10 and with every living creature which `is' with you, among fowl, among cattle, and among every beast of the earth with you, from all who are going out of the ark -- to every beast of the earth.
And God remembereth Noah, and every living thing, and all the cattle which `are' with him in the ark, and God causeth a wind to pass over the earth, and the waters subside,
and I have remembered My covenant which is between Me and you, and every living creature among all flesh, and the waters become no more a deluge to destroy all flesh; and the bow hath been in the cloud, and I have seen it -- to remember the covenant age-during between God and every living creature among all flesh which `is' on the earth.'
And Jehovah answereth Job out of the whirlwind, and saith: -- Who `is' this -- darkening counsel, By words without knowledge? Gird, I pray thee, as a man, thy loins, And I ask thee, and cause thou Me to know. Where wast thou when I founded earth? Declare, if thou hast known understanding. Who placed its measures -- if thou knowest? Or who hath stretched out upon it a line? On what have its sockets been sunk? Or who hath cast its corner-stone? In the singing together of stars of morning, And all sons of God shout for joy, And He shutteth up with doors the sea, In its coming forth, from the womb it goeth out. In My making a cloud its clothing, And thick darkness its swaddling band, And I measure over it My statute, And place bar and doors, And say, `Hitherto come thou, and add not, And a command is placed On the pride of thy billows.' Hast thou commanded morning since thy days? Causest thou the dawn to know its place? To take hold on the skirts of the earth, And the wicked are shaken out of it, It turneth itself as clay of a seal And they station themselves as clothed. And withheld from the wicked is their light, And the arm lifted up is broken. Hast thou come in to springs of the sea? And in searching the deep Hast thou walked up and down? Revealed to thee were the gates of death? And the gates of death-shade dost thou see? Thou hast understanding, Even unto the broad places of earth! Declare -- if thou hast known it all. Where `is' this -- the way light dwelleth? And darkness, where `is' this -- its place? That thou dost take it unto its boundary, And that thou dost understand The paths of its house. Thou hast known -- for then thou art born And the number of thy days `are' many! Hast thou come in unto the treasure of snow? Yea, the treasures of hail dost thou see? That I have kept back for a time of distress, For a day of conflict and battle. Where `is' this, the way light is apportioned? It scattereth an east wind over the earth. Who hath divided for the flood a conduit? And a way for the lightning of the voices? To cause `it' to rain on a land -- no man, A wilderness -- no man in it. To satisfy a desolate and waste place, And to cause to shoot up The produce of the tender grass? Hath the rain a father? Or who hath begotten the drops of dew? From whose belly came forth the ice? And the hoar-frost of the heavens, Who hath begotten it? As a stone waters are hidden, And the face of the deep is captured. Dost thou bind sweet influences of Kimah? Or the attractions of Kesil dost thou open? Dost thou bring out Mazzaroth in its season? And Aysh for her sons dost thou comfort? Hast thou known the statutes of heaven? Or dost thou appoint Its dominion in the earth? Dost thou lift up to the cloud thy voice, And abundance of water doth cover thee? Dost thou send out lightnings, and they go And say unto thee, `Behold us?' Who hath put in the inward parts wisdom? Or who hath given To the covered part understanding? Who doth number the clouds by wisdom? And the bottles of the heavens, Who doth cause to lie down, In the hardening of dust into hardness, And clods cleave together? Dost thou hunt for a lion prey? And the desire of young lions fulfil? When they bow down in dens -- Abide in a thicket for a covert? Who doth prepare for a raven his provision, When his young ones cry unto God? They wander without food.
Dost thou draw leviathan with an angle? And with a rope thou lettest down -- his tongue? Dost thou put a reed in his nose? And with a thorn pierce his jaw? Doth he multiply unto thee supplications? Doth he speak unto thee tender things? Doth he make a covenant with thee? Dost thou take him for a servant age-during? Dost thou play with him as a bird? And dost thou bind him for thy damsels? (Feast upon him do companions, They divide him among the merchants!) Dost thou fill with barbed irons his skin? And with fish-spears his head? Place on him thy hand, Remember the battle -- do not add! Lo, the hope of him is found a liar, Also at his appearance is not one cast down? None so fierce that he doth awake him, And who `is' he before Me stationeth himself? Who hath brought before Me and I repay? Under the whole heavens it `is' mine. I do not keep silent concerning his parts, And the matter of might, And the grace of his arrangement. Who hath uncovered the face of his clothing? Within his double bridle who doth enter? The doors of his face who hath opened? Round about his teeth `are' terrible. A pride -- strong ones of shields, Shut up -- a close seal. One unto another they draw nigh, And air doth not enter between them. One unto another they adhere, They stick together and are not separated. His sneezings cause light to shine, And his eyes `are' as the eyelids of the dawn. Out of his mouth do flames go, sparks of fire escape. Out of his nostrils goeth forth smoke, As a blown pot and reeds. His breath setteth coals on fire, And a flame from his mouth goeth forth. In his neck lodge doth strength, And before him doth grief exult. The flakes of his flesh have adhered -- Firm upon him -- it is not moved. His heart `is' firm as a stone, Yea, firm as the lower piece. From his rising are the mighty afraid, From breakings they keep themselves free. The sword of his overtaker standeth not, Spear -- dart -- and lance. He reckoneth iron as straw, brass as rotten wood. The son of the bow doth not cause him to flee, Turned by him into stubble are stones of the sling. As stubble have darts been reckoned, And he laugheth at the shaking of a javelin. Under him `are' sharp points of clay, He spreadeth gold on the mire. He causeth to boil as a pot the deep, The sea he maketh as a pot of ointment. After him he causeth a path to shine, One thinketh the deep to be hoary. There is not on the earth his like, That is made without terror. Every high thing he doth see, He `is' king over all sons of pride.
O Jehovah, in the heavens `is' Thy kindness, Thy faithfulness `is' unto the clouds. Thy righteousness `is' as mountains of God, Thy judgments `are' a great deep. Man and beast Thou savest, O Jehovah.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Genesis 9
Commentary on Genesis 9 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 9
Ge 9:1-7. Covenant.
1. And God blessed Noah—Here is republished the law of nature that was announced to Adam, consisting as it originally did of several parts.
Be fruitful, &c.—The first part relates to the transmission of life, the original blessing being reannounced in the very same words in which it had been promised at first [Ge 1:28].
2. And the fear of you and the dread of you—The second part re-establishes man's dominion over the inferior animals; it was now founded not as at first in love and kindness, but in terror; this dread of man prevails among all the stronger as well as the weaker members of the animal tribes and keeps away from his haunts all but those employed in his service.
3. Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you—The third part concerns the means of sustaining life; man was for the first time, it would seem, allowed the use of animal food, but the grant was accompanied with one restriction.
4. But flesh … the blood … shall ye not eat—The sole intention of this prohibition was to prevent these excesses of cannibal ferocity in eating flesh of living animals, to which men in the earlier ages of the world were liable.
5. surely your blood of your lives will I require—The fourth part establishes a new power for protecting life—the institution of the civil magistrate (Ro 13:4), armed with public and official authority to repress the commission of violence and crime. Such a power had not previously existed in patriarchal society.
6. Whoso sheddeth man's blood … for in the image of God made he man—It is true that image has been injured by the fall, but it is not lost. In this view, a high value is attached to the life of every man, even the poorest and humblest, and an awful criminality is involved in the destruction of it.
Ge 9:8-29. Rainbow.
13. I do set my bow in the cloud—set, that is, constitute or appoint. This common and familiar phenomenon being made the pledge of peace, its appearance when showers began to fall would be welcomed with the liveliest feelings of joy.
20. And Noah … planted a vineyard—Noah had been probably bred to the culture of the soil, and resumed that employment on leaving the ark.
21. And he drank of the wine, and was drunken—perhaps at the festivities of the vintage season. This solitary stain on the character of so eminently pious a man must, it is believed, have been the result of age or inadvertency.
24. This incident could scarcely have happened till twenty years after the flood; for Canaan, whose conduct was more offensive than that even of his father, was not born till after that event. It is probable that there is a long interval included between these verses and that this prophecy, like that of Jacob on his sons, was not uttered till near the close of Noah's life when the prophetic spirit came upon him; this presumption is strengthened by the mention of his death immediately after.
25. Cursed be Canaan—This doom has been fulfilled in the destruction of the Canaanites—in the degradation of Egypt and the slavery of the Africans, the descendants of Ham.
26. Blessed be the Lord God of Shem—rather, "Blessed of Jehovah, my God, be Shem,"—an intimation that the descendants of Shem should be peculiarly honored in the service of the true God, His Church being for ages established among them (the Jews), and of them, concerning the flesh, Christ came. They got possession of Canaan, the people of that land being made their "servants" either by conquest, or, like the Gibeonites, by submission [Jos 9:25].
27. God shall enlarge Japheth—pointing to a vast increase in posterity and possessions. Accordingly his descendants have been the most active and enterprising, spread over the best and largest portion of the world, all Europe and a considerable part of Asia.
he shall dwell in the tents of Shem—a prophecy being fulfilled at the present day, as in India British Government is established and the Anglo-Saxons being in the ascendancy from Europe to India, from India over the American continent. What a wonderful prophecy in a few verses (Isa 46:10; 1Pe 1:25)!