Genesis 10 Different languages began here?

[mystic]

From these, the islands of the nations separated in their lands, each one to his language, according to their families, in their nations.

I had thought the world got the different languages after the Tower of Babel's incident but seems it started from Noah's Grandchildren? If so, for what reason?

[alon]

Mar 30, 2021 3:16:51 GMT -8 mystic said:

From these, the islands of the nations separated in their lands, each one to his language, according to their families, in their nations.

I had thought the world got the different languages after the Tower of Babel's incident but seems it started from Noah's Grandchildren? If so, for what reason?

I had to read this one and think a bit- always a dangerous proposition! I've never considered this one before, nor heard (nor read) anything on it either. However I'll give you my take on it. 

In Gen 1 & 2 we have 2 different creation accounts. The elements are the same, but the order varies somewhat. There are a couple of possible explanations there. One is when Moshe was given the commission to write (or oversee the writing of) Torah he would have gathered all existing knowledge, either written or oral, and compiled it. In the retelling some details could have been changed. That's not a great explanation, but for years it was the only one I had.

A more plausible one is that in Jewish tradition (and to some degree in almost all traditions, including English) it is/was acceptable to rearrange events in the telling in order to emphasize different points, or just to give a different perspective. I think the latter is what's happening in Gen 10 & 11. The same event is being told from 2 different perspectives. Both are accounts of the early generations of the sons of Noach. His sons would have spoken the same language, worshiped the same God (at least as children), have worked together to rebuild society. And they'd have all heard firsthand the account of the flood and why mankind was destroyed. Yet here were his grandchildren building what was probably a Ziggurat, which had a temple to false gods.

The Gen 10 account just emphasizes that man scattered and spoke different languages, while the Gen 11 account tells us why this happened. But the way I read both accounts, they happened at about the same time.

So to answer your question, I believe these are two accounts of the same event which emphasize different perspectives.

[mystic]

Yes, I think that is what happened, sort of like an Introduction in a book outlining the general content then going into detail, thx.