Abstract
This paper investigates the interrelation of language, power, and divine intervention in the Tower of Babel narrative as contained in the Bible, (Genesis 11:1-9), through an integrated linguistic-theological framework. The paper argues that the Tower of Babel narrative presents language as a locus of both human agency and divine sovereignty, wherein linguistic unity embodies collective ambition and the human desire to transcend divine boundaries. Drawing upon lexical and semantic analysis, the study focuses particularly on the motifs of ‘one language’ and the ‘confusion of tongues,’ revealing the theological significance of linguistic disruption as a divine corrective to human overreach. The analysis further explores how linguistic cohesion serves as a symbol of social organisation and political control, while divine fragmentation of speech represents both judgment and creative renewal. By situating the narrative within broader discourses on language as a mechanism of communication, identity formation, and cultural differentiation, this research demonstrates that the Babel event reflects a profound theological paradigm of divine sovereignty expressed through linguistic plurality. The study ultimately posits that God’s act of confusing human language is not merely punitive but pedagogical, reasserting divine order and promoting diversity as a necessary condition for human coexistence. By foregrounding the nexus between linguistic structures, theological meaning, and social dynamics, this paper contributes to a deeper understanding of how divine control over language delineates the boundaries of human power and articulates the sacred function of speech in biblical thought.
Keywords: Language, Power, Divine Intervention, Genesis 11:1-9, Linguistic Theology, Tower of Babel
DOI: www.doi.org/10.36349/sojolics.2025.v01i01.018
author/Adebanjo, M. O., Aloba, A. M., & Williams, A. V.
journal/Sokoto JOLICS 1(1) | June 2025 |
