The Tower Of Babel
Humanity quickly forgets. Not long after The Flood, the greatest catastrophe in human history, men gathered together to reject God (Genesis 7, 11:1-9). They were clever enough to be quiet about the ultimate goal of their work, but God knew their hearts and put an early stop to it.
Why did God intervene at Babel? He did so for the greatest good. There are almost no accounts of divine intervention before The Flood in the Bible. God spoke with Adam, Eve, Cain, Enoch and Noah, but the Bible records little else. It would seem God was willing to allow humanity complete freedom before The Flood, to show people what would happen.
That people had not learned from The Flood meant God had to intervene early. He stepped in because He knew that humanity would rapidly worsen if He did not. And perhaps this time there would be no survivors like Noah. This can also be seen in Isaiah 18:5, where God indicates intervention would occur before a nation's iniquity peaked. Jesus himself said every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down (Matthew 3:10). He used the present tense, not the future tense. This adds another aspect to God's love, patience, and forbearance (Romans 9:22). He intervenes so a greater number of people in the future will have a chance. In our generation and world, it may be that God intervenes much more than we think. We just don't see it.
1 Now the whole earth had one language and few words.
2 And as men migrated from the east, they found a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there.
3 And they said to one another,Come, let us make bricks, and burn them thoroughly.And they had brick for stone, and bitumen for mortar.
4 Then they said,Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.
5 And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the sons of men had built.
6 And the LORD said,Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language; and this is only the beginning of what they will do; and nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them.
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 left off building the city.
9 Therefore its name was 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. (Genesis 11:1-9)1
ויהי כל הארץ שפה אחת ודברים אחדים ויהי בנסעם מקדם וימצאו בקעה בארץ שנער וישבו שם ויאמרו איש אל רעהו הבה נלבנה לבנים ונשרפה לשרפה ותהי להם הלבנה לאבן והחמר היה להם לחמר ויאמרו הבה נבנה לנו עיר ומגדל וראשו בשמים ונעשה לנו שם פן נפוץ על פני כל הארץ וירד יהוה לראת את העיר ואת המגדל אשר בנו בני האדם ויאמר יהוה הן עם אחד ושפה אחת לכלם וזה החלם לעשות ועתה לא יבצר מהם כל אשר יזמו לעשות הבה נרדה ונבלה שם שפתם אשר לא ישמעו איש שפת רעהו ויפץ יהוה אתם משם על פני כל הארץ ויחדלו לבנת העיר על כן קרא שמה בבל כי שם בלל יהוה שפת כל הארץ ומשם הפיצם יהוה על פני כל הארץ 2
1 2 3 4 5 31 50 296 385 409 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 6- 10- 5- 10 20- 30 5- 1- 200- 90 300- 80- 5 1- 8- 400 now he had all of the earth language one 6 7 8 9 262 63 31 222 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 6- 4- 2- 200- 10- 40 1- 8- 4- 10- 40 6- 10- 5- 10 2- 50- 60- 70- 40 and words common ones and he was as to move them 10 11 12 13 184 153 177 293 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 40- 100- 4- 40 6- 10- 40- 90- 1- 6 2- 100- 70- 5 2- 1- 200- 90 to east and they found plain in land of 14 15 16 17 620 324 340 263 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 300- 50- 70- 200 6- 10- 300- 2- 6 300- 40 6- 10- 1- 40- 200- 6 Shinar and they settled there and they said 18 19 20 21 22 311 31 281 12 137 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 1- 10- 300 1- 30 200- 70- 5- 6 5- 2- 5 50- 30- 2- 50- 5 each to his fellow come let us make 23 24 25 132 641 615 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 30- 2- 50- 10- 40 6- 50- 300- 200- 80- 5 30- 300- 200- 80- 5 bricks and let us bake with fire 26 27 28 29 421 75 92 83 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 6- 400- 5- 10 30- 5- 40 5- 30- 2- 50- 5 30- 1- 2- 50 and she was to them brick instead of stone 30 31 32 33 259 20 75 278 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 6- 5- 8- 40- 200 5- 10- 5 30- 5- 40 30- 8- 40- 200 and tar he was to them instead mortar 34 35 36 37 263 12 107 86 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150 151 6- 10- 1- 40- 200- 6 5- 2- 5 50- 2- 50- 5 30- 50- 6 and they said come let us build for us 38 39 40 41 280 83 513 392 152 153 154 155 156 157 158 159 160 161 162 163 164 165 166 167 168 169 70- 10- 200 6- 40- 3- 4- 30 6- 200- 1- 300- 6 2- 300- 40- 10- 40 city and tower and his top in heavens 42 43 44 45 46 431 86 340 130 226 170 171 172 173 174 175 176 177 178 179 180 181 182 183 184 185 6- 50- 70- 300- 5 30- 50- 6 300- 40 80- 50 50- 80- 6- 90 so let us make for us name lest we be scattered 47 48 49 50 51 100 140 50 296 220 186 187 188 189 190 191 192 193 194 195 196 197 198 199 200 70- 30 80- 50- 10 20- 30 5- 1- 200- 90 6- 10- 200- 4 over face of whole earth but he came down 52 53 54 55 26 631 401 285 201 202 203 204 205 206 207 208 209 210 211 212 213 214 10- 5- 6- 5 30- 200- 1- 400 1- 400 5- 70- 10- 200 Yhwh to see the city 56 57 58 59 407 82 501 58 215 216 217 218 219 220 221 222 223 224 225 226 227 228 6- 1- 400 5- 40- 3- 4- 30 1- 300- 200 2- 50- 6 and tower that they built 60 61 62 63 62 50 257 26 229 230 231 232 233 234 235 236 237 238 239 240 241 242 243 244 2- 50- 10 5- 1- 4- 40 6- 10- 1- 40- 200 10- 5- 6- 5 sons of man and he said Yhwh 64 65 66 67 68 55 110 13 391 409 245 246 247 248 249 250 251 252 253 254 255 256 257 258 5- 50 70- 40 1- 8- 4 6- 300- 80- 5 1- 8- 400 see people one language same 69 70 71 72 120 18 83 806 259 260 261 262 263 264 265 266 267 268 269 270 271 272 273 274 30- 20- 30- 40 6- 7- 5 5- 8- 30- 40 30- 70- 300- 6- 400 for all them and this to begin them to do 73 74 75 76 481 31 302 85 275 276 277 278 279 280 281 282 283 284 285 286 287 6- 70- 400- 5 30- 1 10- 2- 90- 200 40- 5- 40 then now nothing impossible for them 77 78 79 80 50 501 63 806 288 289 290 291 292 293 294 295 296 297 298 299 300 301 20- 30 1- 300- 200 10- 7- 40- 6 30- 70- 300- 6- 400 all that they plan to do 81 82 83 84 12 259 93 340 302 303 304 305 306 307 308 309 310 311 312 313 314 315 5- 2- 5 50- 200- 4- 5 6- 50- 2- 30- 5 300- 40 come let us go down and let us confuse there 85 86 87 88 820 501 31 426 316 317 318 319 320 321 322 323 324 325 326 327 328 329 300- 80- 400- 40 1- 300- 200 30- 1 10- 300- 40- 70- 6 their language so not they will understand 89 90 91 92 311 780 281 186 330 331 332 333 334 335 336 337 338 339 340 341 342 343 1- 10- 300 300- 80- 400 200- 70- 5- 6 6- 10- 80- 90 one language of his fellow so he scattered 93 94 95 96 97 26 441 380 100 140 344 345 346 347 348 349 350 351 352 353 354 355 356 357 358 10- 5- 6- 5 1- 400- 40 40- 300- 40 70- 30 80- 50- 10 Yhwh them from there over face of 98 99 100 101 50 296 64 482 359 360 361 362 363 364 365 366 367 368 369 370 371 372 373 374 20- 30 5- 1- 200- 90 6- 10- 8- 4- 30- 6 30- 2- 50- 400 all earth and they stopped to build 102 103 104 105 106 285 100 70 301 345 375 376 377 378 379 380 381 382 383 384 385 386 387 388 5- 70- 10- 200 70- 30 20- 50 100- 200- 1 300- 40- 5 the city for this he calls name of her 107 108 109 110 111 34 30 340 62 26 389 390 391 392 393 394 395 396 397 398 399 400 401 402 2- 2- 30 20- 10 300- 40 2- 30- 30 10- 5- 6- 5 Babel because there he confused Yhwh 112 113 114 115 780 50 296 386 403 404 405 406 407 408 409 410 411 412 413 414 415 300- 80- 400 20- 30 5- 1- 200- 90 6- 40- 300- 40 language of whole of earth and from there 116 117 118 119 225 26 100 140 416 417 418 419 420 421 422 423 424 425 426 427 428 429 5- 80- 10- 90- 40 10- 5- 6- 5 70- 30 80- 50- 10 he scattered them Yhwh over face of 120 121 50 296 430 431 432 433 434 435 20- 30 5- 1- 200- 90 whole earth3
Numeric Features
The Words
The tower of Babel is not about God. It is about men. It is not a good event. The numeric features will not be consistent.
1.Number of words: 121 = 11 x 11. The factors visually show the one God numerically.
Number of letters: 435 (nf).
1.1Numeric total: 28392 = 23 x 3 x 7 x 132. SF: 42 = 2 x 3 x 7.
1.2.1Even valued word sums:
a) Word position. b) Word value. a) 2 3 6 9 10 14 15 16 21 23 28 31 33 35 37 38 41 43 b) 50 296 262 222 184 620 324 340 12 132 92 20 278 12 86 280 392 86 a) 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 57 59 60 61 63 65 69 70 72 b) 340 130 226 100 140 50 296 220 26 82 58 62 50 26 110 120 18 806 a) 75 77 80 81 84 85 88 90 92 93 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 b) 302 50 806 12 340 820 426 780 186 26 380 100 140 50 296 64 482 a) 103 104 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 117 118 119 120 121 b) 100 70 34 30 340 62 26 780 50 296 386 26 100 140 50 296
Word total: 14594 (nf). Positions: 4745 = 5 x 13 x 73. SF: 91 = 7 x 13.
1.2.2Let's get more specific. Even valued word sums in even word positions:
a) Word position. b) Word value. a) 2 6 10 14 16 28 38 44 46 48 50 52 60 70 72 80 84 88 b) 50 262 184 620 340 92 280 340 226 140 296 26 62 18 806 806 340 426 a) 90 92 96 98 100 104 108 110 112 114 118 120 b) 780 186 100 50 64 70 30 62 780 296 100 50
Word total: 7882 = 2 x 7 x 563. SF: 572 = 2 x 2 x 11 x 13. SF: 28 = 2 x 2 x 7.
1.3.1Last letter of each word: 9334 = 2 x 13 x 359. There is no corresponding feature for the first letter of each word. This is because the beginning of the tower of Babel was not a good event. It is God’s judgment that matters at the end.
1.3.2Once again getting more specific, take the last letter of odd valued words.
a) Word position. b) Last letter of word. a) 1 4 5 7 8 11 12 13 17 18 19 20 22 24 25 26 27 29 30 32 b) 10 5 400 40 10 6 5 90 6 300 30 6 5 5 5 10 40 50 200 40 a) 34 36 39 40 42 53 54 55 56 58 62 64 66 67 68 71 73 74 76 b) 6 5 30 6 5 400 400 200 400 200 200 50 4 5 400 40 5 1 40 a) 78 79 82 83 86 87 89 91 94 102 105 106 116 b) 200 6 5 5 200 1 300 6 40 200 1 5 40
Only the last letter of odd valued words has a feature: 4669 = 7 x 23 x 29.
1.4Number of letters in words having an even number of letters: 238 = 2 x 7 x 17. SF: 26 = 2 x 13.
The Letters
2.1.1Odd positioned: 12992 = 26 x 7 x 29.
2.1.2Even positioned: 15400 = 23 x 52 x 7 x 11.2.2.1Odd positioned segments of 3 letters: 14157 = 32 x 112 x 13.
2.2.2Even positioned segments of 3 letters: 14235 = 3 x 5 x 13 x 73.
2.3.1Odd positioned segments of 29 letters: 13720 = 23 x 5 x 73.
2.3.2Even positioned segments of 29 letters: 14672 = 24 x 7 x 131.
2.4.1Odd positioned and odd valued letters:
a) Letter position. b) Letter value. a) 3 7 13 23 45 75 79 81 83 99 107 157 193 207 209 211 223 233 245 b) 5 5 5 1 1 1 5 5 5 5 5 3 5 1 1 5 1 1 5 a) 249 255 265 313 345 347 361 375 385 409 433 b) 1 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 1 1 1
Letter total: 104 = 23 x 13.
2.4.2Even positioned and even valued letters:
a) Letter position. b) Letter value. a) 2 4 6 10 12 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 32 34 36 38 40 42 44 46 48 b) 10 10 30 90 80 400 4 200 40 8 10 6 2 60 40 100 40 10 90 6 100 a) 54 56 58 60 62 64 66 70 74 76 78 80 82 84 86 90 92 94 96 98 b) 90 50 200 10 2 300 6 200 300 30 70 6 2 50 2 2 10 6 300 80 a) 100 102 106 108 114 120 124 132 134 136 140 146 150 152 154 156 b) 30 200 400 10 2 50 40 30 40 6 200 2 50 70 200 40 a) 158 160 164 166 168 170 172 176 178 180 182 184 186 188 190 192 b) 4 6 6 300 10 6 70 50 300 80 50 6 70 80 10 30 a) 196 198 200 206 208 210 212 214 222 224 226 228 230 234 236 240 b) 90 10 4 200 400 400 70 200 30 300 2 6 50 4 6 200 a) 246 248 250 252 254 258 260 262 268 270 272 274 276 282 284 288 b) 50 40 8 6 80 400 20 40 30 30 300 400 70 2 200 20 a) 292 296 298 300 306 310 312 314 316 318 322 326 328 332 334 336 b) 200 6 70 6 200 50 30 300 300 400 200 300 70 300 80 200 a) 340 342 344 346 350 352 354 356 358 360 364 366 368 370 372 374 b) 6 80 10 6 40 300 70 80 10 30 90 10 4 6 2 400 a) 376 378 380 382 384 386 390 392 394 396 398 404 406 410 412 414 b) 70 200 30 50 200 300 2 20 300 2 30 80 20 200 6 300 a) 418 420 426 428 430 434 b) 10 40 30 50 20 200
Letter total: 15184 = 24 x 13 x 73.
The Proclamation
Because humanity did not worship God, but turned to worshiping themselves, and relied on their works, they rejected the God of The Proclamation. God confused human language and scattered them, accelerating the development of tribes, kingdoms, and nations. Including The Proclamation (Exodus 34:6-7) with the story of Babel reveals more of God’s hand.
3.1The Proclamation and Genesis 11:1-9 together have 154 words (154 = 2 x 7 x 11).
3.2Combined verse totals: 34566 = 2 x 3 x 7 x 823. (This is not a new feature, but a natural outcome of individual totals that are already divisible by 7.)
3.3First last words of each passage: 966 = 2 x 3 x 7 x 23. SF: 35 = 5 x 7.
3.4.1Odd valued words:
a) Word position (Exodus listed first). b) Word value. a) 1 4 7 8 11 14 15 18 19 20 21 24 34 37 38 40 41 44 b) 317 31 221 131 447 191 351 29 161 31 165 409 31 385 409 63 31 153 a) 45 46 50 51 52 53 55 57 58 59 60 62 63 65 67 69 72 73 b) 177 293 263 311 31 281 137 641 615 421 75 83 259 75 263 107 83 513 a) 75 86 87 88 89 91 95 97 99 100 101 104 106 107 109 111 112 b) 431 631 401 285 407 501 257 55 13 391 409 83 481 31 85 501 63 a) 115 116 119 120 122 124 127 135 138 139 149 b) 259 93 501 31 311 281 441 285 301 345 225
Total: 16282 = 2 x 7 x 1163.
3.4.2Even valued words:
a) Word position (Exodus listed first). b) Word value. a) 2 3 5 6 9 10 12 13 16 17 22 23 25 26 27 28 29 30 b) 26 26 254 120 208 72 340 72 126 456 184 126 100 102 106 62 102 100 a) 31 32 33 35 36 39 42 43 47 48 49 54 56 61 64 66 68 70 b) 680 106 322 50 296 262 222 184 620 324 340 12 132 92 20 278 12 86 a) 71 74 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 90 92 93 94 96 98 b) 280 392 86 340 130 226 100 140 50 296 220 26 82 58 62 50 26 110 a) 102 103 105 108 110 113 114 117 118 121 123 125 126 128 129 130 b) 120 18 806 302 50 806 12 340 820 426 780 186 26 380 100 140 a) 131 132 133 134 136 137 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 150 b) 50 296 64 482 100 70 34 30 340 62 26 780 50 296 386 26 a) 151 152 153 154 b) 100 140 50 296
Total: 18284 = 22 x 7 x 653.
3.5.1Odd positioned letters: 15778 = 2 x 73 x 23. (Extra factors of 7 appear.)
3.5.2Even positioned: 18788 = 22 x 7 x 11 x 61.
God had a hand in human language formation. Is it any surprise that human languages should continue to bear evidence of His work when it expresses ideas that come from Him?
Conclusion
The confusion of human language was one case of early divine intervention. God’s disapproval was clearly seen at the tower of Babel. It was not long after the Flood, and God didn't want humanity destroyed again so soon. But in other circumstances, this will not always be the case (see: The Donkey Speaks). The more egocentric and selfish the people, the more easily they will miss the warning signs. In the end, even Jesus' resurrection was missed by his generation.
Let us not be so closed off from God’s loving voice that He has to strike us with confusion or disaster in order to warn us.
(This numeric study and The Structure Of History are parts of a longer study: The Post Flood World Before Abraham.)
Notes
- English reference quotes are from the Revised Standard Version, Thomas Nelson Inc., 1972.
- Hebrew text is from Bibleworks 3.2.009 by Michael S. Bushell, 1995. Verse numbering, vowels and punctuation have been removed.
- Interlinear English was adapted from The NIV Interlinear Hebrew-English Old Testament, edited by John R. Kohleberger III, Zondervan Publishing House, volume 1, 1979.