Commentary on Genesis and Exodus, Commentary · Chapter 7
CHAP. VII.
1. The Method.
THis Chapter hath two parts: 1. of the entrance of Noah, and the creatures into the …rke, from v. 1. to v. 10. 2. concerning the floud.
1. God prescribeth what Noah should doe for himselfe, vers. 1. for the …easts and fowles as touching their number, of some to take seven, of some …wo for their kinde, male and female, vers. 3. the reason expressed, vers. 4. Then Noah sheweth his obedience in entring himselfe, vers. 6.13. and the …easts, vers. 8, 9. the creeping things and fowles shew their obedience in comming, vers. 14.15 Gods providence in shutting of them up. vers. 16.
2. First, the causes of the floud are set forth, vers. 11. secondly, the manner, in the time when it came, after seven dayes, vers. 10: how long it prevailed, forty dayes, vers. 12. how farre it exceeded, vers. 20. how long it continued before it abated, that is, an 150. dayes, vers. 24. thirdly, the effects of the floud: it beareth up the Arke, vers. 17. it destroyeth all flesh beside those in the Arke, vers. 21. to 23.
2. The grammaticall or literall sense.
v. 5. yet 7. dayes. S. before 7. dayes, that is, expired. T. after 7. dayes. cater.
v. 4. I will destroy all the resurrection, foreign. S. all the substance, caet. heb. te…hem,T. c. S. cor. a substance or living body, any thing that riseth from the ground.
v. 8. the seven and twenty day. S. the seventeenth day. caet.S. cor. T.c. T.B. G…. S. det.
v. 10. and upon the seventh day. T. after seven dayes, caet.
v. 13, in this day, foreign, S. in articulo, in the point or article of this day. H. Ch. in the selfe sa…day. B.G.T. in the body of this day, heb. gne…sem, a body.
v. 14. every bird of every feather: wanting in the S. the rest have it.
v. 16. God shut his Arke foreign, without: S. God shut him in (deforis) without. H. God protected over him. Ch. shut him in round about.S. H. ad. B. shut him in. G. God occlusit pro eo, shut up for him. T. bagnado, over him, heb.
The explanation of doubts or theologicall explication.
QVEST I. Why Noah prayed not for the old world, as Abraham did for Sodome.
Vers. 1. THey have seene righteous before me, &c. 1. He was not onelyonly righteous in respect of men, but before God: his righteousnesse was in truth. 2. Whereas before Moses added, that hee was just and upright, Gen. 2.9. the Hebrewes hence gather, because he is not here also said to bee upright, but only just, that he is commended only, because hee was not unjust and cruell towards men. But seeing it is said, he was just before God, the other addition need not: for God seeth the heart. 3. The Hebrewes doe further extenuate Noahs faith: some saying, that he thought not, that God would destroy the world, but that he threatned onelyonly some, that Noah only prayed for himselfe, and not for the world, as Abraham did for the Sodomites: and therefore for these his oversights hee afterward offered sacrifice. But they blame Noah without cause: the reason why he prayed not, as Abraham did, for others, for that hee saw them incorrigible, and already God had given sentence, that the world should be destroyed: but when Abraham prayed for Sodome, no sentence was as yet gone forth against them. The sacrifice which Noah offered afterward, was an oblation of thankesgiving for his deliverance, not a deprecation for any such particular offence. Mercer.
QVEST. II. Of the difference of cleane and uncleane beasts.
Vers. 2. OF every cleane beast, &c. 1. Some beasts were counted cleane, some uncleane, not simpl… … respect of their nature and creation, for God saw that all things were good: neither in regard onelyonly of mans use, because some were more fit for food than others, but chiefly by the institution of God, some were set apart for Sacrifice, and therefore were called cleane. 2. And this distinction of cleane and uncleane beasts is not inserted by Moses by way of anticipation, as though hee spake onelyonly in respect of the times wherein hee writ: but this difference was knowne unto the Patriarkes by revelation from God, in some godly tradition delivered from one to another: as we see the use of sacrifice, the oblation of tithes, the observation of the Sabbath were practised before the law. 3. Whereas this distinction of cleane and uncleane, is not repeated in the rehearsall of the fowles, v. 3. it is not for that, as some thinke, they were not so distinguished before the law: or for some mysticall signification, that not in celestiall things, but in terrene only, this distinction holdeth of cleane and uncleane: but this distinction must bee supplied out of the former verse, which for brevity sake is omitted in the third: yet in that the fowles are sorted out by sevens, it is evident, that he meaneth only the cleane.
QVEST. III. Why the cleane are taken by sevens.
Vers. 2. TAke thee seven and seven: for so are the words in the originall. 1. Not that there were of the cleane fourteene, seven of the male and female, which seemeth to have beene the opinion of Iustine and Origen, Iustin. quest. orthod. 43. Orig. hom. 3. in Genes.with others, because they could not see how there should be an odde, if there were but seven: but it is certaine there were but seven: three male, and three female, and the odde was for sacrifice. This is the opinion of Ambrose, Chrysostome, Augustine, with others. And this repetition, seven, seven: is not to be taken collectively, for many sevens of one kinde, but distributively for divers kinds, according to the use of the Hebrew speech. 2. Neither were the cleane taken by sevens, for any mystery in that number;Chrys. hom. 24. in Genes. as Ambrose saith, that numerus septenarius est sacer, that seven is a sacred number. But Chrysostome rereproveth those that observe numbers, and saith, they doe but fabulari, & ex suo capite introducere fable, and devise such things of their owne head. But therefore the cleane were chosen by sevens, for the more plentifull breed both for mans food, and for sacrifice, and but two of the uncleane were taken, left their number might increase to the annoyance of man,Muscul. in genes. 7. v. 2. as Musculus well observeth: and yet God would have the kind also of hurtfull beasts preserved, for the punishment of man. For the noysome beast is one of Gods 4. great judgements,Reconciliatiō. Ezech. 14.21. 3. Whereas before, chap 6.20. the Lord saith, two of every sort shall come unto thee; but here Noah is bid to take of the cleane by sevens: the solution is easie: for there the kind and sex is expressed, that for every male there should be a female, they should come by couples: here the number is prescribed, they must be taken by sevens.
QVEST. IV. Whether Noah and his sonnes lived in abstinence in the Arke.
Vers. 7. SO Noah entred and his sonnes and his wife, &c. 1. It is but a point of curiosity to enquire how Noah and his sonnes wives were called, whether Noahs wife were named Noria, as the Gnosticks, or Barthenon, as Epiphanius, or Tytaea, as Berosus Annianus saith: and his sons wives, Pandora, Noella, and Noegla, seeing the scripture is silent herein, it were a vaine labour for us to search. 2. Whereas here Noah and his wife are not named together going into the Arke,Epiphan. haeres. 26. but comming forth, they are joyned together, chap. 8.16. Come forth thou and thy wife. Ambrose thus noteth, Non commiscetur sexus in ingressu, Ambros. lib. de No…, c. 21.sed commiscetur in egressu, The sex is not mixed in the ingresse, but in the egresse. Whereupon he thinketh, that Noah and his sonnes refrained the company of their wives, all the while they were in the Arke: which his opinion is most probable, though not upon this ground, but upon better reasons, which he adjoyneth in the same place; as he further saith, maroris tempus erat non laeticea, it was a time of sorrow, not of mirth. Againe, because they knew that the deluge came because of the intemperancy of the world: as also the rest of the creatures generally did forbeare the act of generation, (which I rather think than with Mercerus, that the cattell ingendred in the arke) either because the place was not fit, or the seasons of the yeare were altered, it being as a continuall winter for the space of an yeare, by the coldnesse of the over-flowing water, or God so disposing their naturall inclination.
QVEST. V. Whether Noah gathered the beasts into the Arke.
Vers. 9. THere came two and two to Noah, &c. 1. Neither as Philo thinketh did Noah gather the creatures together, as the shepherd his sheepe, for that had beene an infinite labour: Neither (as Hugo) did the beasts come swimming to the arke, seeking for succour from the water, for they were entred before the waters fell. But as God is said to have brought the beasts to Adam, Gen. 2.19. so the Lord caused them to come unto Noah: non fuit ista cura illius hominis, as Augustine saith, sed divina, This was not mans care but Gods.
QVEST. VI. What creatures came not into the Arke.
NEither came there of every kind of living thing, for these are excepted. 1. All that liveth in the water, either wholly, or partly in the water, partly in the land: for such creatures onelyonly came which moved upon the earth. 2. Such creatures as come of corruption, not by generation, as flies of the water, wormes of dung, bees of bullocks flesh, hornets of horse flesh, the scorpion of the crab, or crevice, moaths of putrified herbs, and certaine small wormes of the corruption of wood and corne, &c. for those creatures onelyonly entred, which increase by generation, Mercer. 3. Such creatures are excepted, which are of a mixt kinde and ingender by the male and female of divers kinds, as the mule which commeth of a mare and asse. Cardanus also maketh mention of a certaine beast, which he saw at Papia, of the bignesse of a fox,Card. in li. 10. de subtilitat. Creatures of a mixt kind not in the Arke. with feet like a beare, a taile feathered like a goose, with prickles upon the backe like an hystrix or porcupine, barking like a dog, which appeared to be of no certaine kind, but by a mixt generation. Concerning such mixt kinds, Augustine saith well; that they needed not to be preserved in the Arke, s…d ibi parentes eorum faisse sufficeret, it might suffice their parents (that is, the severall kinds, whereof they are ingendred) to be there 4. R. Sel. because Noah is bidden to take of every living thing, Gen. 6.19. would inferre that the spirits of the aire were preserved in the Arke: but this is ridiculous,Hebrewes fond collections. for neither are they to bee counted among these living creatures, neither are they male and female: nor yet are spirits subject to the danger of waters; and their kinde were to be wished rather to be extinguished, than preserved. 5. R. Levi also, because Noah is bidden to take of all meat that is eaten, would inferre that Noah preserved of all kinds of plants and seeds in the Arke; but that was not needfull, except onelyonly for present food: for the seeds of herbs might by Gods providence bee preserved in the earth: as plants were kept under the water, as was the olive: ex Mercer.
QVEST. VII. Of the Phoenix, whether there be any such.
COncerning the Phoenix, the question is, because there is but one of that kind, whether it were preserved among other foules in the Arke: but I thinke it may be more worthily doubted, whether there bee any such Phoenix, or no, 1. Plixy saith, this bird is in Arabia. Cardanus and Scaliger in the Mediterranean parts of India, being called Semenda. 2. Some say, that after 500. yeares it dieth.Plin. l. 10. c. 2. Ambr. de fid. resurrect. Pompon. Mela. lib. 3. c. 9. Ambrose: others, that it liveth 660. yeares. Plin. ibid. 3. Some, that the Phoenix having made her a neast of divers spices, intrare & emori, goeth in and dieth. Ambr. Pompon. ibid. other, that motu alarum with the flittering of her wings, she setteth the stickes on fire, and is burned to ashes.Pl…n. ibid. 4. Pliny addeth out of Cornelius Valerianus, that the Phoenix was brought to Rome, and openly shewed when Ir. Plantius, and Sex. Papinius were Consuls, the 800. yeare of the City. As this may seeme to bee a fable, so also the rest. For if the Phoenix dye upon her neast, how could she be brought to Rome. 5. Some also write, that the Phoenix hath rostrum trifistulare, a bill with three pipes, Carda…. l. 20. de sub…il. Scalig. exercitat. 2.3.wherewith she singeth melodiously before shee dieth: sic Cardanus. But Scaliger holdeth this to bee but a fable. 6. No other like is that, which Pompon. Mela, and Pliny write, that of the ashes of the Phoenix commeth a worme, and thereof another Phoenix, which being now ready to flye, taketh the bones of the old Phoenix with the neast, and carrieth it to the City of the Sunne in Aegypt, called Heliopolis, and there layeth it upon the Altar, as it were solemnizing the funerall thereof: who seeth not how fabulous a fiction this is, devised to countenance Pagan Idolatry, and not agreeing with it selfe: for if the Phoenix bee burned to ashes, how can the bones and neast bee so carried? 7. But among the rest, this seemeth to be most unlikely, that there should never be but one Phoenix at once? for what species or kinde of any creature can they rehearse, whereof there is never but one; and whereas the Lord said to all his creatures, increase and multiply, this benediction should take no place in the Phoenix, which multiplieth not: and beside, seeing of all creatures there came two and two, the male and female, into the Arke, the Phoenix by this meanes should have perished, seeing there was not of this kind male and female to be preserved in the Arke. 8. But whereas Ambrose thus writeth, Phoenix cum mortua fuerit, reviviscit, solos non credimus homines resuscitari: the Phoenix being dead, reviveth, Ambros. de …ide resurrect.can we think then that man only shall not be raised? Ambrose in so writing, delivereth not his opinion, but ex concessis, as we say, by the received report of the Phoenix among the heathen, out of their owne grounds he proveth the resurrection.
QVEST. VII. Whether the Arke were sufficient to containe the beasts with their food for a whole yeare.
IT is further doubted, how the Arke could containe so many severall kinds of beasts and birds, and beside sufficient food for them all. 1. For the divers kinds of beasts, they are reckoned not in all to bee above an hundred and fifty: whereof there are 30. kinds of serpents and other creeping things, 40. kinds of ravenous beasts, which live with flesh, which one with another exceed not the bignesse of wolves: there are 40. more of other great beasts, which one with another in quantity may be thought to bee equivalent to oxen: and 40. kinds beside of small beasts, which may one with another in proportion answer unto so many sheepe: the whole number maketh an 150. All these severall paires of beasts were lodged in the middle region of the Arke; which contained 400. cells or cabbins, being each in breadth 6. cubits as much in length,Quest. 14. in …. 6 art. 5. and nine in height, as I have shewed before: these roomes are large enough to receive the greatest paire of beasts: or if some, as the Elephants require a large space, many of the rest might bee received in a lesse: so that there were cabbins enough twice told to place all the beasts in. 2. And if the middle part of the Arke were large enough for the beasts, there is no doubt, but that the upper story being of the same bignesse sufficed for the birds, which though they bee more diverse and variable in their kinds, yet are they of farre lesse quantity, and so might bee contented with smaller cages. 3. And whereas of the cleane beasts, there were seven taken of every sort, whereof there are ten severall kinds reckoned, Deuter. 14. beside the paires counted before, we must number five more for every sort of the cleane beasts, which will make 50. single, and 25. couples: which added to the rest, will make 175. couples▪ which if they did arise unto 200: there might be found roome enough for them all in the middle division, as before is said. 4. Now that there was capacity sufficient in the lowest region of the Arke, wherein to lay up food for the cattell, thus it may appeare. 1. Let it bee supposed, that there were about 60. paire of beasts, as great as oxen, 50. paire of the bignesse of wolves, and 60. more of the like quantity unto sheep. 2. Allow to every wolfe as much food in quantity because they are ravenous, as to an oxe, and to 4. sheep, as much: wee shall have as it were an 125. paire, and 250. single oxen. 3. Then admit, that all the beasts did eat of hey, which asketh a large roome to lye in, whereas other food, as of graine and such other may bee layed in a narrower compasse. 4. Then allow for every oxe, 40. l. of hey in a day, as Columella doth apportion it: lib. 6. de re Rustic. c. 3.50. and 40. l. of hey will easily bee contained in the space of a solide or square cubit; so much hey then, as will serve 250. oxen in a day, will require for layer, 250. cubits: the layer then for so much hey, as will suffice a whole yeare, which consisteth of 365. dayes, will have no lesse roome, than of 85250. cubits, it commeth not to 90. thousand cubits: 5. Now take the capacity of one of the chambers, being 300. cubits in length, 50. in breadth, 9. in height, (allowing one cubit for the partition above, for otherwise it should be 10. cubits high,) and it will arise to an hundred, five and thirty thousand square cubits: for every ranke of cubits containeth 15. thousand, so much maketh the length of 300. cubits, multiplyed by the breadth of 90. this summe of 1500. being multiplyed by 9. which is the height, will produce the said number of an 135000. whereas fodder for the cattell occupieth not above 90000: ex Perer.
QVEST. VIII. Whether the ravenous beasts lived of flesh in the Arke.
WHereas it is also questioned, whether the ravenous beasts were fed with flesh according to their naturall use, while they were in the Arke. 1. Neither is it like, that all the beasts did eat of one common food: for the text saith, Genes. 6.21. take with thee of all meat that is eaten: 2. Neither is it like, as Origen thinketh (of which opinion also is Bucer) that Adam brought into the Arke a great number of cattell,Orig. hom. 2. in Genes. to be food for the ravenous beasts; for there came no more but two of the uncleane, and seven of the cleane. 3. Neither is it probable, that these beasts did not live of flesh, but herbs and other fruits of the earth, before the floud: as I have shewed at large: quest. 23 in 1. cap. of Genes. 4. Wherefore I approve rather Augustines resolution, to the which Mercerus subscribeth, which is to this effect: 1. that these devouring beasts,August. lib. 15. de civitat. dei cap. ultim. as they doe live of flesh, so also they use to eat of the fruits of the earth. 2. That it might be revealed to Adam, what food besides flesh was convenient and apt for them. 3. That hunger will enforce beasts to eat that, which otherwise is not usuall. 4. But his best answer is, quid non suave faceret Deus, qui etiam, ut sine cibo viverent, divina facilitate donaret: What could not God make pleasant, who could have given them power to have lived without meat, much more then could God by his power dispose them to live for that time of other food than flesh.
QVEST. IX. How the yeare is to be counted wherein the floud came.
Vers. 10. SO it came to passe after seven dayes, that the floud was upon the earth in the six hundred yeare of Noahs life, in the second monethmonth, &c. 1. Noah went seven dayes into the Arke, before the floud came, not as the Hebrewes conjecture, to lament for the death of Mathuselah: for it is certaine that Mathuselah died the same yeare the floud came, so whether hee died seven dayes or seven weekes before it is uncertaine: but it is more like, that Noah entred before to dispose of every thing in the Arke, before it should be tossed of the waters: as also as Ambrose noteth, that the rest of the world seeing him enter, before there was yet any apparant danger, might have beene drawne to repentance. 2. Neither was the 600. yeare of Noahs age now onelyonly begun, as Lyranus, Tostatus, with others thinke, but complete: for otherwise there should not bee 1656. yeares from the creation to the floud; neither should Noah have lived 900. and fifty yeares, whereof he lived but 350. after the floud, if hee had not beene full 600. yeare old before. 3. This second monethmonth, was neither the second monethmonth of the yeare considered a part from Noahs age, as Rupertus thinketh: for it hath a coherence with the 600. yeare of Noahs life, whereof mention is made immediatly before: neither is it to be taken for the second of Noahs 600. yeare, without respect of the season of that instant yeare as Cajetan seemeth to thinke: but it was both the second monethmonth of the usuall yeare, and of Noahs 600 yeare, which concurred both together, for Noah his 600. yeare was the 1656. yeare, of the age of the world from the Creation. Mercer.
QVEST. X. Whether the floud came in the Spring or Autumne.
THis second monethmonth some thinke to have beene in the Spring, answering to the monethmonth of May. 1. That it might be the more griefe to the wicked, to be taken away from their pleasure, as our Saviour sheweth, that they were taken away in the middest of their mirth, Matth. 24.37. Luther. 2. That the floud might not be imputed to any naturall causes, but onelyonly to the power of God, the waters increasing in the time of Summer, which is a season of drought, and decreasing in Winter, when as the waters naturally increase. 3. And againe, because the Dove brought the leafe of an Olive in the 11. monethmonth after the floud beganne; some doe gather that the floud came in the Spring, Rupertus. Rupert. lib. 4. Gen. c. 25.4. But better arguments than these may be produced to shew it more probable, that the floud came in the Spring: because that then the world is supposed to have taken beginning, as is before proved, Quest. 10. in 1. chap. Gen. and from the creation to the floud are reckoned 1656. even yeares. 5. The floud came in the second monethmonth of the yeare: now it cannot be shewed in any place of Scripture, where the moneths are accounted in order, the first, second, third, but from Nisan, which answereth to part of March, part of Aprill: Moses ordaining this monethmonth to be the first, Exod. 12. doth make no new institution, but reneweth the old account, which was discontinued in Egypt, by reason that the Egyptians indeed beginne their yeare from the monethmonth Ptho… ▪ which answereth to our September. And this reason, from the order and account of the moneths, I confesse, hath much prevailed with me, to thinke it more likely that the floud came in the Spring. 6. And if it had beene Autumne when the Cattell came forth of the Arke, when the herbs and plants doe fade, whence should they have had food till the Spring? 7. As also, the cattell presently increasing and multiplying after their comming out of the Arke, this might seeme rather to fall into the Spring time, which is the aptest season for the copulation and ingendring of cattell; but most especially of the fowles. Of this opinion are most of the Ecclesiasticall Writers, though divers of the Hebrewes hold the contrary: as Ambrose among the rest thus resolveth: Secundum mensem verni temporis fuisse non ambigitur, quando augentur nascentia, ager parturit, &c. tunc ergo fecit diluvium, quando dolor eorum major foret, qui in abundantia puniebantur, &c. It is not to be doubted but that the second monethmonth was in the Spring time, when things increase and grow, the field bringeth forth, &c. God therefore then sent the floud, when their griefe should be the greater, to be punished in their abundance. The chiefest reason that moved Ambrose thus to thinke, was the account of the moneths, which alwayes in Scripture are reckoned from the Spring: yea that monethmonth which some would have the beginning of the yeare, when the feast of blowing the Trumpets, and of Tabernacles was kept, is called the seventh monethmonth, Levit. 23.24.34. Of th…s opinion also is learned Mercerus, that when the second or third monethmonth is simply named, it must be accounted from Nisan, which is in the Spring.
QVEST. XI. What is vnderstood by the great deepe, and the windowes of heaven.
Vers. 10. THe fountaines of the great deepe were broken up. 1. By the deepe here is not understood the Tartarean waters about the center of the earth, as Plato imagined: for by this meanes the waters should ascend three thousand and 500. miles (for so farre it is from the Center of the earth to superficies) which is against the nature of water. 2. Neither was the Sea this great depth, which some thinke is higher than the earth, and kept in onelyonly by the power of God, which now was suffered to overflow the earth: for neither is it true that the Sea is higher than the earth, as is before declared: neither doth Moses make any mention of it: which might have beene sufficient by the overflowing to have drowned the earth, if naturally it were so much above it. 3. Wherefore the fountaines of the deepe,Quest. 7. in 1. ca Gen. were the deepe heads and springs of water within the earth, which were opened and enlarged, to make this inundation: so that the Rivers that runne in the earth were cast up, and the deepe gulph gushed forth: and these may be the waters under the earth, mentionod; Exod. 20. vers. 4.
The windowes also of heaven, signifie not the irruption or breaking forth of any waters in the Chrystall heaven, (as it is called) above the starrie skie, as Eugubinus and Oleaster imagine: for neither are there any such wat…rs above the heavens, as hath beene before declared: and if there were, how could they passe thorow the starrie heaven without the dissolution and corruption thereof? and it would follow that the watery heaven should be now a vaca…t and emptie place, the waters being descended from thence. But the opening of the windowes of heaven, betokeneth the breaking of the clouds,Quest. 11. 1. cap. Gen. where the water is contained: that whereas at other times, The Lord bindeth the waters in the clouds, and the cloud is not broken under them, Iob 26.8. Now the Lord loosed the clouds, which being made as full of windowes powred forth all the water that was kept in them, Mercerus. Perer.
QVEST. XII. Of the causes of the floud.
THese three were the causes of the floud: 1. The issuing forth of the waters beneath out of the earth. 2. The continuall raine for forty, not onelyonly dayes but nights together, not onelyonly powring from the clouds, but increasing by the liquefaction and distilling of the aire into water. Seneca writing of the generall deluge, which he speaketh of, not as past, but to come, addeth unto these three other causes: 1. Crescunt maria super solitum, &c. the extraordinary swelling and overflowing of the sea. 2. Incipit terra putrescere & laxata ire in humorem: The earth also it selfe did putrifie, and resolve into water. 3. He maketh the conjunction of the celestiall bodies another cause, that like as he thinketh the world shall be burned when the starres shall concurre in the signe Cancer, sic, inundationem futuram cum eadem siderum iurba in Capricornum convenerit: so hee thinketh there shall bee a generall inundation when the same company of starres shall come together in the signe Capricorne: These causes may bee admitted as helping and necessary, though not as principall, saving that, the conjunction of the starres in Capricorne, seemeth rather to be a curious inquisition, than to depend of any certaine demonstration.
QVEST. XIII. VponUpon what day Noah entred into the Arke.
Vers. 13. IN the selfe same day, &c. 1. Lyranus reading according to the latine text, in the article of that day: thinketh that the noone point of day is hereby expressed, and so also Oleaster. 2. Tostatus taketh it rather for the morning or twilight, which is more properly a point, parcell, or article of the day. It betokeneth nothing else, but in the same day as I shewed before in the interpretation. 3. Some Hebrewes think that this was wednesday, when they say that the Sun is strongest, that Noah might have some rest before the Sabbath, but this is too curious. 4. Some doe take this for the day before the floud, being the sixteenth of the monethmonth that Noah entred then, and his family before. 5. Others thinke, that Noah entred seven dayes before, according to the text, v. 1. Enter thou into the Arke. &c. v. 4. for seven dayes hence I will cause it to raine. v. 7. so Noah entred, &c. v. 10. and so after seven dayes, &c. And thus Ambrose expoundeth:Amb. lib. de arca & Noe. c. 25. so that here by way of recapitulation, mention is made of the entring of Noah: and Iunius to make the sense more full, readeth thus: In the same day when Noah was entred, &c. v. 13. &c. God shut him in. v. 16. He maketh the 13, 14, 15. verses to depend upon that clause, in the 16. verse, whereby is shewed how the providence of God watched over Noah and the rest, when they were entred, so shutting them up that the waters could not enter. 6. But Iunius inserteth one word, v. 13. which is not in the Hebrew,Reconciliation quum ingressus esset, when he was entred (when) is added: so that according to the true reading; the selfe same day Noah entred, &c. it is evident, that Noah with his sonnes entred the same day, wherein the raine began to fall: God so providing that against that day all kind of cattell and fowles were present to enter with him. And whereas Noah is bid to enter, v. 1. before the seven dayes, that is to bee understood of the preparing and making all things ready for his entrance: Mercerus. Now whereas Iunius thinketh, that in the very seventh day the floud came, and so readeth, v. 10. I thinke rather, that the seven dayes were fully expired, and that upon the 8. day, it began to raine: because the text is, that after seven dayes the waters were upon the earth. Mercer.
QVEST. XIII. How Noah was shut up.
Vers. 16. GOd shut him up, &c. 1. Not that after Noah was come into the Arke, and his sonnes with their wives, and the rest of the creatures: God by the ministery of the Angels did shut the doore without, and pitched it up: occlusit pro eo; God shut it up for him, as Tremelius and Cajetanus read: that is, whereas Noah being within, could not shut up the doore without God did it for him: for as Noah opened the doore at his going out, so it is like he shut it at his going in: but hereby …s signified, that what was wanting in Noahs labour, was supplyed by Gods providence, and that it was Gods worke to preserve Noah in the Arke. Mercer. 2. And this was done not so much to keepe him from the sight of the destruction of the world, which might have ministred griefe unto him, as Chrysostome collecteth, for there was a window, out of the which hee might behold that fearefull spectacle, but to keepe himselfe from the violence and rage of the waters, as also from the rage of men. Mercer.
QVEST. XIV. The 150. dayes must be reckoned from the beginning of the floud, whereof the 40. dayes are a part.
Vers. 24. THe waters prevailed an 150. dayes.] This terme must not be counted from the end of 40. dayes: mentioned v. 12. all which time the raine continued, as Tostatus and Cajetanus thinke: but from the beginning rather including the 40. dayes: which seemeth to be the opinion of Ambrose: (and here unto assent Musculus and Tremelius) lib. de Noah & arc. 17. and it may thus appeare: Genes. 8.4. it is said that in the 7. monethmonth, the 17. day, the Arke rested upon the mountaines of Armenia, which was after the end of the 150. dayes, when the waters began to abate: v. 3. but if the 150. dayes bee added to 40. which make in all an 190. the waters should not abate till the 27. day of the 8. monethmonth: for from the 17. day of the second monethmonth, when the forty dayes must take beginning, to the 17. day of the 7. monethmonth are but five moneths, that is dayes 150. (counting 30. dayes to a monethmonth) whereas, putting, 40. and 150. dayes together, wee shall have 190. before the waters should begin to abate, which is contrary to the text: now whereas the Septuagint read the water foreign was exalted an 150. dayes, and Chrysostome saith, tot dies mansit sublimis illa aquarum altitudo, the height of the waters continued so long: unlesse they meane indifferently of the rising and increase of the water upon any part of the earth, which began at the first when the raine fell within the 40. dayes, it cannot bee agreeable to the text: for the waters increased by three degrees, first the Arke was lift up above the waters, v. 17. then it floted and went upon the waters, v. 18. then the waters prevailed so much: that the highest hils were covered, v. 20. this increasing, prevailing, and continuing of the water, was but an 150. dayes, from the first to the last; Mercer.
4. Places of doctrine.
1. Doct. The floud not caused by any constellation.
1. Vers. 4. I Will cause it to raine upon the earth.] This raine then was not caused onelyonly or chiefly by ordinary and naturall causes, as by the constellation of the starres, which was foreseene by Noah: which seemeth to have beene the opinion of Henricus Mechliniens. and Petrus ab Aliaco, and Gulielmus Parisiensis, cited by Pererius: Seneca also ascribeth inundations to a fatall necessity: and when the great deluge shall be, which (hee beleeved was to come) hee saith the starres shall concurre together in Capricorne: But it is evident, that this floud was caused, not by naturall and ordinary meanes, but by the extraordinary power of God: 1. The Lord saith, I will bring a floud of waters, Gen. 6.…7. The fountaines of the deep, and the windowes of heaven were opened. This sheweth that it was Gods speciall worke by the ministery of his Angels, that the heavens rained, the earth gave up water after an extraordinary manner. 2. The sinnes of that age were the cause of this destruction, Gen. 6.13. It was then their iniquity, not any fatall necessity, that procured that judgement. 3. And seeing God made all things in wisdome and order, hee framed the world, that one part should concurre for the preservation of another, not to their destruction. 4. No constellation of starres can have a generall operation over the whole earth, but only in that place where their influence worketh: and when they are moved, they ce…se working. As Seneca rendreth this reason of the increase of some rivers in Summer, Quarta ratio est syderum, Senec. ibid.hac enim quibusdam mensibus magis urgent & exhauriunt flumina, cum longius recesserunt minus consumunt, &c. The fourth reason is in the starres, which in some moneths doe more worke vponupon rivers, but when they are gone farther off, they have not that force. Constallations then may exercise their strength upon some speciall rivers and places, but not universally upon the whole earth.
2. Doct. The highest mountaines in the world covered with the waters of the floud.
Vers. 19. ALL the high mountaines that were under the whole heavens were covered. They then are confuted, which thinke that some high hils, as Olympus, were not overflowne: whom Augustine refelleth. lib. 15. de civitat. c. 27. and Cajetanus, who would have the mountaine of Paradise to bee excepted from this inundation. 1. The words are generall, all high mountaines, under (not the airie heaven only, as Cajetan collecteth, but the whole heaven) were covered:The highest mountaines in the world. Peter. lib. …2. in Gen. disputat. 9. Plutarch. in Pa…d. Aemilio. Ioseph. de vell Iudai. l. 4. c. 2. Arist. …. lib. 1. cap. 13. yea the high mountaines were surprised: whether Athos in Macedonia, which cast his shadow unto the Towne Myrinum in Lemnos, the space of 86. miles, or Atlas, whose top is higher than the clouds: or Olympus, which Zinagoras by Mathematicall instruments found to be ten stadia, or furlongs high: Or the mount Tabor, which riseth up 30. furlongs, as Iosephus writeth, or Caucasus whose top is said to be lightned with the Sunne, when day-light is shut in below. All these high mountaines were covered with waters. 2. Augustine thus reasoneth, Non attendunt omnia elementorum crassissimam terram ibi esse potuisse, &c. They consider not that the earth the heaviest of all elements, is in the top of these high hils. It need not seeme strange then, that the waters might ascend thither. 3. Where doth Cajetan find that Paradise was situate upon an hill? nay the contrary is gathered out of Scripture, for out of Eden went a river to water the garden. Gen. 2.10. But rivers use not to run upon hils. And Cajetan needed not to feare the drowning of Paradise because of Henoch: for he was with God taken up into Heaven, where the floud could not reach him. 4. Of the like conceit with Cajetan is Bellarmine, who thinketh that all the mountaines were not overflowen, but these onelyonly where the wicked dwelt. And Iosephus reporteth out of Nicholaus Damascenus, Bellar. de gra…. pri…. …. cap. 14. Ioseph. lib. 1. antiquit. c. 4.that there is a certaine hill in Armenia called Baris, in quo multos profugos diluvii tempore servatos ferunt, wherein they say, many flying thither for succour in the time of the floud were preserved. But these dreames and devices are overthrowne by the evident words of Scripture, that all high mountaines under heaven were covered with the waters. 5. Likewise that fabulous dreame of some Hebrewes is here refelled, who imagine that beside Noah and the rest of the eight persons, Og King of Basan, who lived till Moses time, one of those Giants before the floud might bee preserved; for beside, that none after the floud lived so long, where should Og have beene kept in the floud? seeing the mountaines were covered fifteene cubits high, which exceeded the stature of any Giant. For the Hebrewes doe but fable, supposing those Giants to have beene an hundred cubits high. Neither is that report out of Pliny much to bee credited, of a Gyants body found in Crete of 46. cubits,Hebrewes fables. 6. Further, Ab. Exra confuteth the opinion of some in his dayes, that held this deluge not to have beene universall: for although it may bee all the world was not inhabited before the floud, but only the East parts, because they wanted the invention of ships to transport them from place to place (for Noah was the first that used a ship) yet it is without doubt that the whole earth was overflowne, seeing the highest hils were so farre under the water. Mercer.
5. Places of confutation.
1. Confut. The generall floud past, and not to come.
FIrst out of this Chapter, wherein the manner of the floud, the beginning thereof and continuance is set downe, the errour of Seneca is refelled, who dreamed of two destructions of the world, to come, by fire and water: he did not beleeve that the universall floud was past, sed inundationem futuram, that it was yet to come.
2. Confut. All perished not in the floud.
AGaine in that inundation, he imagined that all mankind, and beasts, should utterly be extinguished: for thus he writeth: Peracto exitio generis humani, extinctisque pariter feris, &c. omne ex integro animal gloriabitur, Senec. lib 3. Naturall.dabiturque terris homo inscius scelerum: the destruction of mankind being finished, and all beasts perished: every creature shall be renewed, and man restored to the earth without sinne: But these fancies are refuted by Moses, who sheweth how man and beast in the Arke were preserved.
3. Confut. The fish perished not in the floud.
Vers. 32. EVerie thing in whose nostrells the spirit of life did breath.] By this that fancie of some of the Rabbines is confuted, who thinke that the fish also were destroied by the waters, which they suppose to have beene hot in the floud: for onelyonly those things perished which breathed upon the drie land: sic Vatablus in hunc locum.
4. Confut. The truth of Noahs floud, proved by testimony of the heathen.
Vers. 20. Fifteene cubits upward.] From hence some would gather that the floud did ascend to the middle region of the Arke: for it was higher than the mountaines, whose toppes doe touch the middle region, and sometime are above the clouds: as they gave instance of the hill Olympus, which is so high, that the ashes left of the sacrifices, are neither dispersed by the wind, nor dissolved by the raine: if then the floud was higher than that place where the raine is engendred, the waters could not increase so high by the raine: and thus they would impaire the credit of this storie, and consequently inferre, that there was no such floud.
Answ. 1. That report of Olympus is found to be untrue: as Lodovicus Vives affirmeth by the testimony of Philadelphius, Lodovic. in 15. de civitat. Dei cap. 27.who went up to the hill, of purpose to try the truth of the report, but found no such thing. 2. No mountaine can bee so high as the middle region, which is distant 50. mile from the earth, whereas no hill exceedeth 4. mile in height: 3. Solinus reporteth, that in the top of the mountaine Atho, there was a towne situate, and divers inhabited there which lived halfe againe so long, as other men did: it seemeth then to have beene a most wholesome place for aire: then was it not in the middle region, which is full of clouds and foggy mists, and beside they affirme, that the top of the hill Atlas is alwayes covered with snow, then it will follow that the snow is not there engendred. 4. Though it bee granted, that the floud might rise to the neather and lowest part of the middle region, yet the upper part thereof was farre remote, from whence raine might be ministred abundantly. 5. Lastly, this universall inundation of the world wanteth not testimony from the heathen: as Iosephus alleageth out of Berosus, Hieronymus, Ioseph. lib. 1. antiquitat. c. 4. Euseb. lib. 9. de prepar. evangelic. c. 4.(which writ the antiquities of the Phenicians) Muaseas, and Nicolaus Damascenus, who writeth of one that was carried in an Arke, and did sticke in the mountaine Baris in Armenia: Eusebius reporteth out of Abidenus, how one Sissithras escaped in a ship to Armenia, being foretold of a great inundation by Saturne, and how by sending out of birds hee searched whether the earth were dry. Pererius in his learned commentaries citeth, beside Cyrillus who alleageth Alexander Polihistor for the same, and Plato in Tima…: Plutarch also maketh mention,Li. 12. in Gen. disput. 13. how Deucalion sent a dove out of the Arke: Pompon Melae, Plinius, Solinus, writ that Joppe was thought to be the most ancient City in the world, and to have beene before the floud: which must be understood of the generall floud in the time of Noah: for Ogyges floud was only in Attica, and Deucalions in Thessalia; which came not neere Palestina where Joppe was; and many Cities in the world were more ancient than those flouds:Of Ogyges and Deucalions flouds. that of Ogyges being 500. yeares and more after Noahs floud, about the 90. yeare of Iacobs age: the other of Deucalion 230. after that, about the 50. yeare of Moses age, as Pererius sheweth out of Eusebius, and Orosius: thus the heathen were not ignorant of this great judgement of water upon the world: but they obscured the truth with their fables, giving oth… names unto Noah, as of Sissitheus, Ogyges, Deucalion. &c.
Vers. 21. And every man perished.] Like as from this generall proposition, some were excepted, as Noah, and the rest,Bellarmine answered concerning the privi…ege of some …ils in the …oud. which were with him: so notwithstanding, all high mountaines are said to bee covered with the waters, v. 19. yet some may bee excepted, they only are mentioned, where the wicked inhabited: sic Bellarm. de gratia primi hominis, c. 14.
Contra. The comparison is not alike, betweene these two generall propositions: for from the first, Noah, and his company are by speciall words exempted, v. 23. Noah only remained, and they that were with him in the Arke: but no such thing concerning the hils is expressed in Scripture, that any of them were privileged from the waters.
Ca…s. 32. qu. 1. … ….12.6. v. 2. Of uncleane beasts thou shalt take of by couples.] From these words the Canon doth conclude most corruptly: Non esse bonum duplicem numerum, qui praefigurat foedera nuptiarum▪ &c. that a double number is not good, whereby marriage is prefigured: whereupon all the beasts that enter by two and two are uncleane, impar numerus est mundus, the old number is cleane.
Contra. 1. But the cleane and uncleane entred by couples: v. 8. of the cleane and uncleane, there came two and two: therefore this is a false note. 2. The uncleane are not such, because of their number, but for their kind. 3. By this rule, Noah and his sonnes should have beene uncleane, that went into the Arke by couples, namely with their wives.
6. Places of Morall observations.
God mixeth his comforts with afflictions.1. Vers. 3. TO keepe seed alive upon the earth.] Hence Calvin noteth well, that God tempereth the afflictions of his servants with comfort: as here Noah, the destruction of the world being at hand, is put in hope, that it shall bee restored againe: so as the Prophet saith, thy rod and thy staffe doe comfort mee, as God correcteth with the rod of affliction, so hee upholdeth his, with the staffe of consolation.
2 v. 9. There came two and two, male and female.] By this, that to one male there is but one female preserved both of man and beast, wee see the right use of marriage approved,Polygamy condemned. and Polygamy the marriage of more than one at once, condemned. sic Muscul. in hunc locum.
3. v. 10. After seven dayes, Gods patience towards the old world.&c. v. 12. And the raine was upon the earth forty dayes, &c. But these shew the Lords longanimity and patience: for Noah is warned seven dayes before of the floud comming, that by his preparation and entrance others might be warned. Oecolamp. and whereas God might have destroyed the world at once with water, it was increasing forty dayes, that the world seeing every day some perish, might at length have turned to God. Chrysost.
4. v. 16. The Lord shut him in.] God first provideth for Noah, before the wicked are destroyed:God first c… reth for the righteous. Light in darkenesse. so L…t was brought out of Sodome, before the City was consumed: sic Muscul. Mercer.
5. vers. 24. The waters prevailed an 150. dayes. Thus Noah continued in this desolate and darke place above an whole yeare: but God was his light and comfort. Thus God is able to sustaine his Elect, though they be shut up in the most darke and deepe dungeons: as a light did shine in prison, where Peter lay bound at midnight, Act. 12.7. according to the Psalme, to the righteous ariseth a light in darknesse, Psal. 112.4.