And they said one to another, Go to, let us make brick, and burn them throughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for mortar.
3. brick for stone, &c.] For a description of building with bricks held together with bitumen in Babylonia, see Herodotus, i. 179. The writer here is evidently more familiar with building in stone and mortar than in brick and bitumen: another indication that the story is Israelite in origin.
slime ] That is, bitumen, LXX , Lat. bitumen. The Hebrew word mar is found here and in Gen 14:10, Exo 2:3. The word for bitumen or pitch used in Gen 6:14 ( kopher) resembles the Assyrian; and the fact that it is not used here tells for the Israelite character of the story.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 3. Let us make brick] It appears they were obliged to make use of brick, as there was an utter scarcity of stones in that district; and on the same account they were obliged to use slime, that is, bitumen, (Vulg.) , (Septuagint) for mortar: so it appears they had neither common stone nor lime-stone; hence they had brick for stone, and asphaltus or bitumen instead of mortar.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Let us make brick, for in that low and fat soil they had no quarries of stones. The heathen writers agree that Babylons walls were made of brick.
The slime was a kind of clay called bitumen, which, as Pliny testifieth, is liquid and glutinous, and fit to be used in brick buildings, as Strabo, Dion, and others note. And that Babylon was built with this, as is here said, we have the joint and express testimony of Berosus, Ctesias, Dion, Curtius, and many others.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
3. brickThere being no stonein that quarter, brick is, and was, the only material used forbuilding, as appears in the mass of ruins which at the Birs Nimroudmay have been the very town formed by those ancient rebels. Some ofthese are sun-driedothers burnt in the kiln and of differentcolors.
slimebitumen, amineral pitch, which, when hardened, forms a strong cement, commonlyused in Assyria to this day, and forming the mortar found on theburnt brick remains of antiquity.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And they said one to another, go to,…. Advising, exhorting, stirring up, and encouraging one another to the work proposed, of building a city and tower for their habitation and protection; saying,
let us make brick, and burn them thoroughly; they knew the nature of bricks, and how to make them before: according to Sanchoniatho h, the brothers of Vulcan, or Tubalcain, before the flood, were the first inventors of them; for he relates, that
“there are some that say that his brothers invented the way of making walls of bricks: he adds, that from the generation of Vulcan came two brothers, who invented the way of mixing straw or stubble with brick clay, and to dry them by the sun, and so found out tiling of houses.”
Now in the plain of Shinar, though it afforded no stones, yet they could dig clay enough to make bricks, and which they proposed to burn thoroughly, that they might be fit for their purpose. According to an eastern tradition i, they were three years employed in making and burning those bricks, each of which was thirteen cubits long, ten broad, and five thick, and were forty years in building:
and they had brick for stone, and slime had they for mortar: they could not get stone, which they would have chosen, as more durable; they got the best bricks they could make, and instead of mortar they used slime; or what the Septuagint version calls “asphaltos”, a bitumen, or kind of pitch, of which there was great plenty in that neighbourhood. Herodotus k speaking of the building of Babylon, uses language very much like the Scripture;
“digging a foss or ditch (says he), the earth which was cast up they formed into bricks, and drawing large ones, they burnt them in furnaces, using for lime or mortar hot asphaltos or bitumen.”
And he observes, that
“Eight days journey from Babylon was another city, called Is, where was a small river of the same name, which ran into the river Euphrates, and with its water were carried many lumps of bitumen, and from hence it was conveyed to the walls of Babylon.”
This city is now called Ait, of which a traveller l of the last century gives the following account;
“from the ruins of old Babylon we came to a town called Ait, inhabited only with Arabians, but very ruinous; near unto which town is a valley of pitch, very marvellous to behold, and a thing almost incredible wherein are many springs throwing out abundantly a kind of black substance, like unto tar and pitch, which serveth all the countries thereabout to make staunch their barks and boats; everyone of which springs makes a noise like a smith’s forge, which never ceaseth night nor day, and the noise is heard a mile off, swallowing up all weighty things that come upon it; the Moors call it “the mouth of hell.””
Curtius relates m, that Alexander, in his march to Babylon, came to a city called Mennis, where was a cavern, from whence a fountain threw out a vast quantity of bitumen or pitch; so that, says he, it is plain, that the huge walls of Babylon were daubed with the bitumen of this fountain; and he afterwards speaks of the walls, towers, and houses, being built of brick, and cemented with it; and so Diodorus Siculus says n from Ctesias, that the walls of Babylon were built of bricks, cemented with bitumen; and not only these, but all Heathen authors that write of Babylon, confirm this; and not only historians, but poets, of which Bochart o has made a large collection; as well as Josephus p speaks of it, and this sort of pitch still remains. Rauwolff says q near the bridge over the Euphrates, where Babylon stood, are several heaps of Babylonian pitch, which is in some places grown so hard, that you may walk over it; but in others, that which hath been lately brought over thither is so soft, that you may see every step you make in it.
h Apud Euseb. Evangel. Praepar. l. 1. p. 35. i Elmacinus, p. 14. apud Hottinger. Smegma, p. 263, 264. k Clio sive, l. 1. c. 179. l Cartwright’s Preacher’s Travels, p. 105, 106. m Hist. l. 5. c. 1. n Bibliothec l. 2. p. 96. o Phaleg. l. 1. c. 11. p Antiqu. l. 1. c. 4. sect. 3. q Travels, par. 2. ch. 7. p. 138.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
3. And they said one to another (324) That is, they mutually exhorted each other; and not only did every man earnestly put his own hand to the work, but impelled others also to the daring attempt.
Let us make brick. Moses intimates that they had not been induced to commence this work, on account of the ease with which it could be accomplished nor on account of any other advantages which presented themselves; he rather shows that they had contended with great and arduous difficulties; by which means their guilt became the more aggravated. For how is it that they harass and wear themselves out in vain on a difficult and labourious enterprise, unless that, like madmen, they rush impetuously against God? Difficulty often deters us from necessary works; but these men, when they had neither stones nor mortar, yet do not scruple to attempt the raising of an edifice which may transcend the clouds. We are taught therefore, by this example, to what length the lust of men will hurry them, when they indulge their ambition. Even a profane poet is not silent on this subject, —
“
Man, rashly daring, full of pride, Most covets what is most denied.” (325) And a little afterwards, — “Counts nothing arduous, and tries Insanely to possess the skies.” (326)
(324) “ Dixit vir ad proximum suum,” as it is in the margin of the English version. “A man said to his neighbor.”
(325)
“
Audax omnia perpeti Gens humana ruit per vetitum nefas.” Hor. Lib. 1 Ode 3.
(326)
“
Nil mortalibus arduum est Coelum ipsum petimus stultitia.” Ibid.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(3) Let us make brick, and burn them throughly.Heb., for a burning. Bricks in the East usually are simply dried in the sun, and this produces a sufficiently durable building material. It marks a great progress in the arts of civilisation that these nomads had learned that clay when burnt becomes insoluble; and their buildings with slime, or native pitch, for cement would be virtually indestructible. In fact, Mr. Layard says that at Birs-Nimroud it was scarcely possible to detach the bricks one from another, as the cement by which they were united was most tenacious (Nineveh and Babylon, p. 499).
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
3. Said one to another Hebrews, each man to his neighbour .
Go to An obsolete English expression, equivalent to come on .
Burn them thoroughly In distinction from the sun-dried bricks, so common in Babylonia, which yet are very hard and durable .
They had brick for stone Stone being the building material with which the Hebrews were chiefly familiar in Egypt.
Slime Bitumen; mineral pitch or asphalt. Although the Babylonian plain has no quarries in or near it, yet, being largely composed of fine sand and clay, it furnishes ample material for the most beautiful and durable bricks. All the splendid edifices of Babylon were built of burnt or sun-dried brick. The plain also abounds in bitumen; called naphtha, when it appears as a thin yellow fluid; petroleum, when thicker and darker; and asphaltum when solid. This substance furnishes an imperishable cement. It was used by Noah in the construction of the ark; by the mother of Moses in the manufacture of her little papyrus boat; by the Egyptians in fastening the cerements of mummies; and is now used by the natives of ancient Shinar in making the ferry boats of the Tigris, which are simply round baskets, daubed with bitumen. The asphalt springs of Is, or Hit, a small stream flowing into the Euphrates, are mentioned by Herodotus, and are thus quaintly described by an old traveller: “Near unto which town (Hit on the river Hit) is a valley of pitch, very marvellous to behold, and a thing almost incredible, wherein are many springs throwing out abundantly a kind of black substance like unto tar, or pitch, which serveth all the countries thereabouts to make staunch their barks and boats, every one of which springs maketh a noise like a smith’s forge, in puffing and blowing out the matter, which never ceaseth, night or day, and the noise is heard a mile off, swallowing up all weighty things that come upon it. The Moors call it the mouth of hell.” Quoted in Rawlinson’s Herodotus, 1: 316.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Gen 11:3. And they said one to another, &c. United in language and sentiment, they agreed to provide proper materials, and so to build a city, which might be a more certain habitation than moveable tents, which might also unite them under one government and polity, and give them strength and celebrity. The materials they provided, were brick instead of stone, and for mortar or cement they had slime, bitumen, a kind of liquid pitch, which sometimes is gathered under ground in brittle masses of a fat, inflammable substance, and sometimes like the glutinous matter or pitch which distils from the pine-tree; though generally bitumen boils up out of the earth, and swims on the surface of the water like a black oil or scum, which thickens to a consistence after having been exposed a little while to the air: and in that form it is found in certain springs, of which there are many in Assyria. Several authors describe the walls of Babylon to have been built of such materials as are here mentioned. Coctilibus muris cinxisse Semiramis urbem, says Ovid, Met. iv. 57. “surrounded Babylon with walls of brick.” And Herodotus says, the walls were cemented with asphaltus, or the pitch above described.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
And they said one to another, Go to, let us make brick, and burn them throughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for morter.
Observe how sinners encourage sinners by their counsel: Pro 1:11 . And ought not saints to provoke one another to love and to good works? Heb 10:24 .
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Gen 11:3 And they said one to another, Go to, let us make brick, and burn them throughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for morter.
Ver. 3. And they said one to another. ] One broached this counsel, and the rest soon consented. Let us consider one another to whet on to love and good works. Heb 10:24 One live coal may set a whole stack on fire. When Silas came, Paul “burned in spirit,” Act 18:5 a and preached lustily.
Let us make brick, &c.
And they had brick for stone, and slime for mortar.
a . Intus et apud se aestuabat praezeli ardore .
b Apud Babylone Traianus Imp. vidit lacum bituminis, ex quo moenia Babylonis aedificata fuerant, cuius tanta vis est, ut permixtum cum lateribus, quovis saxo sit aut ferro potentius . – Dio in Vita Trajan.
c Iam cum Iove de divitiis licet certetis . – Cassiod., lib. vii.; Var., epist. xv.
d Diripiunt metaph. a castris aut arce quapiam, quae irrumpentibus hostibus diripitur . – Hilar.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
said. Sin with their tongues punished in the same manner (Gen 11:7).
burn, &c. Hebrew brick bricks, and burn a burning. Figure of speech Polyptoton, emphasizing their determination. Burning in fire, not waiting for sun. See note on “brick-kiln”, 2Sa 12:3.
slime = bitumen. So tenacious to-day that detachment almost impossible. Compare the slime of Babel with the jewels of Zion (Rev 21:19).
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
they said one to another: Heb. a man said to his neighbour, Go to. Gen 11:4, Gen 11:7, Psa 64:5, Pro 1:11, Ecc 2:1, Isa 5:5, Isa 41:6, Isa 41:7, Jam 4:13, Jam 5:1, not as, Heb 3:13, Heb 10:24
burn thoroughly: Heb. burn to a burning
brick: Exo 1:14, Exo 5:7-18, 2Sa 12:31, Isa 9:10, Isa 65:3, Nah 3:14
slime: Gen 14:10, Exo 2:3
Reciprocal: Gen 19:32 – Come 2Ki 5:5 – go Jer 18:11 – go to
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Making a Name for Themselves The text makes it clear the people began to be more interested in their own thoughts than God’s will. Three times they used an expression starting with the words, “let us.” Much like the man with too great a harvest for his existing barns, they left God out of their planning ( Gen 11:3-4 ; Luk 12:16-21 ). They decided to make bricks, build a city with a tower reaching to heaven and make a name for themselves. The tower is reminiscent of a Babylonian ziggurat. Such were shaped liked Egyptian pyramids. Their bases could be up to several hundred feet wide. On top of the first level would be another with a smaller base and so on until they reached the final height.
Bricks would have been necessary because large amounts of stone are not generally available in that area. The asphalt they used was a very sticky substance sometimes called bitumen. There is no particular sin in building. The problem here is the intent and attitude of the people. A desire for personal fame prevents one from truly giving God the glory. Also, God wanted the earth repopulated, while they intended to stay in one place (Compare Jer 32:17-22 ; Neh 9:7-12 ; Gen 9:1 ).
Fuente: Gary Hampton Commentary on Selected Books
Gen 11:3-4. Let us make brick, let us build a city The country, being a plain, yielded neither stone nor mortar; yet this did not discourage them; but they made brick to serve instead of stone, and slime instead of mortar; a kind of clay or pitch called bitumen, which, as Pliny testifies, is liquid and glutinous, and fit to be used in brick buildings, as Strabo, Dion, and others observe. And that Babylon was built with this and with brick, as is here said, we have the joint testimony of Berosus, Etesius, Dion, Curtius, and many others. It has been thought that they intended hereby to secure themselves against the waters of another flood; but if they had, they would have chosen to build upon a mountain rather than upon a plain. But two things, it seems, they aimed at in building. 1st, To make them a name A great name; out of pride and vain glory to erect a monument that should remain to all posterity: and, 2d, To prevent their dispersion; lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the earth It was done (saith Josephus) in disobedience to that command, Gen 9:1, Replenish the earth That they might be united in one glorious empire, they resolve to build this city and tower, to be the metropolis of their kingdom, and the centre of their unity.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
The motivation for building a city was to make the builders a name (cf. Psa 14:1). Later God would "make a name" for Abram (Gen 12:2-3). The object of this endeavor was to establish a center by which they might maintain their unity.
"A defensive wall is the hallmark of a city (see Gen 4:17). Cities in the ancient Near East were not designed to be lived in but were intended for religious and public purposes." [Note: Waltke, Genesis, p. 179.]
God desired unity for humankind, but one that He created, not one founded on a social state. [Note: Mathews, p. 473.] They wanted to "empower" themselves. Both motive and object were ungodly. God had instructed man to fill the earth (Gen 1:28), to spread over the whole planet.
The builders of the "tower" seem to have intended that it serve as a memorial or landmark, among other things. It was probably a ziggurat used for religious purposes.
"Mesopotamian religion claimed that their cities were of divine parentage. A symbol of this obsession with divinity among the Mesopotamians was the ziggurat (Akk. ziqqurratu) that was erected as early as the third millennium B.C. The ziggurat was a step-ladder edifice, made up of mud bricks, whose bottom was square or rectangular. The precise meaning of the structure is unknown, though it is widely agreed that it formed a stairway between the gods and earth (cf. Gen 28:12). At the foot of the ziggurat as well as the pinnacle was a temple area serving as a habitation for the god. Ziggurats may have been considered an earthly imitation of the heavenly residence of the gods." [Note: Ibid., pp. 470-71. Cf. Waltke, Genesis, p. 179.]