children. 31Thare therfore[1] tooke Abram his sonne, and Lot the sonne of Aran, his sonnes sonne, & Sarai his daughter in law, the wife of Abram his sonne, and brought them out of Vr of the Chaldees, for to goe into the land of Chanaan: and they came as farre as Haran, and dwelled there. 32And the dayes of Thare came to two hundred fiue yeares, and died in Haran.
ANNOTATIONS. CHAP. XI.
4. Let vs make] Here we may see in Nemrod the common causes of heresies, and the maner of Hertikes ptoceding. For he hauing a sutle proud, and aspiring mind, first detracted from God, perswading men (as is noted before) not to depend vpon Gods prouidence, and finding some others of like humour, they conspired together, and drew more folowers, by bearing the simpler sorte in hand (for it was vnpossible wise men should beleue it) that they would make a towre of defence against a new floud, if God should thinck to drowne the world againe. But their principal intention was to make themselues great and strong for the present, and famous to posteritie. Al which God ouerthrew neither suffering them to build vp their imagined castle of strength nor to be praised for their worke, but made them infamous to the worlds end.
7. Let vs confound] God in dissipating this vaine worke of men, would vse the ministerie of Angels. As not only Philo Iudeus, and Origen, but also S. Augustin, S. Gregorie, and other fathers expound these wordes, Come, let vs descend, and confound their tongue. where they also note Gods singular wisdome, mercie, and iustice, so punishing the offence, that he turneth it to his owne glorie, and the profite of al men: shewing his powre and soueraigne Maiestie by two great miracles. First by so suddainly and vtterly depriuing al those builders, of their vsual tongue, that presently they could neither speake it, nor vnderstand it. Secondly, by geuing diuers distinct languages to seueral sortes or families, which they immediatly vnderstood, and spoke most promptly, as if they had long before lerned and vsed the same. But to no man was geuen more then one language. And so, to the more commoditie of al mankind, they were forced to part into sundrie coastes of the earth, which they inhabited and replenished with distinct Nations, hauing the same Angels their spiritual Patrones and Protectors, which had seuerally changed their language. In particular, it was profitable to the good who being before oppressed by the vnited powre of manie wicked, were releeued (as S. Gregorie teacheth) when their persecutors were diuided. These good were the familie of Heber, as S. Chrisostom, and S. Augustin proue. For seing the change of tongues was inflicted for punishment, it appeareth that Heber and his familie were innocent of the vaine attempt, whose tongue was not changed, but remained the same, and of him was called the Hebrew tongue for distinction sake after there were manie tongues, which before had no distinct name being the only tongue of al men. Againe touching the offenders (who were punished in their tongues, that they could not be vnderstood commanding one an other, because they would not vnderstand God iustly commanding them al) they also reaped this profite,
- ↑ Abram was commanded to goe forth of Chaldea, as appeareth Act. 7. v. 4. Though this iourney is here ascribed to Thare as the principal person.
