the son of Lamech. Amidst the general corruption of the human
race, Noah only was found righteous, Gen. vi, 9. He therefore found
grace in the sight of the Lord,” and was directed for his preservation
to make an ark, the shape and dimensions of which were prescribed by the
Lord. In A. M. 1656, and in the six hundredth year of his age, Noah, by
divine appointment, entered the ark with his family, and all the animals
collected for the renewal of the world. (See _Deluge_.) After the ark
had stranded, and the earth was in a measure dried, Noah offered a
burnt-sacrifice to the Lord, of the pure animals that were in the ark;
and the Lord was pleased to accept of his offering, and to give him
assurance that he would no more destroy the world by water, Genesis ix.
He gave Noah power over all the brute creation, and permitted him to
kill and eat of them, as of the herbs and fruits of the earth, except
the blood, the use of which was prohibited. After the deluge Noah lived
three hundred and fifty years; and the whole time of his life having
been nine hundred and fifty years, he died, A. M. 2006. According to
common opinion, he divided the earth among his three sons, Shem, Ham,
and Japheth. To Shem he gave Asia, to Ham Africa, and to Japheth Europe.
Some will have it, that beside these three sons he had several others.
St. Peter calls Noah a preacher of righteousness, because before the
deluge he was incessantly preaching and declaring to men, not only by
his discourses, but by the building of the ark, in which he was employed
a hundred and twenty years, that the cloud of divine vengeance was about
to burst upon them. But his faithful ministry produced no effect, since,
when the deluge came, it found mankind practising their usual
enormities, Matt. xxiv, 37. Several learned men have observed that the
Heathens confounded Saturn, Deucalion, Ogyges, the god Cœlus or
Ouranus, Janus, Protheus, Prometheus, &c, with Noah. The fable of
Deucalion and his wife Pyrrha is manifestly drawn from the history of
Noah. The rabbins pretend that God gave Noah and his sons certain
general precepts, which contain, according to them, the natural duties
which are common to all men indifferently, and the observation of which
alone will be sufficient to save them. After the law of Moses was given,
the Hebrews would not suffer any stranger to dwell in their country,
unless he would conform to the precepts of Noah. In war, they put to
death without quarter all who were ignorant of them. These precepts are
seven in number: the first was against the worship of idols; the second,
against blasphemy, and required to bless the name of God; the third,
against murder; the fourth, against incest and all uncleanness; the
fifth, against theft and rapine; the sixth required the administration
of justice; the seventh was against eating flesh with life. But the
antiquity of these precepts is doubted, since no mention of them is made
in the Scripture, or in the writings of Josephus, or in Philo; and none
of the ancient fathers knew any thing of them.
race, Noah only was found righteous, Gen. vi, 9. He therefore found
grace in the sight of the Lord,” and was directed for his preservation
to make an ark, the shape and dimensions of which were prescribed by the
Lord. In A. M. 1656, and in the six hundredth year of his age, Noah, by
divine appointment, entered the ark with his family, and all the animals
collected for the renewal of the world. (See _Deluge_.) After the ark
had stranded, and the earth was in a measure dried, Noah offered a
burnt-sacrifice to the Lord, of the pure animals that were in the ark;
and the Lord was pleased to accept of his offering, and to give him
assurance that he would no more destroy the world by water, Genesis ix.
He gave Noah power over all the brute creation, and permitted him to
kill and eat of them, as of the herbs and fruits of the earth, except
the blood, the use of which was prohibited. After the deluge Noah lived
three hundred and fifty years; and the whole time of his life having
been nine hundred and fifty years, he died, A. M. 2006. According to
common opinion, he divided the earth among his three sons, Shem, Ham,
and Japheth. To Shem he gave Asia, to Ham Africa, and to Japheth Europe.
Some will have it, that beside these three sons he had several others.
St. Peter calls Noah a preacher of righteousness, because before the
deluge he was incessantly preaching and declaring to men, not only by
his discourses, but by the building of the ark, in which he was employed
a hundred and twenty years, that the cloud of divine vengeance was about
to burst upon them. But his faithful ministry produced no effect, since,
when the deluge came, it found mankind practising their usual
enormities, Matt. xxiv, 37. Several learned men have observed that the
Heathens confounded Saturn, Deucalion, Ogyges, the god Cœlus or
Ouranus, Janus, Protheus, Prometheus, &c, with Noah. The fable of
Deucalion and his wife Pyrrha is manifestly drawn from the history of
Noah. The rabbins pretend that God gave Noah and his sons certain
general precepts, which contain, according to them, the natural duties
which are common to all men indifferently, and the observation of which
alone will be sufficient to save them. After the law of Moses was given,
the Hebrews would not suffer any stranger to dwell in their country,
unless he would conform to the precepts of Noah. In war, they put to
death without quarter all who were ignorant of them. These precepts are
seven in number: the first was against the worship of idols; the second,
against blasphemy, and required to bless the name of God; the third,
against murder; the fourth, against incest and all uncleanness; the
fifth, against theft and rapine; the sixth required the administration
of justice; the seventh was against eating flesh with life. But the
antiquity of these precepts is doubted, since no mention of them is made
in the Scripture, or in the writings of Josephus, or in Philo; and none
of the ancient fathers knew any thing of them.