Genesis 8:7

7.— he sent forth a raven.] To make discovery, whether the earth was dry: for, if it were, the smell of the dead carcasses, he knew, would allure it to fly away from the ark. Bp. Patrick.

— went forth to and fro.] In the Hebrew more plainly, going forth and returning. After many flights, finding nothing but water, it still betook itself to the ark; either entering into it, or sitting upon it: till at last, the waters being dried up, it returned no more: that is, fifty days after its first going forth. Bp. Patrick.

Genesis 8:8

8. Also he sent forth a dove] As a proper creature to make farther discoveries; being of a strong flight, loving to feed on the ground, and pick up seeds, and constantly returning to its rest from the remotest places. This was seven days after he had sent forth the raven. Bp. Patrick.

Genesis 8:10

10. And he stayed yet other seven days;] It appears by this, that on the seventh day Noah expected a blessing rather than on another day: it being the day devoted from the beginning to religious services. Having probably performed these services, he sent out the dove again on this day, as he had done before, with hope of good tidings. Bp. Patrick.

Genesis 8:11

11. — in her mouth was an olive-leaf] Some versions read “leaves;” others, “a branch:” perhaps “a sprig of olive leaves” was what the dove really brought to Noah. Hence the olive-branch has ever been among the forerunners of peace, and chief of those emblems, by which a happy state of renovation and restoration to prosperity has been signified among mankind. Expos. Ind. Script. illust.

Dr. Chandler supposes, that the olive-groves are the principal places for the shooting of birds; and he observes, that when the olive blackens, vast flights of doves, pigeons, thrushes, and other birds, repair to the olive-groves for food: the connection then between Noah’s dove and an olive-leaf is not at all unnatural.

The tops of olive-trees might alone, possibly, be in view of the place, where the ark was then floating, though it is a tree of only middling height; but if the dove saw a great number of other trees appear above the water, it was natural for it to repair to olive-trees, where it had been wont to shelter itself, preferably to others, according to Dr. Chandler’s account. Harmer.

We may be assured, that the ark was providentially wafted into Armenia; as that region seems to have been particularly well calculated for the reception of the Patriarch’s family, and for the repeopling of the world. The soil of the country was very fruitful; and especially of that part, where the Patriarch first made his

Genesis 8:14

14.— in the second month, &c.] If their months were such as ours, twelve of which make 365 days, then Noah stayed in the ark a whole year and ten days, as appears by comparing this verse with chap. vii. 11. But if they were lunar months, which is most probable, then he was in the ark just one of our years, going out on the 365th day after his entrance into it. Bp. Patrick.

Barnage has given us the calendar of this melancholy year of Noah’s confinement.

The year of the world’s creation, 1656. Month. I. September. Methuselah died at the age of 969 years. II. October. Noah and his family entered the ark.

III. November the 17th. The fountains of the great deep were broken up.

IV. December the 26th. The rain began, and continued 40 days and 40 nights.

V. January. All the men and beasts, that were on the earth, were buried under the waters.

VI. February. The rain continued.

VII. March. The waters remained in their elevation, till the 27th, when they began to abate.

VIII. April the 17th. The ark rested on mount Ararat, in Armenia. IX. May. They did nothing, while the waters were retreating. X. June the 1st. The tops of the mountains appeared. XI. July the 11th. Noah let go a raven. the 18th. He let go a dove, which returned.

the 25th. He let go the dove again, which returned with an olive-branch.

XII. August the 2d. The dove went out a third time, and returned no more.

I. September the 1st. The dry land appeared.

II. October the 27th. Noah went out of the ark with his family. Stackhouse.

Before CHRIST 2348. 2348. Noah, &c. go forth of the ark. God blesseth Noah. Before CHRIST 2346. the seven and twentieth day of the month, was the earth dried.

Genesis 8:16

16. Go forth of the ark.] Though Noah saw that the earth was fit to be inhabited, he waited for God’s order to go out of the ark, as he had for his entering into it. Bp. Patrick.

Genesis 8:20

20. And Noah builded an altar unto the Lord.] A place, where a sacrifice or oblation was laid, when it was to be offered up. Here is the first express mention of an altar, though it is to be supposed there was one, upon which Cain and Abel offered, in the place appointed for Divine worship. Bp. Kidder.

Noah having been preserved from the flood by a miraculous providence, the first thing he did, was to offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving for his deliverance, and for God’s faithfulness and truth, in continuing in him and in his posterity the blessing of the promised Seed. This was so acceptable to God, that it drew down a blessing upon the whole earth, and a promise, that it should never be destroyed again by water. Bp. Wilson.

—burnt offerings] They were offerings, which were entirely burnt, Levit. vi. 9. Bp. Kidder.

Genesis 8:21

21. And the Lord smelled a sweet savour;] This expression is used in great condescension to human thoughts and human language; and is intended to signify, that God was pleased with the piety and devout services of Noah and others, sacrificing to Him from a pure heart, as men are wont to be pleased with sweet odours. A comparison taken from things human serves in some measure to illustrate things divine: and though it is not exact, as none can be exact, yet it helps to convey a more lively and more affecting idea of the thing than could be given without it. “A sweet-smelling savour” is St. Paul’s phrase in the New Testament also; where Christ is said to have “given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-

smelling savour,” Eph. v. 2. Dr. Waterland. See note on chap. vi. 6.

—and the Lord said in his heart,] He determined or resolved in Himself. Bp. Patrick. Or, (as the Hebrew will bear,) to his heart, meaning the heart of Noah; that is, God spake comfortably to Noah. “To speak to the heart of a man,” is, in the Scripture phrase, to comfort and speak kindly to him, Gen. xxxiv. 3; Isai. xl. 2. Bp. Kidder.

—for the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth;] Such a proclivity there is in men to evil, that if I should scourge them thus, as often as they deserve it, there would be no end of delugees. Or, the words may mean, “Though the imagination, &c.”

Those words, “from his youth,” signify a long-rooted corruption, as appears from many places, Isai. xlvii. 12, 15; Jer. iii. 25; Ezek. xxiii. 8, &c. Perhaps they may be extended so far as to signify from his mother’s womb. Bp. Patrick.

Genesis 8:22

22. While the earth remaineth, seed-time &c.] This word is our only security. Our only dependence is upon God. To Him therefore we ought to pray and give praise.

This seems to have been what Noah prayed for, and intended by his sacrifice; and this was granted. Bp. Wilson.

Chap. IX. ver. 1. And God blessed Noah and his sons, &c.] As He did our first parents. The blessing upon Noah and his offspring is more particularly expressed afterwards: first, in blessing them with increase, “Be fruitful, &c.” ver. 7; secondly, restoring them to their dominion over the creatures, ver. 2; thirdly, allowing them the living creatures for food, ver. 3; fourthly, assuring them that He would take special care of their