Matthew Poole and continuators on Genesis 9

1. AND God blessed Noah and his Sons, and said unto them, be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the Earth.

(i. e.) Renewed the old blessing and grant made chap. 1. 28. which might seem to be forfeited and made void by mans sin, and by Gods Judgment consequent upon it.

Marginal references: Chap. 1. 28. and 8. 17.

2. And the fear of you, and the dread of you shall be upon every Beast of the Earth, and upon every Fowl of the Air, upon all that moveth upon the Earth, and upon all the Fishes of the Sea ; into your hand are they delivered .

Before they loved and reverenced you as Lords and Friends, now they shall dread you as Enemies and Tyrants.

For your use and service. I restore you in part to that Dominion over them which you for your sins have forfeited.

3. Every moving thing , that liveth , shall be meat for you , even as the green herb have I given you all things .

Which is wholesome and fit for food, and clean: An exception to be gathered both from the nature of the thing, and from the distinction of clean and unclean Beasts mentioned before and afterwards.

This is added to exclude the use of those Creatures which either died of themselves, or were killed by wild Beasts, which is here forbidden implicitely, and afterwards expresly. See Exod. 22. 31. Levit. 22. 8.

It is not a command that we must, but a permission that we may, eat of them. A grant possibly given before the Flood, but now expressed, either because the former allowance might seem to be forfeited, or because as men now grew more infirm and needed better nourishment, so the Earth was grown more feeble by the Flood, and its fruits yeilded less and worse nourishment.

Understand this with the limitation above mentioned. The green Herbs were given before. chap. 1. 29.

Marginal references: Chap. 1. 29.

4. But Flesh with the Life thereof , which is the blood thereof , shall you not eat .

(i. e.) Whilst it lives, or taken from the Creature before it be quite dead: Which was an antient practice and an effect either of luxury or cruelty.

(i. e.) Which life or soul hath its seat in, and its support from the blood, and the spirits contained in it. It is certain, Blood is the thing which is here principally minded and forbidden, and so the words may be thus translated and understood, but flesh, (i. e.) the Flesh of living Creatures hereby allowed you with the Life thereof, that is to say, with the blood thereof, wherein its life consists. Or, But Flesh whilst it hath in it its Life or Soul, or, which is all one, its Blood.

God thought fit to forbid this, partly that by this respect shewn to the blood of Beasts it might appear how sacred a thing the blood of man was, and how much God abhorred the sin of Murther; and principally because the Blood was reserved and consecrated to God, as was the means of atonement for man, which reason God himself gives, Levit. 17. 11, 12. and did in a special manner represent the Blood of Christ which was to be shed for the Redemption of mankind.

Marginal references: Levit. 17. 14. Deut. 12. 23. Act. 15. 20.; Heb. Soul.

5. And surely your blood of your Lives will I require : At the hand of every Beast will I require it , and at the hand of Man, at the hand of every mans Brother will require the Life of Man.

Or, For, as the particle is oft taken: This being the reason of the foregoing prohibition.

Or, Of your Souls▪ i. e. Of your persons; the word Soul being oft put for Person. Or, your Blood which is for your lives, (i. e.) which by the spirits it generates is the great preserver and instrument of your lives and of all your vital actions, and the great bond which ties your Souls and Bodies together. The sense of the place is, If I am thus carefull for the blood of Beasts, be assured I will be much more solicitous for the blood of men, when it shall be shed by unjust and violent hands.

I will make inquisition for the Author of such bloodshed, as I did after Cain, and consequently punish him: For this phrase of requiring implies punishment. See Gen. 42. 22. Deut. 18. 19. compared with Acts 3. 23. Psal. 9. 13. If Magistrates neglect this duty I my self will avenge it by my own hand.

Not for the punishment of the Beast, which being under no Law, is not [illegible: 1 word] of sin, nor punishment; but for caution to men, for whose use seeing they were made, it is no abuse of them, if they be destroyed for mans benefit. Compare Exod. 21. 28. Levit. 20, 15.

This is added, either 1. as an aggravation of the crime, because the man slain was the Brother of the Murderer, all men being made of one bl[illegible: 1+ letters]od, Act. 17, 26. And having one Father, even God, Mal. 2. 10. and Adam too. Upon which accounts all men are frequently called one anothers [illegible: 1 word], as is manifest from Gen. 26. 31, and 29. 4. Levit. 19. 17. and 25. 14. and 26. 37. and from many other places of Scripture. Or 2. As an assurance of the punishment of the Murderer, without any exception of the nearest relation, which though it makes the sin greater▪ yet many times is a security against punishment, the murtherer easily finding favour and pardon from his Parents and dear Friends. But the former sense seems the better.

Marginal references: Heb. Souls.; Heb Soul.

6. Whoso sheddeth mans blood , by man ▪ shall his blood be shed : For in the image of God made he man .

Willfully and unwarrantably. For there is a double exception to this Law, 1. Of casual Murder, expressed Numb. 35▪ 31. Deut. 19. 4. 2. Of death inflicted by the hand of the Magistrate for crimes deserving it, mentioned in the following words, and elsewhere.

(i. e.)▪ By the hand of man, namely the Magistrate, Rom. 13. 4. Who is hereby impowered and required upon pain of my highest displeasure to inflict this punishment. See Exod. 21. 12. Levit. 24. 17. Matth. 26. 57. [illegible: 1 word], For that Man, i. e. For that mans▪ sake, whose blood he hath shed, which cries for vengeance.

So that Murder is not only an offence against man, but also an injury to God, and a contempt of that image of God which all men are obliged to reverence and maintain, and especially Magistrates, who being my Vice-gerents and Servants, are therefore under a particular obligation to punish those who d[illegible: 1+ letters]face and destroy it.

Marginal references: Matth. 26. 52. Revel. 13. 10.; Or, the blood of man in man.; Chap. 1. 2[illegible: 1+ letters] ▪

7. And yet, be ye fruitful, and multiply , bring forth abundantly in the Earth, and multiply therein.

(i. e.) As for you, I do not repent of that former blessing I gave to your Parents, Gen. 1. 28. but do hereby renew it, to you and [illegible: 1+ letters]your Seed after you.

9. And I, behold I establish my Covenant with you, and with your Seed after you.

(i. e.) My promise: For the Beasts included in this Covenant ver. 10. are not capable of a Covenant properly so called: And the word Covenant is oft used for a simple promise; as we shall see hereafter.

(i. e.) Your posterity, as that word is frequently taken, as Gen. 12. 7. Exod. 28. 43. &c.

10. And with every living Creature that is with you, of the Fowl, of the Cattle, and of every Beast of the Earth with you, from all that go out of the Ark, to every Beast of the Earth :

To wit, which shall hereafter be in the Earth. So they are distinguished from these which were now with them.

Marginal references: Heb. living soul.

11. And I will establish my Covenant with you, neither shall all Flesh be cut off any more by the Waters of a Flood, neither shall there any more be a Flood , to destroy the Earth.

(i. e▪ ) An universal deluge: For particular inundations there have been, whereby Towns and Countries have been overwhelmed with all their inhabitants.

Marginal references: Isai. 54. 9:

12. And God said, This is the token of the Covenant , which I make between me and you, and every living Creature that is with you, for perpetual Generations.

This, (i. e.) The bow mentioned in the next verse, I appoint to you for a sensible sign and evidence to assure you that I shall perform this Covenant or Promise.

13. I do set my Bow in the Cloud , and it shall be for a token of a Covenant between me and the Earth.

Heb. I have given, (i. e.) I will from time to time give and place.

God calleth it his Bow, partly because it was his workmanship, and chiefly because it was his pledge and the seal of his promise.

A proper seat for it: That they might now fetch an argument of Faith from thence, whence before they had matter of just fear; and that which naturally was and is a sign of Rain, might by this new appointment of God be turned into an assurance that there should be no such overflowing Rain as now had been.

14. And it shall come to pass, when I bring a Cloud over the Earth , that the Bow shall be seen in the Cloud.

Not always, but very frequently, which is sufficient for this purpose.

16. And the Bow shall be in the Cloud, and I will look upon it, that I may remember the Everlasting Covenant , between God and every living Creature of all Flesh that is upon the Earth.

(i. e.) This Covenant made with all succeeding Generations of men and Beasts. This and the like speeches are oft ascribed to God after the manner of Men, who being forgetfull need helps for their memory.

17. And God said unto Noah, This is the token of the Covenant which I have established between me and all Flesh, that is upon the Earth.

The same thing is so oft repeated for the strengthning of the Faith of all men, and especially of Noah and his Sons, whom the remembrance of that dreadful deluge, which they had experience of, had made exceeding prone to fears of the like for time to come.

18. And the Sons of Noah that went forth of the Ark, were Shem, and Ham, and Iapheth: And Ham is the Father of Canaan .

Which is here mentioned to make way for the following relation.

Marginal references: Heb. Chanaan.

19. These are the three Sons of Noah: And of them was the whole Earth overspread .

A Truth which the old Heathens were not ignorant of, though they changed the Names, and mixed their Fables with it, for they tell us that Saturn, and his three Sons divided the World among themselves. And it is apparent that their Saturn was no other than our Noah, because they tell us he was the common Parent and Prince of all mankind, also an Husbandman and Vine-dresser, all which Noah was: They say he was born of the Sea, because Noah came out of the Waters: That he devoured all his Children except three, because Noah condemned and foretold the destruction of all the rest of the World.

20. And Noah began to be an Husbandman , and he planted a Vineyard.

(i. e.) Was an Husbandman, as he had been before. The Verb, to begin, doth oft abound, and is applied to him that continueth or repeateth an action begun before. Thus Christ is said to begin to cast out, Mark 11. 15. and to begin to speak, Luk. 12. 1. For which in the parallel places he is said only to cast out, Matth. 21. 12. and to speak▪ Matth. 16. 6.

21. And he drank of the Wine, and was drunken , and he was uncovered within his Tent.

Either through ignorance and inexperience of the nature and strength of that Liquor, or through the infirmity of the Flesh, which was tempted by its great and to him new pleasantness, and by the refreshment he found in it, under the weary labours of his Body, and the sad thoughts of his mind for the desolate condition of the World.

Either to releive himself against the heat of the Climate and Season, or from his negligence and carelessness, which might easily happen, because mens garments at that time were loose, as they were in the following ages, when breeches were not in common use, and therefore were peculiarly prescribed to the Priests, Exod. 28. 42. Ezek. 44. 18, 19.

22. And Ham , the Father of Canaan saw the nakedness of his Father, and told his two Brethren without .

Whose grown age was a great aggravation of this sin.

This is here added as a reason of Canaan's Curse. ver. 25.

(i. e.) The secret parts, oft so called, as Levit. 18. and elsewhere.

(i. e.) Who were then without the house or room where their Father lay in that posture, whom he invited to that prospect.

24. And Noah awoke from his Wine , and knew what his younger Son had done unto him.

(i. e.) From his drunkenness, or from his sleep, the effect of it.

Either by the information of his Sons: Or by divine inspiration.

Or, His little Son, either Ham mentioned ver. 22. or Canaan mentioned in the next verse; by comparing of which places it may be gathered, that Canaan first saw it, and told his Father Ham of it, and he told it to his Brethren. The latter seems here principally intended, 1. Because the curse following is appropriated to him. 2. Because of the title of younger or little Son, which seems not to be so properly added if Ham was meant, both because it doth not appear that he was the youngest, for wheresoever these three Brethren are mentioned, he is always put in the middle place, and because that addition seems to be unnecessary and impertinent to the present business, which if Canaan be intended, is proper and pertinent by way of distinction, to shew that he spake of his Grandson, o[illegible: 1+ letters] his Sons Son. Object. He calleth him his Son. Answ. Grand-children are frequently called their Grand-fathers Sons in Scripture, as Gen. 29. 5. 2 Sam. 19. 24. 1 Chron. 1. 17.

25. And he said , Cursed be Canaan , a Servant of Servants shall he be unto his Brethren.

Not from the passion of revenge, but by divine inspiration, and the Spirit of Prophesie.

(i. e.) Hateful to God, abhorred by men, miserable in his person and posterity.

Quest▪ Seeing Ham committed the crime, why is the curse inflicted upon his Son Canaan? Answ. 1. When Canaan is mentioned, Ham is not exempted from the curse, but rather more deeply plunged into it, whilest he is pronounced accursed, not only in his person (which is manifestly supposed by his commission of that sin for which the curse was inflicted) but also in his posterity, which doubtless was a great aggravation of his grief: As on the contrary Ioseph is said to be blessed, when his Children are blessed, Gen. 48. 15, 16. 2. It seems therefore very probable from these words, and the Hebrew Doctors and others affirm it, that Canaan did partake with his Father in the sin, yea that he was the first discoverer of his Fathers shame. 3. Canaan is particularly mentioned by the spirit of Prophes[illegible: 1+ letters]e, in regard of the future extirpation of that people, and this is here remembred for the encouragement of the Israelites, who were now in their expedition against them. 4. This may be an ellipsis or defect of the word, Father; for such relative words are oft-times omitted and understood in Scripture, as Matth. 4. 21. Iames of Zebedee, for, the Son of Zebedee. Ioh. 19. 25. Mary of Cl[illegible: 1+ letters]opas, for, the wife of Cleopas. Act. 7. 16. Emmor of Sychem, for, the Father of Sychem, as our English Translation rightly supplies it from Gen. 33. 19. Thus Goliah is put for Goliahs Brother, as is evident by comparing 2 Sam. 21. 19. with 1 Chron. 20, 5. So here Canaan may be put for, the Father of Canaan, as the Arabick Translation hath it, that is, Ham, as the seventy here render it. And though Ham had more Sons, yet he may be here described by his relation to Canaan, because in him the Curse was more fixed and dreadful, reaching to his utter extirpation, whilst the rest of Hams posterity in after ages were blessed with the saving knowledge of the Gospel.

(i. e.) The vilest and worst of Servants; as vanity of vanities, is the greatest vanity, Eccles. 1. 2. and great wickedness, Hos. 10. 15. is in the Hebrew wickedness of wickedness, and King of Kings is put for the chief of Kings.

26. And he said, Blessed be the Lord God of Shem ; and Canaan shall be his Servant.

Quest. What is this to Sem? For it is not Sem, but God, who is here blessed. Answ. 1. Shem also is here blessed, and that in the highest degree, because the Lord hath here declared himself to be Shems God. Now for God to be said to be any mans God is every where mentioned as the height of blessedness. See Gen. 17. 7. Psal. 144. 15. Ier. 31. 33. Matth. 22. 32. But the phrase is here justly varied. The curse is fixed upon Ham, because man alone is the Author of his own sin, and the cause of his ruine: But because God is the Author and Fountain of all the good that man either doth or receiveth, therefore the blessing is emphatically given to God; who only doth the work and of right is to receive all the glory, yet so as it redounds to Shem also. And Shem is here peculiarly mentioned, not Iapheth, both for the comfort of the Israelites, whose Progenitor he was, and because this blessing was first seated and long continued in Shems Posterity alone, Iapheths Posterity being for a long time excluded from it, and because the Lord Christ, who is often called the Lord and God in Scripture did take Flesh from Shem, and so the Incarnation of Christ may be here foretold, and Shem highly honoured and blessed in this, that he should be the Father of Christ according to the Flesh, Rom. 9. 5. Answ. 2. This may be a short and abrupt manner of speech, which is frequent in the Hebrew Tongue, and it may signifie that Shem should be so eminently blessed, that men beholding it should be wrapt up into admiration, and break forth into the praises of that God who gave such gifts unto men and did so great things for S[illegible: 1+ letters]m. Answ. 3. The words may be otherwise rendred, either thus b[illegible: 1+ letters]essed▪ O Lord God, let Shem be, i. e. Do thou bless him: So it is only the construct form, Elohe, for the absolute Elohim, which is not unusual in Scripture: or thus, Blessed of the Lord God be Shem, or shall Shem be. So here is only a defect of the Hebrew particle min, which is oft wanting.

Marginal references: Heb. Servant to them.

27. God shall enlarge Iapheth , and he shall dwell in the Tents of Shem , and Canaan shall be his Servant .

Or, Enlarge to Iapheth, understand here his place, as Gen. 26. 22. Psal. 4. 1. or his border: Which was very literally made good to him, because he had a very numerous Posterity, and by them he possessed the largest part of the World, even all Europe, a great part of Asia, and as it is probable America also. Or, God shall perswade Iapheth, to do what follows, to dwell in Shems Tents, where God dwelleth, and so to be re-united to his Brother Shem both in affection and in Religion, in both which the Gentiles, the greatest part of whom were Iapheths Posterity, were for a long time at an irreconcileable distance from the Jews.

(i. e.) Shall be of the same Church with Shem, i. e. of the Church, which is called in Scripture the Tents or Tabernacles of Iudah, or of Iacob, or in general, of the Saints, Zach. 12. 7. Mal 2. 12. Revel. 20. 9. and here, of Shem in whose Posterity the Church was first and longest settled. And to dwell with another, notes friendly association and communion with him, as when God is said to dwell with men: And when the Wolf is said to dwell with the Lamb, Isa. 11. 6. Possibly this may note Iapheths Succession into Shems Tents, or coming into their place and stead, or the calling of the Gentiles together with the rejection of Jews: as the Reubenites are said to dwell in the Tabernacles of the Hagarens whom they subdued and expelled, 1 Chron 5. 10.

This was eminently accomplished: For though Shem and Iapheth in their Posterity did successively conquer and rule one over the other, yet none of Hams Posterity did ever bear rule over Iapheth, but Ham, though for a time he bore sway in his Son Nimrod, yet that dominion soon expired, and the Assrrians, Chaldeans, Grecians, and Romans ruled the World for a succession of many Ages; and Hams people were constantly their Servants and Subjects.

Marginal references: Or, perswade.; Heb. servant to them.

28. And Noah lived after the Flood three hundred and fifty years .

Which reacheth to the fifty eighth year of Abrahams Age, as the Jews note. And so we have a manifest account of the propagation of Religion from the beginning of the World to this day. Noah received it from his Parents, who had the account of it from their first Father Adams own mouth, and transmitted it to Abraham, and its descent from him to the Jews, and by the Jews to others is sufficiently known▪ Within this time also Noah saw the Building of Babels Tower, the horrid Wickedness and Idolatry of his Children, and the bloody Wars which even then arose between some of them.

29. And all the days of Noah were nine hundred and fifty years , and he died.

Here is an omission of that solemn clause used in all the preceding Generations, and he begat Sons and Daughters, which implies that Noah had no more than these three Sons, which also appears from the 19th. verse of this Chapter.