And from there the Lord dispersed them over the face of all the earth. (Genesis 11:9 ESV)
Punishment?
I bought my first vehicle from an uncle. If I remember correctly, the price was $100. I did not have $100. So, Uncle John allowed me to make monthly payments.
Some of my friends rolled their eyes in disgust. Why didn’t my uncle just GIVE me the truck?
But when I gave him the last $10, he smiled, took an envelope from a drawer, and returned all my payments.
I learned the discipline of paying off debt, and I received a gracious gift at the same time.
When God responded to Babel by somehow changing human languages, and spreading folk all over the planet, it might seem that God was being harsh.
But the result shows God’s love. It was actually a blessing to spread us around. It was actually a blessing to force us to communicate more slowly and carefully. It was actually a blessing to expand human dominion over ALL the earth.
God loves His people, and blesses us even when He disciplines!