In 1 Corinthians we read that God is not the author of confusion.

1Co 14:33  For God is not the author of confusion [akatastasia] but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints.

Yet, regarding the tower of Babel, God confused the language of the people.

Gen 11:6  And the LORD said, “Indeed the people are one and they all have one language, and this is what they begin to do; now nothing that they propose to do will be withheld from them.
Gen 11:7  Come, let Us go down and there confuse [balal] their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech.”
Gen 11:8  So the LORD scattered them abroad from there over the face of all the earth, and they ceased building the city.
Gen 11:9  Therefore its name is called Babel, because there the LORD confused [balal] the language of all the earth; and from there the LORD scattered them abroad over the face of all the earth.

How is this apparent contradiction resolved?  Looking at the words in the original language can sometimes help.

The Hebrew word translated confuse is balal, which means mix, mingle, confuse, confound.  Regardless of how balal is translated, the people suddenly not being able to understand each other certainly would have resulted in confusion.

The Greek word translated confusion in 1 Corinthians is akatastasia, which means instability, disorder, disturbance, confusion.  So, on the face of it, it appears this verse is saying God doesn’t cause confusion.  However, we have the example in Genesis 11 where God did cause confusion by mixing the language.  Moreover, there are other examples in Scripture where God intervened in ways to cause confusion.  Here are some of them.

God caused the chariot wheels of the Egyptian army to come off.

Exo 14:24  Now it came to pass, in the morning watch, that the LORD looked down upon the army of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and cloud, and He troubled the army of the Egyptians.
Exo 14:25  And He took off their chariot wheels, so that they drove them with difficulty; and the Egyptians said, “Let us flee from the face of Israel, for the LORD fights for them against the Egyptians.”

The two angels who came to visit Lot blinded those trying to get into Lot’s house.

Gen 19:10  But the men reached out their hands and pulled Lot into the house with them, and shut the door.
Gen 19:11  And they struck the men who were at the doorway of the house with blindness, both small and great, so that they became weary trying to find the door.

When Gideon and his men blew the trumpets and shouted, God caused the Midianites to fight against each other in confusion.

Jdg 7:20  Then the three companies blew the trumpets and broke the pitchers—they held the torches in their left hands and the trumpets in their right hands for blowing—and they cried, “The sword of the LORD and of Gideon!”
Jdg 7:21  And every man stood in his place all around the camp; and the whole army ran and cried out and fled.
Jdg 7:22  When the three hundred blew the trumpets, the LORD set every man’s sword against his companion throughout the whole camp; and the army fled to Beth Acacia, toward Zererah, as far as the border of Abel Meholah, by Tabbath.

Another confusion with language happened on the Day of Pentecost when the disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke in other languages.

Act 2:4  And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
Act 2:5  And there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men, from every nation under heaven.
Act 2:6  And when this sound occurred, the multitude came together, and were confused, because everyone heard them speak in his own language.

How can we understand 1 Corinthians 14:33 considering these examples of God causing confusion?

1Co 14:33  For God is not the author of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints.

The words “the author” are in italics, meaning it has been added by the translators.  Some translations omit this such as the LITV.

1Co 14:33  For God is not of confusion, but of peace, as in all the assemblies of the saints.

Omitting the words “the author” helps our understanding.  “God is not of confusion, but of peace” means that God’s way of life, who He is, His essence, His nature, is of peace, not confusion.  Sometimes a side effect of God’s actions might cause confusion, but causing confusion is not God’s objective.

Conclusion

The statement, “God is not of confusion, but of peace”, is a statement about God’s nature, not about potential side effects of His actions.