At creation and after the flood, God clearly stated His plan for humans to disperse and fill the earth (Genesis 1:22; 9:1). After some time, Noah’s descendants opposed that plan. They settled in Shinar, later called Babylon, and began to build a high tower, saying, “Let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed” (Genesis 11:4). Humans had the power of choice, but not the power to change God’s purpose. Until then, “the whole earth had one language and the same words” (Genesis 11:1). In response to their rebellion, God confused their language; they no longer understood each other’s speech. So, they left that place—called Babel or Confusion—and spread across the earth (Genesis 11:7, 9). Over time and with migrations, languages change and multiply. Today, we estimate there are over 7,000 spoken languages and over 290 writing systems. By God’s providence, the Bible is by far the most translated book in the world. It has been translated into the languages of over 80% of people in the world, and more can access its message through trade languages. Every reader of the Bible depends on translation—converting one language’s words into another language’s words.
Translation can be challenging (Ezekiel 3:5-7), but it can be done effectively. Abraham was an Aramean living in southern Iraq. God’s call led him to distant lands as far as Canaan and Egypt. Despite the strange languages of those lands, Abraham negotiated treaties, solved social problems, and prospered. Much later, Judeans were taken as captives to Babylon. Some, including Daniel and his friends, were forced to learn the Chaldean language and literature (Daniel 1:4). They became so skilled that eventually they became rulers on behalf of kings (Daniel 2:48-49; 5:29; 6:1-2, 28). After Babylon fell, Persia’s empire spread from India to Ethiopia. King Ahasuerus (Xerxes) sent his Persian messages to all 127 provinces in their many languages and scripts (Esther 1:1, 22; 3:18; 8:9). His instructions were understood and obeyed. These examples show that translation can be very accurate, especially when lives depend on it. If that is so for earthly kings, how much more for the King of kings!