Texts in Conversation
In Genesis 11, the builders of Babel try to “make a name” for themselves through their own power, but in Genesis 12, God promises to “make Abram’s name great.” Together they teach that honor is given by God, not earned by human effort, reflecting how ideas of honor and shame shape the goals of these stories.
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Genesis 11:4
Hebrew Bible
3 Then they said to one another, “Come, let’s make bricks and bake them thoroughly.” (They had brick instead of stone and tar instead of mortar.) 4 Then they said, “Come, let’s build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens so that we may make a name for ourselves. Otherwise we will be scattered across the face of the entire earth.” 5 But the Lord came down to see the city and the tower that the people had started building.
Date: 5th Century B.C.E. (Final composition) (based on scholarly estimates)
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Genesis 12:2
Hebrew Bible
1 Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go out from your country, your relatives, and your father’s household to the land that I will show you. 2 Then I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you, and I will make your name great, so that you will exemplify divine blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, but the one who treats you lightly I must curse, so that all the families of the earth may receive blessing through you.”
Date: 5th Century B.C.E. (Final composition) (based on scholarly estimates)
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Notes and References
"... There are also several other examples where כבד (“kāvod,” to be heavy, honored) is not directly used in conjunction with שם (“shēm,” name), but the concept is clearly in view. In Genesis 11:4, one of the motives for building the Tower of Babel is “so that we may make a name for ourselves and not be scattered over the face of the whole earth.” In line with honor themes, the text also possibly indicates that the ill-fated project was ultimately an attempt to usurp the right of יהוה (“YHWH”) to rule over them and provide their significance and security. This is perhaps reflected in the blessing of Noah’s son, שם (“shēm”), (Genesis 9:26), and also in יהוה’s calling of Abram: in contrast to the builders’ attempt to make a name for themselves, יהוה declares in his blessing of Abram, “I will make your name great” (Genesis 12:2) ..."
Wu, Daniel Y.
Honor, Shame, and Guilt: Social-Scientific Approaches to the Book of Ezekiel
(p. 69) Eisenbrauns, 2016
* The use of references are not endorsements of their contents. Please read the entirety of the provided reference(s) to understand the author's full intentions regarding the use of these texts.
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