-on-earth based on its own strength,
power, and wealth.
The people build the tower to “make a name for ourselves” (Gn 11:4), and in doing
so they signal a rebellion against God’s covenant order given to Noah and his sons. In
Hebrew, the word for “name,” is
shem, the very word that
Noah named his firstborn son,
Shem. To desire a “name” for themselves is to desire a “shem” for themselves or, more
specifically, to desire to usurp the family authority that was rightfully to be handed from
Noah to Shem. Shem received the blessing from Noah (Gn 9:26) and, as a result, the
family authority, which included kingship and priesthood, passed from Noah to Shem.
The attempt to make a “shem for themselves” is analogous to a political party in America
saying they will “make a president for themselves,” or a group of Catholics saying they
“will make a pope for themselves.” This is a rebellion against the established authority of
Shem and his line, the Shemites (or Semites). In light of the account of Nimrod in
Genesis
p 30
10, it
appears that Nimrod, the founder of Babel, is trying to seize the
kingship from the line of Shem; just like his father, Ham, Nimrod seeks to rule over all.
Another important clue to the meaning of “making a name [
shem]” is the way the
story of the Tower of Babel is framed within the narrative between two genealogies. The
first genealogy, in Genesis 10, does not start with Noah’s firstborn son, Shem, as is typical;
rather, this oddly ordered genealogy places Shem and his descendants at
the end of the
genealogy just before the start of the Tower of Babel narrative in Genesis 11. The Tower
of Babel is then followed by yet another telling of Shem’s genealogy (Gn 11:10–32).
Thus, sandwiched between these two accounts of Shem’s genealogy is a story about
humanity’s unsuccessful desire to make a
shem for themselves and steal Shem’s rightful
position and authority. The drama of Genesis 11 is a human effort to thwart God’s
blessing to Shem.
The narrator tells us “the L
ORD
came down to see the city and the tower, which the
sons of men had built” (Gn 11:5). This coming down is more than a simple
anthropomorphic description of God. The point is that the tower is so far below heaven
that God must “come down” to get a better view. This picture
mocks the proud claim
that the tower of Babel “reaches to heaven” and is any kind of gate to heaven. God is not
happy with Nimrod and his attempt to steal the kingship from the hands of Shem. Once
again, God intervenes in the affairs of men because of their wickedness. He judges Babel,
confusing the people’s language; their sin and rebellion have resulted in division and exile.
The fresh start made with Noah has once again gone astray. But the genealogy of
Shem, which follows the confusion of Babel, points to another new beginning. While
much of the world rebelled, one family line was faithful: Shem’s line, the line that will
result in Abram (Gn 11:27). God will call Abram (later Abraham) and his descendants
to undo the mess made by Adam, Noah, and much of their families. The question is
whether Abram will be faithful.