Catena Fidei

Genesis 11:5 (WEB)
The LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men built.

Catechism · 1

§57Article 1 · The Revelation of GodRead at vatican.va
“It is intended to limit the pride of fallen humanity united only in its perverse ambition to forge its own unity as at Babel.” — Catechism footnote: Cf. Wis 10:5; Gen 11:4-6

Origen, Against Celsus V.29Book V
“Therefore is the name of it called Confusion; because the Lord did there confound the language of all the earth: and from thence did the Lord scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth.”” — editor's note: Cf. Gen. xi. 5–9.
Read the whole comment

Athanasius of Alexandria, Against the Arians III.5Discourse III
“In Paradise God asks, ‘Adam, where art Thou’ and He inquires of Cain also, ‘Where is Abel thy brother?’” — editor's note: S. Chrysostom, S. Ambrose, and Pope Gregory, in addition to the instances in the text, refer to ‘I will go down now, and see whether they have done, &c., and…
Read the whole comment

Eusebius of Caesarea, Church History I.2Book I
“…giants celebrated by all; now planning to fortify earth against heaven, and in the madness of ungoverned pride to prepare an attack upon the very God of all.” — editor's note: The reference here seems to be to the building of the tower of Babel (Gen. xi. 1–9), although Valesius thinks otherwise. The fact that Eusebius refers to the…
Read the whole comment
Eusebius of Caesarea, Church History II.18Book II
“…titles corresponding to the contents of each; for instance, Concerning the things which the Sober Mind desires and execrates,On the Confusion of Tongues,On Flight and Discovery,On Assembly for the sake of Instruction,On the question, ‘Who is heir to things divine?’ or On the division of things into equal and…” — editor's note: περὶ συγκύσεως τῶν διαλέκτων. Upon Gen. xi. 1–9. Still extant, and given by Mangey, I. 404–435 (Schürer, p. 844).
Read the whole comment

Justin Martyr, Dialogue with Trypho Chapter 127
“…wherever God says, ‘God went up from Abraham,’ or, ‘The Lord spake to Moses,’ and ‘The Lord came down to behold the tower which the sons of men had built,’ or when ‘God shut Noah into the ark,’ you must not imagine that the unbegotten God Himself came down or went up from any place.” — editor's note: Gen. xi. 5.
Read the whole comment

Ambrose of Milan, Exposition of the Christian Faith V.18Book V
“Why does Scripture also say of God: “And the Lord came down to see the city and the tower, which the sons of men builded.”” — editor's note: Gen. xi. 5.
Read the whole comment

Augustine of Hippo, The City of God XVI.4Book XVI
“Therefore the name of it is called Confusion; because the Lord did there confound the language of all the earth: and the Lord God scattered them thence on the face of all the earth.”” — editor's note: Gen. xi. 1–9.
Read the whole comment
Augustine of Hippo, Tractates on the Gospel of John Tractate 6
““God saw their pride, and frustrated their purpose by causing that they should not understand one another’s speech, and thus tongues became diverse through pride.”” — editor's note: Gen. xi. 1–9.
Read the whole comment