A New Covenant and a Broken Tower
Why do we constantly try to make a name for ourselves instead of trusting God?
Genesis 9:1-11:32
Read the whole passage before anything else. Everything below exists to help you understand what you just read.
1God blessed Noah and his sons, and said to them, “Be fruitful, multiply, and replenish the earth.
2The fear of you and the dread of you will be on every animal of the earth, and on every bird of the sky. Everything that moves along the ground, and all the fish of the sea, are delivered into your hand.
3Every moving thing that lives will be food for you. As I gave you the green herb, I have given everything to you.
4But flesh with its life, that is, its blood, you shall not eat.
5I will surely require accounting for your life’s blood. At the hand of every animal I will require it. At the hand of man, even at the hand of every man’s brother, I will require the life of man.
6Whoever sheds man’s blood, his blood will be shed by man, for God made man in his own image.
7Be fruitful and multiply. Increase abundantly on the earth, and multiply in it.”
8God spoke to Noah and to his sons with him, saying,
9“As for me, behold, I establish my covenant with you, and with your offspring after you,
10and with every living creature that is with you: the birds, the livestock, and every animal of the earth with you, of all that go out of the ship, even every animal of the earth.
11I will establish my covenant with you: All flesh will not be cut off any more by the waters of the flood. There will never again be a flood to destroy the earth.”
12God said, “This is the token of the covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations:
13I set my rainbow in the cloud, and it will be a sign of a covenant between me and the earth.
14When I bring a cloud over the earth, that the rainbow will be seen in the cloud,
15I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh, and the waters will no more become a flood to destroy all flesh.
16The rainbow will be in the cloud. I will look at it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.”
17God said to Noah, “This is the token of the covenant which I have established between me and all flesh that is on the earth.”
18The sons of Noah who went out from the ship were Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Ham is the father of Canaan.
19These three were the sons of Noah, and from these the whole earth was populated.
20Noah began to be a farmer, and planted a vineyard.
21He drank of the wine and got drunk. He was uncovered within his tent.
22Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brothers outside.
23Shem and Japheth took a garment, and laid it on both their shoulders, went in backwards, and covered the nakedness of their father. Their faces were backwards, and they didn’t see their father’s nakedness.
24Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his youngest son had done to him.
25He said, “Canaan is cursed. He will be a servant of servants to his brothers.”
26He said, “Blessed be the LORD, the God of Shem. Let Canaan be his servant.
27May God enlarge Japheth. Let him dwell in the tents of Shem. Let Canaan be his servant.”
28Noah lived three hundred fifty years after the flood.
29All the days of Noah were nine hundred fifty years, and then he died.
1Now this is the history of the generations of the sons of Noah and of Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Sons were born to them after the flood.
2The sons of Japheth were: Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras.
3The sons of Gomer were: Ashkenaz, Riphath, and Togarmah.
4The sons of Javan were: Elishah, Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim.
5Of these were the islands of the nations divided in their lands, everyone after his language, after their families, in their nations.
6The sons of Ham were: Cush, Mizraim, Put, and Canaan.
7The sons of Cush were: Seba, Havilah, Sabtah, Raamah, and Sabteca. The sons of Raamah were: Sheba and Dedan.
8Cush became the father of Nimrod. He began to be a mighty one on the earth.
9He was a mighty hunter before the LORD. Therefore it is said, “like Nimrod, a mighty hunter before the LORD”.
10The beginning of his kingdom was Babel, Erech, Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar.
11Out of that land he went into Assyria, and built Nineveh, Rehoboth Ir, Calah,
12and Resen between Nineveh and the great city Calah.
13Mizraim became the father of Ludim, Anamim, Lehabim, Naphtuhim,
14Pathrusim, Casluhim (which the Philistines descended from), and Caphtorim.
15Canaan became the father of Sidon (his firstborn), Heth,
16the Jebusites, the Amorites, the Girgashites,
17the Hivites, the Arkites, the Sinites,
18the Arvadites, the Zemarites, and the Hamathites. Afterward the families of the Canaanites were spread abroad.
19The border of the Canaanites was from Sidon—as you go toward Gerar—to Gaza—as you go toward Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim—to Lasha.
20These are the sons of Ham, after their families, according to their languages, in their lands and their nations.
21Children were also born to Shem (the elder brother of Japheth), the father of all the children of Eber.
22The sons of Shem were: Elam, Asshur, Arpachshad, Lud, and Aram.
23The sons of Aram were: Uz, Hul, Gether, and Mash.
24Arpachshad became the father of Shelah. Shelah became the father of Eber.
25To Eber were born two sons. The name of the one was Peleg, for in his days the earth was divided. His brother’s name was Joktan.
26Joktan became the father of Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah,
27Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah,
28Obal, Abimael, Sheba,
29Ophir, Havilah, and Jobab. All these were the sons of Joktan.
30Their dwelling extended from Mesha, as you go toward Sephar, the mountain of the east.
31These are the sons of Shem, by their families, according to their languages, lands, and nations.
32These are the families of the sons of Noah, by their generations, according to their nations. The nations divided from these on the earth after the flood.
1The whole earth was of one language and of one speech.
2As they traveled east, they found a plain in the land of Shinar, and they lived there.
3They said to one another, “Come, let’s make bricks, and burn them thoroughly.” They had brick for stone, and they used tar for mortar.
4They said, “Come, let’s build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top reaches to the sky, and let’s make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad on the surface of the whole earth.”
5The LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men built.
6The LORD said, “Behold, they are one people, and they all have one language, and this is what they begin to do. Now nothing will be withheld from them, which they intend to do.
7Come, let’s go down, and there confuse their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech.”
8So the LORD scattered them abroad from there on the surface of all the earth. They stopped building the city.
9Therefore its name was called Babel, because there the LORD confused the language of all the earth. From there, the LORD scattered them abroad on the surface of all the earth.
10This is the history of the generations of Shem: Shem was one hundred years old when he became the father of Arpachshad two years after the flood.
11Shem lived five hundred years after he became the father of Arpachshad, and became the father of more sons and daughters.
12Arpachshad lived thirty-five years and became the father of Shelah.
13Arpachshad lived four hundred three years after he became the father of Shelah, and became the father of more sons and daughters.
14Shelah lived thirty years, and became the father of Eber.
15Shelah lived four hundred three years after he became the father of Eber, and became the father of more sons and daughters.
16Eber lived thirty-four years, and became the father of Peleg.
17Eber lived four hundred thirty years after he became the father of Peleg, and became the father of more sons and daughters.
18Peleg lived thirty years, and became the father of Reu.
19Peleg lived two hundred nine years after he became the father of Reu, and became the father of more sons and daughters.
20Reu lived thirty-two years, and became the father of Serug.
21Reu lived two hundred seven years after he became the father of Serug, and became the father of more sons and daughters.
22Serug lived thirty years, and became the father of Nahor.
23Serug lived two hundred years after he became the father of Nahor, and became the father of more sons and daughters.
24Nahor lived twenty-nine years, and became the father of Terah.
25Nahor lived one hundred nineteen years after he became the father of Terah, and became the father of more sons and daughters.
26Terah lived seventy years, and became the father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran.
27Now this is the history of the generations of Terah. Terah became the father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran. Haran became the father of Lot.
28Haran died in the land of his birth, in Ur of the Chaldees, while his father Terah was still alive.
29Abram and Nahor married wives. The name of Abram’s wife was Sarai, and the name of Nahor’s wife was Milcah, the daughter of Haran, who was also the father of Iscah.
30Sarai was barren. She had no child.
31Terah took Abram his son, Lot the son of Haran, his son’s son, and Sarai his daughter-in-law, his son Abram’s wife. They went from Ur of the Chaldees, to go into the land of Canaan. They came to Haran and lived there.
32The days of Terah were two hundred five years. Terah died in Haran.
What just happened?
Imagine a world reset. The great flood is over, and Noah, his family, and a menagerie of animals are stepping out onto dry land. God immediately issues a new decree, a fresh start for humanity. He reiterates the command to 'be fruitful and multiply,' essentially telling them to spread out and repopulate the earth. This isn't just a suggestion; it's a divine mandate for humanity to fill the world again. Alongside this, God grants them permission to eat meat, a significant change from the pre-flood, plant-based diet, but with one crucial condition: respect for life, symbolized by not consuming blood.
Then comes the covenant, a solemn agreement from God. He promises, with a rainbow as his enduring symbol, that he will never again destroy all life on Earth with a flood. This isn't a two-sided deal with conditions for humanity to uphold; it's an unconditional, unilateral promise from God, extended not just to Noah's family but to 'every living creature.' It's a foundational promise of stability and continuity in the natural world. The narrative then quickly turns to Noah, no longer a righteous hero, but a flawed human who gets drunk, leading to a strange and contested incident involving his son Ham and his grandson Canaan, followed by Noah's curse and blessings.
Generations pass, and humanity grows. The 'Table of Nations' in chapter 10 is an ancient attempt to categorize the known world's peoples, tracing them back to Noah's three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth. It's a geographical and linguistic map of the ancient Near East, with place names like Babylon, Assyria, and the land of Canaan showing up. But humanity, despite the divine command to spread out, gathers in the plain of Shinar, modern-day Mesopotamia. Here, they conceive of a grand project: a city and a tower, not just any tower, but one reaching 'to the sky,' designed to 'make a name for ourselves' and prevent their scattering. This is humanity's first major corporate act of rebellion against God's instruction, a brazen assertion of self-sufficiency.
Life After the Flood: A New Start
God's first words to Noah's family echo his original command to Adam and Eve: 'Be fruitful, multiply, and replenish the earth.' The phrase 'replenish the earth' (or 'fill the earth') isn't about refilling an empty planet but about spreading out to populate it thoroughly. This instruction is critical, as later events will show. God also establishes a new relationship between humans and animals. Before the flood, humans were vegetarians. Now, 'Every moving thing that lives will be food for you.' This shift acknowledges a new reality, perhaps the challenges of survival in a post-flood world. But it comes with a strict boundary: 'flesh with its life, that is, its blood, you shall not eat.' This isn't just dietary advice; blood is understood as the carrier of life, and consuming it would be a profound disrespect for the life that belongs to God. It underscores the sanctity of life.
The passage emphasizes the value of human life. God says, 'I will surely require accounting for your life’s blood... At the hand of man, even at the hand of every man’s brother, I will require the life of man. Whoever sheds man’s blood, his blood will be shed by man, for God made man in his own image.' This is the biblical foundation for capital punishment, not as a blanket command for all societies, but as a divine principle that human life is sacred because humans bear God's image. To take a human life is to assault God's image. This pronouncement also anticipates future conflicts and the need for justice in human society, a constant struggle since Cain and Abel.
God's Unconditional Promise
This is a pivotal moment: God makes a 'covenant' with Noah and his descendants, and 'with every living creature.' A covenant is a binding agreement. Here, it's unilateral; God makes the promise without conditions on humanity's part. The core promise is, 'All flesh will not be cut off any more by the waters of the flood. There will never again be a flood to destroy the earth.' This isn't a promise that sin won't lead to judgment, but that the method of universal flood judgment won't be repeated. This provides a fundamental stability for the future of the world.
The 'token' or 'sign' of this covenant is the rainbow. God says, 'I set my rainbow in the cloud, and it will be a sign of a covenant between me and the earth.' It's important that God says 'I will remember my covenant,' not that humans need to remember it for him. The rainbow serves as a constant visual reminder, to humanity and to God himself, of his faithful promise. The ancient Near Eastern mind might have seen the rainbow as God's warrior bow, hung up in the sky as a symbol of peace after battle, no longer aimed at the earth. It's a profound assurance of God's steadfastness amidst a chaotic and violent world.
Noah's Fall and the Curse of Canaan
After the epic events of the flood, Noah, the righteous man who walked with God, plants a vineyard, drinks wine, and 'got drunk. He was uncovered within his tent.' This is a raw, unvarnished look at human frailty, even in those God uses mightily. The precise nature of Ham's 'seeing the nakedness' of his father and 'telling his two brothers outside' has been heavily debated. Some scholars interpret 'seeing nakedness' as a euphemism for a sexual transgression, perhaps Ham engaging in or allowing a sexual act with his father. Others see it as a simple act of disrespect, mocking his father's vulnerability. The text is deliberately sparse on details, leading to ongoing discussion rather than a clear answer. The brothers, Shem and Japheth, act with profound respect, covering their father without looking upon him, demonstrating honor.
Noah's awakening and subsequent curse is directed not at Ham, but at 'Canaan,' Ham's son. 'Canaan is cursed. He will be a servant of servants to his brothers.' This curse has had a tragic and horrifying history of misuse, particularly to justify slavery and oppression of certain peoples, especially in the transatlantic slave trade. This is a profound misreading and abuse of the text. The curse is specifically on Canaan and his descendants, the Canaanites, who will later become the primary occupants of the land God promises to Abraham. The 'brothers' who will be served are primarily Shem's descendants (the Israelites) and perhaps Japheth's. This curse should be understood as a prophetic judgment on the future actions and moral depravity of the Canaanite peoples, which is elaborated upon in later biblical books, rather than a justification for systemic oppression of any race or group. The text here offers a specific historical-theological explanation for the eventual subjugation of the Canaanites by Israel, and nothing more. It certainly does not sanction slavery based on ethnicity or race.
The Tower of Babel: A Unified Rebellion
The story of the Tower of Babel is a direct consequence of humanity's failure to 'fill the earth' as commanded. Instead, they gather in 'Shinar' (Babylonia) and say, 'Come, let’s build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top reaches to the sky, and let’s make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad on the surface of the whole earth.' This is a triple rebellion. First, against God's command to scatter. Second, their motivation is hubris: to 'make a name for ourselves,' rather than living under the name of God. This echoes humanity's original desire to be 'like God' (Genesis 3). Third, the tower, possibly a ziggurat (a stepped pyramid common in ancient Mesopotamia), isn't about reaching heaven physically, but about achieving self-glory and autonomy. It's a human-centered project, built with human ingenuity (bricks and tar, sophisticated for the time), designed to unify them under human authority, not divine.
God 'comes down to see' their project. This is anthropomorphic language, meaning God is transcendent but actively engages with human affairs. His assessment is sobering: 'Behold, they are one people, and they all have one language, and this is what they begin to do. Now nothing will be withheld from them, which they intend to do.' This isn't fear, but a recognition of humanity's unchecked potential for pride and rebellion when unified in a common, self-glorifying project. God's response is to 'confuse their language,' leading to their scattering. The name 'Babel' itself is a wordplay: in Hebrew, it sounds like 'confuse,' while the Babylonian word *bāb-ili* means 'gate of God.' The irony is stark: they sought to build a 'gate of God' to make a name for themselves, but God turned it into a place of confusion and scattering.
What are we supposed to see?
This passage shows a God who is both faithful and just. His covenant with Noah, sealed by the rainbow, highlights his enduring commitment to sustain creation despite human failure. This promise is unilateral and unconditional, demonstrating a steadfastness that isn't contingent on human performance. Even after the world is cleansed, God knows humanity's propensity for rebellion. He doesn't abandon creation but sets boundaries and establishes order, providing a framework for life and justice. He is a God who keeps his word, even when humanity consistently struggles to keep theirs.
The narrative also reveals God's active involvement in human history and his intolerance for human hubris. He observes humanity's ambition at Babel, recognizes the danger of their unified, self-directed rebellion, and intervenes to prevent their unchecked pursuit of self-glory. This intervention isn't purely punitive; it's a recalibration, ensuring humanity fulfills his original command to spread out and populate the earth. God is shown as sovereign, capable of thwarting human plans when they run contrary to his cosmic design and lead to destructive pride.
- 1IDENTITY
God is the faithful covenant-maker, establishing a promise for all creation that he will uphold regardless of human behavior.
- 2WHAT HE VALUES
God values human life, made in his image, and desires humanity to spread out and steward the earth, rather than consolidate power and glory for themselves.
- 3WHAT HE CONFRONTS
God confronts human pride, self-glorification, and rebellion against his good design, especially when it seeks to make a name for itself at his expense.
Where this sits in the whole Bible
Genesis 9:6 → Romans 13:4
Genesis 9:6 lays the groundwork for human government's role in enforcing justice, stating that those who shed blood should have their blood shed. Romans 13:4 reflects this principle, asserting that governing authorities are God's servants, bearing the sword to execute wrath on evildoers, thus connecting God's initial mandate for justice to the role of civil authority.
Genesis 11:4 → Philippians 2:5-8
The builders of Babel sought to 'make a name for ourselves' through a monumental, self-glorifying project. In stark contrast, Philippians 2:5-8 describes Jesus, who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, humbling himself to death on a cross. This inverse ambition highlights the radical difference between human pride and divine humility.
Genesis 11:7 → Acts 2:1-12
At Babel, God confused languages, leading to scattering and division. In Acts 2, on the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit enables followers of Jesus to speak in diverse languages, and people from many nations hear the gospel in their own tongues, symbolizing the reversal of Babel's curse and the unifying power of God's Spirit.
The story of Babel isn't just about different languages; it's about the innate human drive to secure our own significance and control, a drive that consistently chafes against God's good design for humanity.
Don't rush past this
The curse of Canaan (Genesis 9:25) is an extremely uncomfortable passage. It depicts Noah, a hero of faith, pronouncing a curse not just on Ham but specifically on his son, Canaan. The historical misuse of this text to justify slavery and racial oppression is abhorrent and unequivocally wrong. The text itself is vague about the specific offense, leaving ample room for harmful interpretations, but its consequences are clear: it prophesies a subordinate status for the Canaanites, later to be fulfilled through Israel's conquest of the land. It’s a stark reminder that even biblical texts can be weaponized outside their immediate context and intent, creating immense suffering and injustice.
Another challenging aspect is God's intervention at Babel (Genesis 11:7-8). It raises questions about divine control and human freedom. If God intervenes directly to thwart human ambition, preventing them from achieving their goals, what does that say about our own agency? The text presents God as actively disrupting a unified human project because its underlying motivation is self-glorification and rebellion against the command to 'fill the earth.' It's a forceful demonstration that humanity's collective will, when opposed to God's purpose, will not ultimately prevail.
Turn it inward
Three questions from this passage. Answer them or just sit with them — nothing here is required to finish the lesson.
God, we confess our deep-seated desire to be known, to build our own legacies, and to control our own destinies. Forgive us for the times we resist your gentle guidance to spread out and trust you. Help us to recognize where our ambition becomes pride, and to reorient our lives towards your purposes. May your name be glorified, not ours, in all we do.
This week, take inventory of where you are trying to 'make a name for yourself' – perhaps at work, in a social circle, or even through your personal achievements. Instead, identify one small way you can intentionally redirect that energy toward serving others or acknowledging God's role in your life's accomplishments.
History, language, objections and sources. None of it is needed to understand the passage.
Was Noah's curse on Canaan just? Why punish a son for a father's potential transgression?
This is a deeply debated passage. From a modern ethical perspective, punishing a child for a parent's sin seems unjust. However, in ancient Near Eastern culture, corporate identity was strong; the actions of a patriarch could have generational consequences, especially for his direct descendants and the future of his line. The text implies a specific connection between Ham's disrespectful act and the future destiny of his son, Canaan, whose descendants (the Canaanites) are consistently portrayed in later Scripture as morally corrupt and eventually dispossessed by God through Israel. The curse is less about individual retribution and more about a prophetic pronouncement on the future fate of a people group, understood through the lens of a specific historical context. The text doesn't explicitly state Canaan's personal guilt here, but rather presents a genealogical and prophetic explanation for the later subjugation of the Canaanites. Many scholars see this as a 'founding story' for Israel's later conflict with the Canaanites, providing a theological framework for the conquest.
If God promised never to destroy the earth by flood again, why did he 'come down' to interfere with the Tower of Babel? Isn't that also a form of divine intervention and judgment?
God's promise in the Noahic covenant (Genesis 9:11) was specifically that 'All flesh will not be cut off any more by the waters of the flood. There will never again be a flood to destroy the earth.' This was a very specific promise about the method of judgment. His intervention at Babel, while a form of judgment, did not violate that specific promise. God confused languages and scattered people, preventing them from completing their rebellious project, but he did not destroy all life. This shows God's consistent commitment to his promises while maintaining his right to intervene in human affairs in other ways when humanity's actions defy his commands and lead toward destructive pride and self-worship. It demonstrates a God who is both faithful to his word and actively involved in steering human history towards his ultimate purposes.
Why would God care if humans built a tall tower or 'made a name for themselves'? Isn't ambition a good thing?
The problem at Babel wasn't the ambition itself, nor even building a tower. It was the *motivation* behind it and its direct defiance of God's prior command. God had told humanity to 'fill the earth,' to spread out and populate it. Instead, they consolidated in one place, explicitly stating their intention to stay together: 'lest we be scattered abroad on the surface of the whole earth.' Their desire to 'make a name for ourselves' was not for God's glory but for their own, a collective assertion of human self-sufficiency and autonomy in direct opposition to their Creator. God saw this unified rebellion as a path to unchecked human pride and potential destruction, leading to a world where human will, not divine purpose, reigned. His intervention was an act of both judgment and mercy, breaking their unified rebellion and enforcing his original, good design for humanity to populate and diversify the planet.
The Motif of 'Making a Name'
The phrase 'let’s make a name for ourselves' (Genesis 11:4) is a critical one in the Hebrew Bible. While often implying fame and honor, it can also signify establishing a lasting reputation, legacy, or independent identity. In ancient Near Eastern contexts, a 'name' (Hebrew: *shem*) was intrinsically tied to one's essence, authority, and recognition. To 'make a name' for oneself was an act of self-assertion, often in contrast to, or competition with, the divine. This motif reappears later, notably when God promises Abram, 'I will make your name great' (Genesis 12:2), highlighting the contrast between human-driven, rebellious efforts and God-given blessing and identity.
The Tower of Babel narrative can be read in conversation with the Mesopotamian ziggurats – massive, stepped temple towers found across ancient Babylonia and Assyria. These structures were built with sun-baked bricks and bitumen mortar, precisely as described in Genesis 11:3. They were central to city life, connecting the human and divine realms, often dedicated to powerful deities and serving as symbols of the city's strength and prosperity. The builders of Babel were using cutting-edge technology and cultural practices of their time, but their motivation was inverted: instead of reaching *up* to God for worship, they built *for themselves*, turning a potential act of reverence into an act of collective human pride and defiance.