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。