The Origin of Languages

Ever wondered about the origin of languages? The Scriptures give us the answer! Ever wondered about how the different nations came about? The Scriptures have the answers!

Does it seem strange to you that the answers are recorded in God’s holy Bible? Why should it be strange? God is an eternal God; He knows the end from the beginning!

In my blog Noah’s Ark – Fact or Fable? We considered the universal flood that God sent as judgement on the wicked, evil people of Noah’s generation. Noah and his three sons, his wife and his sons’ wives were all saved through the ark God ordered Noah to build. God started again with Noah and his family.

Genesis 9:1 tells us. “So God blessed Noah and his sons, and said to them: ‘Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth’.”  Genesis 10:3 states, “Now this is the genealogy of the sons of Noah: Shem, Ham, and Japheth. And sons were born to them after the flood.”

The rest of Chapter 10 gives us a long list of their descendants. In verse 32 the chapter ends with these words, “These were the families of the sons of Noah, according to their generations, in their nations; and from these the nations were divided after the flood.”

The nations of the Earth are divided according to their descendancy from Noah’s sons – Shem – Ham – Japheth. Broadly speaking, the Israelis are descendants of Shem, the African nations and parts of the Middle East are descendants of Ham and the remainder are descendants of Japheth.

Genesis chapter 11 gives us the answer to the origin of languages. Let’s have a look at verses 1 to 9.

1  “Now the whole earth had one language and one speech.

2  And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar, and dwelt there.

3  Then they said to one another, ‘Come, let us make bricks, and bake them thoroughly.’ They had brick for stone, and they had asphalt for mortar.

4  And they said, ‘Come let us build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top is in the heavens; let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth.’

5  But the Lord came down to see the city and the tower which the sons of men had built.

6  And the Lord said, ‘Indeed the people are one and they all have one language, and this is what they begin to do; now nothing that they propose to do will be withheld from them.’

7  ‘Come let Us go down and confuse their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech.’

8  So the Lord scattered them abroad from there over the face of the all the earth, and they ceased building the city.

9  Therefore its name is called Babel, because there the Lord confused the language of all the earth; and from there the Lord scattered them abroad over the face of all the earth.” 

    Let’s pause for a moment to consider what has been before us.

    Noah’s family spoke the same language.

§    This language was the universal language.

§    Their descendants spoke the universal language.

§    Their desire was to build a city and a tower reaching up into the heavens.

T  They wanted to stay together so they would not be scattered over the face of the earth.

    There is no thought of God and His purposes in their minds. God’s judgement upon them is to confuse their language. All of a sudden they could not communicate with everybody else! This is the beginning of distinctive languages and nationalities.

The building work ceased and God scattered them abroad. The very thing they desired not to happen occurred! The legacy of that time remains with us today. Look at the United Nations meetings. How many interpreters are required to translate when a delegate gets up to speak? Nations are suspicious of each other. How many problems occur in the World today due to language difficulties?

There is one positive in all this mess. Since God created all the languages; He understands every individual’s speech no matter where they come from.This means that whoever you are, no matter what language you speak, God understands you! 

John 3:16 tells us, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

 2 Corinthians 6:2 states, “For He says...Behold, now is the accepted time; behold now is the day of salvation.” Not yesterday – it is too late. Not tomorrow – you may never see it.

Today – now is the accepted time!

Noah believed God, built an ark and saved himself and his family. Do you believe God? Do you believe the Lord Jesus Christ can save you? Then do something about it!

Jon Peasey

[All Scriptures quoted are from the New King James version]