## Midrash Tanchuma, Noach

###### Midrash Tanchuma, Noach 17:1
[Midrash Tanchuma, Noach 17:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Midrash%20Tanchuma/s/Noach/r/17:1)

‎**וַיְהִי** כָל הָאָרֶץ שָׂפָה אֶחָת. זֶה שֶׁאָמַר הַכָּתוּב: אַל תַּהַרְגֵם פֶּן יִשְׁכְּחוּ עַמִּי הֲנִיעֵמוֹ בְחֵילְךָ וְהוֹרִידֵמוֹ (תהלים נט, יב). פָּסוּק זֶה, דָּוִד אֲמָרוֹ כְּנֶגֶד אֲחִיתוֹפֶל וְדוֹאֵג. אָמַר דָּוִד לִפְנֵי הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, רִבּוֹנוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם, אַל תַּהַרְגֵם כִּשְׁאָר בְּנֵי אָדָם, פֶּן יִשְׁכְּחוּ נִסִּים שֶׁעָשִׂיתָ עִמִּי, אֶלָּא הֲנִיעֵמוֹ בְחֵילְךָ, שֶׁיִּהְיוּ מְטֻלְטָלִים בָּעוֹלָם וְהוֹרִידֵם מִגְּדֻלָּתָן. לָמָּה? כִּי מָרוּ בָךְ.

**Midrash Tanhuma-Yelammedenu, trans. Samuel A. Berman:**
**And the whole earth was of one language (Gen. 11:1).** Scripture states elsewhere in allusion to this verse: *Slay them not, lest my people forget, make them wander to and fro by Thy power, and bring them down, O Lord our shield. For the sin of their mouth, and the words of their lips* (Ps. 59:12). David uttered this verse in reference to Doeg and Ahithophel.²⁹ He cried out to the Holy One, blessed be He: Master of the Universe, *slay them not* as you do other men, *lest my people forget* the miracles you performed (in my behalf). Make them instead to wander to and fro under Your control so that they may roam about in this world. *And bring them down,* that is, from their exalted position. Why? For they have rebelled against You.

footnotes:
²⁹ Doeg informed against the priests in Nob (I Sam. 22:9–19), and Ahithophel advised Absalom to go in unto his father’s concubines (II Sam. 16:20–22).


###### Midrash Tanchuma, Noach 17:2
[Midrash Tanchuma, Noach 17:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Midrash%20Tanchuma/s/Noach/r/17:2)

חַטַּאת פִּימוֹ (תהלים נט, יג), שֶׁהָיוּ חוֹטְאִין בְּפִיהֶם וּמְדַבְּרִים בְּשִׂפְתוֹתֵיהֶם. דּוֹאֵג אָמַר, רָאִיתִי אֶת בֶּן יִשַׁי בָּא נֹבֶה אֶל אֲחִימֶלֶךְ בֶּן אֲחִיטוּב (ש״‎א כב, ט). אֲחִיתֹפֶל אָמַר אֶל אַבְשָׁלוֹם, בֹּא אֶל פִּלַגְשֵׁי אָבִיךָ אֲשֶׁר הִנִּיחַ וְגוֹ' (ש״‎ב טז, כא).

**Midrash Tanhuma-Yelammedenu, trans. Samuel A. Berman:**
*For the sin of their mouth* (ibid.). They sinned with their mouths and through the words of their lips. Doeg said: *I saw the son of Jesse coming to Nob, to Ahimelech the son of Ahitub,* (I Sam. 22:9), and Ahithophel said unto Absalom: *Go into thy father’s concubines, that he hath left* (II Sam. 16:21).


###### Midrash Tanchuma, Noach 17:3
[Midrash Tanchuma, Noach 17:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Midrash%20Tanchuma/s/Noach/r/17:3)

דָּבָר אַחֵר, אָמַר דָּוִד כְּנֶגֶד דּוֹר הַפְלָגָה, אַל תַּהַרְגֵם פֶּן יִשְׁכְּחוּ, בַּהֲרִיגָה שֶׁהָרַגְתָּ דּוֹר הַמַּבּוּל. אֶלָּא הֲנִיעֵמוֹ בְחֵילְךָ, טַלְטֵל אוֹתָם בָּעוֹלָם, כְּמוֹ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וַיָּפֶץ ה' אֹתָם מִשָּׁם. וְהוֹרִידֵמוֹ, עַל שֶׁאָמְרוּ, הָבָה נִבְנֶה לָּנוּ עִיר. לָמָּה? כִּי מָרוּ בָךְ.

**Midrash Tanhuma-Yelammedenu, trans. Samuel A. Berman:**
Another explanation of this verse. David said this in reference to the generation of the separation. *Slay them not, lest my people forget* that You have destroyed the generation of the flood. Rather, *make them wander to and fro by Thy power,* that is, scatter them throughout the world, as it is written: *The Lord dispersed them from there* (Gen. 11:8). *Bring them down,* because they said: *Let us build a city* (ibid., v. 4). What does this suggest? They were rebelling against You.