Before the real cause of lightning was known, it was supposed to be the work of a good God in his wrath, or of evil spirits in their malice.

Before the laws of meteorology were known, it was thought that rains were caused by the Almighty or his angels opening "the windows of heaven" to let down upon the earth "the waters that be above the firmament." Before the laws governing physical health were known, diseases were supposed to result from the direct interposition of the Almighty or of Satan.

Before the laws governing mental health were known, insanity was generally thought to be diabolic possession.

All these early conceptions were naturally embodied in the sacred books of the world, and especially in our own.( 412) (412) Any one who wishes to realize the mediaeval view of the direct personal attention of the Almighty to the universe, can perhaps do so most easily by looking over the engravings in the well-known Nuremberg Chronicle, representing him in the work of each of the six days, and resting afterward.
So, in this case, to account for the diversity of tongues, the direct intervention of the Divine Will was brought in.

As this diversity was felt to be an inconvenience, it was attributed to the will of a Divine Being in anger.