Bible Commentary (1871–1879 Edition)
O-eatum of Man. GENESIS II. The 3IuI;i!:g of Woman.
creatures formed to live iind sport in their respective eleineuta.
employed in nis service requires, and .the neglect of which brings both to premature decay. Moreover, it secures an appointed season for religious worsliip, and if
'2t-31. Sixth Day. A fartlier advance was made byJ-he creation of terrestrial animals, all the various species of which are included in tlnee classes viz., cattle, the herbivorous kind capable of labour or domestication. 34. beasts of the earth— i. e., wild animals, wliose ravenous natures were then kept in check, and all the various forms of creeping t2>lng8—from the huge reptiles to the insignificant caterpillars. 3G. The last .stage in the progress of creation being now reached—God said, Let us make maji+-words which show the pe<-uliar importance of the work\o be done, the formation of a creature, who was to be God s representative, clothed with authority and rule as visible head and monarch of the world. In oiir image, after our likeness—This was a peculiar distinction—the value attached to which appears in the words being twice mentioned. And in what did this Image of God consist ? —not in the erect form or features of man, not in his intellect; for the devil and his angels are, in this respect, far superior—not in his immortality; for he has not, like God, a past as well as a future eternity of being; but in the moral dispositions of his soul, commonly called original righteousness (Ecclesiastes 7. 20)!^ As the new creation is only a restoration of this image, the history of tlie one throws liglit on the other; and we are informed that it is renewed after the image of God in knowledge, righteousness and true holiness (Colossians .3. 10; Ephesians 4. 24). 28. Be fruitful, &c.—Tlie human race in every country and age liave been the offspring of the first pair. Amid
It was necessary in a stale of primeval innwence, liow much more so now, when mankind have a strong tendency to forget God and His claims? 14:. Ttae«e are tli« generations of the heavens and the vai-th—the history or account of tlieir production. Whence did Moses obtain this account so ditl'erent from the puerile and absurd fictions of the heathen? not from any human source; tor man was not in existence to witness it—not from tlie light of nature or reason ; for though they pro<;laiin the eternal power and Godhead by the things which are made, they cannot tell how they were made. None but the Creator himself could give this Information, and therefore it is tlirough faith we uuderetand that the worlds were framed by the word of God (Hebrews 11. 3). ra5n, mist—See on ch. 1. 12. 7. Here the sacred writer supplies a few nnore particulars about the first pair. formed+-had formed MAN out of the DUST OF THE GROUND. Science has proved that the substance of his flesh, sinews, and bont»s, consists of the very same elements as the soil which forms the crust of the earth, and the limestone that lies embedded in it« bowels. ^But from that mean material what an admirable stiiicture has been reared in the human body (Psalm 139. 14). (breath of life—7 (7., of lives—not only animal but spiritual life. If the body is so admirable, how much more the soul with all its varied faculties.^ Ibreathed into his nostrils the breath of life—not that
The Creator literally performed this act, but respiration being the medium and sign of life, this phrase Is used to show that man's life originated in a ditl'erent way from his body—being implanted directly by God (Ecclesiastes all the varieties found amongst men, some black, as negroes, others copper-coloured, as well as white, the researches of modern science lead to a conclusion, fully accordant with the sacred history, that they are all of one species and of one family (Acts 17. 26). Wliat power in tlie word of God! "He spake and it was done. He commanded and all things stood fast." " Great and manifold are tliy works. Lord God Almighty !—in wisdom hast thou made t)iem all." We admire that wisdom—not only in Mie regular progress of creation, but in its perfect adaptation to the end. God is represented as pausing at every slage to look at His work. No wonder He contemplated
12.7), and hence in the new creation of the soui Christ breathed on His disciples (.lohn 20. 22m
8-17. The Garden op Eden. 8. Eden—was probably a very extensive region in Mesopotamia, It Is thought, distinguished for its natural beauty and the richness and variety of its produce. Hence its name signifying plmsavtnexs. God planted a garden eastwai-d—an extensive park—a paradise, in which the man was put to be trained under the paternal care of his Maker to piety and usefulit with complacency. Every object was in its riglit place, every vegetable process going on in season, every animal in its structure and instincts suited to its mode of life, and its use in the economy of the world. He saw everything tliat He had made answering the plan which His eternal wisdom had conceived; and, 31. "Beiioi.d it ^yA3 ness. ttree of life—so called from its symbolic character as a srgn and seal of immortal life, jlts prominent position "in the midst of the garden," where it must havo been an object of daily observation and interest, was admirably fitted to keep them habitually in mind of God and futurity.(9. tree of tlie knowledge of good anil evil—so called because it was a text of obedience by which our flnst parents were to V>e tried, whether they would be good or bad, obey God or break His cominiinds.^lT. tlion Shalt not eat of it . . . thou ghalt surely die—no reason assigned for the prohlblthm, but death was to bo the punishment of disobedience. A positive command
VERY GOOD."
CJIAPTER II.
Ver. 1. The Narrative of the Six Pays' Cre.^tion CONTINUED. The course of the narrative being improperly broken by the division of the chapter. 1. llie lieavens —the firmament or atmosphere, host—a multitude, a nuirjerous array—usually connected In .Scripture with lie.aven only, but here with the earth also, meaning all that they contain, were ftnislied—brought to completion —no permanent change has ever since been made on the course of the world, no new species of animals been formed, no law of nature repealed or added to. They could liave been finished in a moment as well as In six days, but the work of creation was gradual for the in Btruction of man, as well, perhaps, as of higher creatures (Job 38. 7).
like this was not only the simplest and easiest, but the only trial to which their fidelity could be exposed, l.^. \n\t the man into the garflen of Eden to dress 11—not only to give him a pleasant employment, but to place him on his probation, and as the title of tiiis garden, the garden of the Lord (ch. 13. 10; Ezokiel 28. 13), indicates— it was in fact a temple In which he wonshlpped God, and was dally employed in offering the sacrifices of thanksgiving and praise.
l.s-25. The Making of AVoman, and Institution of Marriage. 18. It is not good for man to 1»e alone—.'n the midst of plenty and delights, he was conscious of feelings he could not gratify. To make him sensible of his wants, 19. God brought unto Adam— not all the animals In existence, hut those chiefly in his immediate nelghbourhorHl, and to be .subservient to his use. ^ »vhatsoever Adam railed every living erenture, that wnn the name thereof—His powers of percejitlon and intel-
((2-7. The First Sabbath. 2. and he rested on the Mventli day—not to repose from exhaustion with labour
(see Isaiah 10, 2S), but ceased from working, an examiile equivalent to a command, that we also should cease from labour of every kind. 3. l>leMHed and Manetifled the seventh day—a peculiar distinction put upon It above the other six days, and showing It was devoted to sacred purposes. The Institution of the Sabbath is h» old as creation, giving rise to that weekly division ligence were supernatnrally enlarged to know the charao* ters, habits, and uses of each species that was brought to him.) !J0. but for Adam there was not found an lielp meet for hlm-|-Tlie design of this singular scene was to show him that none of the living creatures he saw wern on an equal footing with himself,) and that whllo each iif time which prevailed in the earlitwt ages. It Is a wise ami tx Mieflcent law, allbrdlng that regular interval of real wlucli the physical nature of man and tlie animals
17i« Temptation, GENESIS III The FaU.
class came with its mate of the same nature, form, and habits, he alone had no companion. Besides, In giving names to them he was led to exercise his powers of speech, and prepare for social Intercourse with his partner, a creature j'et to be formed, ai. deep sleep—probably an ecstacy or trance like that of the prophets, when they had visions and revelations of the Loru, for the whole scene was probably visible to the mental eye of Adam, and hence his rapturous exclamation, took one of Ills ribs f'She was not made out of his head to surpass him, nor •om his feet to be trampled on, but from hi.s side to be equal to him, and near his heart to be dear to him.") 33. Woman i. e., in Hebrew—man-Ess. one flesh—the human pair differed ft-om all other pairs, that hy the peculiar formation of Eve, they were one. And this passage is appealed to by our Lord as the divinainstitution of marriage (JIatlhew 19. 4, o; Ephesixins 5. 28)/^ Thus Adam appears Ets a creature formed after the image of God—showing his knowledge by giving names to the animals, his righteousness by his approval of the marriage relation, and his holiness by his principles and feelings—finding their gratification in the service and enjoyment of God.
perfect impunity; but to promise great benefit;! from par. taking of it. 5. your eyes shall be opencdi-his words meant more than met the ear. In one «ense their eyes were opened; for they acquired a direful experience of "good and evil"—of the happiness of a holy, and the misery of a sinful condition.) But he studiously concealed this result from Eve,who, fired with a generous desire for knowledge, thought only of rising to the rank and privileges of her angelic visitants.
6-9. The Fall. 6. And when tlie woman saw that the (free was good for food—Her imagination and feelings were completely won; and the fall of Eve was soon followed by that of Adam. The history of every temptation, and of every sin, is the. same; tlie outward object of attraction—the inward commotion of mind—the increase and triumph of passionate desire; ending in the degradation, slavery, and ruin of the soul (James 1. 15;
1 John 2. 16). 8. they heard the voice of the Iord God walking In the gardijn—The divine Being appeared in the same manner as formerly—uttering the well-known tones of kindness, walking in some visible form—not running hastily, as one impelled by the influence of angry feelings. How beautifully expressive are these words of the familiar and condescending manner in which He had hitherto held intercourse with the first pair. In the cool of the day lit., the breeze of the day—the evening, liid themselves amongst the trees—Shame, remorse, fear— sense of guiltfeolings to which they had hitherto been strangers, disordered their minds, and led them to shun Him whose approach they used to welcome. How foolish to think of eluding His notice (Psalm 139. 1-12).
^ CHAPTER III.
Ver. 1-5. The Temptation.' 1. the serpent—The fall of man was effected by the seductions of a serpent.] That it was a real serpent is evident from the plain anu artless style of the history; and from the many allusions made to it in the New Testament. But the material serpent was the instrument or tool of a higher agent,—Satan or the Devil,—to whom the sacred writers apply from this incident the reproachful name of "the Serpent"—"the old Dragon." Though Mosesmakesno mention of thiswicked
10-13. The Examination. 10. afraid, because . . . naked—apparently, a confession—the language of sorrow but it was evasive—no signs of true humility and penitence—each tries to throw the blame on another. VZ. The woman . . . gave me—He' blames God. [Calvin.] As the woman had been given him for his companion and help, he had eaten of the tree from love to her; qnd perceiving she was ruined, was determined not tosurvive her. [M'Knight.] 13. begwlled-^ajoled by flattering lies. This sin of the first pair was heinous and aggravated— it was not simply eating an apple, but a love of self, dishonour to God, ingratitude to a benefactor, disobedience to the bestof Masters—a preference of the creature to the Creator.
spirit—giving only the historyof the visiljle world—yet in the fuller discoveries of the Gospel, it is distinctly intimated that Satan was the author of the plot (John 8.44;
I Corinthians 11.3; 1 John 3. 8; 1 Timothy 2. 14; Revelations 20. 2). more snhtile—Serpents are proverbial for wisdom (Matthew 10. 16). But these reptiles were at first, probably, far superior in beauty as well as in sagacity to what they are in their present state. He said—There being in the pure bosoms of the first pair, no principle of evil to work upon, a soli<ritation to sin could come only from without, as in the analogous case of Jesus Christ (Matthew 4. 3) ; and as the tempter could not assume the human form—there being only Adam and Eve in the world—the agency of an inferior ci'eature had to be employed. The Dragon-serpent [Rochart] seemed the fittest for the vile purpose; and the Devil was allowed b5' Him who permitted the trial, to bring articulate sounds from its mouth, nnto the woman—the object of attack, from his knowledge of her frailty, of her having been hut a short time in the world—her limited experience of the animal tribes, and, above all, her being alone, unfortified by the presence and counsels of her husband. Though sinless and holy, she was a free agent, liable to be tempted and seduced, yea, hath God sold—Is It true that he has restricted you In using the fruits of this delightful place? This is not like one so good and kind. Surely there is some mistake. He insinuated a doubt as to her sense of the divine will, and appeared as "an angel of light" (2 Corinthians 11.
14-24. The Sentence. 14. And tlie Lord CtoA said unto the serpent—The Judge pronounces a doom first— on the ma'terial serpent, which is cursed above all creatures; from being a model of grace and elegance in formit has become the type of all that is odious, disgusting, and low [Leclerc, Rosenmuller]; or the curse has converted its natural condition into a punishment; it i. . now branded with infamy, and avoided with horror; next, on the spiritual Serpent—the seducer. Already fallen, he was to be still more degraded, and his power wholly destroyed, by the offspring of those he had deceived. 15. thy seednot only evil spirits, but wicked men. seed of the woman—the Messiah, or His Church. [Calvin, Hen»- STENBERO.] I will put enmity between thee and the woman—God can only be said to do so by leaving "the Serpent and his seed to the influence of tlieir own corruption; and by those measures wliich, pursued for the salvation of men, fill Satan and his angels with envy and rage." thou shalt bruise his heel—The serpent wounds the heel that crushes him; and so Satan would be permltt/Cd to afflict the humanity of Cu•isl, and bring suffering and persecution on His people. It shall bi-uise thy head—the serpent's poison is lodged in its head ; and a bruise on that part is fatal. Tlius, fatal shall be the stroke wliich .Satan shall receive from Christ ;- though, it is )in>bable, he did not first understand the nature and extent of his doom. IG. nnto the woman he said, 1 will greatly multiply thy sorrow—She was doomed as a wife and mother, to suffer pain of body and distress of mind. From being the helpmeet of man and the partner of liis aJI'ections, her condition would henceforth be that of humnle subjection. 17-19. nnto Adam he said—made to gain his liveliliood l)y tilling theground; but v.iiat be fore his fall he did with ease and pleasure, was hot to U
14), offering to lea<l her to the true interpretation. It was evidently from ner regarding him as specially sent on that errand—that, instead of being startled l)y the reptile's speaking—she received him as a heavenly messenger. 8. the woman said, We may eat of" the fViilt of the trees of the garden—In her answer. Eve extolled the large extent of liljerty they enjoyed in ranging at will amongst all the trees—one only excepted—with respect to which, she declared there was no doubt, either of tlie prohibition or the penalty. But there is reason to think that she had already received an Injurious impression; for in nsing the words—" lest ye die," Instead of "ye shall surely die"—she spoke as if the tree had been forbidden from some poisonous quality of its fruit. The tempter, perceiving this, became bolder In his a»sertions. 4. Ye shall nut aurelydte—he proceeded—not only to a-ssure her of
GENESIS IV, V.
Birlli of Cain and Abd.
The Murder of Ahcl, shown in its being consumed by fire (see ch. 15. 17; Judges accomplished after it without painful and persevering exertion, till thou return unto tlie ground—man l:)ecame mortal; although he did not die the moment he ate the forbidden ft-uit—his body underwent a change, and that would lead to dissolution—the union subsisting between his soul and God having already been dissolved, he had become liable to all the miseries of this life, and to the pains of hell for ever. What a mournful chapter this
13. 20). 7. If thou doest well, shalt tltou not be accepted!—In the Margin it is, ".Shalt thou pot hn'^e the excellency?" which is the true sense of the words referring to the high privileges and authority belonging to the first-born in patriarchal times, sin lietit at the doorsin, f. e., a sin-offering—a common meaning of the word in Scripture—as in Hosea 4. 8; 2 Corinthians 5. 21; Hebrews 9. 28. The purport of the Divine rebuke to Cain was this, "Why art thou angry, as if unjustly treated? If thou doest well, i. e., wert innocent and sinless—a thankoflering would have been accepted as a token of thy dependence as a creature. Bvit as thou doest not well, i. e., art a sinner—a sin-offering is necessary, by bringing which thou wouldest have met with acceptance, and retained the honours of thy birth-right." This language implies that previous instructions had been given as to the mode of worship; Abel offered through faith (Hebrews is in the history of man '.jJt gives the only true account of the origin of all the physical and moral evils tliat are In the world—upholds the moral character of God; s*ows that man, made upright, fell from not being able to resist a slight temptation ; and becoming guilty and miserable, plunged all his posterity into the same abyss (Komans 5.
12). How astonishing the grace which at that moment gave promise of a Saviour; and conferred on her who had the disgrace of introducing sin—the future honour of introducing that Deliverer (1 Timothy 2. 15). 20. Adam called Iiis wife's name Eve—probably in reference to her being a mother of the promised Saviour, as well as of all mankind. 31. God made coats of skins—taught them to make these for themselves. This implies the institution of animal sacrifice, which was undoubtedly of Divine appointment, and instruction in the only acceptable mode of worship for sinful creatures, through faith in a Redeemer (Hebrews 9. 22). H-i. And God said, Beliold, the man is become as one of us—not spoken in irony as
11. 4). nnto thee slkall be his desire—The high distinction conferred by priority of birth is described, ch. 27. 29 ; and it was Cain's conviction, that this honour had been withdrawn from him by the rejection of his sacrifice, and conferred on his younger brother—hence the secret flame of jealousy, which kindled into a settled hatred, and fell revenge. 8. And Cain talked -^vith Abel liis brother Under the guise of brotherly familiarity, he concealed his premeditated purpose till a convenient time and place occurred for the murder (1 John 3. 12; 9. 10). 10. the voice of tliy brother's blood crieth unto me—Cain, to lulJ suspicion, had probably been engaging in the solemnities of religion where he was challenged directly from the Shechinah itself. 9. I know not—a falsehood. One sin leads to another. 11, 13. now art tliou cursed fi'oiii tite eartl»—A curse superadded to the general one denounced on the gi ound for Adam's sin. a fugitive—condemned to perpetual exile—a degraded outcast—the miserable victim of an accusing conscience. 13, 14-. And Cain said . . . My punishment Is greater than I can bear—What au overwhelming sense of misery; but no sign of penitence, nor cry for pardon, every one that flndeth mc shall slay mc—This shows that the population of the world was now considerably increased. 15. whosoever slayetli Cain—By a special act of Divine forbearance, the life of Cain was to be spared in the then small state of the human race, set a mark—not anj' visible mark or liran<l on his forehead, but some mgn or token of assurance that his life would be preserved. This sign is thought by the best writers to have been a wild ferocity of aspect, that rendered him an object cf universal horror and avoidance. 16. presence of tlie Lord—the appointed place of worship at Eden. Leaving it, he not only severed himself from his relatives, but forsook the ordinances of religion, probably casting off all fear of God from his eyes, so that the last end of this man Is worse than the first (Matthew is generally supposed, but in deep compassion. The words should be renderecj, "Behold, what has become (by sin) of the man who was as one of us! formed at first, in our image to know good and evil—how sad his condition now. and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take of the tree of life—This tree being a pledge of that immortal life with which obedience should be rewarded, he lost, on his fall, all claim to this tree; and therefore, that he might not eat of it, or delude himself with the idea, that eating of it would restore what he had forfeited, the Lord sent him forth from the garden. 34. placed . . . clierublm The passage should be rendered thus:—"And he dwelt between the cherubim at the East of the Garden of Eden, and a fierce fire or Shechinah unfolding itself to preserve tlie way of tlie tree of life." This was the mode of worship now established to show God's anger at sin, and teach the mediation of a promised Saviovir, as the way of life, as well as bf access to God. They were the same figures as were afterwards in the tabernacle and temple; and now, as then, God said, "I will commune with thee from between the cherubim" (Exodus 25. 22).
CHAPTEE IV.
Ver. 1-26. Birth of Cain and Abet.. 1. Eve said, I have gotten a man from the Lord i.e., "by the help of the Lord"—an expression of pious gr.atitude—and she called him Cain, i. e., "a possession," as If valued al)ove every thing else;. while the arrival of another son reminding her of the misery she had entailed on her offspring, led to the name Abel, i. e., eitlier wealvuess, vanity (Psalm 39. 5), or grief, lamentation. Cain and Abel were probably t ivins; and It is thought tliat, at this early
12. 45). land of Nod—of flight or exile—thought by many to have been Arabia Petrtea—which was cursed to sterility on his account. 17-33. builded a ci(y—It has been In cities that the human race has ever made the greatest social progress; and several of Cain's descendants distinguished themselves by their inventive genius in the arts. 19. Lamecli took unto him two wives—This is the first transgression of the law of marriage on record, and the practice of polygamy, like all other breaches of God's Institutions, has been a fruitful source of corruption and misery. 33, 34. Iiamech said unto his wives—This speech Is In a poetical form, probably the fi'agment of an old poem, transmitted to the time of Mo.ses. It seems to indicate that Ijamech had slain a man In self-defence, and jieriod, children were born in pairs (ch. .'5. 4). [Cat.vin.] Abel was a keep«^r of slice]) lit., " feeder of a (lock," which, in Oriental countries, always lufludes godts ivs well as sliecp. Aoel, though the younger, Is mentioned first, prol)al)ly on .account of the pre-eminence of his religious cliaracter. 3. in process of lime Ilcbrew, "at the end of days;" prot)ably on the Sabliath. brought . . . an offering u nto the Iiord—Botli manifested by the very act of offering their faith In the being of Ood, and In his claims to their reverence and worship; and had the Iiind of otlering been left to themselves, wliat more natural than tliat the one should bring "of the fruits of the ground;" that the other should bring "of the firstlings of his flock and the fat thereof." 4. the Iord had respect unto AI>el, not unto Cain, &c.—The words, " had respect its dri't Is to assure his wives, by the preservation of (^aln, that an unintentional, homlcUU, as lie only was, could be in no danger. 30. men liegan to call upon thenam« of ihc Lowl-rather, by the name of the Ijord. God's people, a name probably applied to them In contempt by the world,
CHAPTER V.
to," signify In Ilrhreiv—to look at any thing with a keen earnest glance; which has been translated—" kindle Into a Are," so that tlie Divine approval of Abel's offering was
Ver. 1-.32. Gknkalooy op thk PATiiiAncils. 1. booh of tlic generation*—See ch. 11. i. Adam—used here e>lti«I
Wickedness of the World. GENESIS VI, VII. Noali builds an Ark a« tne name of the first man, or of the human race generrepented . . . grieved—God cannot change (Malao'.ii ially. 5. all tlie days ;. . . Adam lived—The most striking feature in this catalogue Is the longevity of Adam and his Immediate descendants. Ten are enumeratetl in direct succession whose lives far exceed the ordinary limits with which we are familiar—the shortest being 305, and the longest 930. It Is useless to inquire whether and what secondary causes may have coutriliuted to tills protracted longevity—vigorous constitutions, the nature of their dio't, the temperature and salubrity of the climate; or, finally, as this list comprises only the true worshippers of God— whether their great age might be owing to the better government of their passions, and the quiet even tenor; James 1.17); but, by language suited to our nnlure <ntd experience. He Is described as about to alter His visil;i(s procedure towards mankind—from being merciful r.n;l long-suflering. He was about to show Himself a God ui judgment; and, as that impious race had filled up tlie measure of their iniquities. He was about to introduce a terrible display of His justice (Ecclesiastes 8. 11). 8. But Noah found grace In the eyes of the Lord—lax'our. What an awful state of things when only one man or (jne family of piety and virtue was now existing among the professed sons of God! 9. Noah . . . Just . . . and perfect—not absolutely ; for since the fall of Adam no man has been free from sin except Jesus Christ. But as living by faith he was just (Galatians 3. 2; Hebrews 11. 7) and perfect—i.e., sincere in his desire to do God's will. 11. the earth Avas filled witli violence—In the absence of any well-regulated government it is easy to imagine what evils would arise. Men did what was right In their own eyes, and, having no fear of God, destruction and misery were in their waj'S. 13. And God said unto Noali— How startling must have been the announcement of the threatened destruction! There was no outward indication of It. The course of nature and experience seemed against the probability of its occurrence. The public opinion of mankind would ridicule it. The whole world would be ranged against him. Yet, persuaded the communication was from God, through faith (Hebrews 11. 7 , he set about preparing the means for preserving liinist-lf and family from the impending calamity. 1*. Blake thee an ark—ark, a hollow chest (Exodus 2. .3). gopher wood —probably cypress, remarkable for its durability, and abounding on the Armenian mountains, rooms—cabins or small cells, pitcli it within and without—mineral pitch, asphalt, naphtha, or some bituminous substance, which, when smeared over and become hardened, would make it perfectly water-tight. 15. And this is the fasliion—According to the description, the ark was not a ship, but an Immense house in form and structure lile tlie houses in the East, designed not to sail, but only float. Assuming the cubit to be inc's, the ark would be of their lives. Since we cannot obtain satisfactory evidence on these points, It is wise to resolve the fact Into the sovereign will of God. We can, however, trace some of the important uses to which, in the early economy of Providence, it was subservient. It was the chief means of reserving a knowledge of God, of the great truths of religion, as well as the Influence of genuine piety. So that, as their knowledge was obtained by tradition, they would be In a condition to preserve it in the greatest purity. 24:. And Enoch walked witli God—A common phrase In Eastern countries denoting constant and familiar intercourse, was not; for God took liim—In Hebrews U. 5, we are Informed that he was translated to heaven—a mighty miracle, designed to eft'ect what ordinary means of instruction had failed to accomplish—gave a palpable proof to an age of almost universal unbelief that the doctrines which he had taught (Jude H. 15) were true, and that his devotedness to the cause of God, and righteousness In the midst of opposition, was highly pleasing to the mind of God. 21. Enoch . . . begat Methuselah—This name signifies, "He dieth, and the sending forth," so that Enoch gave It as prophetical of the flood. It is computed that Methuselah died in the year of that catjistrophe. 26. Lantech—a difl'erent person from the one mentioned in preceding chapter. Like his namesake, however, he also spoke In numbers on occasion of the birth of Noah—j. c, "rest" or "comfort." "The allusion is, undoubtedly, to the penal consequences of the fall In earthly tolls and suf Terlngs, and to the hope of a De-
5f7 feet long, 91 feet 2 inches wide, and 47 feet 2 inches high —that is, three times the length of a first-rate man-of-war in the British navy. 16. A window—probablj' a sky - liverer, excited by the promise made to Eve. That this expectation was founded on a divine communication we infer from the Importance attached to it and the confidence of Its expression." |Petek Smith.] 32. Noah was five hnndi-ed years old : and . . . l>egat—That he and the other patriarchs were advanced in life ere children were born to them, is a difliculty accounted for probably fiom the circumstance that Moses does not here record their first-born sons, but only the succession from Adam '.nrough Setli to Abraham.
light, formed of some transparent substance vinkuown. in a cubit shalt thou finisli it above—a direction to raise the roof in the middle, seemingly to form a gentle slope for letting the water run ofl". 17-22. And, behold,
I, even I, do bring a flood—The repetition of the announcement was to establish its certainty (ch. 41. 32 1. Whatever opinion may be entertained as to the operation of natural laws and agencies in the deluge, it was brongi't on the world by God as a punishment for the enormoiiS wickedness of its inhabitants. 18. But with tliee will I establish my covenant—a special promi.se of deliverance, called a covenant, to convince him of the confidenco » to be reposed in it. The substance and terms of. this covenant are related between v. 19 and 21. 22. Thus did Noah —Hj3 began without delay to prepare the colossal fabric, and in every step of his progress faithfully followed tlio Divine directions he had received.
CHAPTER VI.
Ver. 1-22. Wickedness of the World. 3. the sons •f God saw the daughters of men—By the former is meant tlie family of Seth, who were professedly religious; by the latter, the descendants of apostate Cain. Mixed marriages between parties of opposite principles and practice were necessarily sources of extensive corruption. The women, In-eligious themselves, would, as wives and
CHAPTER VII.
mothers, exert an influence fatal to the existence of religion in their household, and consequently the people of that later age sank to the lowest depravity. 3. liesh
Ver. 1-24. Entrance into the Akk. 1. And the I-o>'ti said unto Noah, Come tliou and nil thy house Into Ihe ark-Tlie ark was flnished; and he now, in the spirit of implicit faith, which had influenced his whole conduct, waited for directions from God. 2, 3. Of every clenn beast . . . fowls—pairs of every species of animals e.X' pi l the tenants of the deep were to be taken for the preservautterly, hopelessly deba,scd. And tl»e Lord said, My Spirit shall not always strive—Christ, as God, had by His Spirit Inspiring Enoch, Nonh, and perhaps other prophets (1 Peter 3. 2f); 2 Peter 2. 5; Jude 14), preached repentance to the antediluvians ; but they were incorrigible, yet his days shall he an Iiundred and twenty years—It is probable that the corruption of the world, which had now reached Its height, had been long and g-rndually Increasing, and this idea receives support from the long respite granted. 4. giants—the term in Hebrew Implies not so much the Idea of great stature as of recktion of their respective kinds. This was the general rule of admission, only with regard to those animals wliicli are styled "clean," three pairs were to lie taken, whether of beasts or birds; and tlie reason "(vas that their rapiil multiplication was a matter of the highest importance, when the earth should be renovated from their utility either as articles of food or as employed in the service of lehs ferocity, impious and daring characters, who spread devastation and carnage far and wide. 5, 6. God saw it.