Annotations on the Pentateuch, Psalms, Song of Songs, Biblical commentary 1 · Chapter 9
CHAPT. IX.
1. God blesseth Noe and his sonnes. 4, Flesh with the blood, and murder, are forbidden. 9. Gods covenant to drowne the earth no more, 13, signified by the Rainbow. 18, Noe replenisheth the world, 20, planteth a vineyard, 21, is drunken, and mocked of his son: 25, Curseth Canaan; 26, Blesseth Sem, 27, prayeth for Iaphet, 28, and dyeth 950 yeeres old.
ANd God blessed Noe and his sonnes: and said unto them; Be fruitfull, and multiply, and replenish the earth. And the feare of you, and the dread of you, shall be upon every beast of the earth: and upon every fowle of the heavens: on all that moveth upon the ground, and on all the fishes of the sea; into your hand are they given. Every moving thing that is living, to you shall it bee for meat: as the greene herbe, have I given to you all things. But flesh, with the soule thereof, the blood therof, ye shall not eate. And surely, your blood of your soules, will I require; at the hand of every beast will I require it: and at the hand of man; at the hand of every mans brother, will I require the soule of man. He that sheddeth mans blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God, made he man. And you, be yee fruitfull and multiply; bring-forth-abundantly in the earth, and multiply therein.
And God said unto Noe, and unto his sonnes with him, saying. And I, behold I establish my covenant with you: and with your seed after you. And with every living soule, that is with you; of the fowle, of the cattell, and of every beast of the earth, with you: from all that goe out of the arke, to every beast of the earth. And I will establish my covenant with you; and all flesh shall not bee cut off, any more, by the waters of a Flood: and there shall not bee any more, a Flood, to destroy the earth. And God sayd; This is the signe of the covenant, which I doe give betweene me and you; and every living soule that is with you: to eternall generations. My Bow I have given in the cloud: and it shall bee for a signe of the covenant betweene me and the earth. And it shal be when I make-cloudy the cloud over the earth: that the bow shall bee seene in the cloud. And I will remember my covenant, which is betweene me and you, and every living soule, of all flesh: and there shall not be any more the waters, to a flood; to destroy all flesh. And the Bow shall bee in the cloud: and I will see it, to remember the everlasting covenant betweene God and every living soule; of all flesh, that is upon the earth. And God said unto Noe; This is the signe of the covenant which I have established, betweene me and all flesh that is upon the earth.
And the sonnes of Noe that went-out of the arke, were Sem, and Cham, and Iapheth: and Cham, he is the father of Canaan. These three were the sonnes of Noe: and of these all the earth was over-spred. And Noe began to be an husbandman: and he planted a vineyard. And he dranke of the wine, and was drunken: and hee uncovered himselfe, within his tent. And Cham the father of Canaan, saw the nakednesse of his father: and told his two brethren, without. And Sem and Iapheth took a garment; and they layd it upon both their shoulders, and went backward and covered the nakednesse of their father: and their faces were backward; and they saw not their fathers nakednesse. And Noe awoke from his wine: and hee knew that which his younger son had done unto him. And he said, Cursed be Canaan: a servant of servants shall hee bee to his brethren. And he sayd, Blessed be Iehovah, the God of Sem: and Canaan shall be a servant to them. God perswade Iapheth; that hee may dwell in the tents of Sem: and Canaan shall be a servant to them. And Noe lived, after the Flood, three hundred yeeres, and fifty yeeres. And all the dayes of Noe were nine hundred yeeres, and fifty yeeres: and hee dyed.
Annotations.
BE fruitfull] the blessing first given to Adam, Gen. 1. 28. is here renewed, in the same words: and the Greeke hereto addeth, and exercise dominion (or sub due it) which the Hebrew expresseth in Gen. 1. Here it is impyled in the verse following.
Vers. 2. shall be upon every beast] or, be it upon them: This is that soverainty which Adam had over the creatures before his fall; though not after the same manner; for then the creatures were subject of their owne accord, now of feare, and by constraint. And although many beasts rebel against men, and destroy them, (especially for some great sinnes, Lev. 26. 22. 1 King. 13. 24. 2 King. 2. 24.) yet as the Apostle saith, every nature of wild beasts, and of birds, and of creeping things, and things in the Sea, is tamed, and hath beene tamed of the nature of man, Iam. 3. 7.
Vers. 3. moving] or, creeping thing that is living: that is, as the Greeke in the former verse translateth, moving things which live: whereby things that dye alone, or are not lawfully killed, seeme unto some to bee excepted; as after in the Law, such are plainly forbidden to be eaten, Lev. 22. 8. Exod. 22. 31. So the law touching uncleane beasts, fowles, fishes, &c. mentioned in Lev. 11. seemeth not to be given as yet. And this was the ancient Rabbines judgement, as in Breshith rabba they say. What is that which Psal. 145. 7. teacheth us, saying: The Lord looseth the bound? All beasts which have beene forbidden as uncleane in this world, God will clense and licence them in the world to come of the Messias. Even as to the sonnes of Noe, at the first they were cleane, as it is written (Gen. 9. 3.) every moving thing that is living, to you shall bee for meat: as the greene herbe, &c. As the herbe is permitted unto all, so all beasts shall be permitted unto all. as the greene herbe] given before for meat to man and beast, Gen. 1. 29. 30.
Vers. 4. with the soule] or, in the soule, that is, the life: for so the soule often signifieth, Iob 2. 6. Ioh. 10. 15. 17. the blood] this declareth what the former meant; in the soule, that is, the blood: a reason whereof is shewed in the law, Lev. 17. 11. for the soule (or life) of the flesh is in the blood: and in vers. 14. the soule of all slesh, is the blood thereof. So this law against eating flesh with the life or blood; seemeth to be against cruelty, not to eate any part while the creature is alive, or the flesh not orderly mortified, and clensed of the blood: 1 Sam. 14. 32. 33. 34. and this the reason following doth confirm. Also the Hebrew Doctors make this the seventh commandement given to the sons of Noe, which all Nations were bound to keepe: as there had bin sixe from Adams time. Which they reckon thus; The first against idolatry, worship of starres, images, &c. The second against blaspheming the name of God. The third against shedding of blood. The fourth against unjust carnall copulations, whereof they make sixe sorts: 1. with a mans own mother, 2. or with his fathers wife; 3. or with his neighbours wife; 4. or with his sister by the mothers side; 5. or with mankind; 6. or with beasts. (Five of which they gather to bee forbidden by Gen. 2. 24. the other by Abrahams speech, Gen. 20. 12.) The fift precept was against rapine or robbery. The sixt to have judgement or punishment for malefactors. And unto Noe was added the seventh this here mentioned; which they understād to forbid the eating of any mēber, or of the flesh of a beast taken from it alive. Whosoever in the world, transgressed any of these seven commandements wilfully, the Iewes held he was to be killed with the sword: as sheweth Maimony in Misneh, treat. of Kings, chap. 9. But the Heathens that would yeeld to obey these seven precepts, though they received not circumcision, nor observed the other ordinances given afterward to Israel; they were suffered to dwell as strangers among the Israelites, and to so journe in their land, as is shewed after upon Exod. 12. 45. and Lev. 22. 10.
Vers. 5. And surely your blood] This the Greeke translateth, For even your blood: so making it a cause and reason of the former prohibition. of your soules] that is, your life blood, whereby your persons are kept alive. Or, of your soules, that is, of your selves; meaning, that whoso killeth himselfe, God will require his blood at his owne hands, and judge him as a murderer. So the Iewes expound these words: Maimony in Misn. tom. 4. treat. of Murder, chap. 2. S. 3. require] or, seeke out; and consequently punish, as Gen. 42. 22. Hereupon God is called the requirer (or seeker out) of bloods, Psalm. 9. 13. and so the punisher. For where Moses saith in Deut. 18. 19. I will require it of him: Peter expoundeth it, he shall be destroyed from among the people, Act. 3. 23. every beast] So God ordained in the law, that the beast which killed a man, should be put to death; Exod. 21. 28. But the Iewes apply this against such men as procure their neighbours death by any wilde beast: Maimony in the foresaid place. of every mans brother] this the Chaldee translateth, of the man that shall shed his brothers blood. By brother, is meant any other man, (as the next verse sheweth:) for God made all man-kind of one blood, Act. 17. 26. The Iew Doctors understand this of such as lend or hire another man to kill their neighbour, Maimony ibidem.
Vers. 6. He that sheddeth, &c.] meaning wilfully: for he that killed his neighbour unawares: his life was provided for by the law, in Num. 35. 11. by man shall his blood be shed] that is, by the Magistrate; whose power is here stablished, for killing all wilfull murderers: as the Chaldee expresseth it, saying, with witnesses by sentence of the Iudges, shall his blood be shed. This was one of the seven commandements given to the sonnes of Noe, forementioned. And this accordeth with the law, Num. 35. 29. 30. but private men may not use the sword, Mat. 26. 52: Rom. 73. 4. image of God] and so the injury is not onelyonly to man, but to God him-selfe. The image of God in men, is defaced by sin; but not wholly: and mans nature having a soule spirituall, vnderstanding, immortall, &c. still remaineth, wherein part of Gods image is yet to bee seene in man. So the Apostle useth a like reason against the cursing of men, Iam. 3. 9. And the law after commandeth, that no satisfaction should bee taken for the life of a murderer, which was guilty of death, Num. 35. 31. yea (as the Iew Doctors write) though he could give all the riches in the world, and though the avenger of blood were willing to free him, yet hee was to be put to death, because the soule (or life) of the party murdered, is not the possession of the avenger of blood, but the possession of the most holy God, Maimony, treat of Murder. chap. 1. S. 4.
Vers. 11, to destroy] Hebr. to corrupt: the Greek saith, to corrupt all the earth. This sheweth that the covenant was against the universall drowning of the world, not but that some particular countries may so perish. Also by saying a flood, he reserveth other meanes to consume the whole world, as by fire, 2 Pet: 3. 7. 10. See the notes on Gen. 8. 21.
Vers. 12. is the signe] or shall be the token. The use of a signe, is to confirme mens faith in Gods promises, Esay 7. 11. and 38. 7. 22. doe give] or, am giving; that is, doe put, or set: as the holy Ghost translateth giving, Esay 42. 1. by putting, Mat. 12. 18. So in the Hebrew, that is expressed by the word set, 1 King. 10. 9. which elsewhere is written given, 2 Chron. 9. 8. See Gen. 1. 17. And the Chaldee, for betweene me and you, saith, betweene my word and you: as oftentimes for the Lord, he putteth his Word; by which name Christ is called, Ioh. 1. 1. in whom al Gods promises are yea & Amen: 2 Cor. 1. 20
Vers. 13. my bow] that which we call the Raine-bow, because it is in the cloud in the day of raine, Ezek. 1. 28. which God calleth his, for the wonderfulnesse thereof, and for the sacramentall signe by his speciall ordinance. The Heathen Poets therefore called it Thaumantias, as being the worke of the wonderfull God. It is called a bow, for the likenesse: and hath many colours, partly waterish, and partly fiery; to put us in mind both of the watry flood, whereby the old world perished, and of the fire, wherewith the world that now is shall bee burnt, Iob 22. 15. 16. 20. 2 Pet. 3. 5. 6. 7. 10. And as the bow is an instrument of war, and so used in Scripture for a signe of wars, Gen. 48. 22. Ps. 7. 13. Lam. 3. 12 Zach. 9. 10. Rev. 6. 2. so the raine-bow naturally signifieth waters in the clouds, but is made of God a signe that the waters shall no more drowne us: and though he seemeth to bend his bow like an enemy, (Lam. 2. 4.) yet in wrath hee remembreth mercy. I have given] or, doe give: for which the Greeke saith, I doe put. As the covenant made with Noe concerning the waters, is applied to the spirituall covenant made with us in Christ, Esay 54. 9. 10. so the raine-bow, (the signe of that covenant) is also applyed for the signe of grace from God to his Church, Rev. 4. 3. and 10. 1. Ezek. 1. 28 the earth] that is, all people in the world: See Gen. 11. 1.
Vers. 14. when I make cloudy the cloud] that is, when I bring many thicke and watry clouds: which naturally signifie store of raine, 1 King. 18. 44. 45. Therefore clouds are often used in Scripture to denote afflictions and dangers unto men, as Ezek. 30. 3. 18. & 32. 7. & 34. 12. Soph. 1. 15. Ioel 2. 2. the bow shall be seen] the use whereof is, on Gods part, to remember his covenant, (as the next verse sheweth) and on mens part, that they rest in faith upon his promise, that hee will no more drowne the world. Hereupon it is a custome amongst the Iewes, that when any seeth the bow in the cloud, hee blesseth God, that remembreth his covenent, and is faithfull therein, and stable in his promise. Maimony treat, of Blessings, ch. 10. S. 16. So Ben Syrach saith, looke upon the Rain-bow, and praise him that made it, Ecclus. 43. 11.
Vers. 18. Cham] or Ham: Ch, is to be pronounced, not as we commonly doe in the word chamber, but as in the name Christ; as if it were written Cam. And so in other proper names, written after this manner: as Chaldea, or Caldea; Chanaan, or Canaan, and the like. father of Canaan] called in Hebrew Cenaghnan. And though Cham was father of many moe sonnes, Gen. 10. 6. yet Canaan onelyonly is named, because he was cursed, as here followeth in vers. 25.
Vers. 20. began to be] This speech doth not necessarily import as if hee had never beene an husbandman before; but that now after the Flood, he was one: as of Christ it is written, he began to say, Luke 12. 1. that is, he said, Mat. 16. 6. he began to cast out, Mar. 11. 15. that is, he did cast out, Mat. 21. 12. and of others, they began to disdaine, Mark. 10. 41. that is, they disdained, Mat. 20. 24. and sundry the like. a husband man] or lands man: in Hebrew, a man of the ground; that is, giving him-selfe to husbandry or tillage: as the Chaldee saith, working in the earth: so a man of warre, is a soldjer, Ios. 5. 4. a man of blood, is a murtherer, 2 Sam. 16. 7. a man of cattell, is a shepheard, or grasier, Gen. 46. 32. a man of words, Exod. 4. 10. that is, eloquent.
Vers. 21. hee uncovered himselfe] that his shame and nakednesse was to be seene: which sheweth, that wine is a mocker, Prov. 20. 1. and to be drunke therewith is a riotous excesse, Ephes. 5. 18. This fell out (in likelihood) some yeeres after his comming out of the Arke, as appeareth by the increase of his childrens children: after Canaan was borne. Noes sinne may be compared with Adams, who transgressed by eating, as Noe doth by drinking the fruit of a tree: upon that, Adam saw himselfe naked, and was ashamed; upon this, Noe is naked, and his shame discovered. Now, by drinking the fruit of the vine, wee have a signe and seale of the covering of our shame, the forgivenesse of our sins in Christ: Mat. 26. 27 28. 29. VponUpon this similitude of Noes sinne with Adams in part, the Rabbines say, that Noe found a vine, that was cast out of the garden of Eden: R. Menachem on Gen 9.
Vers. 22. he told it] and this (as the sequell sheweth) with a mockage of his aged father.
Vers. 23. Sem] in that Sem the younger is named before his elder brother Iapheth, and after blessed before and above him, vers. 26. 27. it is most likely, that he was principall in this good counsell and worke.
Vers. 24. his younger son] which the Hebrew calleth lesser, meaning in yeeres.
Vers. 25. Cursea be Canaan] or Cursed shall hee be. It is thought of some, that Canaan told Cham his father, of Noes nakednesse; and therefore had this curse upon him and his posterity, rather then the other sonnes of Cham, mentioned in Gen. 10. 6. or then Cham himselfe. And although by Canaan, may be understood or implyed Canaans father, (as the Greeke translation hath Cham, and as elsewhere in Scripture Goliath is named, for Goliaths brother, 2 Sam. 21. 19. compared with 1 Chr. 20. 5.) yet the event and history after sheweth, that the Canaanites also were indeed under this curse, when the Israelites conquered their land. And that Noe pronounced this judgement by Gods spirit. But Cham is not exempted hereby from the curse, although his sonne be named: as Sem is not exempted from the blessing in the next verse, where Iehovah his God is named. So Iakob is said to blesse Ioseph, Gen. 48. vers. 15. when Iosephs children had their blessing, verse 16, &c. And the curse of the wicked, reacheth unto the fruit of their body, Deut. 28. 18. a servant of servants] that is, a most base and vile servant: the Chaldee saith, a working servant: Canaans name did also portend his condition, being of Canagh to humble, bow, or presse downe. And as servitude is here brought upon men for a curse, so the Scriptures under the name of servants signifying sinfull men, doe shut such out from the kingdome of God; Ioh. 8. 34. 35. Gal. 4. 30. 31. Among the Heathens also, such an estate was counted miserable: God taketh away halfe the understanding of those men that are brought into servitude: saith Plato in his 6 booke of Lawes, from Homer.
Vers. 26. the God of Sem] under this, Sem also himselfe receiveth a blessing, for, blessed is the people whose God Iehovah is, Psal. 144. 15. and eternall life is implyed herein, for God hath prepared for them a City, of whom hee is not ashamed to bee called their God, Heb. 11. 16. and Sem is the first man in Scripture, that hath expresly this honour. By the God of Sem, also may bee meant Christ, who came of Sem, according to the flesh; but is also God over all blessed for ever, Amen, Rom. 9. 5. Sem by interpretation is a Name, (which is also used for renowme, Gen. 6. 4.) and Christ hath a name above every name, whereat all knees bow, Phil. 2. 9. 10. servant to them] or, to him: that is, to Sem, and Iaphet, and specially to Sem: the Hebrew signifieth both them and him. So in the verse following: the Chaldee translateth, to them: the Greek, his servant.
Vers. 27. perswade] or, shall perswade: or (as the Greeke and Chaldee translate it) inlarge. The originall word properly signifieth to perswade, entise, or allure, by faire and kind words, and is applied to Gods drawing of men unto him by the Gospell, Hos. 2. 14. and in the Hebrew there is allusion to his name, Iaphth le Iepheth: Perswade the perswasible: It meaneth by fayre alluring words to perswade unto faith and obedience: and so is a prophesie or prayer, that the Gentiles which come of Iapheth, should be brought to the faith of the Gospell. This word of perswading, is often used for drawing men to Christ, Act. 17. 4. and 18. 4. and 19. 8. and 28. 23. 24. and it is the speciall worke of God, Ioh. 6. 44. Act. 11. 18. Inlarging also, is not only of roomth to dwell in (which may be implyed in this blessing of Iapheth, who had moe sons then either Cham, or Sem) but oftentimes of the heart by wisdome, love, and comfort; as in 1 King. 4. 29. 2 Cor. 6. 11. Esa. 60. 5. But it is another Hebrew word in those places. hee may dwell] or, and hee shall dwell in the tents of Sem: that is, be united with the Churches of the Iewes, (the posterity of Sem) which was fulfilled when the Gentiles became joynt heyres, and of the same body, and joint partakers of Gods promise in Christ, the stop of the partition wall being broken down, &c. Ephes. 3. 6. and 2. 14. 19. Although it may further imply the graffing of Iaphets children into the stocke of the Church, when Sems posterity, the Iewes, should be cut off, as Paul sheweth in Rom. 11. 11. 12. 15. 17. &c. So the Reubenites are said to dwell in the Hagarims tents, after the Hagarims were subdued and falne, 1 Chron. 5. 10. The Church of Christ, is here and often called Tents, (or Tabernacles) which are a flitting and movable dwelling, because such is our estate on earth; here we have no continuing City, but wee seeke one to come, which hath foundations, &c. Heb. 13. 14. and 11. 9. 10. So, the tents of Iudah, Zach. 12. 7. signifie the Church; and the tents of Iakob, Mal. 2. 12. and the tents of the Saints, Rev. 20. 9. The Hebrew Doctors have gathered from this prophesie, that they should speake in Iaphets tongue, (which in the ages following was the Greeke) within the tents of Sem: Thalmud Hierosol. in Megilah. This was fulfilled by the Apostles speaking and writing the Gospell in Greeke.
Vers. 29. he died] in the yeere from the worlds creation 2006. and did see Tharah the father of Abram, the tenth generation after him, before his death.