Observations Upon the Old Testament, Genesis · Chapter 1
CHAP. I.
Ver. 1. IN the beginning,] Of the Creation which God created, Mark 13. 19. and so in the beginning of the world then not eternal, nor the matter of it, but God only eternal. And this beginning most probably was at the Autumnal, Equinoctial, or Spring, and that for the Ecclesiastical accompt only▪ upon, and because of Gods m…raculous bringing them out of Egypt at that season of the year, from whence Gods people constantly began their year, till the change made to the vernal Equinoctial.
God] Elohim in the plural number, intimating a plurality, not of Gods, Exod. 12. 2. 23. 11, 16. 34. 22. Lev. 25. 9, 10. Deut. 16. 13, &c. but therefore of persons in the Deity. The word Creators, Eccles. 12. 1. hath a singular number, viz. El. Gen. 14. 8. and Eloah, Job. 12. 4. And it signifies Strong, Almighties, powers. Sometimes it is used, but improperly, to signifie false gods, Exod. 20. 3. Angels, and Magistrates among men, Ps. 8. 5. 82. 1, 6.
created] Bara. This word is proper to God, and a word in the singular number: importing the singular unity of the Deity. And that God had no Assistants, Co-adjutors, or subordinate Agents and Instruments in the work of Creation. But the Angels themselves are his Creatures, Col. 1. 16. A God, and He the Creator of the World; are acknowledged in a manner by all Heathen Writers, if not by all men.
the heaven] Or heavens, and the earth,] Heaven and Earth here may be taken as a summary proposition of the whole Creation; as, ch. 2. 1. and, Exod 20, 11. And the rather considering the Hebrew Articles here used, ETH, and HA, as pointing to these now in being. And yet as probably and more, of the common Chaos, and Masse, and Stock of both, as seeming to be included within the work of the first day: and so it will seem to have the best coherence, with the words next following, and the story ensuing of the Creation of the Heavens and Earth, the second and third day.
light day] Strictly and usually so taken; otherwise called an Artificiall day, consisting of about twelve houres, John 119 As the natural day consists of 24. houres. Both there are mentioned, ch. 7. 12, 17.
V. 5. And the evening, &c.] The Evening, which is the beginning of the Night; and the Morning, which is the beginning of the Day, are called the first day; largely taken, the Day natural of 24 houres. And here observe, that as Darknesse was before Light, v 2, 3. so the Evening and Night is made, and reckoned the beginning, and first part of the natural day, or large day of 24. houres. And accordingly the large Day is called an Evening Morning, Dan. 8. 14, 26. And by Paul, foreign, a Night-Day, 2 Cor. 11. 25. And as Moses doth here, so God commanded it, and the Jewes observed it, to reckon the beginning of their large Day at the Evening, Lev. 23. 32. From evening to evening you shall celebrate your Sabbath. And so for eating unleavened bread at the Passeover. Exod. 12 18, In the first monethmonth, on the fourteenth day of the monethmonth at even, ye shall eat unleavened bread untill the twenty one day of the monethmonth at even. And ye we finde in the dayes of our Saviour, the reckoning altered, that they began their natural and large Day in the Morning, as appeares in the Evangelists, recording the History of our Saviours Resurrection, Mat. 28. 1. Mar. 16. 1, 2, 9. & ch. 15. 42. Luke 24. 1 Joh. 20. 1, 19. Which alteration might haply be occasioned by the accompt of the Romans, and complyance with them, who then had the sovereignty and dominion over them.
Now these two things well observed, may haply serve to assoyle a doubt, and clear a difficulty. The case is this; Our Saviour did eat the Passeover twenty foure houres before the Jewes did eat it. And this is clear out of the Gospels, Matth. 26. 17, 18, 19, 20, 47. Mark 15. 42. Luke 23. 54. Joh 18. 28. and 9. 14, 31, 42. That our Saviour did not anticipate the day by reason of his future Passion; But kept the right day appointed in the Law, we are not to doubt of it; Considering the strictnesse of the Command for the day, Exod. 13. 10. And Christs coming to fulfil all righteousnesse, to keep the Law both Moral and Levitical. And that he did so in this point and particular, appears also, Matth. 26. 17. Marke 14. 12. Neither do those words in Joh. 13. 1, 2. disagree from it; The words there mentioned, before the feast of the Passeover, appearing to be understood of two dayes before the Passeover, Mat 26. 2. And being spoken on the Mount of Olives, Mat. 24. 3. And the Supper there mentioned, being to be understood of the Supper in the night of the Passeover, which was kept in Jerusalem, Mat. 26. 17. And those loavs of bread in the Gospel, Matth. 16. 9, 10. could make and multiply the waters of the Deluge, to rise to such an height; and that as little by miracle, as the other way must needs imply.
Now the right day was the fourteenth day of the first monethmonth, Abib, or Nisan, in the evening, or betweene the two evenings, Exod. 12. 6. i. e. betweene the two extremities of the evening-tide, whereof the former belonged to the end of the declining day the ending, which was the thirteenth day, (not the fourteenth, as in the late learned and large Annotations on Matth. 26. 17) the latter belonged to the beginning of the night, when the day following is said to begin, Gen. 1. 5. which was the fourteenth day, at the beginning and evening whereof the Passeover was to be eaten, as appears, verse 18.
Now how it came to passe, that the Jews kept the wrong day, and why so, is the question and difficulty remaining. Some speak of a Jewish Tradition; That after the returne from the Babylenian captivity, They ordered and altered the time so, as the day of eating the Passeover might not fall on the Munday, Wednesday, or Friday; but then they put it off to the day following. The truth of this Tradition I am ignorant of: much more, of any reason why they should dare to have such a Tradition and Order. But finding in the Gospels, The Accompt for the Beginning of the natural & large day of twenty four hours altered from the Evening to the Morning, as was formerly observed; I rather conceive that both our Saviour, and the Jewes may be said to eat the Passeover on the same day, viz. both on the Friday, and at the evening too; so it be understood according to their own several mindes and meanings, reckonings and accountings: Our Saviour rightly beginning and ending the day, from evening to evening, and the Jews erroneously, from morning to morning. The issue so, wil be this; That on the thirteenth day, consisting of twelve hours, from morning to evening, called an artificial day, the Disciples prepared the Passeover for our Saviour; which is therefore called the first day of the feast of unleavened bread, Matth. 26. 17, 18, 19. And when the …ven was come, which was the true Beginning of the fourteenth day, Jesus sate down with the twelve to eate the Passeover, Matth. 26. 20. according to the Law; The Morning after, and so on till the Evening, making an artificial day, which indeed was the true later part of the fourteenth natural day, our Saviour was examined, condemned, and at last suffered. And that time is called the Jewes Preparation, Luke 23. 54. John 19 31, 42. the Preparation of their Passeover, John 19. 14. the Preparation before the Sabbath, Marke 15. 42. And the Evening following, which was the later part of their fourteenth day in their account, they did eat their Passeover. And the day following, which was the Sabbath, is called the day after the Preparation, Matth. 27. 62. And whereas, to countenance that pretended Jewish Tradition, for putting off the eating of the Paschal Lamb from the Friday, to the Saturday, which was their Sabbath-day, those words of John are alledged, for that Sabbath was an high day, John 19. 31. I answer, That it is called an high day, because it was the Sabbath that fell within the compasse of that high and solemne Feast. But all this I propound and submit to the judgement of the learned.
And again, This Observation of the true Beginning of the day at the Evening; Together with the Alteration of it from the Evening to the Morning in the dayes of our Saviour, may help to quiet that controversie which of late, hath troubled too many, about the Beginning and Ending of the Christian Sabbath, or Lords day rather. For, if we will begin it as the Jewes began their Sabbath, by Gods own appointment; and as the Beginning of the natural day of twenty four hours was reckoned from the Creation, Then sure we must begin it at the Evening. But if we will begin it, according to that alledged Alteration we finde in our Saviours time, Then we must Begin it in the Morning, which later is favoured the more by our Saviours Resurrection very early in the morning, Matth. 28. 1, 6. Marke 16. 2, 6. Luke 24. 1, 6. John 20. 1. To the memory and honour of whose Resurrection as the day of Rest was changed, so it accords well, and suitably seems to require the same change for the beginning of that day; agreeing therin with the aforesaid Alteration. However, the Point Material is, That it must comprehend twenty four hours.
V. 6. Firmament] By Firmament here generaly by all is understood whatsoever is to be seene in that vast space above the earth, from the surface of it, to the uppermost visible Orbs: As conceiving, and that justly, That the Aire, or lowest region of it, betwixt the Earth and the Clouds, were alone too smal a thing for the whole work of the second day. In the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters: the waters which are under the firmament, from the waters which are above the firmament;] Divers ancient and learned Fathers have conceived hereupon, and upon the words of the Psalme 148. 4. That a great, or the greatest part of those waters that covered the face of the …, verse 2. were lifted up and spread as an Orbe of waters above, and about the highest part of the starry heavens, and so there remaine. And from those windowes of heaven opened some would fetch the greatest part of those waters in the Deluge, that covered all the high hills that were under the whole heaven fifteene cubits upwards. Yet all this seemes too weak a foundation whereon to build that Orbe of supercelestial waters. For plaine it is, that the lowest region of the aire is called heaven, and the firmament of heaven, even that wherein the winds, clouds, and fowles do flie, verse 20. Jer. 51. 16. Dan. 7. 2, 13. And indeed as every part of the water is truly called water, so every part of the heaven, and firmament may be, and is called heaven, as well as the whole, or the highest parts of it the starry heaven, and the third heaven, chap 1. verse 14, 15, 16, 17. Gen. 22. 17. 2. Cor. 12. 2. And if such a division were meant, as they pretend to, where then would be the division betweene the waters of the seas, and the watery clouds; without which division, and the use of it, the earth could not bring forth sustenance for Man, or Beast? And as for the windowes of heaven, they are understood of the region of the aire, as Psal. 78. 23. Mal. 3. 10. And the same God who rained down fire and brimstone on Sod…m, and made or multiplyed the widowes oyle, 2, Kings 4. 2.
V. 8. the firmament heaven] All above us so called. And the Angels this day most likely were created: considering the words of the Lord, Job 38. 4, 5, 6, 7. that all the sonnes of God shouted for joy, when he laid the foundations of the earth. Though Moses mentions not their creation, as puposely intending to relate only the creation of things corporal and visible; and that haply a having regard therein to the rudiments and weaknesse of that Infant-Church of the Jewes, to whom immediately he wrote this History.
second day] Without that approbation, And God saw that it was good, which yet is doubled, on the third day: (haply because the separation of the waters begun this day, was not perfected till the third day) And it is once repeated on each of the other four dayes with the addition of very good, in the end of all.
V. 20. and fowle] Out of the waters, and the ground also, chap. 2. 19
V. 26. Let us] Intimates a Plurality of Persons in the Unity of the Divine Essence. And so pluraly, chap. 3. 22. 11. 7. Esay 6. 8.
V. 27. created he them] Both this day, chap. 5. 2. though the maner of her creation, be more fully related, chap. 2. v. 18, to 23.
V. 29. to you it shall be for meat] Living things are not here mentioned for meat▪ till after the flood, anno mundi, 1657. and no more are corne, bread, drink, and other things named, which yet no doubt were in use before the flood, Cain being a tiller of the ground; And …el being a keeper of sheep, was not likely to leave their flesh to be devoured of wilde beasts, or to rot, either above, or under ground: And mans body being in a dying condition since the Fall, stood in more need of nourishing meats, then whiles he abode in Innocencie. Neither were the herbs, trees, ground after the Curse, of that vertue and vigour for his nourishment and sustenance, as formely. It is nothing likely then that man should want so needful a nourishment as flesh or fish for so long a time, so many ages of the world; because they were not haply so necessary for him in the time of Innocency; or not expressed by name for food at the time of his Creation. But after the Fall, being killed for cloathing; and offered in sacrifices to God, even by Abel himself; It is not to be imagined but that they did eate of the flesh of them, as in sacrifices was ever usual. And therefore also, for those ends and uses the distinction of them, into cleane and uncleane, was made, even before the flood; And seven of the Cleane reserved, for sacrifice, and food, whereas two sufficed, as in the Uncleane, for preservation of Seed, Gen. 7. 2. And the words of our Saviour noting the old world for their eating and drinking before the flood came on, Matth. 24. 38. implies rather an abuse in the excesse, then an abstinence from the use of flesh and other delicacies.
V. 30. Every green herb for meat] But after the Fall of man, beasts, and birds of prey, and fishes eate and devour one another.