I'm not understanding what is meant by the use of the word "languages" in the Genesis 10:31. At this point of the bible, I am understanding that everyone spoke one language because it wasn't until Genesis 11, that God confuses their language.
Genesis 10:31These are Shem's sons by their clans, according to their languages, in their lands and their nations.
I am open to the possibility that they way the word "languages" might not be referring to the literal use of the word. I've heard it before, we speak two different languages sometimes can mean that while two people can speak English, their outlook on life is different and foreign from one another. In my world I speak a completely different language from your way of living, that sort of meaning. So if everyone was speaking one language prior to Genesis 11, what is meant by "according to their languages" in Genesis 10?
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Lamentation 3:24 The Lord is all I have, and so in him I put my hope.
An American from New York City : "Yo! Youse gotta go down to da corner of 5th and Broadway to foind da best pizza in da whole wide woirld!"
An American from Boston : "Nah! To get to tha best pizzah playce, yah get into yah cah and drive ovah to Sammy's, whare ya can also get the best clam chowdah, too!"
An American from St. Paul : "Oh, golly gee! No! You gauht to go over to Minnie's, dont-cha know?"
An American from New Orleans : "Why, I doo declaire! You just needs to foh-get all about dat pizza and have yourself some okrah and a little bit o' fry-ide chickan over on 3rd street...and do try some jam-bo-ly-ah whilst yore dere, I gah-run-tee it!"
An American from "the valley" : "DUDE! The pizza at Paulie's Pizza is, like...WOW, MAN!!! I'm gonna catch sum GNAR-LEY waves, bro. Later, amigo!"
All are American. But each one has their own "language" that they speak in.
