Why God Scattered the Generation of Babel Instead of Killing Them

Midrash Tanchuma Buber, Noach 23:2

Curated by Arthur·Translated by Maggid (Beta)·

Another interpretation: It was said only against the generation of the dispersion. (Psalms 59:12 [11]:) "Do not kill them" by the killing with which You killed the generation of the flood. Rather (ibid.:) "make them wander by Your power", toss them about among the people. As it is said (Genesis 11:8): "And the LORD scattered them." (Psalms 59:13 [12]:) "The sin of their mouth", that they sinned with their mouth. "The word of their lips", that they sinned with their lips. Therefore (ibid.:) "let them be caught in their pride." (As it is said.)

Themes

Divine JusticeBabelNoahDavidSin

Biblical References

Continue Reading

Book of JubileesConfounding Language at Babel in the Book of JubileesThat disconnect, that inability to understand each other, it goes way back. Like, really way back. The Book of Jubilees, an ancient Jewish text that expands on The Book of SusannaShoshana's TransgressionThe story unfolds in a time of exile, a time of vulnerability for the Jewish people. Shoshana, a woman renowned for her beauty and piety, becomes the target of Legends of the JewsAdam Blames Eve and Everything Tastes Wrong After the FallIt wasn't just a matter of suddenly understanding good and evil. The aftermath, according to some fascinating Jewish lore, was a whole lot messier. The scene. ALegends of the JewsStory of ElamSometimes, the reasons are deeper than just military might or political maneuvering. Sometimes, they're… well, let’s just say, divinely orchestrated. For a longMekhilta DeRabbi YishmaelGod Consistently Uses the Same Instrument to Punish the Same KindThe Mekhilta extends its catalogue of divine judgment by east wind to yet another generation: the builders of the Tower of Babel. The pattern grows stronger witHebraic Literature (1901)David's Six Hidden Months of Leprosy After BathshebaOpen the book of Kings and read: And the days that David reigned over Israel were forty years: seven years reigned he in Hebron, and thirty and three years reig