Babels Communication Problems (Genesis 11)

Babel's Communication Problems

A quick note on language cannot be ignored when talking about humanity. 

Language is one of the things that makes us so different from the animal kingdom.

It helps us to communicate and achieve things. Good communication improves performance.

The significance of good communication and a good use of language is seen in Genesis 11.

In this case humanity was in rebellion to God and they were quite prideful about their prestige. But Scripture never denies that they would indeed achieve much:


[Gen 11:1-6 NKJV] 1 Now the whole earth had one language and one speech. 2 And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar, and they dwelt there. 3 Then they said to one another, "Come, let us make bricks and bake [them] thoroughly." They had brick for stone, and they had asphalt for mortar. 4 And they said, "Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top [is] in the heavens; let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth." 5 But the LORD came down to see the city and the tower which the sons of men had built. 6 And the LORD said, "Indeed the people [are] one and they all have one language, and this is what they begin to do; now nothing that they propose to do will be withheld from them.


There is a heavy emphasis on language and the following passage shows why. God would intervene and make sure humanity could not achieve much:


[Gen 11:7-9 NKJV] 7 "Come, let Us go down and there confuse their language, that they may not understand one another's speech." 8 So the LORD scattered them abroad from there over the face of all the earth, and they ceased building the city. 9 Therefore its name is called Babel, because there the LORD confused the language of all the earth; and from there the LORD scattered them abroad over the face of all the earth.


As soon as communication was broken down through the confusion of languages, the entire project fell apart.

This principle can be applied at a lower level and in a more general way.

Whether it be for good or for evil, projects can only succeed with good communication. Language barriers could heavily impair performance. But even misunderstandings within the same language or just a low communication would have done the job to stop the project.

They needed communication to build the city and its tower. Taking away their ability to speak would have done the job just as well as confusing their languages.

In our own projects that require multiple people, communication and understanding is key. Confusion on this point would simply scatter.

The fact God specifically confused their languages to prevent them from acting out their plans must be telling for the value of communication either for evil or for good.

 

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