babel

Everyday

1. (Bible) The Tower of Babel is a story in Genesis where people tried to build a tower up to heaven; God mixed up their language so they could not understand each other, and they spread over the earth. tree →
2. A babel is a confused noise of many voices talking at once. tree →

In the lessons

In RE the Babel story is about pride and about why there are many languages. In everyday writing "a babel of voices" describes a busy market or noisy classroom. Phrases: the Tower of Babel, a babel of voices, a babel of languages.

Examples

• The people of Babel wanted a tower that reached the sky. tree →
• God confused their language, and work on the tower stopped. tree →
• The station was a babel of voices in many languages. tree →
• Our classroom became a babel when the teacher left. tree →
• We built a Tower of Babel from paper cups. tree →
• The story of Babel explains why people speak different languages. tree →

Note

Capital B for the Bible place; small b for "confused noise". Say "BAY-bul". Not the same as "babble" (to talk fast and foolishly), though they sound alike and the meanings are close.

In Jewish tradition

In Genesis it is a city and the place of the tower. The name sounds like the Hebrew word for "confuse".

Interpretation. God mixed up human language at Babel, and people scattered across the earth. The tradition reads the story as a warning against pride and against building to make a name for ourselves.

Examples

• And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar. (Torah GEN.10.10, JPS 1917) tree →
• Therefore was 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. (Torah GEN.11.9, JPS 1917) tree →

Note

Capital B for the Bible place; small b for "confused noise". Say "BAY-bul". Not the same as "babble" (to talk fast and foolishly), though they sound alike and the meanings are close.