Please explain this to me?

Question

In Genesis 10:5 it states
By these were the isles of the Gentiles divided in their lands; every one after his tongue, after their families, in their nations.

Yet in Genesis 11:8
Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech.

Seeing that Genesis is supposed to be chronological how could god confuse languages when man already spoke different languages?

Ace of spades, I wouldn't bet the house on it, but I'd still like an explination.

Sorry Edge but I read them in their entierty and in order.

Those of you who keep telling me I am searching for jesus are crazy, I just like playing devils advocate with the questions.

Answer 1

You say that Genesis is supposed to be fully chronological, but that's simply not true because of the way that Middle Eastern goatherders told narratives back then. Let me explain:

Geneaology was very important when passing down an oral history, and lineage was usually established before the story was told so that everyone could fully understand who each person is.

In this case, all of Genesis 10-11 (even the geneaology in Genesis 10) is told in a past tense... told after the events actually happened. Moses is recording the story in his own way after the events happened. He sets the table with lineage so we know the people in question, then goes on to explain the confounding of language.

Let me show you a modern example:
"You know Bob, right? He's the guy with the messed-up hand. You know... John and Amy's son, lives on Kittridge. Anyway, Bob was walking downtown and got into a fight with his girlfriend's ex. His hand got smashed in a car door and hasn't been the same since"

Hope that clears it up for you. Great question, btw.

Answer 2

Read the entirety of the chapters. It is not in chronological order there. Chapter 10 discusses all the descendants of Noah's sons. Then Chapter 11 the tower of babel. This is what happens when you just pick out a few verses and do not actually read them in context.

EDIT: Then you can see chapter 10 is a genealogy. it is talking about a historical line. Starting with Noah's sons and going to their descendants. Chapter 11 jumps back to the time after the flood and somewhere in the middle of the genealogies.

Answer 3

When the strain to encompass astro theology into the after the fact bible comes to light I just think I'm not surprised .
Perhaps just a hunch but the tower of babel may have had an influence much as they redacted pagan beliefs into Christian beliefs as they contrived to put together the the only truly inspired word of who? sorry about the run on but it's the thought that counts.

Answer 4

Maybe the first is talking about dialects where they could still understand each other, but the other is like totally separating languages so people couldn't understand even one word of someone else. The first one is talking about Noah's grandkids moving out and being divided up along the coastlands, and the second is about the entire world.

Answer 5

Edge and Sir N. Have answered your question. AS YOU SAY YOURE NOT SEARCHING FOR JESUS YOUR PLAYING THE DEVILS ADVOCATE-WELL "satan cometh to deceive destroy, and kill." Jesus words-and once he had me too--we are all searching for peace in our soul, and if your not searching for salvation and freedom from hell weeping forever then truely I feel sorry for you. Yet once I felt the same way as you.

It is spoken of in the geneology and then explained in the next chapter.
Of course I expect that you will take any other answer as usual as long as it dosent agree with the bilble. What does God have to give you 10,000 answers??? How could you agree with anyone that cares about you. To accept those that can prove that Jesus cares about you heart and soul. Which would mean that Jesus loves your precious needy child. The rain falls on the just and the unjust, the difference is God offers us the use of his Umbrella.
How terrible? it might be if you gave your child self esteem to believe in a creator that unconditionally loves him too. Instead of being able to be bitter or whatever toward God and getting better, in His love letter to each of us John chapters 3 &10. Life and life more abundantly.

I tried it as born a Jew and taught to reject Jesus and salvation too. Now I am one of the millions that know Jesus personally and believe the bible, instead of trying to find Jesus wrong--and condemn myself by rejecting His words of salvation John 12:48.
Revelation 3:19&20 as Jesus knocks on our heart door to come in and deliver from sin to be our friend.

So far I have seen your determination as I once was too, to reject the bible fall apart over and over too. Yet you go out and search to find reason to reject Jesus, the one that loves you and your family and everyone heart and soul,

yes God shows how and why the languages were changed in chapter 11 as first mentioned in chapter 10 chronology.


the sweet pea

Answer 6

They should have run the whole thing past a good editor over at Random House or Viking Press. They would never have let an incongruity like that slip through. Sounds like they didn't have a very good agent.

Answer 7

All i want for Christmas is my 2 front tooth ( I had an accident years in the past and the front have porcelin caps that ought to get replaced in approximately 2 months whilst i ought to have stored sufficient money to substitute them!)

Answer 8

god changed his mind so I could have a job. I teach English as a Second Language.

this is as good an explanation as you will get from any Christian...

Ciao,
Lady Morgana )0(

Answer 9

Tower of Babel?

Possible,they spoke different languages but still very similar languages that they could still talk to each other.So it was probably necessary to put more distance between their languages so they really couldnt understand each other.

Answer 10

genesis is NOT laid out chronologically, if you studied to learn instead of trying to refute God`s Word, you would see that!! study with an OPEN mind and see all the things He can show you!