The story of the tower of Babel is told in Genesis chapter 11:
And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech.
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.
The first question we need to ask is who is this story about? Who are the “they” in verse 2? Presumably, these are descendants of Noah as described in the previous chapter. But we have no idea how many generations have passed since the Ark landed. So, we have no idea how many people were involved. We are pretty sure that the place and time was ancient Sumer (Ur was the capital city) and that tower building was common at the time.
Also, it is important to note that, in verse 1, the word translated as “earth” is the Hebrew “eretz.” “Eretz” can be translated as “world,” but it can also be translated as “land.” As in, “The whole land was of one language.” This means that we do not need to assume that this story includes everyone alive on the planet at that time. (Like the King James version, English language only, Bible inerrancy folks would have us believe).
The “confounding” of language
We Latter-day Saints have another record of this story from the point of view of a people who were there and left the tower together. This was Jared, his family, and their friends as recorded in the Book of Ether.
Regarding the “confounding” of language at the time, LDS scholar, Dr. Hugh Nibley, had this to say:
We must not fall into the old vice of reading into the scripture things that are not there. There is nothing said in our text about every man suddenly speaking a new language. We are told in the book of Ether that languages were confounded with and by the “confounding” of the people.
-Hugh Nibley
Dr. Nibley then refers us to Ether chapter 1, verse 34, where Jared tells his brother, “Cry unto the Lord, that he will not confound us that we may not understand our words.” Then Dr. Nibley asks:
How can it possibly be said that “we may not understand our words”? The only way we can fail to understand our own words is to have words that are actually ours change their meaning among us.
-Hugh Nibley
Let’s look at what the word “confound” actually means.
CONFOUND, verb
- To throw into a state of mental uncertainty. To confuse.
Synonyms: confuse, perplex, bewilder, baffle, muddy, befog.- To throw into a state of self-conscious distress. To embarrass.
Synonyms: embarrass, confuse, fluster, rattle, unsettle, humiliate, upset.- To fail to differentiate (a thing) from something similar or related. To conflate.
Synonyms: conflate, misapply, mix (up), lump (together), misidentify.-Merriam-Webster Thesaurus
The scripture is telling us that the people at the tower were confused, bewildered, flustered, and upset, and that their language mixed things up, lumped unrelated things together and misidentified things. Their language had become corrupted. Different people understood the same words to mean different things.
Our public discourse has been corrupted
This story about the corruption of what had once been a common language should sound very familiar. We are living at the base of the tower right now. Words that used to have a common, shared meaning among everyone no longer do. Evil men have use modern technologies to deliberately create resentment, confusion, and uncertainty.
There are many words and ideas in our language that have become corrupted: “Freedom,” “Justice,” “Fact,” “Lie,” “Traitor,” “Patriot,” and “Rule of Law,” are a few examples.
The only way out of the confusion of the babble we are in is to turn to the Lord, like the brother of Jared, and plead that our language may not be confounded. We must work together to guarantee that we, the members of the Church of Jesus Christ, don’t become “confounded” about the definitions and meaning of essential Gospel principles.
What does loving God and loving our neighbors require of us today? Do we all agree? Do we still have the same shared definitions of faith, hope, and charity? Can we remain united in the Gospel of Christ in the midst of overwhelming social and political divisions?
The tower of babble WILL fall (again) because it is inherently weak. It is built on selfishness and lies. Truth and justice WILL prevail. In the meantime, are you a part of the scattering or the gathering?
Sources:
Hugh Nibley, “Chapter 2, Departure,” The World of the Jaredites, ©1952, 1988.
Jonathan Haidt, “Why the past 10 years of American life have been uniquely stupid,” The Atlantic, May 2022.
Well said.
Very thought provoking Insight…thank you. I have been reading Terryl and Fiona Givens books and of course my dyed in the wool friends tell me…”oh I wouldn’t get into into their stuff…they are on the fringes!” Well, I say, the Prophet and the Apostles tell us to read the scriptures, and pray that we might receive increased understanding so I guess I am on the fringes too…because I pray for understanding about everything I read…there are sources of truth everywhere if you look for them!
The country is gripped in a Trump hysteria which will see many innocents brutalized. The MAGA term is “invasion.” See economist R.D.Wolff’s remarks on my website – lewjeppson.com.