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Pentecost Season · Pentecost Sunday: Vigil · Year A

Genesis 11:1-9 or Exodus 19:3-8a, 16-20b

The Tower of Babel

May 24, 2026

The Tower of Babel, Lucas van Valckenborch
The Tower of Babel, Lucas van Valckenborch, 1595Landesmuseum Mainz, Mainz
A Flemish tower built like a Roman amphitheatre spiralling into cloud, with cranes, scaffolding and hundreds of workers still at it.Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower with its top in the heavens: the reading is this project, and the painting shows it still going.Lucas van ValckenborchA Flemish painter who fled the Netherlands for religious reasons and worked for the Habsburgs, specialising in panoramic landscapes.Landesmuseum Mainz, MainzOne of the oldest museums in Germany, begun in 1803 with a gift of paintings from Napoleon.Landesmuseum Mainz, Mainz
Roman Lectionary
GospelJohn 7:37-39Jn 7:37-39
Second ReadingRom. 8:22-27Rom 8:22-27
First ReadingGen. 11:1-9Gn 11:1-9 orExod. 19:3-8a, 16-20bEx 19:3-8a, 16-20bAlt. 1st ReadingEzek. 37:1-14Ez 37:1-14 orJoel 3:1-5Jl 3:1-5
Responsorial PsalmPs. 104:1-2a, 24+35c, 27-28, 29b-30 (cf. 30)Ps 104:1-2a, 24+35c, 27-28, 29b-30 (cf. 30)

Overview & Insights

"Come, let us go down, and confuse their language there." (Genesis 11:7)

Humanity settles on a plain and builds a city with a tower to make a name for itself. God confuses their single language and scatters them over the earth, a scattering the Pentecost gift of tongues begins to heal.

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Take it further: Genesis 11:1-9 or Exodus 19:3-8a, 16-20b

Commentary

Commentary on Genesis 11:1-9 (Day of Pentecost)Commentary on Gn 11:1-9 (Day of Pentecost) Working Preacher

The lectionary voice on Babel and its Pentecost reversal.

Genesis 11 CommentaryGn 11 Commentary Enduring Word · David Guzik

Verse by verse study of Babel and the scattering of the nations.

Genesis 11:1 CommentariesGn 11:1 Commentaries BibleHub

Classic commentators gathered on the tower and the confusion of tongues.

Genesis 11 CommentaryGn 11 Commentary Precept Austin

Detailed study notes and cross references on the chapter.

Background & Word Study

Genesis 11 (Douay-Rheims with Haydock)Gn 11 (Douay-Rheims with Haydock) New Advent · Catholic Encyclopedia

The Catholic text with Haydock's notes on Babel, the counterpoint to Pentecost.

Genesis 1-11 OverviewGn 1-11 Overview BibleProject

Animated overview of the primeval history that closes with Babel.

Genesis 11 (Hebrew and English)Gn 11 (Hebrew and English) Sefaria

The Hebrew text of Babel with classic Jewish commentary.

Genesis 11:1 InterlinearGn 11:1 Interlinear BibleHub

Hebrew word by word of the one language of the whole earth.

The Church Fathers

Genesis 11 - CatenaGn 11 - Catena Catena

Patristic comment on Babel from the Church Fathers.

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