Gen 7:1-4 | Clarke | STEP | God informs Noah that within seven days he shall send a rain upon the earth, that shall continue for forty days and nights; and therefore commands him to take his family, with the different clean and unclean animals, and enter the ark, . This command punctually obeyed, . In the seventeenth day of the second month, in the six hundredth year of Noah's life, the waters, from the opened windows of heaven, and the broken up fountains of the great deep, were poured out upon the earth, . The different quadrupeds, fowls, and reptiles come unto Noah, and the Lord shuts him and them in, . The waters increase, and the ark floats, . The whole earth is covered with water fifteen cubits above the highest mountains, . All terrestrial animals die, . And the waters prevail one hundred and fifty days, . Verse 1 Thee have I seen righteous

Genesis 7:1-4

Introduction

God informs Noah that within seven days he shall send a rain upon the earth, that shall continue for forty days and nights; and therefore commands him to take his family, with the different clean and unclean animals, and enter the ark, Gen 7:1-4. This command punctually obeyed, Gen 7:5-9. In the seventeenth day of the second month, in the six hundredth year of Noah's life, the waters, from the opened windows of heaven, and the broken up fountains of the great deep, were poured out upon the earth, Gen 7:10-12. The different quadrupeds, fowls, and reptiles come unto Noah, and the Lord shuts him and them in, Gen 7:13-16. The waters increase, and the ark floats, Gen 7:17. The whole earth is covered with water fifteen cubits above the highest mountains, Gen 7:18-20. All terrestrial animals die, Gen 7:21-23. And the waters prevail one hundred and fifty days, Gen 7:24.

Verse 1

Thee have I seen righteous - See the note on Gen 6:8 Verse 2

Of every clean beast - So we find the distinction between clean and unclean animals existed long before the Mosaic law. This distinction seems to have been originally designed to mark those animals which were proper for sacrifice and food, from those that were not. See Leviticus 11. Verse 4

For yet seven days - God spoke these words probably on the seventh or Sabbath day, and the days of the ensuing week were employed in entering the ark, in embarking the mighty troop, for whose reception ample provision had been already made.

Forty days - This period became afterwards sacred, and was considered a proper space for humiliation. Moses fasted forty days, Deu 9:9, Deu 9:11; so did Elijah, 1Kgs 19:8; so did our Lord, Mat 4:2. Forty days' respite were given to the Ninevites that they might repent, Jon 3:4; and thrice forty (one hundred and twenty) years were given to the old world for the same gracious purpose, Gen 6:3. The forty days of Lent, in commemoration of our Lord's fasting, have a reference to the same thing; as each of these seems to be deduced from this primitive judgment.