INTRODUCTION TO GENESIS 8 This chapter gives an account of the going off of the waters from the earth, and of the entire deliverance of Noah, and those with him in the ark, from the flood, when all the rest were destroyed: after an one hundred and fifty days a wind is sent over the earth, the fount... [ Continue Reading ]
AND GOD REMEMBERED NOAH, AND EVERY LIVING THING, AND ALL THE CATTLE THAT [WAS] WITH HIM IN THE ARK,.... Not that God had forgotten Noah, for he does not, and cannot forget his creatures, properly speaking; but this is said after the manner of men, and as it might have seemed to Noah, who having hear... [ Continue Reading ]
THE FOUNTAINS ALSO OF THE DEEP, AND THE WINDOWS OF HEAVEN, WERE STOPPED,.... The passages which let out the subterraneous waters in great quantity upon the earth, and the clouds of heaven, which poured down water upon it like spouts, were stopped from sending forth any more, as they had from the fir... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE WATERS RETURNED FROM OFF THE EARTH CONTINUALLY,.... Or "going and returning" s; they went off from the earth, and returned to their proper places appointed for them; some were dried up by the wind, and exhaled by the sun into the air: and others returned to their channels and cavities in the... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE ARK RESTED IN THE SEVENTH MONTH, ON THE SEVENTEENTH DAY OF THE MONTH,.... That is, five months after the flood began, and when the waters began to decrease; for this is not the seventh month of the flood, but of the year, which being reckoned from Tisri, or the autumnal equinox, must be the... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE WATERS DECREASED CONTINUALLY UNTIL THE TENTH MONTH,.... That is, from the seventeenth of the seventh month, to the first of the tenth month, a space of two months and thirteen days, and being summer time, through the heat of the sun, they decreased apace: IN THE TENTH [MONTH], ON THE FIRST... [ Continue Reading ]
AND IT CAME TO PASS AT THE END OF FORTY DAYS,.... From the appearance of the mountains, that is, from the first day of the tenth month, to forty days after; and being ended, this must be the eleventh day of the eleventh month, the month Ab, which answers to July and August; and according to Bishop U... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE SENT FORTH A RAVEN,.... That by it he might make his observation, how high or low the waters were upon the earth; and the rather he sent out the raven, a bird of prey, which feeds on carrion, that if the earth had been dry, the smell of the dead carcasses would have invited it to go far off f... [ Continue Reading ]
ALSO HE SENT FORTH A DOVE FROM HIM,.... Seven days after he had sent out the raven, as in Genesis 8:10 TO SEE IF THE WATERS WERE ABATED FROM OFF THE FACE OF THE GROUND; for the dove is a creature that delights in cleanness, flies low, and goes far off, so that if it returned not again, he might con... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT THE DOVE FOUND NO REST FOR THE SOLE OF HER FOOT, [AND] SHE RETURNED UNTO HIM INTO THE ARK,.... It being a creature that feeds upon seeds it picks off from the ground, and loving cleanness, it could find no place where it could alight, and have food to live upon, and retain its cleanness; for tho... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE STAYED YET OTHER SEVEN DAYS,.... As he had stayed seven days between the sending out of the raven and the dove, so he stayed seven days more after he had sent out the dove, and it returned to him, waiting patiently for his deliverance, and the signs of it; though he could have been glad to ha... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE DOVE CAME IN TO HIM IN THE EVENING,.... It having been out all day delighting itself in a free air, and perching upon the trees, but yet not finding sufficient food, or a proper lodging, it returned to Noah at the evening for food and dwelling in the ark: AND, LO, IN HER MOUTH WAS AN OLIVE... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE STAYED YET OTHER SEVEN DAYS,.... After the dove had returned: AND SENT FORTH THE DOVE; the same dove again; WHICH RETURNED NOT AGAIN UNTO HIM ANY MORE: the earth being dry, it found rest for the sole of its feet, sufficient food to eat, and a proper place for its habitation; and liking to b... [ Continue Reading ]
AND IT CAME TO PASS, IN THE SIX HUNDRED AND FIRST YEAR,.... Of Noah's life, and so the Septuagint adds, in the first month, [THE FIRST DAY] OF THE MONTH; so that it was the first day of the year, New Year's Day, and a joyful one it was to Noah and his family, when they saw dry ground; which they ha... [ Continue Reading ]
AND IN THE SECOND MONTH, ON THE SEVEN AND TWENTIETH DAY OF THE MONTH,.... This was the month Marchesvan, as the Targum of Jonathan, which answers to part of our October, and part of our November; though according to Bishop Usher y, this day was Friday the eighteenth of December, A. M. 1657; it was o... [ Continue Reading ]
AND GOD SPAKE UNTO NOAH, SAYING,.... Whether in a dream or vision, or by an articulate voice, appearing in an human form, or by an impulse on his mind, is not certain; however, the Lord spoke so to him, that he heard him and understood him: it was, no doubt, very rejoicing to him, since he had not h... [ Continue Reading ]
GO FORTH OF THE ARK,.... Though the earth was dry and fit to be inhabited, yet be would not go out without orders, as he had to go in; which he waited for before he would, and now he has them: THOU AND THY WIFE, AND THY SONS, AND THY SONS' WIVES, WITH THEE: the Jewish writers z observe, that the ma... [ Continue Reading ]
BRING FORTH WITH THEE EVERY LIVING THING THAT IS WITH THEE,.... There is a various reading of the word for "bring forth"; according to the margin, as Jarchi observes, the sense is, order them to come forth; and according to the Scripture, if they will not, oblige them to come: OF ALL FLESH, [BOTH]... [ Continue Reading ]
AND NOAH WENT FORTH,.... Being obedient to the divine command, and no doubt with great pleasure in his countenance, and with a heart full of thankfulness for so great a deliverance; AND HIS SONS, AND HIS WIFE, AND HIS SONS' WIVES WITH HIM: in all eight persons, and no more were saved in the ark, as... [ Continue Reading ]
EVERY BEAST, EVERY CREEPING THING, AND EVERY FOWL, [AND] WHATSOEVER CREEPETH UPON THE EARTH,.... All went out, not one was left, and they went out AFTER THEIR KIND; not in a confused disorderly manner, mixing with one another; but as they went in by pairs, male and female of every sort, so they cam... [ Continue Reading ]
AND NOAH BUILDED AN ALTAR UNTO THE LORD,.... Not an house for himself and his family, but an altar for God; his first and greatest concern being for the glory of God, and not for the temporal good of himself and his: this altar was erected, and devoted to the service of God; it was built according t... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE LORD SMELLED A SWEET SAVOUR,.... Or a "savour of rest" e; he was delighted and well pleased with his sacrifice, which was offered up in the faith of the sacrifice of Christ; the apostle says, "is for a sweetsmelling savour", Ephesians 5:2 referring to this passage; that being a satisfaction... [ Continue Reading ]
WHILE THE EARTH REMAINETH,.... Which as to its substance may remain for ever, Ecclesiastes 1:4 yet as to its form and quality will be changed; that and all in it will be burnt up; there will be an end of all things in it, for so the words are in the original, "as yet all the days of the earth", or ... [ Continue Reading ]