Introduction
This chapter contrasts to chapter 10 in many ways. First, the genealogies are in a completely different style. Genesis 10 lists a variety of children for each person. The emphasis is on all the nations coming into being and spreading out. In chapter 11, instead, we have a singular focus–the patriarchal line. The genealogy continues from chapter 5, and instead of discussing many children and their descendants we mention just one patriarch in each generation. The number 10 is almost certainly stylized. It is really impossible to know just how many generations there actually were. Ten before and ten after the flood is a bit too convenient.
In chapter 10 again spreading out and possessing the earth is a human activity, while in chapter 11 the people don’t want to spread out. They prefer to build a single city and a tower, make themselves famous and secure, and live according to their own desires. God steps in and ruins their plans by dividing their language so that they can’t understand one another, and thus have to leave off building their city. There is a great deal of humor in this little story as you will see from the notes.
The patriarchal genealogy again provides us with the continuity of the patriarchal line, which culminates in Abram. He is the connection between the primeval history (Genesis 1-11) and the story of the people of Israel which begins in chapter 12. The story of Israel has been tied to the story of humanity at the start through the genealogies of chapter 10, and the story of the tower of Babel.
I will again be using blue text for P and black text for J.