2010年7月12日 星期一

新教_巴別塔

英皇詹姆士版本-聖經,第1章創世紀、第11節 (11:1~11:9)。提到巴別塔(Babel tower)。


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巴別塔出處
11:1 And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech.
註:此時的人類,有統一的語言。

11:2 And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar; and they dwelt there.
註:Shinar在伊拉克境內的 Thi qar (或者Dhi qar)。

11:3 And they said one to another, Go to, let us make brick, and burn them thoroughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for morter.
註:他們開始在準備建築材料。

11:4 And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.
註:他們要建一座塔到天堂,以宣揚他們的名字,避免(lest)被分散到各地。
11:5 And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded.
註:上帝(LORD)下來看他們搭建的塔。
11:6 And the LORD said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do.
註:上帝認為,人為一類、共同一語言,就會沒有他們做不到的事。
11:7 Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech.
註:上帝下來,變亂他們語言,是他們彼此無法理解對方說什麼。
11:8 So the LORD scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city.
註:於是上帝(應該說很容易地)把他們分散到各地,他們也就離開,不造城了。
11:9 Therefore is the name of it called Babel; because the LORD did there confound the language of all the earth: and from thence did the LORD scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth.
註:而那座造一半的城叫:Babel,巴別。


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疑處及說明
神為什麼要變亂他們的言語呢?後人給了很多解釋。
(1)人類狂妄自大,想建塔通往天堂,以統治世界。
(2)人類想統一一切,而忽略對多種語言、文化多元的尊重。

第一個解釋,我認為是有點奇怪的。
當人要做這世界的主人,會被動搖地位的,是神。
換言之,唯能神主宰一切,包含人,但萬不可人統理世間。
有那麼點「只准州官放火,不許百姓點燈」的味道了。

而第二個解釋,我認為又太牽強了。
當時人就一種語言,沒有尊不尊重多種語言的問題吧。
祂故意破團體的和合,有些詭異,除非那群人是要結夥幹壞事,
但就上文,我看不出來。
不過,這解釋裡的求同存異之包容心,倒也值得讚許。

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