These comments end the catalogue of Noah’s public sins. It continues with the building of a tower and the enlarging of the lands of Shilom. Although part of the list of bad things Noah did, the tower will play an important part in the protection of his people as the story progresses. This should remind us that the purpose of the list is to paint a picture of Noah as excessive, not that each and everything was necessarily bad for the people.
For example, the enlargement of the city of Shilom would have been seen as progress. The good results were not the issue, but rather the means by which they were achieved. That problem is encapsulated in verse 14 where it says that Noah “placed his heart upon riches.” The real problem here, and which will continue to be the issue for hundreds of years to come in Nephite society, is social inequality.
In verse 15 it notes that Noah engaged in the production and, therefore, consumption of wine. The words used are for viticulture, or terms surrounding grapes, and there is some evidence that there were grapes in Mesoamerica. However, as a text in translation, it is also probable that these terms come from the influence of the Bible, particularly in the description of Noah as a winebibber, a term found in Proverbs 23:20, Matthew 11:19, and Luke 7:34. Mesoamerica had its own plants from which alcoholic drinks were made.