Commentaires bibliques

Genesis 1:11. And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, &c.— The elements being formed, the sea collected to its proper place, and the surface of the earth appearing, the next act of Divine Power was to clothe that surface with the beautiful furniture which we now behold upon it. Accordingly he gave his almighty fiat; and the grass, that which springs up annually without sowing; the herbs, all plants, corn, &c. which are sown; and the trees, in their lovely verdure, and amazing variety, were produced.

The seeds, or first principles of all the vegetables, were very probably formed with the first chaotic atoms or principles of all things; and we must believe that they arose to absolute maturity and perfection, by the immediate interposition of the Divine Power: nor can it fail to inspire us with the highest idea of the Supreme Mind, when we reflect on the infinite variety, beauty, and regularity of this part of the creation, every individual herb and flower of which must necessarily have been planned and formed by his wisdom, before it was brought to being and perfection.

Whose seed is in itself— The learned Michaelis observes, that the Syriac version has it, whose plant is in itself; which is strictly philosophical; as the best naturalists have incontestibly proved that the seeds of plants contain the perfect draught, in miniature—all the parts and members of the mature and complete plant. And thus it is also in the animal creation. And as no plants can be produced without seed, we here see, by God's wisdom, the origin of all the plants, &c. upon the earth; which from the first have been continued, by means of this original provision of seed. But, as Abarbanel observes, the production of plants, in the beginning, differed from their production ever since, in these two things: 1st, That they have sprung ever since, out of their seed, either sown by us, or falling from them: whereas, in the beginning, they were brought out of the earth, with their seed in them, to propagate them ever after. 2nd, That they need now, as they have ever done since the first creation, the influence of the sun to make them germinate. But then they sprung forth, in perfection, by the immediate power of God, before there was any sun.

Hence we may observe, that God must have the glory of all the benefit we receive, as indeed from every thing, so particularly from the products of the earth. And if we have through grace an interest in him who is the Fountain, we may rejoice in him, when the streams are dried up, and the fig-tree doth not blossom.

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Genesis 1:14. And God said, Let there be lights— The Almighty now proceeds to furnish the heaven, or expanse of air, after having furnished the earth; and so to complete his inanimate creation. The light, by whatever means till now sustained, was to be collected; or, at least, two great bodies were to be formed, as instruments of the diffusal of it; as lamps, if I may so speak, hung up in the firmament, to enlighten the earth by day and night. For the word translated lights, מארת meoroth, signifies luminaries, or instruments of conveying and diffusing light: and consequently, on this interpretation, no objection can arise from the moon's being an opaque body; since Moses says not, that it is a luminous one; any more than a lamp or chandelier is luminous in itself, though it is the instrument of holding or diffusing light.

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Genesis 1:16. The stars also— The abrupt manner in which this passage seems to be introduced, has caused some writers to imagine it an interpolation: whereas the abruptness of the manner is owing principally to the parenthesis; remove which, and the passage runs thus: And God made two great lights, and also the stars: which Moses only mentions briefly, to shew that they were the workmanship of the same Divine Creator. Grotius has produced several passages, to prove that the ancients considered the stars as signs of the times. And very probably Claudian drew his observation from the present passage, where, describing the Deity, he says,

Ille Pater rerum, qui tempora dividit astris:

"He is the Father of things, who divides the times by the stars." The moon is termed "a Light," because it reflects light to the earth in the sun's absence; and it is reckoned one of the greater lights, because to man it appears larger than any other of the celestial bodies, the sun excepted; and in respect to its usefulness to the earth, it is more excellent than they. So it is with men. Those are most valuable who are most serviceable; and they are the greater lights, not who have the best gifts, but who humbly and faithfully do the most good.

REFLECTIONS.—l. How glorious is that visible luminary the sun! But how much more glorious He, who placed him in his sphere, and before whom the angels veil their faces! 2. The moon is dark in herself, and borrows all her light from the sun. Do we shine? Let us never forget the fountain whence our orb is filled. 3. Let us remember, that the scripture indulges no vain curiosity. The design of it is, not to teach us a system of astronomy, but to instruct us in the wisdom which maketh wise unto salvation. 4. The rising and setting sun now first began to measure the day. My soul, let never morning rise, which does not find thee on thy bended knees; let never evening come, without the duteous tribute of prayer and praise to him, who maketh the outgoings of the morning and evening to rejoice.

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Genesis 1:20. And God said, Let the waters, &c.— The formation of things inanimate being completed, the all-wise Creator proceeds, from the most noble of these, the heavenly bodies, to those which are next in degree, the least noble of the animate creation, namely, the inhabitants of the waters. Houbigant justly prefers the English translation here to all those which render the original by the word reptilia, reptiles, or creeping things, under which denomination, certainly, neither the fish, nor the birds, do come; and therefore, after the English, he translates it, animam motabilem; as we, the moving creature. The Hebrew verb and noun here are of the same derivation; ישׁרצו ishretzu, שׁרצ sheretz: and the lexicographers tell us, that שׁרצ sheretz, is derived from that verb which signifies to produce or increase abundantly, on account of the abundant production, or increase of these creatures. This being the case, the passage may be rendered with the strictest propriety, 'Let the waters produce abundantly their productions, which have life:' in which general expressions the whole increase of the watery world is included.

And fowl that may fly, &c.— It should seem by our translation as if the fowl, as well as the fish, were the production of the waters: but you see, from the margin of the Bible, that the Hebrew is, and let fowl fly above the earth, in the open firmament of heaven; i.e.. in the air; which is not only more agreeable to the original, but more consistent with what is said in chap. Genesis 2:19. that God formed the fowl out of the ground. Some birds being of an amphibious nature, living partly by land, and partly by water, and all birds having many things similar to the fishy kind, may be the reason why they are thus united. For naturalists have observed, that the eyes of both are formed similar; as is the conformation of the brain: their bodies are poised alike to swim, the one in the air, and the other in the water: they are each oviparous, and in many other particulars correspond. This may afford some ground for the conjecture of Dr. Gill, that they were created out of earth and water mixed together, or out of the earth or clay that lay at the bottom of the waters.—Note; the Samaritan and Syriac versions agree with our marginal translation.

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Genesis 1:21. Created great whales— The word התנינם hathaninim, which we render great whales, signifies "any kind of large aquatic or amphibious animals;" under which, whales, crocodiles, and the like, may properly be classed. The sacred writer intends only to inform us by that expression of the creation of that class of aquatic or amphibious creatures which are of the more enormous size.

REFLECTIONS.—The greatest, as well as the least, owe to God their breath and being; and the whale, which unwieldly rolls along the ocean, costs him no more than the worm which twinkles in the drop before the microscope: each endued with powers so exactly suited to his state, and so exquisitely fashioned, that he who looks without wonder and adoration must be blind indeed.

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Genesis 1:22. And God blessed them, &c.— Not only their being, but the continuance of it is provided for. Life is a fleeting thing; succession is needful. God hath commanded it shall be, and, in virtue of his blessing, the heavens are stocked with fowl, and the fish replenish the waters; and all for the use of man. O that he were wise, that he knew the bountiful Giver!

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Genesis 1:24. Let the earth bring forth, &c.— From the fish and the fowl the great Creator proceeds to the superior order of terrestrial animals; which are classed under the three ranks of: 1st, cattle, all tame and domestic animals; 2nd, creeping things, all of the reptile kind; and 3rdly, beasts of the earth, all of the savage kind.

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Genesis 1:25. And God made, &c.— As a sufficient proof that the earth did not generate the animals of itself, by any prolific power in it, the formation of them is here appropriated to God. For the sacred writer, by these words, would give us to understand, that the Creator, as the absolute Master of nature, gave both to the earth and to animals all their fecundity and energy: all is the effect of God's omnipotence.

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