Genesis 11:5 Commentary and Bible Study

We find this often in Genesis. The literary style adopted accommodates to the simplest of minds. But of course, we do not say that the Lord literally came down. The Lord knows all things; the Lord is aware of all things, and yet he represents himself as a great inspector who must come down to see. But though he's using human language to describe his action, of course, God sees everything all the time. He came down to see the city and the tower. They're particularly named. These are the offensive things which the children of men building were building. It is difficult to know whether that should be translated ‘had built’ or ‘were building’, but ‘were building’ seems most likely.