Commentary on Genesis and Exodus, Commentary · Chapter 8

Commentary on Genesis and Exodus · Commentary · Chapter 8

p. 77CHAP. VIII.

1. The Method.

THis Chapter hath two parts: 1. Of the ceasing of the floud, to v. 15. 2. of Noahs going forth, and such things as accompanied the same.

1. Here is set forth. 1. The causes of the ceasing of the floud from v. 1. to v. 7. 2. The manner how, and by what degrees the earth was dried.

The causes are the principall, the mercy of God in remembring Noah, v. 1.

The secondary meanes helping, the winde that God sent, v. 1. the letting causes, the raine and fountaines were staied, v. 2.

The manner of the ceasing of the floud, and drying of the earth is set forth, first generally, after an 150. dayes, v. 3. then particularly, to v. 15. by foure degrees declared with their severall seasons. 1. In the seventh monethmonth and 17. day the Arke rested, &c. v. 4. 2. In the tenth monethmonth the tops of the mountaines were seene, v. 5. 3. Then the waters were abated, v. 11. Noah to know it, once sendeth the raven after 40. dayes, v. 6. and thrice the dove, once seven dayes after the ra…en. v. 8. then seven dayes after, v. 10. and other seven dayes after that, v. 12. 4. Then the earth was dried, first in the upper part only, in the first day of the 1. monethmonth, v. 13. then it was perfectly dry in the 2. monethmonth, and twenty seven day.

2. In the second part we have, 1. Gods commandement for Noahs going forth, v. 15, 16, 17. 2. Noahs obedience, v. 18, 19. 3. His thankfulnesse in sacrificing to God, v. 20. Gods acceptance, v. 21. with his prom…se not to destroy the earth againe, v. 21. and his benediction, in restoring the state of things againe, v. 22.

2. The literall or grammaticall interpretation.

v. 3. the water abated going from the earth, foreign. S. the waters returned from the earth, going and comming. Ch. H.B.G.P. they went from the face of the earth, continenter recedendo, continually going away.T.S.r. T. going and returning: haloch, vashub.

v. 4. the seven and twenty day. S. H. the seventeenth: caet. upon the mountaines of Armenia. H. G. B. the mountaines Cardu, Ch. upon the mountaines of Ararat.S.H. cor. diff. v…rb. P. H. upon one of the mountaines of Ararat. Tr.

v. 7. he sent out a raven, to see if the waters were abated. S. the rest have not these words: S add. S. neg. pro affirm. S. det. S.H. alt. S. det. S. add. S. …or. S. add. S. invert. H.P. divers. sig. S. de.and going forth hee returned not. S. which went and came: caet.

v. 10. waiting yet seven dayes. S. seven other dayes: caet.

v. 11. an olive leafe, foreign, with a dry stalke. S. a branch of an olive with greene leaves. H. an olive leafe, decerptum, pulled off in her mouth. T.B.G.C.P. taraph. plucked, pulled, in the evening: all read but the Sept.

v. 12. in the six hundred and one yeare, &c. in the life of Noe: this is added by the S. the cover of the Arke which he had made: these words likewise added, which the other have not.

v. 14. the seventeenth day. S. the seven and twenty: caet. the seven and twenty day he opened the Arke: added by the Sept.

v. 6. thou and thy sonnes, thy wife, and thy sonnes wives. S. thou and thy wife, thy sonnes and their wives.

v. 17. ingredimini, goe upon the earth. H. P. fill the earth, or ingender aboundantly, or breed in the earth: caet. shara…se, to bring forth in multitude to creepe, to move.

v. 19. according to their kinds. H.B.G. their generations. Ch. families. T. P. mishphacah: family. H. this is wanting in the S.

v. 21. the Lord smelled a sweet savour. S. H. B. God accepted his offering. Ch. a savour of rest.differ. ver. G. P. gratum odorem, an acceptable or pleasing savour. T. noach: rest: according to Noahs name.

God said, foreign, bethinking himselfe. S. said to him. H. said in his word. C. said in his heart. caet.H. cor. p. 78because of mens workes. S. mens sinnes. Ch. because of man: caet. the cogitation of man is diligently bent to evill.S.C. ad. S.H. c. S. ch. S. prone to evill. H. is evill from his infancy: c…t. raugh, evill, Pl. v. 22. sommer and the spring. S. sommer and winter: caet. choreph: winter.

3. The explanation of doubts.

QVEST. I. How God is said to have remembred Noah.

Vers. 1. GOd remembred &c. not that there is oblivion or forgetfulnesse with God, but then God is said to remember, when he sheweth by the effects that he hath care of man: so God is said to remember mans sins, when he punisheth them, Mercer. as the widowe said to the prophet, art thou come to call my sinne to remembrance, and to slay my sonne? 1. King. 17.20. 2. God also remembreth the cattell: wherein Moses is not contrarie to Paul: doth God take care for oxen? 1. Cor. 9. where the Apostle denieth not that Gods providence watcheth over cattell, but that his care toward man is greater, and that he careth for beasts, for mans cause. 3. So then as the cattell perished in the floud together with the wicked, so they are preserved for the righteous sake. 4. Some of the Hebrewes thinke that God is said to remember the beasts, not the fowles, because they were not made the same day with man: but the reason is, because Moses having made so often mention of the birds, that were likewise preserved in the Arke, as Gen. 6.20. Gen. 7.3.14. needed not to speake of them here. 5. R. Sel. noteth, that God remembred the beasts, because they did not couple together in the Arke. I will not answer with Mercerus, that the beasts engendred in the Arke, both that they might be for sacrifice and for food afterward: for there were enough beside for sacrifice, seeing seven of the cleane entred into the Arke: and concerning food, they might for a while forbeare the eating of flesh, till the creatures were increased: but if both cleane and uncleane beasts should have engendred in the Arke, neither would the Arke have contained them, nor the food by Noah provided have sufficed them. We answer then, that God remembred them, not for any such thing, but for mans cause.

QVEST. II. What manner of wind it was that God sent.

GOd made a spirit or wind to passe. 1. which was not the spirit of consolation, wherewith Noah was comforted,Ambr. lib. de Noah, & arc. c. 1…. Rasi. 2. Nor yet the holy Ghost, as Ambrose and Theodoret suppose, Ambrose reason is, quomodo non evacuaretur mare ventorum vi: if it were then wind that dryed up the floud, much more is it able to dry up and empty the sea: but this followeth not, because this was an extraordinary wind, not such as usually bloweth in the sea. Theodoret saith further, non solent ventis aquae imminui, sed potius turbari, &c. the wind useth to trouble the water, not to dry it up: so did this wind cause the water to goe and come, but it had also a drying faculty, otherwise than ordinary winds have. 2. Neither was this wind the spirit and heat of the Sunne,Rupert. lib 4. in Gen. c. 2….Gen 2 as Rupertus thinketh: but this was extraordinary caused, whereas the Sun kept his ordinary course still. 3. It was then a wind indeed, that was raised by the extraordinary power of God: for by exhalation out of the earth, (whereof winds are usually ingendred,) it being covered with waters, this wind was not caused: and God gave it also an extraordinary power, both to dry the waters, by rossing them to and fro, and to force them by going and comming, (as the property of the water is to ebbe and flow,) to their proper place, into the deepe fountaines from whence they came. And these two properties the Scripture ascribeth to the wind: 1. to force the waters, as in the division of the red sea, and to purge the ayre, to disperse the clouds, and dry up moysture. Prov. 25.23. as the North wind driveth away the raine. Perer.

QVEST. III. When the fountaines began to be stopped, and the raine to cease.

Vers. 2. THe fountaines of the deepe were stopped, &c. The raine ceased, and the current of the water was stopped immediatly after the forty dayes, as Augustine thinketh: 2. not after the 150. dayes spoken of before, as Oleaster imagineth: for then the waters had not continued in their height any time at all, but should presently have begun to decrease, for after the 150. daies they began to abate: and Moses saith, that the raine was upon the earth forty daies, and forty nights, chap. 7.21. then not an 150. daies and nights. 3. Wherefore I rather approve the opinion of some other Hebrewes, that it ceased to raine at all, after the forty dayes expired, then of Aben Ezra, to whom Mercerus seemeth to subscribe, that it rained though not continually, an 110. dayes, after the 40. dayes, that is in all, 150. dayes. 4. R. S…l. noteth, that where it is said, all the fountaines of the deep were stopped, not all the fountaines, as before it is said, all the fountaines, &c. were opened: that some fountaines remained unstopped for the procreation and sending forth of rivers and springs: so also Iun. But it is more like that all the fountaines which were extraordinarily opened to augment the floud, were stopped: the ordinary springs of water continued still, as before the floud.

QVEST. IV. How the seven monethmonth is to be counted.

Vers. 4. IN the seventh monethmonth, the seventh day, &c. 1. Whereas the Latine text and the Septuagint read for the seventeenth day,Latine text corrupt. the seven and twenty day; which reading is received of the popish interpreters, that are addicted to their vulgar latine text, and hereupon some of them reckon from the beginning of the floud seuen moneths, that is, 207. dayes (counting twenty nine dayes and a halfe to a monethmonth,) whereof the floud continued one hundred ninety, and so there should be seventeene daies betweene the beginning of the waters to abate, & the resting of the Arke: sic Tostatus. Others beginning their reckoning from the beginning of the floud, till the waters abated, which make five moneths, and two dayes and a p. 79halfe, (accounting but twenty nine dayes and a halfe to a monethmonth,) and hereunto they put eight dayes more (which was the space between the abating of the water, and the resting of the Arke) which added to the two dayes, make up those ten, which the latin hath more than the Hebrew: sic Lyranus, Pererius. But wee refuse all these collections, which goe about to justifie the vulgar latin against the originall veri…y wherin S. Augustine giveth us a good rule:August. l. 15 de civit. dei. c. 13. ei lingua potius credatur unde est in aliā per interpretes facta translatio: that tongue is rather to be credited, out of the which the interpreters have translated into another.

2. Receiving then the Hebrew text, that the Arke rested upon the 17. not the 27. day of the 7. monethmonth yet we refuse the opinion of Cajetan, who therein followeth R. Sel. that would have this monethmonth the seventh from the beginning of the floud, not the seventh of the yeare: and the reason is, because hee maketh not the 40. dayes of the raine, part of the 150. dayes, as it is to be truly taken, as is shewed before, cap. 7. quest. 14. but he putteth them together, making of them both 190. dayes; which is the space of six moneths and sixteene dayes (counting but 29. dayes to a monethmonth) so that upon the 191. day after the beginning of the floud, which is the 17. of the 7. monethmonth of the floud, the Arke rested, &c. But this account cannot stand, to make this seventh monethmonth, the seventh from the beginning of the floud, not from the beginning of the yeare: seeing both the second monethmonth, chap. 7.11. and the tenth monethmonth, chap. 8.5. must of necessity be referred to the yeare, not to the continuance of the floud. And this were to breed a confusion, in the story, to take some moneths according to the season of the yeare, and some according to the time of the floud: for seeing the moneths both before and after, are numbred according to the course of the yeare, there is no reason to understand the seventh monethmonth otherwise.

3. Neither doe we approve Lyranus conceit, that whereas hee maketh the 150. dayes to determine the 19. of the seventh monethmonth, after which time the waters began to decrease, he would have the Arke to rest upon the 17. day according to the text: but how is it like, that the Arke should rest, before the waters began to abate without a miracle?

4. Neither can I condiscend to Mercerus judgement, wherein hee followeth a certaine Hebrew in his booke of the binding of Isaack: that the waters began to decrease before the 150. dayes expired; though the decrease was not so sensible as afterward: and so the waters might abate so much by the end of the 150. dayes, as that the Arke might well be staid from floting: but the text favoureth not this collection, which saith, that the waters prevailed an 150. dayes: but when they abated, they prevailed not: and againe, v. 3. after the end of 150. dayes the waters abated, Ergo, not before.

5. Wherefore we tooke this seventh monethmonth according to the order of the yeare being the sixt in number from the second monethmonth wherein the floud began, and making in all but five compleat moneths, that is an 150. dayes from the 17. of the second, to the 17. of the seventh: so that wee make the 40. dayes of continuall raine to be a parcell of the 150. dayes mentioned chap. 7.24. All which time the waters prevailed: so then upon the same day, the 151. from the beginning of the floud, which was the 17. of the seventh, the waters abated, and the Arke rested upon the mountaines of Armenia: this exposition best agreeeth with the text: and thus Tremeliu… and Musculus doe truly expound.

But two objections are made, 1. saith Pererius, by this exposition the Arke shall rest the very first day of the abating of the waters, which is not like, seeing that it was above two moneths after, (the 1. day of the 10. monethmonth) when the tops of the mountaines appeared: thus also objecteth Mercerus. Answer 1, This doubt is easily removed, 1. seeing that the waters exceeded not the highest mountaines above 15. cubits: and the Arke might draw at the least a 11. cubits of water, as R. Sel. thinketh, so that the bottom of the Arke was but 4. cubits above the tops of the high mountaines: it is not unlikely but that the waters might abate 4. cubits in depth the first day, that the Arke might well touch the tops of those high mountaines: which may very well be supposed to be the highest of the rest, because the Arke first touched there. 2. And that this great abatement the first day may seeme probable, let it bee considered, that in the sp…ce of an 160. and odde dayes from the 17. of the 7. monethmonth, to the 1. of the first monethmonth in the 601. yeare, v. 13. the very lowest parts of the earth were dried. Now the highest hils are thought to be 3. miles at the least higher than the low places, (as mount Tabor is 30. furlongs high) that is, 3000. yards,How much the waters are supposed to have abated every day. which maketh 6000. cubits the eight part of that number, the eight part of the height of water must abate, which is 750. cubits: that is every day 37. cubits and an halfe, or thereabout: Now be it admitted, that every day the waters were not wasted alike: for the higher the water, and the greater the compasse or circumference, the smaller was the abatement, yet according to this proportion, the waters might very well sinke so much the first day, that the Arke might well be stayed upon the high mountaines of Ararat, or Armenia.

3. And if we say that these mountaines, whose tops appeared the first day of the 10. monethmonth, were the lower and inferiour hils, as some Hebrewes thinke, whom Mercer. followeth: then there remaineth no doubt at all: but that there might be the space of two moneths betweene the appearing of the tops of the highest, and of the lowest hils.

QVEST. V. How many dayes are to be counted to a monethmonth.

SEcondly, it is objected, seeing an 150. dayes make five moneths, and two dayes with an halfe (reckoning 29. dayes and an halfe after the computation of Hebrewes to a monethmonth) it will be found that the Arke rested two dayes and an halfe before the waters began to abate, which was not till an 150. dayes expired: but this is not like.

Answ. 1. We are not forced here, to adde ten dayes more, as the latine text, for 17. readeth 27. which is a corrupting of the Scripture. 2. Neither need wee say as some, that the waters did abate indeed p. 80before the 150. dayes expired, but that abatement was not sensible, evident, or apparant, and therefore it is not accounted of: for this were to contradict the text, which saith, after the end of the 150. dayes the waters abated: Ergo, not before: and beside, seeing the Arke rested and stayed at the very first abatement upon the mountaine, how was it not apparant and sensible?

3. Neither for the solution of this doubt, are we driven to take this seventh monethmonth according to the tearme of the floud, and not after the order of the yeare; which were to confound the storie, as is before shewed.

4. But our answer is, that a monethmonth here is neither taken for the space of 29. dayes, as Cajetane, nor of 29. and a halfe, as Pererius affirmeth, but for thirty dayes complete, Iunius: and so shall we have an 150. dayes just, from the second to the seventeenth of the seventh monethmonth: for unlesse this be admitted, we shall neither find a sufficient answer to this objection propounded, all those other conjectures being too weake. And beside, unlesse the Hebrewes should account 30. dayes to a monethmonth, and rather more, their yeares consisting of twelve moneths, should be very imperfect: for whereas a yeare according to the course of the Sunne containeth 365. dayes: if there be but 30. dayes in a monethmonth, there will be but 360. dayes: if but 29. dayes and an halfe, there will be but 354. so that by this reckoning the Hebrewes yeare should want 11. dayes, of a perfect yeare, which would worke a great confusion in the computation of yeares, and is not to be admitted.

QVEST. VI. What mountaine the Arke rested upon.

THe Arke rested upon the mountaines of Ararat, &c. Some thinke that the Arke rested upon the mountaine Taurus, from whence commeth the River Araxis, which some understand hereby Ararath, and upon that part of Taurus which hangeth over Cilicia: and the rather, for that the City Tarsus is there situate, which seemeth to be derived of the word foreign, which signifieth to drie, because that part and tract of Cilicia, was soonest dried after the floud, Perer.

But the Chalde Paraphrast calleth that part of Armenia where the Arke rested, Kardu: Curtius Cordaeos, the Cordeans, or Gordians, as Ptolomie: where is one hill higher than the rest, not called Baris, as Iosephus alleageth out of Nicholaus Damascenus, which Iunius out of Epiphanius sheweth must be read, Lubaris, which in the Armenian tongue signifieth a place of descending: because there was the place where Noah first descended out of the Arke: and this is most probable. But whether part of the Arke remained so long time after, as Iosephus, Berosus, Hieronymus, say it continued till their time, it is uncertaine, Marlorat.

QVEST. VII. How the tenth monethmonth is to be accounted.

Vers. 5. THe waters were going and decreasing till the tenth monethmonth, &c. This cannot be the tenth monethmonth from the beginning of the floud, as Cajetane thinketh: for seeing there was one monethmonth, and 16. dayes of the second monethmonth past before the floud came: by this reckoning this first day of the tenth monethmonth, when the tops of the mountaines began to appeare should be the seventeenth day of the eleventh monethmonth: which cannot be, seeing after this, Moses accounteth 40. dayes. vers. 6. and thrice seven dayes, according to the thrice sending of the Dove, vers. 10.12. which are in all sixty dayes, which make two moneths before the beginning of the six hundred and one yeare, vers. 14. But there should onelyonly remaine after Cajetanes computation a monethmonth and a halfe, about forty five dayes. Wherefore this tenth monethmonth is to be accounted from the beginning of the yeare, and not of the floud.

QVEST. VIII. How much water the Arke drew.

COncerning the depth of water, which the Arke is supposed to have drawne. 1. I neither thinke that it went so small a depth in water, not above two or three cubits, as Ramban, whom Mercerus followeth: for the burthen of the ship was great, and must cause it to sinke downe deeper: neither need wee feare with Ramban, if the water tooke up the third part of the Arke, it being a flat bottomed vessell, lest it might have beene drowned: for who knoweth not, but that such vessels may bee loaden within a third part of the brimme, and yet not sinke. 2. Hugo thinketh it drew nine cubits, wherein he followeth Rasi, another Rabbin. 3. Lyranus maketh it to draw thirteene cubits, but that is too much: fo… the Arke floting but two cubits from the tops of the mountaines, might be in danger of dashing against the ground. 4. I subscribe rather to R. Sel. that the Arke did sinke an eleven cubits: so that it was lifted up foure cubits from the tops of the hils, which was a sufficient distance.

QVEST. IX. Whether all the dayes of the yeare of the floud are summed by Moses.

Vers. 6. AFter the end of 40. dayes, &c. Cajetan thinketh, that all the dayes of this yeare, wherein the floud prevailed, are numbred by Moses: as first 46. dayes before the floud came: 40. dayes, wherein the raine fell: 150. dayes, while the waters prevailed: then 70. dayes from the 17. of the seventh monethmonth, to the first of the tenth monethmonth: then 40. dayes here mentioned: and lastly, 14. dayes spoken of, vers. 10.12. when the Dove was twice sent forth: which in all make 300. dayes: for in the yeare of the floud, there were just so many dayes: and whereas there is in every yeare, five dayes and a quarter above that number, of ancient time they used to every sixt yeare to put in mensem intercalarem, an odde monethmonth to make up the number: sic Cajetanus. First Cajetane erreth in the reckoning of the dayes: 1. The forty dayes wherein the raine fell, are part of the 150. dayes, wherein the water prevailed, as I have shewed before: 2. after the forty dayes ment…ned, chap. 8.6. there are not twice but p. 81thrice seven dayes to be accounted, according to the thrice sending of the Dove, as it may appeare,How many dayes the Hebrewes count to their yeare. vers: 10. Secondly, concerning the Hebrew computation, for the dayes of the yeare, whereas the Egyptians Grecians, and Romans, used three divers accounts for the dayes and moneths: for the first, in the end of the yeare beside the twelve moneths added five dayes, and every fourth yeare they put in a day more, as we use to doe in our leape yeare, as witnesseth Macrobius: the Greekes counted precisely but 360. dayes to a yeare, but then they every third yeare put in a monethmonth, as Herodotus testifieth: the Romans so divided the moneths of the yeare, giving to some 31. dayes, that they together made up the whole number of 365. dayes, it is most like, that the Hebrewes followed the ancient Calender of the Egyptians, making their yeare even with the course of the Sunne, saving that they had also their leape yeare, and so doth Moses here: and thus thinketh Aben Ezra, though other Hebrewes are of opinion, that there are ten dayes above a yeare added, to make it equall with the course of the Sunne. Wherefore he numbreth not all the dayes of the yeare, (for from the first of the tenth monethmonth, to the first of the first monethmonth of the next yeare, are 90. dayes, whereas there are but 40. and thrice seven dayes spoken of) but onelyonly those dayes are registred, wherein some thing fell out of speciall note and remembrance.

QVEST. X. Whether Noah opened the doore or window, and wherefore.

Vers. 6. NOah opened the window of the Arke which he made.] 1. This was neither the doore of the Arke, as some Greeke copies read foreign, which signifieth a doore: as Chrysost. hom. 27. in Gen. for the doore could not be opened without danger. 2. Neither as Cajetane thinketh, was this another window, beside that mentioned in the description of the Arke, because there the word (…zohar) is used, which signifieth a light, here the word (chalon) which is a window: for it is no unwonted thing in Scripture, to expresse one thing by divers names. 3. Neither, as Oleaster conjectureth, did Noah beside the window, make a cleft or rift in the ship to looke out: for that had beene dangerous, in respect of the rage and violence of the water. 4. Neither doth Noah send out, rather than looke forth himselfe, either for feare to behold the terrible waters, as Chrysostome, for his heart was not so timorous; or for that the window was too little for him to looke out, as Tostatus thinketh: but because the fowles sent forth could give notice by their returne of the remote places, which Noah could not so easily see, Perer. 5. Now whereas the tops of the mountaines are said to be seene, vers. 5. before Noah opened the window, the question is,How the tops of the moun…taines were seene before Noah opened the window▪ of whom they were seene: for besides Noah and those which were in the Arke, there was no body to see them: the answer is, 1. that Noah might have opened the window before, though it be not expressed: as many things beside are not, which Noah is supposed to have done in the Arke: 2. Or it is so said, because the tops of the hils were to be seene, though no man saw them. 3. Likewise Noah might know it by revelation, as he did other things: as that the waters were 15. cubits above the hils, which no man could know but from God, Mercer.

QVEST. XI. Of the comming and going of the Raven.

Vers. 7. HE sent out a Raven.] The Hebrewes text hath, which went and came, the Septuagint and Latine, which went and came not, and so many of the Fathers doe reade.The Latine text corrupt, as readeth Pererius: though some Latine edition read otherwise. 1. It is here no wise to be admitted, that the Hebrew text is corrupted: for neither could the Jewes conspire altogether to corrupt the Scriptures, but their falshood would have beene spied: neither doth this place make any thing for the Jewes against us, and therefore they had no cause to corrupt it: and beside it is well knowne, that the Jewes are most carefull to preserve the Scriptures, having all the words in tale, that are used in the text, and how often every letter of the Alphabet is found in the Scripture. 2. We also refuse their conjectures, who to justifie this erroneous reading, would have the Septuagint and Latine to keepe the sense, though not the words: as now the Crow is said not to returne, because he came not againe into the Arke, bur onelyonly rested upon it: or for that he returned without giving notice of that, wherefore he was sent, as the Dove did, sic Lyranus, Tostatus. 3. Their conjecture also, which say that the Raven returned not, but lighted upon some carrion or dead body, cannot be allowed, as contrary to the text, and beside unlikely, seeing now it was the eleventh monethmonth, in which time all the dead bodies were either consumed of the water, or devoured of the fish. 4. Wherefore we hold the Septuagint and Latine to be corrupt: and that according to the Hebrew text, the Raven went and came to the Arke, both because there was his food, his mate or fellow, and his nest or resting place: though I thinke that Raven was not received into the Arke as the Dove was. 5. But the Hebrewes fables we refuse: how that the Raven was sent forth out of the Arke, because of his intemperancie with his mate: and that two other in the Arke,Hebrewes fables. were in the same case, Cham, and Canis, the dogge: likewise, they imagine, that the Raven should expostulate with Noah, why he was sent out from his mate: as though Noah should keepe her for himselfe: some thinke that this was the Raven that afterward fed Elias: but these ridiculous toyes are not worth the rehearsall. 6. The Hebrewes and some Christian writers doe here much stand upon allegories: some of them, which tend to edifying we refuse not: as that the simple hearted are signified by the Dove, who are to be received into the Church: but Hypocrites and carnall men, must not be admitted into the Arke of the Church, as the Raven returned not, Mercer.

QVEST. XII. Of the sending out of the Dove, and the computation of the seven dayes.

Vers. 8. HE sent also forth a Dove from him. &c. 1. Though the tops of the mountaines appeared before the sending forth of the Dove, yet she found no rest for the sole of her foot,Chrysost. hom. …6. in Gen. because the earth was not yet dry but muddy, and standing with water, as Chrysostome noteth: and Iosephus saith, p. 82that the dove returned with fowle and durty feet: and beside, the dove delighteth in the vallies and places, which were yet under the water.Ioseph. lib. 1. …tiquitat. hom. 26. in Gen. Plin. lib. 16. cap. 20. Mercer. 2. whereas she brought an olive leafe, &c. I rather thinke with Chrysostome, that the olive tree yet keepe the leaves greene under the water, especially, seeing the olive, as Pliny noteth, is one of those trees, whose leaves are alwayes greene: then with Ambrose, that Deo jubente uno die, &c. germinavit terra, &c. at Gods commandement the earth in the same day wherin it began to be dry, did bud and bring forth: that this olive branch was fetcht forth from Paradise, or out of the land of Israel, is a Jewish fable,. 3. Where Moses saith, v. 10. he abode yet other seven dayes: I approve rather the opinion of Tostatus, and Lyranus, and Mercerus, that Moses observeth thrice seven dayes, then of Rupertus and Pererius, Pererius lib. 13. in Genes. disput….that understand but twice seven, which Noah waited for the sending forth of the dove: for it is evident that he had staid 7. dayes before: not seven other from those forty dayes, as Pererius expoundeth it: but other seven from the first seven; as the seven other mentioned, v. 12. were other from the second seven.

QVEST. XIII. Of the account of the 601. yeare of Noahs age.

Vers. 13. IN the six hundred and one yeare, &c. 1. Whereas in the first monethmonth the upper face of the earth was dried, and yet v. 14. it is said the earth was dried the 27. day of the second monethmonth: wee need not with Cajetan to reconcile this doubt, to say, that this was all one monethmonth, but divers in computation: the first in respect of Noahs age, the second of the yeare: for it was not like that Moses in the same place would use a divers computation, which would breed a confusion in the story: but the text expoundeth it selfe, that in the first monethmonth, onelyonly the upper face of the earth seemed to bee dry, but it was not firme and sound,Of removing the covering of the Arke. and fit for habitation, till the second monethmonth. 2. In that Noah removed the covering of the Arke, that is, part thereof, so much as might serve to looke forth, it followeth not that the window of the Arke was too little for Noah to looke out at, as Pererius noteth: or not convenient in respect of the situation for that use, for both Noah out of the window had perceived before the tops of the mounntaines to bee bare, v. 5. for how else and of whom were they seene? as also in that Noah put his hand out of the window and tooke in the dove, it appeareth it was not out of his reach: but from the top of the Arke Noah might see round about, whereas the window opened but one way, and therefore he removed some part of the cover.

QVEST. XIIII. Noahs floud of the longest continuance of all others.

Vers. 14. ANd in the second monethmonth, the 27. day of the monethmonth.] 1. This floud then which was in Noahs time, was of the longest continuance of all flouds and inundations, that ever were: that great inundation of Nilus under Prometheus, endured but a moneths space: that under Ogyges in Achaia, two moneths: another under Deucalion in Thessalia, three moneths: they make mention also of a fourth inundation of the Isle Pharos,Xenophon, Anian. lib. de equivoti…. called therefore Pharonica, under the Aegyptian Proteus: but none of these were like unto this inundation in Noahs time, neither for generality of place, or perpetuity of time. 2. For this floud neither continued only nine moneths as Annia…s thinketh, or ten moneths as Cajetanus supposeth: but twelve moneths full and ten dayes, according to the course of the Sunne: for Noah went into the Arke, when the floud began, in the second monethmonth and 17. day of the six hundred yeare, and hee came forth the second monethmonth of the yeare six hundred and one, upon the 27. day of the monethmonth.

QVEST. XV. Abstinence in the Arke.

Vers. 18. ANd Noah came forth, &c. 1. Ambrose noteth, as some Hebrewes before, that whereas Noah is bid to come forth, he and his wife, his sonnes and their wives, v. 16. but when he is bid to come in, he and his sonnes, and his wife and his sonnes wives, are joyned together, chap. 6. v. 18. that they lived apart in the Arke, and companied not together, non commiscetur sexus in introitu sed commiscetur in ingressu, Ambros. lib. de arc. c. 33.although it is like that Noah and his sonnes lived in abstinence in the Arke, because it was a time of mourning: and therefore the Hebrewes note, that Ioseph had his children not in the yeares of famine in Aegypt, but before: yet this cannot be gathered out of the 16. v. where Noah and his wife, his sonnes and their wives are named together, when they are bidden to come out of the Arke: for here v. 18. they are againe named asunder. 2. But R. Isaack Carus, his note is too violent: that Noah doth not here as God bid him, but abstained still from the company of his wife, because hee feared lest men might kill one another, as Cain did Abel, or because he expected another floud, the simplicity of the text warranteth no such thing. 3. Musculus noteth the obedience in Noahs family, that they enter in, and goe forth according to Noahs direction. 4. Luther observeth also the singular order in the creatures that goe not forth confusedly together, but according to their kindes, or as the Hebrew word is, families, every one sorting to his like.

QVEST. XVI. Noah buildeth an Altar, not without Gods direction.

Vers. 20. NOah built an Altar, &c. 1. Though Noah had no expresse commandement now to offer sacrifice: for as Ambrose saith, non debuit Deus quasi avarus mercedem gratia postulare: it was not fit, that God, as one covetous, should require the reward of thankes: yet hee was not without direction in this case: Calvins reason is, because it is evident, that he in this story did nothing, without a warrant from God,Lib. de …. cap. …2. he would not come forth of the Arke, though the earth were dry, till God bid him: Oecolampadi… proveth it by these words, that God smelled a savour of rest: but every thing stinketh before God, that is not according to his word. Wherefore Noah knew by the example and practice of the Patriarkes, that p. 83God was pleased with this kinde of worship by sacrifices: as also he was directed thereunto, because to this end there were seven of the cleane creatures taken into the Arke by Gods owne appointment, and for the fashion of the Altar, which was made either of earth, or of unhewen stones, whereof first mention is made in this place, he had either the patterne from the practice of the elder Patriarks, or by instinct from God.

QVEST. XVII. To what end sacrifices were used.

ANd so offered burnt offerings: Hom. 27. in. Gen.three reasons are yeelded why the Lord pleased to be served with sacrifices: two are alleaged by Chrysostome. The morall end was, that the piety and devotion of the people might be stirred up by his externall note: a politicke end, that as circumcision was given as a marke of difference betweene them and other people: so the solemne use of sacrifices might containe them in the service of God, that they should not be enticed to the Idolatry of the Gentiles, by their pompous and magnificent sacrifices. A third end was mysticall, well touched by Calvin. Semper illis ante oculos symbola proponi oportuit, &c. These sacrifices were as symboles and signes to preach and prefigure unto them their Mediatour and atonement maker Jesus Christ, without whom nothing is acceptable to God. And further, although Noah gave thanks also to God for the preservation of the uncleane creatures, as for the cleane; yet he offereth onelyonly of the cleane, because he had so learned from the Patriarks, that God was pleased with such sacrifices, before whom otherwise nothing is uncleane, but in respect of man: and whereas he offered of all cleane both beasts and fowles, it is like he tooke of more kindes, than those five used in the Law: that is, Oxen, Sheepe, with Goats, Doves, and Turtles. Further, he offered burnt sacrifices, rather than oblations, Eucharisticall, not as the Hebrewes imagine, for his owne sinne, but because such sacrifices were most used before the Law, and were best accepted, when as the whole sacrifice was consumed upon the Altar, Mercer.

QVEST. XVIII. How God smelled a savour of rest.

Vers. 21. GOd smelled a savour of rest.] 1. As men are delighted with pleasant savours, so this service and sacrifice of Noah was pleasing unto God, as the Chalde Paraphrast readeth. 2. Not that the externall act of sacrificing in it selfe pleased God, but the thankfull minde of the sacrificer, Calvin. 3. All our acts have a double smell, one outward before man, another inward before God: Cain and Abels sacrifice had one outward smell, but Abels had a sweet savour beside within, Muscul. 4. And this savour herein differeth from all sensible savours: for there may be saciety in the most pleasant odours, but with this sweet savour the Lord is never filled or wearied, but alwayes delighted with the prayers of the Saints, Cajetane.

QVEST. XIX. How the Lord will no more curse the earth.

Vers. 21. I Will not henceforth curse the ground any more for mans sake, &c. 1. The Lord speaketh not generally of all kinde of cursing the earth: for those curses which are upon the earth for mans sinne, Gen. 3.17.4.12. are not taken away: but he meaneth this particular curse by waters, that all flesh shall no more perish by them: as is shewed, cap. 9.21. for the world notwithstanding shall bee destroyed by fire. 2. Where it is added as a reason, for the imagination of mans heart is evill, &c. it is not to be taken as Rupertus collecteth: that God will spare the earth, and beasts, because man is subject to sinne: but the promise is made specially for man. That seeing hee is by nature subdued to sinne, hee is to bee pitied, and not for every offence according to his deserts to be judged: for then the Lord should continually overflow the world, Calvin. 3. And whereas this reason is given why the Lord would destroy the world, Gen. 6.6. because the imaginations of his heart were evill: it may seeme strange, that the same cause is alleaged here, why from henceforth the Lord would spare the world: therefore this is here added, to shew the originall beginning of this mercy, not to proceed from man, who is altogether corrupt by nature, but from Gods owne gracious favour, Mercer. 4. Further, whereas it is said, God said in his heart, How mans thoughts are evill from his youth.this was not only secretly purposed by the Lord, not uttered, but either revealed to Noah as a Prophet, or to Moses the Writer, as some Hebrewes: but it is cleare, that the Lord thus spake to Noah, who is said thus to speake in his heart, as taking counsell and deliberation with himselfe, Mercer. 5. From his youth: not only from his youthfull estate, which age is more prone unto sin, committing the same with rage and violence, as Tostatus: or when man beginneth to have use of reason, and free-will, as Rupertus. But mans thoughts are evill, even as soone as he is able to conceive or thinke any thing; yea our nature is evill from the cradle,Ambr. lib. de Noe & arc. c. …. Calvin. Though as Ambrose well saith, crescit cum aetatibus culpa, as age groweth, so sinne increaseth.

QVEST. XX. How the seasons of the yeare are promised alwayes to continue.

Vers. 22. SOwing time and harvest, &c. 1. The Lord doth not promise that for ever these seasons of the yeare shall continue: for after the end of the world they shall cease. But all the dayes of the earth: that is, so long as the earth continueth in this state, Muscul. 2. Neither is this to bee understood of every particular Countrey: for sometime and in some place, it falleth out through the just judgement of God, that there is neither seed time nor harvest, as it hapned under Elias, 1 King. 17. But it is referred to the generall condition of the whole earth, wherein there shall be a perpetuall succession of these seasons. 3. The yeare is not here divided into six parts, as the Jewes imagine, giving unto each part two moneths: but Moses divideth the yeare according to the popular estimation, into two parts, cold and heat, Summer and Winter: and by seed time and harvest, are understood the benefits that arise unto men by p. 84the season of the yeare, Luther, Perer. Mercer, or by them the two other parts of the yeare are implyed the Spring and Autumne. 4. Further it is said, day and night shall not cease: not because there was no distinction betwene the day and night during the time of the floud, as some Hebrewes: for we see that Noah accounted the dayes, when he sent out the Dove, which could not have searched about in the dark: but there was not such apparant distinction of the day and night, as before: the whole frame of the world being then out of course. Like as when the skie is darkned in Sea tempests, as Act. 27.20. neither Sunne nor Starres appeared in many dayes: the Sunne and Starres then kept their course, but not to any such use of the inhabitants of the earth. And this is to be understood generally for the continuance of day and night in the whole earth: for in particular places the night may be altered, as in Egypt, and the day, as when the Sunne stood still in the times of Iosua, Mercer.

4. Places of doctrine.

1. Doct. Nothing acceptable to God without faith.

Vers. 21. ANd the Lord smelled a savour of rest, &c. Because Noah offered up his sacrifice in faith, therefore it had a pleasant smell before God: whereby it is evident, that all service which is offered unto God being not mixed with faith, doth stinke before him: sic Oecolampadius.

2. Doct. Originall sinne not by corrupt imitation.

Vers. 21. FRom his youth: this place directly proveth originall sinne, against the Pelagians: who denied it to be a depravation of our nature, but a corrupt imitation: but here we see, that even in the very youth and first age of man, when he is not yet so apt to imitate, there is evilnesse and corruption in the heart: as it is in the Proverbs, 20.11. a childe is knowne by his doings, whether his worke bee pure or right.

3. Doct. Excommunication how to be used.

Vers. 21. I Will no more curse the earth, &c, neither will I from henceforth smite, &c. Here cursing and smiting goe together; first God curseth, then he smiteth: after this rule none ought to be smitten by the spirituall censures of the Church, but such as stand first accursed before God: not as the Pope smiteth with his thunderbolts, even those, that are the faithfull servants of Christ: but the Wise man saith, that a curse causlesse shall not come, Proverbs, 26.2.

4. Doct. The seasons of the yeare from Noahs time.

Metamorph. 1.Vers. 22. COld and heat shall not cease, &c. That therefore is but a fabulous conceit of Ovid, that in Saturnes time it was a continuall spring: for we see that even these seasons of Winter and Summer began under Noah.

5. Places of confutation.

1. Confut. The Latine translation corrupt.

Vers. 7. WHereas the Latine text readeth, that the Raven went out and returned not againe: whereas the true reading is,Bellarm. lib. de Verb. D…i. cap. 3. that the Raven went, going forth and returning, Bellarmine would excuse it thus; that the Latine text in sense agreeth with the Hebrew: for the Raven returned to the Arke going and comming, but not into the Arke to Noah. 1. But Bellarmine might know, that there is difference betweene a Translator, and an Interpreter, the one followeth the sense, the other should keepe the very words and sense withall. 2. And as here the Latine varieth from the words, so vers. 21. it leaveth the sense, for whereas the Hebrew readeth, the thought of mans heart is evill, &c. the Latine doth mitigate the speech, and saith, prone to evill, such liberty that corrupt translation taketh, (which they make authenticall) to chop and change the originall text: As likewise in the fourth verse, for the 17. day of the monethmonth, the Latine readeth the 27. day.

2. Confut. God created nothing evill.

Vers. 21. THe imagination of mans heart, jetser, figmentum, the frame or fashion of mans heart, &c. which must be understood not Passively, for that frame of the heart, which was created of God, for that is good: but Actively, for that which the heart of man imagineth and frameth it to it selfe: which is called the imagination and framing of the thoughts,Bellarm. lib. 5. de amis. grat. c. … Originall sinne not a substance chap. 6. vers. 5. and that is evill: wherefore this place neither giveth any advantage to profane persons, to conceive of God, as though he were Author of evill, for the heart as it is created of God is good, the substance thereof is of God, the evill quality thereof is of the corruption of our owne nature: neither doth this place serve to uphold Illyricus conceit, that originall sinne should be a substantiall thing.

6. Places of exhortation and morall use.

1. Morall. Compassion toward the creatures.

Vers. 1. GOd remembred Noah and every beast, &c. Gods mercifull providence appeareth, that watcheth not onelyonly over men, but over the inferiour creatures, for mans sake: according to the p. 85Psalme 36.6. Thou O Lord savest man and beast: whereby man is taught to be like to his Creator in compassion, to extend mercy even unto the bruit beasts: as the Wise man saith, a righteous man regardeth the life of his beast, Prov. 12.10. Xenocrates an Heathen Philosopher is commended for his pitifull heart, who succoured in his bosome a poore Sparrow, that came flying to him, pursued of an Hawke, and afterward let the bird goe away, saying; Se supplicem non prodidisse, that he had not betrayed his poore suppliant.Aalian. lib. 13. de …

2. Morall obser. Obedience.

Vers. 14. THen God spake to Noah: the earth was now perfectly dry, and Noah might have gone out if he would, but he waiteth upon God, that as he entred into the Arke by his appointment, so he will not goe forth without his commandement: so Ambrose noteth well: siccata erat terra, exire potuit Noe de Arca, &c. sed justus nihil sibi arrogat, se totum sed divino committit imperio; Lib. de Noe & arc. c. 11.the earth was now dried, Noah might have gone forth, but the just man doth arrogate nothing to himselfe, he wholly committeth himselfe to Gods commandement. By this wee are taught obediently in all our wayes to depend upon God.

3. Morall obser. Thanksgiving for benefits received.

Vers. 20. HE offered burnt offerings: to testifie his thankfulnesse to God, for this his great deliverance: so the godly are taught for all the benefits, which they receive, to yeeld due thanks unto God, and acknowledge him onelyonly the author and giver of them: as David saith, What shall I render to the Lord for all his benefits? &c. I will take the cup of salvation and call upon the name of the Lord, Psal. 116.12.