Marginal Notes: Genesis
Table of Contents
Marginal Notes: Genesis 8-9
Gen. 8:14-See chaps. 7; 11-14. From this, it appears that Noah was in the ark a complete solar year, or 365 days, for he entered it the 7th day of the 2nd month, in the 600th year of his life, and continued in it till the 27th day of the 2nd month, in the 601st year of his life, as we see above.
8:22. " While the earth remaineth" (Heb. " as yet all the days of the earth"), Isa. 54:8, " seedtime." Most of the European nations divide the year into four distinct parts, called quarters or seasons, but there are six divisions in the text, which obtained in Palestine among the Hebrews, and exist among the Arabs to the present day. According to this gracious promise, the heavenly bodies have preserved their courses, the seasons their successions, and the earth its increase for the use of men.
The rainbow probably was not then visible for the first time, but that it was then set or appointed, or given as the token of the covenant. If it be objected that it would be but poor comfort to Noah and his posterity to see the rainbow if it had been visible before the flood, as a deluge followed notwithstanding, it may be replied that this objection is baseless, because it: supposes the comfort to lie in the sign of the rainbow, and not in the promise of which it was the pledge and the token. A rainbow could afford no consolation to them who lived before the flood, because no promise had been connected with it. But after it was made the sign or token of the promise, and reminds us of the promise which is an infallible security to all who believe the Scriptures, there is undoubtedly all imaginable comfort in it. It is not the thing itself, but the appointment of it for that specific purpose, which makes it the visible guarantee of a gracious promise, It is not the bow merely which assures us that the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh, but its being set or appointed by God in the cloud as a visible token and pledge of this assurance to which the language refers.
8:25. Cursed, see ver. 21, Chapter 3:14. 4:11; 49:7, Deut. 27:16. The nations, which God destroyed before Israel, were descended from Canaan, and so were the Phoenicians and the Carthaginians who were at length subjugated with dreadful destruction by the Greeks and Romans.
8:27 " enlarge " or " persuade " Japheth. Japheth denotes enlargement; and how wonderfully have his boundaries been enlarged! For not only Europe, but Asia Minor, part of Armenia, Iberia, the whole of the vast regions of Asia north of Taurus, and probably America, fall to the share of his property. " He shall dwell," these words may mean either that God, or Japheth shall dwell in the tents of Shem. In either sense the prophecy has been literally fulfilled.
10:6. Ham signifies burnt or black, and this name was peculiarly significant of the negroes allotted to his family. To the Cushites, or descendents of Cush, were allotted the hot southern regions of Asia along the shores of the Persian Gulf; Lusiana or Chusistan, etc. To the sons of Canaan, Palestine and Syria; to the sons of Mizraim, Egypt and Libya, in Africa.
Marginal Notes: Genesis 10-11
Gen. 10:21 -Shem. Shem signifies name or renown, and was indeed great both in a temporal and spiritual sense, inasmuch as he was destined to be the lineal ancestor of the promised Seed of the woman, to which Noah might allude in his pious ejaculation, Chapter 9:26.
11:7. Go to. The Hebrew word signifies " come" or " make preparation" as for a journey, or the execution of a purpose.
11: 9. Babel, that is confusion. The tower of Babel, Herodotus informs us, was a furlong or 660 feet, in length, and breadth; or according to Strabo, it rose to the same attitude. It was of a pyramidal form, consisting of eight square towers, gradually decreasing in breadth, with a winding ascent on the outside so very broad as to allow horses and carriages to pass each other and even to turn.
This magnificent structure is so completely destroyed that its very site is doubtful, and, where supposed to be discovered, in all cases exhibiting a heap of rubbish.
11: 9. The Tower of Babel. It is not necessary to suppose that any real idea of " scaling heaven" was present to the minds of those who raised either the tower of Babel, or any other of the Babylonian temple towers, the expression used in Gen. 11:4, is a mere hyperbole for great height (compare Deut. 1:28; Dan. 4:1;1), and should not be taken literally.
11:29. Iscah is called the daughter-in-law of Terah as being Abram's wife, yet Abram afterward said "She is the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother (Chapter 20:12.) Probably Haran was the oldest son of Terah, and Abram the youngest by another wife, and thus Sarai was the daughter, or grand-daughter of Terah, Abram's father, but not of his mother.
11:31. Ur of the Chaldees. This place in the East has long been identified with Orfah in Mesopotamia, two days journey from Nisbis, in the way to the river Tigris. " This Orfah," says a writer " is also held to be the site of the ancient christian city, Edessa; and Edessa by old writers was identified with Erech, of the cities founded by Nimrod (Gen. 10:10). Taking these parts together it is somewhat remarkable that one of the results of the excavations and researches of the last few years is, that Erech and Ur are now supposed of have been situated near one another in Southern, Babylonia.
11: 31. Haran, one days journey from Ur, if Orfah be Ur, was the.spot which they chose for three encampments -Haran, Charran, Carrhal. That it was a place of note may be gathered from its long continued name, and fame in later days. As the sanctuary of the moon goddess, it was far into the Roman empire regarded as the center of eastern paganism, in rivalry to Edessa the center of eastern Christendom. Beside the settlement were the wells (Gen. 29:2), round which for the next generation, one large portion of the tribe of Terah continued to linger. And the settlers in the distant west are described as still retaining their affection for the ancient sanctuary, where the father of this last was buried, and where they sought, according to the true Arabian usage, their own kinswomen or cousins in marriage.
Marginal Notes: Genesis 1-3
Gen. 1:54. Lights, or rather luminaries or light bearers; being a -different word from that rendered light in ver.
- 1:20. fowl that may fly. Heb. -let fowl fly. This marginal reading is more conformable to the original and reconciles this passage with Chapter 2:19. The word fowl, from the Saxon fleon, to fly, exactly corresponds to the original which denotes everything that flies, whether bird or insect.
- 1:24. Cattle, denotes domestic animals living on vegetables.-Beasts of the earth, wild animals, especially such as live on flesh; and creeping things, reptiles; or all the different genera of serpents, worms, and such animals as have no feet.
-1:26. Man. In Hebrew, Adam, probably so called either from the red earth of which he was formed, or from the blush or flesh tint of the 'human countenance: the name is intended to designate the human race.
Gen. 2:2. And on the seventh day God rested, or, rather, ceased, as the Hebrew word is not opposed to weariness, but to action; as the Divine Being can neither know fatigue, nor stand in need of rest.
- 2:7. A remarkable heathen tradition evidently based on the Scriptural narrative is as follows:-The people at Takaafo, of the Tokelan group say that the first woman was made of the loose earth or dust of the ground. The first man, who had previously been a stone, thought one day that he would make a woman. He collected the light earth on the surface of the ground in the form of a human body with head, arms and legs. He then plucked out one of his left ribs, and thrust it into the breast of his earth model. Instantly the earth became alive, and up started a woman. He called her Ivi (according to English orthography it would be Eevee) which is their word for rib. How like to our Eve.
- 2:10. Eden. Eden denotes pleasure or delight, but was certainly the name of a place, and was, most probably, situated in Armenia, near the sources of the great rivers Euphrates, Tigris, Phasis, and Araxes.
- 2:12. Bdellium is a transparent aromatic gum. The onyx is a precious stone, so called from a Greek word signifying a man's nail, to the color of which it nearly approaches.
- 3:15. It shall bruise thy head. There are various traditions connected with the serpent among heathen nations. The Hindoos relate of their god Krishnoo, that, having a terrible encounter with a black serpent, which had a thousand heads, he tore them off one by one, and trampling on them the serpent was completely vanquished. This tradition, doubtless, had its origin with the Scriptures. Now that the words "it shall bruise thy head" comprehend nothing less than the utter destruction of the devil by Jesus, our Great Deliverer, is manifest, on referring to the customs in those countries where serpents abound; and it is well known there, if not elsewhere, that there is no certain mode of ensuring the death of these creatures but by bruising or crushing the head; one reason for this being, as is said, that the heart is situated so near the head.
Thou shalt bruise his heel. In Oriental Illustrations the Rev. J. Roberts quotes various parallel passages in the history of Jacob, Job, and David, with a view of showing that attacking or injuring a person in the " heel" included the idea of treachery, of craft and deceit. " Thus," he says, " was the serpent to injure the seed of the woman. The heel was the part to be wounded, which conveys the idea of being followed for that purpose. A similar phraseology exists in the East at this day; for the heel is the part which is said to be wounded when a treacherous person, under the guise of friendship, has injured another. The man who has thus perfidiously conducted himself is called kuthe-kal vettukurravlu, that is, a heel-cutter, which reminds us of the Russian proverb, He fawned on me and then bit my heel.'
-3:18. Thorns and thistles. These terms are generally connected in the Scriptures, and probably often denote any kind of useless or noxious Plants that grow spontaneously, to the annoyance of the husbandman, and the great injury of his crops. The figurative use of these terms denotes desolation, (Prov. 24:31; Isa. 5:6; Hos. 2:6;9. 6; 10:8.) The visitations of Providence, Num. 33:55; Judg. 2:3; 2 Cor. 12:7. Difficulties and hindrances, (Prov. 15:19.) Troubles, (Prov. 22:5.)
Marginal Notes: Genesis 4-8
Gen. 4:8. The present reading of the text is very unsatisfactory. The Hebrew word which our translators have rendered " talked," will not bear this meaning, but not finding anything that was spoken on the occasion, they have ventured to intimate that there was a conversation indefinitely. In the most correct edition of the Hebrew Bible there is a hiatus, a deficiency marked, which is supplied in the ancient versions, and in the Samaritan text. According to these, the text is clear and consistent, thus:" And Cain said unto Abel his brother, Let us go out into the fields. And it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up," etc.
5:3. The chronology differs in the Hebrew Text, the Samaritan, the Septuagint, and Josephus. The Septuagint adds 100 years to each of the patriarchs, Adam, Seth, Enos, Cainan, Mahalaleel, and Enoch, before the birth of their sons, while it takes 20 from the age of Methuselah, and adds 6 to that of Lamech. This the space from the creation to the deluge is made 2242 years according to the Vatican copy, but 2262 by the Alexandrine; and the sum total by Josephus is 2265, by the Samaritan, 1307, and the Hebrew Text, 1056. The sum total from the deluge to the 70th year of Terah, according to these authorities, is, Hebrew 292, Samaritan 942, Septuagint Vatican 1172, Alexandrine 1072, and Josephus 1002.
6:5. Every imagination, or the whole imagination. The Hebrew word signifies not only the imagination, but also the purposes and desires.
6:19. The cubit being nearly 22 inches, and the ark being 300 cubits in length, 50 in breadth, and 30 in height (ver. 15), its size was equal to 547 feet long, 91 feet broad, and 54 feet high; and it is computed to have been 81062 tons burthen. These dimensions were sufficient to contain all the persons and animals in it, and food for more than a year. It was 150 feet shorter, but 10 feet broader than the "Great Eastern" steamship.
8:4. After much controversy, it is now generally admitted that Ararat was situated in the North-Eastern part of Armenia. The mountain is now known to the Armenians by the name of Massis, to the Turks by the name of Agri-Dah, or steep mountain, to the Persians by the name of Kuh-i Num, or Noah's Mountain. It rises as a rocky island out of a tea of plain to a height of from 6,000 to 7,000 feet above the level of the sea, presenting a surface of extensive plains, whence, as from a fresh base, spring important and lofty mountain ranges, having a generally parallel direction from the East to the West, and connected with each other by transverse ridges of moderate height.
Its geographical position. The Armenian plateau stands equidistant from the Euxine and the Caspian Seas on the North, and between the Persian Gulf and the Mediterranean on the South. The climate is severe; winter lasts from October to May, and is succeeded by a brief spring, and a summer of intense heat. The contrast between the plateau and the adjacent countries is striking; in April when the Mesopotamian plains are scorched with heat, and on the Euxine shore the azalea and rhododendron are in bloom, the Armenian plains are still covered with snow, and in the early part of September it freezes keenly at night. The vegetation is more varied and productive than the climate would lead us to expect. Trees are not found on the plateau itself, but grass grows luxuriantly, and furnishes abundant pasture during the summer months to the flocks of the nomad Kurds. Wheat and barley ripen at far higher altitudes than on the Alps and the Pyrenees, the volcanic nature of the soil, the abundance of water, and the extreme heat of the short summer, bringing the harvest to maturity with wonderful speed. At Erzrum, more than 6,000 feet above the sea, the crops appear above the ground in the middle of June, and are ready for the sickle before the end of August. The vine ripens at about 5,000 feet, while in Europe its limit, even south of the Alps, is about 2,500 feet. The general result of the observations, as bearing upon the Biblical narrative, would be to show that, while the elevation of the Armenian plateau constituted it a natural resting place of the ark after the deluge, its geographical position, and its physical character secured an impartial distribution of the families of mankind to the various quarters of the world. The climate furnished a powerful inducement to seek the more tempting regions on all sides of it. At the same time, the character of the vegetation was remarkably adapted to the nomad state in which the early generations of Noah's descendants lived.