Bible Commentaries

And the LORD said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation.

For thee have I seen righteous before me. — Not only before men, as Pharisees, Luke 16:15 and civil justiciaries, Romans 2:29 but before me who see the inside, and love "truth in the hidden man of the heart". Psalms 51:6 1 Peter 3:5 And here Noah’s sincerity prevailed with God for his safety, as did likewise Lot’s, whom God hid in Zoar; and Abram’s, to whom God was a shield to save him from the deadly thrusts of destruction, when he pursued the four kings and foiled them, because he "walked before him, and was upright." Genesis 15:1 ; Genesis 14:15 So true is that of Solomon, "He that walketh uprightly, walketh safely," Proverbs 10:9 as if he were in a tower of brass, or town of war. And again, "In the fear of the Lord is strong confidence, and his children have a place of refuge". Proverbs 14:26 The old Rock is still ready to relieve them. Isaiah 26:3

In this generation. — Called by St Peter, "a world of ungodly ones," 2 Peter 2:5 far worse, no doubt, than those in Enoch’s days. The greater praise was it to Noah, that, by a holy antiperistasis, he kindled from their coldness, and became nothing the worse, but much the better (as it is the nature of true goodness) by their oppositions. It was an invincible faith, whereby he both conquered the world and "condemned" it. What else could have carried him over so many difficulties, as he must needs encounter? Well might the apostle say, "By faith he prepared an ark". Hebrews 12:7 For if he had been led by sense, he would have fled as far as Jonah did, ere ever he had gone about it.

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Of every clean beast thou shalt take to thee by sevens, the male and his female: and of beasts that [are] not clean by two, the male and his female.

Of every clean beast thou shalt take by sevens. — Three pair for generation, and a single one for sacrifice, after the flood was past. Genesis 8:20 God must have a share; and good reason. But that two only of a sort, of the unclean hurtful creatures were preserved, note his fatherly providence. To this day we see, though sheep and birds be so killed up for man’s use, yet there are far more of them, than of other unserviceable or cruel creatures. Besides, the weaker creatures go in herds together, the stronger and more savage go alone. For if they should go in multitudes, no man nor beast could stand before them. This you shall find set down to your hand. Job 37:8 Psalms 104:17-30 Ammianus Marcellinus writeth, "that in Chaldea there are a huge number of lions, which were like enough to devour up both men and beasts throughout the country. But withal, he saith, that by reason of the store of water and mud thereof, there breed yearly an innumerable company of gnats, whose property is to flee into the eye of the lion, as being a bright and orient thing, where, biting and stinging the lion, he teareth so fiercely with the claws, that he puts out his own eyes; and by that means many are drowned in the rivers, others starve for want of prey, and many the more easily killed by the inhabitants. Bodin Bodin. in Theatro. , lib. iii. telleth us, that the wolf never seeth his sire, his dam, nor his young: for that the herd of wolves set upon, and killeth that wolf, which by the smell they perceive to have coupled with the she wolf; which unless they did, what a deal of mischief would be done by them everywhere among cattle!

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Of fowls also of the air by sevens, the male and the female; to keep seed alive upon the face of all the earth.

Of fowls also. — Such as are of clean kinds, as R. Solomon senseth it. The eagle and the lion were not for sacrifice; like as were the lamb and the dove. "Not many mighty," … 1 Corinthians 1:26

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For yet seven days, and I will cause it to rain upon the earth forty days and forty nights; and every living substance that I have made will I destroy from off the face of the earth.

For yet seven days, … — God could have destroyed them by water, or otherwise, in a far shorter space: But, of his free grace, he gives them yet seven days further, and then rains upon the earth forty days, as, not willing that any should "eternally perish, but that all should come to repentance". 2 Peter 3:9 The Hebrew doctors are very injurious to Noah, because we read not that he prayed for the old world, but only took care of himself, and his own family, censuring him therefore of self-love and hard-heartedness. So they judge very uncharitably of those that perished in the flood; sending them all to hell, and wresting some scriptures thereunto; as, that in this present verse, God saith, he will destroy them, or blot them out; that is, say they, R. Menachem, in loc. out of the land of the world to come, the land of the living. I deny not, but many of their "spirits are in prison"; so saith St Peter. 1 Peter 3:19 But withal, in the next chapter, the same apostle tells us, that "for this cause the gospel was preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit". 1 Peter 4:6 Compare these words with those in 1 Peter 3:18-20 , and it will appear, the apostle speaks of these antediluvians. All were not saved that were in the ark, nor all damned, we may well think, that were out of it. Could they see their "foundation overflown with a flood," as the phrase is, Job 22:16 and "not lay for themselves a good foundation" by "laying hold on eternal life"? 1 Timothy 6:19 St Ambrose conceiveth, that Noah was seven days in the Ark, before the flood came; that as God was six days in creating the world, and rested the seventh; so these perishing persons, admonished by the number of the days of the creation, might "remember their creator," Ecclesiastes 12:1 and make their peace. Nunquam sero, si serio .

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And Noah did according unto all that the LORD commanded him.

And Noah did according unto all. — This "All," is a little word, but of large extent. He doth not his master’s but his own will, that doth no more than himself will. A dispensatory conscience is an evil conscience. God cries to us, η ολως, η μη ολως . He will have universal obedience both for subject and object. ( Quicquid propter Deum sit, aequaliter sit .) We must be entirely willing in all things to please God, or we utterly displease him. Herod did many things, and was not a button the better. Jehu’s golden calves made an end of him, though he made an end of Baal’s worship. He that doth some, and not "all God’s will," with David, θεληματα , Acts 13:22 in desire and affection at least, doth but as Benhadad, recover of one disease, and die of another: yea, if he take not a better course for himself, he doth but take pains to go to hell. Then shall we not be ashamed, when we have respect, at least, to all God’s commandments. Psalms 119:6

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And Noah [was] six hundred years old when the flood of waters was upon the earth.

And Noah was six hundred years old. — He was five hundred old when God first foretold the flood, and promised the old world one hundred and twenty years’ respite: but, wearied out with their obstinacy in sin, he "cut the work short in righteousness," Romans 9:28 and brought the flood upon them twenty years sooner: as it is said of Christ’s second coming, that, "for the elect’s sake, those days shall be shortened"; Matthew 24:22 so, for the contumacy of these ungodly sinners, their judgment was hastened. For God is not asleep, or gone a journey, as the prophet said of Baal, … 1 Kings 18:27

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And Noah went in, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons’ wives with him, into the ark, because of the waters of the flood.

And Noah went in, and his sons, … — Not till he was compelled by the coming in of the flood, say the Jews: of no good will, but because there was no other remedy. Thus they belie the good old preacher. Let no man think much to be misjudged. Novit sapiens ad hoc scamma se productum, ut depuguet cure iis, qui maledictis aluntur, ut venenis capreae . Jo. Wolverinus in Polymath.

And his wife, and his sons’ wives. — Here some have noted, that when they entered into the ark, the Holy Ghost puts the men by themselves, and the women by themselves; as, when they went out, God joined them together; to teach us, say they, that in a common calamity "those that have wives, must be as they that have none". 1 Corinthians 7:5 ; 1 Corinthians 7:29

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Of clean beasts, and of beasts that [are] not clean, and of fowls, and of every thing that creepeth upon the earth,

And of those that are not clean. — So a Doeg may set his foot as far within the sanctuary as a David: A "generation of vipers" may come to John’s baptism, Matthew 3:7 as well as better men. But as these beasts came unclean to the ark, and went thence as unclean; so do most men to the holy ordinances; which yet are the heavenly exchange betwixt God and his elect: they present duty, He confers mercy. "The just Lord is in the midst thereof; he will not do iniquity: … but the unjust knoweth no shame"; Zephaniah 3:5 he that is "filthy," will "be filthy still". Revelation 22:11

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