which is repeated so often in this connection, is very emphatic and points to the exceedingly intimate relation constituted by the Creator between man and the lower orders of creatures. not always a rainbow when there is 13. 1 do set my bow in the cloud. That is, in the clouds; collect. sing. for plur. The original word for set (curity against the occurrence of anothnathatti), usually rendered to give, has er deluge, and had not the phenomenon in innumerable instances the import of been new, had men been familiar with appointing or constituting, as Num. it in past ages, it is not altogether easy 14. 4, 'Let us make (1) a captain, to see how it could have been efficaand let us return into Egypt; i. e. let cious enough to overcome the doubts us appoint a captain. 1 Kings 2. 35, and fears which it was intended to reThe king put (1) Benaiah over the move. 'What guaranty does this afford host; and Zadok did the king put (1) us,' they might say, 'that we shall not in the room of Abiathar;' i. e. appoint-be deluged again, since we have often ed. So in the preceding verse 'the to-beheld this sight, and were deluged ken of the covenant which I make notwithstanding?' If it be said that (),' is properly the token of the God's verbal promise made their secucovenant which I appoint.' As the rity certain, we may ask what need rainbow is the natural effect of the re- then was there of any outward sign at fraction and reflection of the sun's rays all? Was not his word as certain falling on drops of water, it is not ab- without a sign as with it? In fine, as solutely necessary to suppose that this it is impossible to prove that the rainphenomenon had never been witnessed bow had actually ever appeared before previous to the time now mentioned. the flood, we believe the most interAs the causes of it existed from the be-esting light in which this glorious specginning, it may have occasionally ap-tacle can be viewed, viz. as a great me peared in the interval between the creamento of the divine veracity, has been tion and the deluge; and all that is here conceded away to the cavils of infidels; implied may be that it was now first and that by looking upon it merely as appointed as a pledge or outward visi- an effect of natural causes that have ble sign of the covenant promise made always operated, we shall be apt to to Noah. Yet we incline upon the lose the force of its moral bearing in whole to regard this as the first appear- connection with the event in which it ance of the celestial arch. Such we originated. As a seal of this gracious think is the natural impression produ- assurance it is very peculiar. Its beanced upon the mind of any one who ty, conspicuousness and grandeur make reads the narrative without reference to it a very suitable memorial for such a any existing theory upon the subject; purpose, and yet whenever a rainbow and no one can doubt that the effect appears, it is a sign that there is rain upon Noah's mind would have been far descending at that moment on the earth, more vivid and striking had this been and consequently when viewed in itself the first time the splendid sight had is rather a ground of apprehending that met his eye. Although the causes of another deluge may come. But God the phenomenon existed from the crea- in his wisdom has chosen that to be a tion, yet it does not necessarily follow pledge of our security which is in itself that the phenomenon itself had actually an intimation of our danger. And how appeared before. Even now there is strikingly does the Most High endear 14 And it shall come to pass, | when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud : 15 And I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you, and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh. 16 And the bow shall be in the u Ex. 28. 12. Lev. 26. 42, 45. Ezek. 16. 60. his goodness to our hearts by appointing a sign which he declares shall not only be a means of reminding us, but himself also, of his promise! 'I will look upon it that I may remember the everlasting covenant.' 14. When I bring a cloud over the earth. Heb. 13 when I make cloudy (the) cloud. That is, clouds, thick watery clouds, a collective term; whence the Gr. when I bring clouds (νεφέλας). 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. 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. w ch. 17. 13, 19. ted beings. And this the philosophers are obliged to confess, that the subsidence of the waters below the surface of the earth so as to allow any portion of it to rise above them, is an event contrary to nature (præter naturam). Indeed, the Scriptures speak of it as among the divine miracles, Job 38. 811, that the waters of the sea should be kept back by forced restraints, as of bars and doors, from rushing forth and overwhelming the regions allotted to 15. The waters shall no more become the habitation of men.' Comment. on a flood to destroy all flesh. It is now Gen. 7. 11. Considering therefore the above four thousand years since the real exposedness of the earth to destrucpromise was given to Noah, and no tion from the element of water on the part of it has ever yet failed. There one hand and fire on the other, vast have been partial inundations and par- stores of which are treasured up in its tial suspensions of fruitful seasons; but bowels and continually tending to at no period, from the deluge to this burst forth, we may well regard our hour, has any thing occurred like the safety as the effect of a perpetual miradesolation that was visited upon the cle of mercy; and every appearance of earth in the days of Noah. The con- a rainbow ought to be a signal for a scious security in which the world re- new acknowledgment of the divine poses, as far as the occurrence of anoth-forbearance and faithfulness. Such acer deluge is concerned, is matter of devout admiration and perpetual praise. And so will it doubtless appear if due weight be given to the reflections of Calvin on this fearful catastrophe. 'The earth,' says he, 'in its primitive and most natural state was covered by the waters; and it was owing solely to the singular beneficence of the Creator that they were forced to give way and leave a space fit for the occupation of anima ་ cording to Maimonides was the custom of the ancient Jews;—' When any one seeth the bow in the cloud, he blesseth God that remembereth his covenant, and is faithful therein, and stable in his promise.' Ainsworth. 'Look upon the rainbow, and praise him that made it,' says the son of Syrac, Ecclus. 43. 11, and to this injunction every pious heart will promptly respond. 17. And God said unto Noah, this 18 T And the sons of Noah that went forth of the ark, were Shem, and Ham, and Japheth: and Ham is the father of Ca naan. x ch. 10. 6. 19 These are the three sons of Noah: and of them was the whole earth overspread. 20 And Noah began to be a y ch. 5. 32. z ch. 10. 32. 1 Chron. 1. 4, &c. a ch. 3. 19, 23. & 4. 2. Prov. 12. 11. is the token, &c. The remark of Jar-name that is above every name. 'Ham' chi the Jewish commentator on this passage we think peculiarly plausible and happy. He says that in what goes before God had merely affirmed, in a general way, that he would appoint the bow in the heavens as a sign of the covenant, and that whenever it should in future chance to appear it should be so regarded, while there is no intimation that one was actually visible at the time. But now, he thinks, for the greater confirmation of Noah's faith, God suddenly overspread the western sky with clouds, and causing the rainbow to appear, said to his servant, 'Behold, this is the sign of which I spake! Such at any rate is the usual force of the demonstrative this. 18. The sons of Noah-were Shem, and Ham, and Japheth. To whatever it may be owing, the fact is undoubted, that very many of the names of the early distinguished personages of Scripture are not only significant, but significant some way of the character or fortunes for which the individuals themselves were remarkable. Whether these names were bestowed by their parents under some degree of prophetic influence, as suggested on Gen. 4. 2. -5. 29, or whether the original names were gradually superseded and other appropriate ones substituted by their posterity in after times, is uncertain. That the fact is so, however, the names of Noah's sons afford one of many palpable proofs. 'Shem' signifies name, and doubtless points to the circumstance of his superior distinction over his brethren, especially from his being the progenitor of Him who inherits a כנען .Heb signifies heat, probably in allusion to the hot and sultry regions which his descendants were to inhabit. Of 'Japheth' the import is enlargement, the grounds of which appellation are explained below. We may remark, moreover, that the order of mention here does not correspond with the order of age; for Japheth was undoubtedly the eldest and Shem the youngest of the three brethren. But Shem is usually mentioned first because the birthright was conferred upon him.-¶ Ham is the father of Canaan. Kenaan, from the root kâna, to humble, to depress, to cause to stoop or bow down; implying the depressive humiliation to which his descendants should be subjected. This remark of Moses respecting Ham was doubtless made with a special design; for living, as he did, when the Israelites, who descended from Shem, were about to take possession of the land of Canaan, it was of peculiar importance that they should be informed, that the people, whose country the Lord their God had given them to possess, were under a curse from the days of their first father. As Ham had several sons besides Canaan, there seems to be no other assignable reason for his being particularly specified here than that now suggested. 19. Of them was the whole earth overspread. Heb. dispersed,scattered; spoken of the earth figuratively, unless as some critics understand it, 'earth' is here used in the sense of in habitants of the earth, the container for the contained. The ancient versions husbandman, and he planted a and was drunken; and he was vineyard: uncovered within his tent. 21 And he drank of the wine, all give an equivalent rendering, though the Syr. includes both senses;-'From these were mer. divided in the earth.' The fact mentioned would seem to exclude the idea that Noah had any more children born after the flood, as some have maintained. 20. Noah began to be a husbandman. Heb. a man of the ground. Thus in the Heb. idiom a soldier is termed 'a man of war;' a shepherd, 'a man of cattle;' an orator, a man of words,' &c. The language does not necessarily imply that he had not followed the occupation of a husbandman before. The original for 'begin' both in Heb. and Gr. is often redundant, being applied to one who continues or repeats an action begun before. Thus, Christ is said, Mark, 11. 15, to 'begin to cast out,' and Luke, 12. 1, to 'begin to speak,' for which in the parallel places he is said only, Mat. 21. 12, to 'cast out,' and Mat. 16. 6, to 'speak.' So likewise it is said Gen. 6. 1, when men began to multiply,' though we know they had multiplied before this, and were already very numerous. Here then the meaning is simply, that Noah began to cultivate the ground after the deluge and, among other agricultural operations, he planted a vineyard, and was perhaps the first who invented presses for extracting the juice of the grape and making wine in this manner. If so, the increased quantities procured, or the augmented strength of the beverage, may account for the effect produced by drinking it upon Noah. 'Behold the juice of the grape in a new state; possessing a quality unheard of before. Eaten from the tree, or dried in the it is simple and nutritious, like the grain from the stalk of corn; pressed out and fermented, it acquires a sun, b Prov. 20. 1. 1 Cor. 10. 12. fiery force, it warms the blood, it mounts to the brain, it leads reason captive, it overpowers every faculty, it triumphs over its lord. How offen have arts been invented which have proved fatal to the inventors! Hunter. 21. And he drank of the wine and was drunken. This language is, alas! too plain to stand in need of expository comment. He that runs may read, and he that reads must grieve. It was very lawful for Noah to partake of the fruits of his labour; but he sinned in drinking to excess. He might not indeed have been aware of the strength of the wine, or his age might have rendered him sooner affected by it. At any rate, we have reason to conclude from his general character, that it was a fault of inadvertence, one in which he was overtaken, and of which he afterwards bitterly repented. 'Who would look to have found righteous Noah, the father of the new world, lying drunk in his tent? Who could think that wine should overthrow him that was preserved from the waters? That he who could not be tainted with the sinful examples of the former world should begin the example of a new sin of his own? What are we men if we be left to ourselves! While God upholds us, no temptation can move us; when he leaves us, no temptation is too weak to overthrow us. God's best children have no fence for sins of infirmity. Which of the saints have not once done that whereof they are ashamed? Yet we see Noah drunken but once. One act can no more make a good man unrighteous, than a trade of sin can stand (consist) with regeneration.' Bp. Hall. Was uncovered within his tent. Heb. 3 in the midst of (the) tent; the original having nothing 22 And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brethren without. 23 And Shem and Japheth took a garment, and laid it upon both their shoulders, and went backward, and covered the nakedness of their father: and their fa c Ex. 20. 12. Gal. 6. 1. to answer to 'his' in our translation. Indeed the use of the collect. sing. is of such incessant occurrence in Hebrew, that it is by no means certain that a single tent is here intended. It may be that he lay on the ground in the open air in the midst of a number of tents, where he happened first to be discovered by Ham. Thus while in 2 Sam. 7. 6, God says, 'Whereas I have not dwelt in (any) house since the time that I brought up the children of Israel out of Egypt, even to this day, but have walked in a tent and in a tabernacle,' 1. e. have dwelt tentwise; we read in the parallel passage 1 Chron. 17. 5, 'For I have not dwelt in an house since the day that I brought up Israel unto this day; but have gone from tent to tent and from (one) tabernacle (to another).' As to Ham's telling his brethren with out, this may mean simply that he told them in the fields or in the vineyards, or any where without the spot where the several tents happened to be pitched. But whatever were the place, it was the position that constituted the degradation. 'Noah had no sooner sinned but he discovers his nakedness, and hath not so much rule of himself as to be ashamed. One hour's drunkenness bewrays that which more than six hundred years' sobriety had modestly concealed. He that gives himself to wine is not his own: what shall we think of this vice, which robs a man of himself and lays a beast in his room?' Bp. Hall. 22. And Ham-saw the nakedness of his father and told his two brethren. However sinful it was for Noah thus to expose himself, it was still more so for Ham, on perceiving his situation, to go out and report it with malignant pleasure to his brethren. For that he did so, we cannot but infer from the sequel. He was now in all probability about an hundred years old, and the act therefore could not have been one of mere childish levity. It was undoubtedly a known and voluntary instance of gross disrespect, or contemptuous deportment towards his aged parent, and as such justly gave occasion to the malediction that followed.-"Ham is here called 'the father of Canaan,' which intimates that he who was himself a father, should have been more respectful to him who was his father.' Henry. 24. And Noah awoke, &c. Finding himself covered, when he awoke, with a garment which he had no recollection of having spread over him when he laid down, he would naturally make inquiries concerning it of his sons, and thus would learn from Shem and Ja pheth all that had happened. It is unnecessary to suppose any supernatural revelation in the case.- ¶ Knew what his younger son had done unto him. Heb. This little son. As Ham in the enumeration of Noah's sons is invariably placed between the other two, the presumption is, that he was between them in age; and consequently that he is here called 'younger' of |