ページの画像
PDF
ePub

and its breadth* at the point above where the sides receive the covering shall be a cubit; and the door of the ark shalt thou set in the side thereof; with lower, second, and third stories, shalt thou make it." Such is the model of that structure which was to convey the favoured inhabitants of the old world to the bosom of the new. What was the gopher wood, what the exact figure of the ark, what the number and dimensions of its apartments, what the height of its stories, and the position of its doors and windows, are inquiries which, though they have much occupied the minds of the curious, seem to have hitherto eluded their research. By what means they have expected to arrive at satisfactory results upon mere questions of fact like these, in the silence of all authentic history, or what advantages they have expected to accrue from such investigations, we have yet to learn. Whether the patriarch was instructed in the details of the formation of the ark, or whether they were left to his own skill and ingenuity, cannot be known, because upon this point the history is silent. It only asserts, that the general outline, with the exact dimensions, was communicated to him by Jehovah. The narrative possesses greater internal evidence of probability, than if it had simply related that Noah, being warned of the approaching danger, constructed an ark after his own invention. It might, perhaps, be objected to such a relation, that it supposed greater knowledge in Noah of the principles on which such a structure should be built, of the force of the perils to be encountered, and of the requisite capacity for the purpose in question, than he could have possessed.

*The breadth of the ark, not of the window, although it is generally so interpreted, in direct violation of the grammatical propriety of the original text.

The problem involved several particulars. The structure must be suited to floating on the waters with an immense weight. It must be such, that it would not be in danger of being overturned by the force of the winds; it must be sufficiently capacious to contain the animals which were to be placed in it, and their food. If we observe the prescribed model, we shall see how these requisites were attained. The area or surface of the base was prodigious. If we assume 500 feet for the length, and 80 feet for the breadth, we shall have a surface of 40,000 square feet. But the breadth did not continue the same from the base to the roof. The sides, as they ascended, approached each other, until they came within a cubit of meeting. At this point they received the covering. Such, in my apprehension, is the sense of the words "in a cubit shalt thou finish it above." It is easy to perceive, that with such a surface upon the water, it would sustain an enormous weight without danger of sinking. And the gradual diminution of magnitude and weight from the basement to the upper story, would secure it from being overturned. Such an ark, God said to Noah, "thou shalt make." "And behold, I, even I, do bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy every living thing of all flesh." Mark the emphasis of this language. I, even I-I, even the great Jehovah, do bring a flood of waters upon the earth. Be assured, that the deluge which I announce to you, shall surely come. It depends on the word, not of a being of finite power who might find his purpose baffled, but of one whose resources are infinite. 1 bring a deluge upon the earth to destroy every living thing, and all flesh. But fear not, with thee will I establish my covenant; to you I give a sure promise of protection. You and your

family, and pairs of the whole animal creation shall be safe within this ark. These animals shall come to you; admit them into the ark, and provide appropriate food for yourself and for them. "Thus did Noah; according to all that God had commanded him, so did he." "He believed God, and it was imputed to him for righteousness."

[merged small][graphic]

How long a time intervened between the announcement of the divine purpose to Noah, and its accomplishment, cannot be known. It was undoubt

*The 19th verse of the 6th chapter of Genesis in our version is: "And of every living thing of all flesh, two of every sort shalt thou bring into the ark, to keep them alive with thee; they shall be male and female." These instructions seem to differ from those given in the 2d verse of the 7th chapter, for in that Noah is commanded to take of every clean beast, by sevens. The apparent discrepancy arises from the imperfection of the translation. Pairs of every sort would express the sense better.

edly a time sufficiently long for the necessary preparations. The one hundred and twenty years of the divine forbearance had, however, now almost expired. The ark was ready. The order was given to Noah, seven days before the beginning of the flood: "Come, thou and all thy house, into the ark." The most honourable testimony to his virtue perhaps ever given to man, was pronounced by the Most High. "For thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation."

The instructions in regard to the animals, before announced in general terms, are now given in detail. When Noah was first instructed to build the ark, it was said to him, "pairs of every living thing of all flesh shall come to thee to keep them alive." This was sufficient for the time. It was not necessary, that he should then be informed how many pairs. It was enough that he should know the general object of the ark. The dimensions of it were prescribed to him. It was not therefore requisite that he should know the precise number of animals to be admitted, in order to compute its capacity. But now, when the time for their admission has come, the instructions are given with exact particularity. Of clean animals and of fowls of the air, seven pairs of each kind were to be admitted, and of unclean animals two pairs. This difference between the number of clean and unclean animals to be preserved, regarded the convenience of man. His convenience would require, after the flood should cease, a greater number of the former class than of the latter. It is sometimes objected to this part of the history, that it relates impossibilities, inasmuch as it would not be in the power of man

* Seven pairs, not seven animals of each species, as is generally supposed. See ROSENMULLER, Scholia in Genesin.

to take pairs of all the animal, the feathered, and the reptile kingdom, and place them in the ark. The story, it is said, is incredible. But let the language of this history be more particularly observed. It says, "Of fowls after their kind, and of cattle after their kind; of every creeping thing of the earth after its kind, pairs of every sort shall come unto thee to keep them alive." And again; "Of clean beasts and of beasts that are not clean, and of fowls, and of every thing that creepeth upon the earth, there went in two and two unto Noah, the male and the female." It is true that Noah is commanded to take them: but this must signify simply to admit them into the ark. In no other way can his being commanded to take them, and the declaration that they came to him, be reconciled with each other. And the author, whatever may be said of his inspiration or of his veracity, or of his means of information, all will admit shows too much evidence of good sense to be suspected of saying things, almost in the same breath, which contradict each other. The patriarch, with his wife, and his three sons, and his sons' wives, eight persons* in all, went first into the ark, and the chosen pairs of the brute creation, moved by an impulse imparted to them by Jehovah, came of themselves and went in unto them into the ark.

Thus full scope was given for the exercise of the patriarch's faith. In obedience to the simple commandment of God, he had built the ark, and had gone into it with his family. He believed God upon his simple word, while as yet nothing had transpired to give assurance to his naked declaration. Herein was displayed the righteousness which is by faith; he believed God, and it was imputed to him for

*"But saved Noah, the eighth person."-2 Pet. ii. 5.

« 前へ次へ »