They consequently encourage one other to start building—to build houses to live together in a city. Ensuring everyone’s safety would also have played an important role in this. Yet there is another big reason for building their city and tower. They want to build a tower that should be very high.
The reason for this endeavour is explained in their own words: “... let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth”! The building of the city of Babel and of its tower is the sign that the people are relying on their own strength to make a name for themselves. Here we see yet another rebellion against God. Mankind does not want to depend on the Lord. They do not want to build by relying upon his power and his promise. The Lord has promised the people that the animals will fear them; see Genesis 9:2. In other words, fear of the animals cannot be a reason for their decision to stay together. For people who trust in the Lord there is no reason not to spread themselves over the earth. Everywhere they go the Lord will take care of them in accordance with his promise.
Babel comes to symbolize the kind of man who seeks security, strength and joy in himself; see also Revelation 17:18.
The great tower must be built so that Babel can be seen for miles around. It must become a beacon of safety that is always in sight. The city of Babel is to take the place of the Lord himself. Even later on in history, the name Babel [or Babylon] often represents a power that exalts itself. Just think of Nebuchadnezzar, who considers himself to be the great king that no one can stand against. In this regard, see especially Daniel 2:1 – 4:37. The Lord says the following in Jeremiah 51:53 concerning Babylon exalting itself: “Though Babylon should mount up to heaven, and though she should fortify her strong height, yet destroyers would come from me against her, declares the Lord”.
The people want to build the tower so that it reaches up to heaven. What is meant here is that it should reach the clouds in the sky: a true skyscraper. The purpose of the great tower is to make the people’s name great. The people want to make a name for themselves over against God. God condemns people who seek to make a name for themselves—that is, who desire to exalt themselves. See among other places: Psalm 49:1–20 and Luke 18:14.
The Lord makes a name for himself. See, for example Nehemiah 9:10, Isaiah 63:12–14, Jeremiah 32:20. It is the Lord who causes certain people to have a great name in history; see Genesis 12:2, 2 Samuel 7:9, 2 Samuel 8:13.
The people want to stick together in order to build and rely on one another. Mankind thinks that it is capable of rising to great heights.
4 Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth.”