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Commentaries and Other Bible Study Helps - Prayer Tents - Prayer Tents
6:9-9:29 Noah's Descendants. Centered on Noah and his descendants, this section of Genesis is dominated by the account of the flood that brings about a renewal of the earth, which has similarities to 1:1-2:3. While the land is cleansed of the defilement caused by human wrongdoing and a new start is made possible by God, the people's nature has not been transformed, as the final short episode in 9:20-28 reveals. The inclination of the human heart is still toward evil.
6:9-9:19 Noah and the Flood. This long section recounts how Noah and his immediate family are rescued from the flood. By echoing ch. 1, the whole process is presented as the undoing of creation and then the "re-creation" of the earth as it emerges from the flood. But after the flood not everything returns to a pristine condition. Human nature is not renewed.
6:9 These are the generations of Noah. A new heading introduces this section of Genesis (see note on 2:4). Noah's personal righteousness explains why he is warned about the forthcoming deluge. The Hebrew for blameless conveys the sense of being perfect, without evident flaw (although not necessarily sinless). walked with God. See note on 5:22-24. Like Noah, Abraham is later required by God to walk before him and be blameless (see 17:1). The positive attributes listed here are rarely ascribed to human beings in the OT.
6:11-12 In contrast to Noah, the earth was corrupt in God's sight. These verses confirm what has already been indicated in vv. 1-7. Here, however, particular emphasis is given to the violence that fills the earth. The mention of "corruption" here may lie behind Paul's "bondage to corruption" (Rom. 8:21): the creation suffers as mankind corrupts its way, and as God punishes that corruption. Originally delegated to govern the earth on God's behalf, humans have aggressively and viciously asserted their rule over others, including both people and other living creatures. The ancient Near Eastern epics of Gilgamesh and Atrahasis also tell of a flood sent to punish human beings. In those stories, however, it is merely the disruptive noise of humanity that leads to their destruction. Genesis emphasizes that God destroys the people he has created because of their immoral behavior.
6:13-17 In a long speech, God gives Noah directions for the construction of an ark (v. 14) that will be sufficiently large to house his family and a wide variety of other living creatures.
6:15 In modern measurements, the ark would have been around
6:17 Everything that is on the earth shall die. Although God intends the flood to destroy every person and his remarks have a strong universal emphasis, this in itself does not necessarily mean that the flood had to cover the whole earth. Since the geographical perspective of ancient people was more limited than that of contemporary readers, it is possible that the flood, while universal from their viewpoint, did not cover the entire globe. Indeed, Genesis implies that prior to the Tower of Babel incident (see 11:1-9), people had not yet spread throughout the earth. Many interpreters, therefore, argue that a huge regional flood may have been all that was necessary for God to destroy all human beings. The expression "all the earth" (7:3; cf. 8:9, "the whole earth") does not exclude such a possibility: later, "all the earth" came to Joseph to buy grain (41:57), in which "all the earth" clearly refers to the eastern Mediterranean seaboard. In support of the view that the flood covered all the earth, other interpreters point out that the text says that "all the high mountains under the whole heaven were covered" (7:19) and that the water was "fifteen cubits" above the tops of the mountains. If "the mountains of Ararat" (8:4) refers to the range that includes present-day Mount Ararat in Turkey (elevation
6:18-22 God indicates that he will establish a covenant with Noah (see notes on 9:9-11; 9:12-17). By taking into the ark two of every living thing, including birds, animals, and creeping things, Noah displays the caring oversight that people were expected to have for other living creatures.
7:1-5 Having made the ark according to God's direction, Noah is now told to embark. He is instructed to take on board seven pairs of all clean animals and a pair of the animals that are not clean. On the distinction between clean and unclean creatures, see Lev. 11:1-47 and Deut. 14:4-20. Since after the flood some clean animals will be offered as sacrifices (see Gen. 8:20) and some will be eaten as food (see 9:3), to ensure their survival it was necessary to have more than one pair of each kind in the ark.
7:11-12 A peculiar feature of the flood narrative is the number of detailed chronological notices (cf. 8:4-5, 13-14). By pinpointing the exact date of the flood within Noah's life, the text underlines that it was a real event. all the fountains of the great deep burst forth, and the windows of the heavens were opened (7:11). Powerful imagery is used here to capture the intensity of the flood. From below and above, water poured out to cover the land. Rain fell continuously for forty days and forty nights (v. 12).
7:16 The safety of those in the ark depended on both human and divine action. the Lord shut him in. The use of the personal name "Yahweh" ("Lord"; see note on 2:4) underscores God's special relationship with Noah.
7:17-24 The devastating results of the flood are described, fulfilling the judgment that God had previously pronounced. the waters prevailed on the earth 150 days (v. 24). The figure of , which includes the of rain mentioned in v. 12, is repeated in 8:3. In both places it denotes the period that falls between the detailed chronological notices given in 7:11 (marking the very start of the flood on the
8:1 God remembered Noah. This marks the turning point in the flood story. When the Bible says that God "remembers" someone or his covenant with someone, it indicates that he is about to take action for that person's welfare (cf. 9:15; 19:29; 30:22; Ex. 2:24; 32:13; Ps. 25:6-7; 74:2). All life on the land having been destroyed, God now proceeds to renew everything, echoing what he did in Genesis 1. God made a wind blow over the earth. The Hebrew word for wind, ruakh, is also sometimes translated "Spirit" (e.g., 1:2; 6:3). While the context normally enables the reader to distinguish ruakh meaning "wind" from ruakh meaning "Spirit," the present verse intentionally echoes 1:2.
8:2-4 In v. 2 God puts into reverse the process started in 7:11. The waters both rose and abated during the period of 150 days (see note on 7:17-24). Mountains of Ararat indicates a range of mountains of which Mount Ararat (in modern Turkey) is the highest. The text does not name the specific mountain on which the ark came to rest.
8:5-14 The slow, gradual process by which the waters receded and the land dried out (v. 14) is captured by the detailed account of Noah's releasing a raven (v. 7) and then a dove (vv. 8-12). As in ch. 1, the dry land emerges from the waters.
8:15-17 God's instructions to Noah are reminiscent of ch. 1, especially the statement that Noah and his family are to be fruitful and multiply on the earth (see 1:28).
8:18-19 In obedience to God, Noah goes out of the ark with his family and all the creatures.
8:20-22 Noah's first recorded act on emerging from the ark is to build an altar to the Lord (v. 20). On it he presents whole-burnt offerings, using some of the clean animals and birds. While this is undoubtedly intended to express gratitude for divine deliverance, it is also an act of atonement. This is a normal aspect of burnt offerings (see Lev. 1:3-17, esp. v. 4) and is supported by the mention of the pleasing aroma (Gen. 8:21; cf. Lev. 1:9, 13, 17). The Hebrew term for "pleasing," nikhoakh, conveys the idea of rest and tranquility. It is related to the name "Noah" (Hb. noakh) and is probably used here in order to remind the reader of Lamech's remarks in Gen. 5:29. It also has the sense of "soothing." The burnt offering soothes God's anger at human sin, so although human nature has not been changed by the flood, God's attitude has changed. Notice how 8:21 (for the intention of man's heart is evil from his youth) echoes very closely 6:5 ("every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually"). In spite of the human propensity to sin, atonement through sacrifice is possible, securing a peaceful relationship between the Lord and humanity. I will never again curse the ground (8:21). The clear force of the Hebrew text is that God will not send another flood; he is not revoking the curse pronounced in 3:17, which continues to be in place (the words for "curse" are different; see ESV footnote). This short comment about the effect of sacrifice underlines the importance of sacrifice in the Bible's plan of salvation.
9:1-4 While God's speech here closely parallels 1:28-30, two important changes are introduced. First, the positive instruction to exercise dominion over the living creatures is replaced by the negative comment that they will fear and dread human beings. Second, whereas the emphasis was previously on people's eating from plants, humans are now given permission to be carnivorous. While God now permits the taking of animal life for food, the animal's blood remains sacred and is not to be consumed, as an acknowledgment that all life is from God (see Lev. 17:12-14).
9:5-6 Following his comments about the killing of animals, God addresses the issue of homicide. Violence by "all flesh" (v. 11), i.e., by man and animals, prompted God to send the flood (6:11, 13). If human nature has not improved after the flood (6:5; 8:21), how is violence to be prevented in the future? This legal enactment is the answer: From his fellow man I will require a reckoning for the life of man. This means that any animal or person that takes a human life will be held accountable by God, working through human representatives (e.g., Ex. 20:13; 21:28). Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed. Here the principle of talion, a life for a life, is applied (see Ex. 21:23). This measured response is preferable to Lamech's seventy-sevenfold vengeance (Gen. 4:24). Human life is to be valued so highly that it is protected by this system of punishment because God made man in his own image, and so to murder another human being is to murder what is most like God, and is thus implicitly an attack on God himself. Many would see this statement as establishing the moral principle permitting the death penalty in cases of murder--with the understanding that the person charged would have been justly tried and his guilt established beyond any reasonable doubt (cf. the OT requirement of two or three witnesses, Deut. 19:15; repeated in the NT, e.g., Matt. 18:16; Heb. 10:28). A further requirement is that such a death-penalty verdict must always be carried out under the jurisdiction of the established authorities (cf. Deut. 19:15-21; Rom. 13:1-5). The difficulty of establishing guilt beyond any reasonable doubt and the difficulty of ensuring justice in a modern, complex urban society (as compared to an ancient village-based society) underscore the great care and caution that must be taken in applying this principle today.
9:7 God's speech ends as it began in v. 1, repeating what was said in 8:17 and echoing 1:28. God wants humanity to flourish and not to be destroyed by violence or another flood. This positive view of population growth (cf. note on 1:28) stands in sharp contrast to the Babylonian flood story, which ends with the gods taking measures to inhibit mankind from filling the earth.
9:9-11 God outlines the covenant he is now establishing with all living creatures, having mentioned it briefly before the flood in 6:18. This is the first covenant explicitly named in Genesis (see note on 2:17); a similar covenant is later established with Abraham and his descendants in ch. 17. A covenant formally binds two parties together in a relationship, on the basis of mutual personal commitment, with consequences for keeping or breaking the commitment. God makes this kind of covenant with a group of people by covenanting with one who represents them: everyone else then experiences the covenant by virtue of being included "in" the representative (see note on 12:3); here, the animals are included as well as Noah's descendants, showing Noah to be a kind of new Adam. Emphasizing that the covenant is for all living creatures, God states that there will never again be a flood to destroy the earth (9:11).
9:12-17 Different covenants have appropriate signs or symbols linked to them. Circumcision is the sign of the covenant with Abraham (ch. 17), and the Sabbath is the sign of the covenant with Israel at Mount Sinai (Ex. 31:12-17). On this occasion God's designated sign is the rainbow (Gen. 9:13). Its presence, when rain clouds are in the sky, will be a visible reminder of God's everlasting covenant (v. 16). It is not necessary to think that rainbows first began to exist at this time; in any case, God says that he will now use rainbows as a sign of this covenant. This sign should not be interpreted as symbolizing that God has hung up his warrior's bow, since there is no hint of that meaning in the text.
9:18-19 These verses, which bring the flood story to an end, anticipate the next two episodes. The reference to Ham's son Canaan (v. 18) prepares for the events of vv. 20-29. The mention of people's being dispersed over the whole earth (v. 19) is developed in ch. 10.
9:20-29 The Cursing of Canaan. This unusual episode provides an unexpected sequel to the flood story. After the flood and the "new creation" comes another fall, by Noah--a sort of second Adam, in that he (like Adam) is father of the whole human race. It also anticipates similar activity by Lot's daughters after the destruction of Sodom (19:30-38). Noah's drunkenness and Ham's indiscretion result in contrasting announcements regarding the futures of Shem, Japheth, and Ham's son Canaan.
9:20 The reference to Noah as a man of the soil and his success in growing vines points to a fresh start after the flood (see note on 5:28-31).
9:21-23 became drunk. The brevity of the description of Noah's drunkenness is an indication of disapproval. Ham's actions, however, are the object of serious criticism because Ham unashamedly looks on the nakedness of his father in the tent and then reports this to his brothers (v. 22). There is no indication, however, that perverse sexual behavior was involved in addition to Ham seeing his father drunk and naked. Though the text does not explicitly state what happened, it is clear that Ham humiliated and dishonored his father and that he apparently sought to make his brothers a party to that humiliation. Instead, Ham's brothers make every effort to avoid seeing Noah's naked body, as readers are told twice that they approached him backward (v. 23). The response of Shem and Japheth is in sharp contrast to Ham's actions, as the brothers honor their father despite his foolish behavior (Ex. 20:12).
9:24-27 The designation of Ham as the youngest son (v. 24) is peculiar, given that he is always listed after Shem and before Japheth. Possibly, for some unexplained reason, the traditional order of names does not reflect the birth sequence of the boys. Cursed be Canaan. Noah's reaction to Ham's action is to curse Canaan, Ham's son. This outcome has clearly been anticipated in the narration, for twice previously it has been mentioned, in each context unnecessarily, that Ham is the father of Canaan (vv. 18, 22). a servant of servants shall he be. This passage was wrongly appealed to in past centuries to justify the enslavement of African people, resulting in grievous abuse, injustice, and inhumanity to people created in the image of God. Noah's curse of Canaan, which focuses on his being a servant, anticipates the judgment that will later befall the Canaanites (cf. Deut. 7:1-3 with Gen. 10:15-19). This, coupled with the fact that the curse falls on Canaan alone and not on Ham's other children (who settled in northern Africa), shows how illegitimate it was to use this text to justify enslaving African people. (For more on the overall biblical position on slavery, see notes on 1 Cor. 7:21; Eph. 6:5; Col. 3:22-25; 1 Tim. 1:10.) Shem, however, is given pride of place, as is implied by Noah's remark that Japheth will dwell in the tents of Shem (Gen. 9:27).
