Observations Upon the Old Testament, Genesis · Chapter 6 – Chapter 7
CHAP. VI.
Ver. 1. WHen men began to multiply] very greatly; and specially Cains wicked progeny, and wickednesse with them.
and daughters] the occasion both of the corruption and calamity set forth in the ensuing story.
V. 2. That the sonnes of God] Professors of the true Worship of God, Deut. 14. 1. 2 Cor. 6. 18. 1 John 3. 1. Which here grew remisse in Religion.
Daughters of men] of the profane race of Cain, that had little of God or his image in them, in their mindes or manners, but were meer men, 1 Cor. 3. 3. natural men, unregenerate, and out of the Church; and such these their daughters were.
Faire] without respect to spiritual beauty, not minding at all what they were for Religion and manners. Thus beauty intangleth the fond and fleshly affection.
Wives] Loved, liked, and chosen only for Beauties sake. Gods Law after forbade such marriages with those out of the Church, Deut. 7. 3, 4. Exod. 34. 16. 2 Cor. 6. 14.
V. 3. My spirit] In the Patriarchs, and specially in Noah, a Preacher of righteousnesse, 1 Pet. 3. 19, 20. 2 Pet. 2. 5. And by good motions and checks of conscience in the men of these times. As, Nehem. 9. 30.
For that he also is flesh] even my people also; all mankinde, v. 12. are fleshly, not having the Spirit, Jude v. 19 Rom. 8 8, 9 Gal. 5. 16, 17.
120 years] granted for trial of their repentance, the long suffering of God waiting, whether in this space of time, while the Ark was a preparing they would repent, 1 Pet. 3. 20. by mortification of the flesh, and vivificati… of the Spirit, or, as St. Peter expresseth it, be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the Spirit, ch. 4. 6. agreeing with that of Paul, 1 Cor. 5. 5.
This was twenty yeares before the birth of Japheth.
V. 4. Giants] Men of huge stature and strength, beyond others in those dayes, such as Og was, of the race of giants, and the Anakim… in Moses time, Numb. 13. 33. Amorites, Amos 2 9 Deut. 3. 11. Goliath, Isbbi-benob, Saph, Lahmi in Davids time, 2 Sam. 21. 16, 18. 1 Chron. 20. 5, 6, 8 Men, who in the pride and confidence of their bodies greatnesse, were apostates from God, oppressors of men, fierce and cruel.
And also after that] After those unlawful mixtures and marriages, v. 2. many of their seed became such Giants: and after that destruction threatened, v. 3.
V. 5. Every imaginari…n] This heightens the sinfulness of this age, Mic. 7. 3. But Gen. 8. 21. More strongly proves the universal corruption of mans nature by the fall.
V. 15. 300 cubits] The length is ten times the height, and six times the breadth; resembling for the fashion of it a mans coffin.
V. 16. In a cubit shalt finish it] The Ark, not the window.
Doore] Wide, to receive an Elephant, closed up, and pitched belike, when all were in, and that by God himself. ch. 7. 16.
With lower, second and third stories] These stories, considered with the quantity and kinde of the cubits, a common cubit then being longer then our cubits, now and the sacred cubit being double to the common cubit, as appears by comparing 1 Kings 7. 15. with 2 Chron. 3. 15. (not to speak of a Geometrical cubit, six times, as some alledge, as great as a common cubit;) we may easily conceive the capacity of the Ark, to be fully sufficient to hold whatsoever was required to be contained in it; specially if we understand here, where no kinde is nominated, the sacred cubit.
V. 18. My Covenant] For thy preservation, Typifying our spiritual preservation and salvation by Christ, from the deluge of Gods wrath, 1 Pet 3. 21.
Thou] Eight in number, 1 Pet. 3. 20.
V. 19. Two of every sort] Paires of every sort. And here only the kindes are named, the number in chap. 7. v. 2, 3.
V. 20. Shall come unto thee] Of their own accord, by my instinct, not else so freely, as, ch. 2. 19.
V. 22. Thus did Noah] By faith Noah being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with feare, prepared an Ark to the saving of his house, by the which he condemned the world, and became heire of the righteousness which is by faith, Heb. 11. 7. So, Exod. 39. 43. and, 40. 16.
CHAP. VII.
Verse 1. ANd all thy house] Thy children; specified, v. 13. No doubt, but he had more of his family; men-servants and maid-servants. But they, and the Shipwrights all drowned.
in this generation] Called by St. Peter, the world of the ungodly, 2 Pet 2. 5.
V. 2. Of every clean beast] Here is the distinction of clean and unclean beasts, and fowles in Noahs time and before, even soon in all likelihood after the fall of man. Long then before Moses time. In Moses time the distinction of beasts and fowles, clean and unclean for sacrifice was this, that of all beasts, only Beeves, Sheep and Goats were counted clean for sacrifice; and of Fowles only the turtle-Doves and Pigeons, Levit. 1. And the Sparrow was used in the clensing of the Leper and Leprous house, Levit. ch. 14. 4, 5. But for meat to the Jewes there was a further distinction of clean and unclean beasts, fishes, fowles and creeping things, Lev. 11. The distinction here at the flood is not particularized; and therefore we cannot be so certain, but guesse only by Moses, which were clean, which unclean.
by sevens] Not two sevens. The use of the seventh is set down for sacrifice, ch. 8. 20. of other foure, likely for meat; and of the other two, for preservation of seed, as is here commanded, concerning the unclean beasts and fowle. Or more then two of the seven, might be for the greater increase of those which were of most use and comfort to mankinde, and the rest, for present food and for sacrifice.
V. 10. Were] Began to be.
V. 11. In the second monethmonth] Bull; about our October, 1 Kings 6. 38. which is the eighth monethmonth of the yeare, according to the Ecclesiastical account, first commanded by God to the Jewes, at his miraculous bringing of the children of Israel out of Egypt, Exod. 12. 2. The civil account, and the civil yeare, even then and still after continuing with them, the same beginning, as it ever had from the beginning; in the monethmonth Tizri or Ethanim, about our September, 1 Kings 8. 2. I can see no just cause why we should not follow the civil Account of the yeare here in Noahs time. Though the other reckoning of the moneths be most followed in Scripture, after the time of the change aforesaid, 1 Kings 6. 1537, 38. Nehem. 2. 1. 6. 15. Esther 2. 16. 3. 7. 9. 15. Zach. 1. 7. 7. 1.
V. 17. And the flood was fourty dayes, &c.] It rained so long, till the twenty seventh day of the third monethmonth Chisleu: which is the nineth monethmonth according to the Ecclesiastical Account, Zach. 7. 1. and falls in, with, or about the middle of our December; and it prevailed upon the earth 150 dayes, v. 24.
V. 20. Fifteen cubits upward] Above all the high hills that were under the whole Heaven; whatsoever we heare true or fabulous by Writers, or reports of the height of the hills of Olympus, Atlas, Athos, Caucasus, Pike in Tenerif, or any other.
V. 22. Died] But yet small charity to judge the Infants, and all of them to be damned. Cham in the Ark cursed: and many out of it in the time of the lingring deluge, might repent and be saved; though not from the temporal death, yet from that which is eternal.
V. 24. One hundred and fifty days] Reckoning from the first day of the raine falling, viz. seventeenth day of the second monethmonth, to the seventeenth day of the seventh monethmonth, whereon the Ark rested on the mountaines of Ararat, ch. 8. 4. are one hundred and fifty dayes.
Heathens in the deluge of Deucalion, shew they had some inckling and hint of this sacred history.