“And God blessed Noe and his sons. And he said to them: Increase, and multiply, and fill the earth.”
Cross references: : Gen. 2:28 ; Gen. 8:17 God increased them with fruit, and declared unto them his counsel as touching the replenishing of the earth.
“And let the fear and dread of you be upon all the beasts of the earth, and upon all the fowls of the air, and all that move upon the earth: all the fishes of the sea are delivered into your hand.”
By the virtue of this commandment beasts rage not so much against man as they would, yea, and many serve to his use thereby.
“And every thing that moveth, and liveth shall be meat for you: even as the green herbs have I delivered them all to you:”
Gen. 1:29 By this permission man may with a good conscience use the creatures of God for his necessity.
“Saving that flesh with blood you shall not eat.”
That is, living creatures, and the flesh of beasts that are strangled: and hereby all cruelty is forbidden. Lev. 17:14
“For I will require the blood of your lives at the hand of every beast, and at the hand of man, at the hand of every man, and of his brother, will I require the life of man.”
That is, I will take vengeance for your blood. Or, neighbor.
“Whosoever shall shed man’s blood, his blood shall be shed: for man was made to the image of God.”
Gen. 1:27 Matt. 26:52 ; Rev. 13:10 Not only by the magistrate, but oft times God raiseth up one murderer to kill another. Therefore to kill man is to deface God’s image, and so injury is not only done to man, but also to God.
“Behold I will establish my covenant with you, and with your seed after you:”
To assure you that the world shall be no more destroyed by a flood. The children which are not yet born, are comprehended in God’s covenant made with their fathers.
“I will set my bow in the clouds, and it shall be the sign of a covenant between me and between the earth.”
Hereby we see that signs or sacraments ought not to be separate from the word.
“And I will remember my covenant with you, and with every living soul that beareth flesh: and there shall no more be waters of a flood to destroy all flesh.”
When men shall see my bow in the heaven, they shall know that I have not forgotten my covenant with them.
“And God said to Noe: This shall be the sign of the covenant, which I have established, between me and all flesh upon the earth.”
God doth repeat this the oftener, to confirm Noah’s faith so much the more.
“These three are the sons of Noe: and from these was all mankind spread over the whole earth.”
This declareth what was the virtue of God’s blessing, when he said, increase and bring forth, Gen. 1:28 .
“And drinking of the wine was made drunk, and was uncovered in his tent.”
This is set before our eyes to show what an horrible thing drunkenness is.
“Which when Cham the father of Chanaan had seen, to wit, that his father’s nakedness was uncovered, he told it to his two brethren without.”
Of whom came the Canaanites that wicked nation, who were also cursed of God. In derision and contempt of his father.
“He said: Cursed be Chanaan, a servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren.”
He pronounceth as a Prophet the curse of God against all them that honor not their parents: for Ham and his posterity were accursed. That is, a most vile slave.
“May God enlarge Japheth, and may he dwell in the tents of Sem, and Chanaan be his servant.”
Or, enlarge, or cause to return. He declareth that the Gentiles, which came of Japheth, and were separated from the Church, should be joined to the same by the persuasion of God’s Spirit, and preaching of the Gospel.