Jovial (8 Dec 2005)
"Gen 11:3-7 : "Brick for stone""

Gen 11:3 says....

"And they used brick (LVNH) for stone (LAVN) and asphalt (XMR) for mortar
(LXMR)." (Gen/Ber 11:3)
(Note X = CHET, M = MEM, R=RESH, L=LAMMED, V=BET/VET, N=NUN, H=HEY, A=ALEF)

Most words in Hebrew are built from 2 or 3 letter roots. The words for "brick" and "stone" share 2 of 3 root letters, Bet (B) and Nun (N). They differ in the first, with Lammed (L) for brick and Alef (A) for stone. But here the text adds a Lammed (L) to the Hebrew word for "stone", turning "stone" (AVN) into "for stone" (LAVN), or "in substitution of stone". So these words are spelled almost the same, and their meaning is closely connected. The word for "brick" looks a lot like the term "for stone" in Hebrew. Why do the scriptures bother to stop and tell us what material they were using? Because it paralleled the intent of their heart. They were substituting a man-made material (brick) for something found in nature that our Maker formed (a stone). This parallels the intent of their heart, which was to substitute the plan the Creator had with their own plans. They wanted to reach into the heavens. Earlier, God had told them to "fill the earth", but here they were trying to avoid spreading out and instead, gathering in one place against God's plan. Then later, in Gen/Ber 11:7, it says..

"Let us descend and let us mix-up (NBLH) their language" (Gen/Ber 11:7)

Note here how the word for "let us mix-up" (NBLH) mixes up or re-arranges the letters for "brick" (LBNH) to arrive at a different word.

Shalom,

Joe
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