The Tower of Babel

1987 artwork by Japanese artist Takako Horino (b. 1931). “Like many contemporary artists, Takako Horino of Japan is angered at the distorted sense of values in modern society. In her search for an explanation she has turned to the Old Testament and concentrated on the implications of three stories: the ark of Noah, the tower of Babel and the destruction of Sodom. Each of them is an expression of God’s wrath against human stupidity. The tower of Babel compares government fixation with scientific development and weapons of war with its neglect of the people’s welfare. The monolith of the tower and its missiles stands in stark contrast to the broken buildings, churches and institutions below. In the end, all is destroyed. No life exists. A solitary skeleton sitting in front of a television monitor marks the final symbol of humanity’s self-destruction.” (Source for this and the image: The Bible Through Asian Eyes by Masao Takenaka and Ron O’Grady 1991)

The following artwork is by Sister Marie Claire , SMMI (1937–2018) from Bengaluru, India:

For more information about images by Sister Marie Claire and ways to purchase them as lithographs, see here .

For other images of Sister Marie Claire paintings in TIPs, see here.

complete verse (Genesis 11:5)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Genesis 11:5:

  • Kankanaey: “When then God looked-down-at the city and the tall house that they were making,” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Newari: “The LORD came down to look at the city and the tower which the people were building.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “Now, the LORD got-involved/interfered with the erecting/building of the people of the city and (the) tower.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “So they began to build the city and the tower. Then Yahweh looked down and saw the city and the tower that those puny men were building.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Genesis 11:5

At this point the LORD enters the story. The narrator assumes that between verses 4 and 5 the people built their city and tower. Accordingly in some languages it may be necessary to begin verse 5 by saying “When the people had built their city” or “After the people finished building the city….”

And the LORD came down: And represents the Hebrew connective, which simply signals a further development in the series of events and should be translated by an appropriate marker, if one is required. Came down may assume a descending from God’s dwelling place in heaven. It may picture God as present in that place only after descending. However, the expression may also carry the sense of coming to punish, as used in Exo 3.8, where the LORD came down to deliver the Israelites from the Egyptians. Some interpreters view the expression as a contrast between the human effort to build up to the heavens and God’s coming down to their lowly position. In this sense there is a tone of satire in the narrator’s expression.

To see the city and the tower: see has in this context the sense of “observe, inspect, look at.”

Sons of men refers to the people building the city. The expression emphasizes the contrast between these earthly humans and God. New English Bible says “mortal men,” and Speiser “earthlings.” Good News Translation has “those men,” Revised English Bible “they,” and New Jerusalem Bible “the people.”

Quoted with permission from Reyburn, William D. and Fry, Euan McG. A Handbook on Genesis. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1997. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .