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Selected Verse: Genesis 8:20 - Strong Concordance
| Verse |
Translation |
Text |
| Ge 8:20 |
Strong Concordance |
And Noah [05146] builded [01129] an altar [04196] unto the LORD [03068]; and took [03947] of every clean [02889] beast [0929], and of every clean [02889] fowl [05775], and offered [05927] burnt offerings [05930] on the altar [04196]. |
| |
King James |
And Noah builded an altar unto the LORD; and took of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt offerings on the altar. |
Summary Of Commentaries Associated With The Selected Verse
| A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882] |
Noah builded an altar--literally, "a high place"--probably a mound of earth, on which a sacrifice was offered. There is something exceedingly beautiful and interesting to know that the first care of this devout patriarch was to return thanks for the signal instance of mercy and goodness which he and his family had experienced.
took of every clean beast . . . fowl--For so unparalleled a deliverance, a special acknowledgment was due. |
| Commentary on the Old Testament, by Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch [1857-78] |
| The first thing which Noah did, was to build an altar for burnt sacrifice, to thank the Lord for gracious protection, and pray for His mercy in time to come. This altar - מזבּח, lit., a place for the offering of slain animals, from זבח, like θυσιαστήριον from θύειν - is the first altar mentioned in history. The sons of Adam had built no altar for their offerings, because God was still present on the earth in paradise, so that they could turn their offerings and hearts towards that abode. But with the flood God had swept paradise away, withdrawn the place of His presence, and set up His throne in heaven, from which He would henceforth reveal Himself to man (cf. Gen 9:5, Gen 9:7). In future, therefore, the hearts of the pious had to be turned towards heaven, and their offerings and prayers needed to ascend on high if they were to reach the throne of God. To give this direction to their offerings, heights or elevated places were erected, from which they ascended towards heaven in fire. From this the offerings received the name of עלת from עולה, the ascending, not so much because the sacrificial animals ascended or were raised upon the altar, as because they rose from the altar to haven (cf. Jdg 20:40; Jer 48:15; Amo 4:10). Noah took his offerings from every clean beast and every clean fowl - from those animals, therefore, which were destined for man's food; probably the seventh of every kind, which he had taken into the ark. "And Jehovah smelled the smell of satisfaction," i.e., He graciously accepted the feelings of the offerer which rose to Him in the odour of the sacrificial flame. In the sacrificial flame the essence of the animal was resolved into vapour; so that when man presented a sacrifice in his own stead, his inmost being, his spirit, and his heart ascended to God in the vapour, and the sacrifice brought the feeling of his heart before God. This feeling of gratitude for gracious protection, and of desire for further communications of grace, was well-pleasing to God. He "said to His heart' (to, or in Himself; i.e., He resolved), "I will not again curse the ground any more for man's sake, because the image (i.e., the thought and desire) of man's heart is evil from his youth up (i.e., from the very time when he begins to act with consciousness)." This hardly seems an appropriate reason. As Luther says: "Hic inconstantiae videtur Deus accusari posse. Supra puniturus hominem causam consilii dicit, quia figmentum cordis humani malum est. Hic promissurus homini gratiam, quod posthac tali ira uti nolit, eandem causam allegat." Both Luther and Calvin express the same thought, though without really solving the apparent discrepancy. It was not because the thoughts and desires of the human heart are evil that God would not smite any more every living thing, that is to say, would not exterminate it judicially; but because they are evil from his youth up, because evil is innate in man, and for that reason he needs the forbearance of God; and also (and here lies the principal motive for the divine resolution) because in the offering of the righteous Noah, not only were thanks presented for past protection, and entreaty for further care, but the desire of man was expressed, to remain in fellowship with God, and to procure the divine favour. "All the days of the earth;" i.e., so long as the earth shall continue, the regular alternation of day and night and of the seasons of the year, so indispensable to the continuance of the human race, would never be interrupted again. |
| Explanatory Notes on the Whole Bible, by John Wesley [1754-65] |
| And Noah builded an altar - Hitherto he had done nothing without particular instructions and commands from God but altars and sacrifices being already of Divine institution, he did not stay for a particular command thus to express his thankfulness. And he offered on the altar, of every clean beast and of every clean fowl - One, the odd seventh that we read of, Gen 7:2-3. |
| Adam Clarke Commentary on the Whole Bible - Published 1810-1826 |
Noah builded an altar - As we have already seen that Adam, Cain, and Abel, offered sacrifices, there can be no doubt that they had altars on which they offered them; but this, builded by Noah, is certainly the first on record. It is worthy of remark that, as the old world began with sacrifice, so also did the new. Religion or the proper mode of worshipping the Divine Being, is the invention or institution of God himself; and sacrifice, in the act and design, is the essence of religion. Without sacrifice, actually offered or implied, there never was, there never can be, any religion. Even in the heavens, a lamb is represented before the throne of God as newly slain, Rev 5:6, Rev 5:12, Rev 5:13. The design of sacrificing is two-fold: the slaying and burning of the victim point out, 1st, that the life of the sinner is forfeited to Divine justice; 2dly, that his soul deserves the fire of perdition.
The Jews have a tradition that the place where Noah built his altar was the same in which the altar stood which was built by Adam, and used by Cain and Abel, and the same spot on which Abraham afterwards offered up his son Isaac.
The word מזבח mizbach, which we render altar, signifies properly a place for sacrifice, as the root זבח zabach signifies simply to slay. Altar comes from the Latin altus, high or elevated, because places for sacrifice were generally either raised very high or built on the tops of hills and mountains; hence they are called high places in the Scriptures; but such were chiefly used for idolatrous purposes.
Burnt-offerings - See the meaning of every kind of offering and sacrifice largely explained on Leviticus 7:1-38. |
10 I have sent [07971] among you the pestilence [01698] after the manner [01870] of Egypt [04714]: your young men [0970] have I slain [02026] with the sword [02719], and have taken away [07628] your horses [05483]; and I have made the stink [0889] of your camps [04264] to come up [05927] unto your nostrils [0639]: yet have ye not returned [07725] unto me, saith [05002] the LORD [03068].
15 Moab [04124] is spoiled [07703], and gone up [05927] out of her cities [05892], and his chosen [04005] young men [0970] are gone down [03381] to the slaughter [02874], saith [05002] the King [04428], whose name [08034] is the LORD [03068] of hosts [06635].
40 But when the flame [04864] began [02490] to arise up [05927] out of the city [05892] with a pillar [05982] of smoke [06227], the Benjamites [01145] looked [06437] behind [0310] them, and, behold, the flame [03632] of the city [05892] ascended up [05927] to heaven [08064].
7 And you, be ye fruitful [06509], and multiply [07235]; bring forth abundantly [08317] in the earth [0776], and multiply [07235] therein.
5 And surely [0389] your blood [01818] of your lives [05315] will I require [01875]; at the hand [03027] of every beast [02416] will I require it [01875], and at the hand [03027] of man [0120]; at the hand [03027] of every man's [0376] brother [0251] will I require [01875] the life [05315] of man [0120].
2 Of every clean [02889] beast [0929] thou shalt take [03947] to thee by sevens [07651] [07651], the male [0376] and his female [0802]: and of beasts [0929] that are not clean [02889] [01931] by two [08147], the male [0376] and his female [0802].
3 Of fowls [05775] also of the air [08064] by sevens [07651] [07651], the male [02145] and the female [05347]; to keep [02421] seed [02233] alive [02421] upon the face [06440] of all the earth [0776].
13 And [2532] every [3956] creature [2938] which [3739] is [2076] in [1722] heaven [3772], and [2532] on [1722] the earth [1093], and [2532] under [5270] the earth [1093], and [2532] such as [3739] are [2076] in [1909] the sea [2281], and [2532] all [3956] that are in [1722] them [846], heard I [191] saying [3004], Blessing [2129], and [2532] honour [5092], and [2532] glory [1391], and [2532] power [2904], be unto him that sitteth [2521] upon [1909] the throne [2362], and [2532] unto the Lamb [721] for [1519] ever [165] and ever [165].
12 Saying [3004] with a loud [3173] voice [5456], Worthy [514] is [2076] the Lamb [721] that was slain [4969] to receive [2983] power [1411], and [2532] riches [4149], and [2532] wisdom [4678], and [2532] strength [2479], and [2532] honour [5092], and [2532] glory [1391], and [2532] blessing [2129].
6 And [2532] I beheld [1492], and [2532], lo [2400], in [1722] the midst [3319] of the throne [2362] and [2532] of the four [5064] beasts [2226], and [2532] in [1722] the midst [3319] of the elders [4245], stood [2476] a Lamb [721] as [5613] it had been slain [4969], having [2192] seven [2033] horns [2768] and [2532] seven [2033] eyes [3788], which [3739] are [1526] the seven [2033] Spirits [4151] of God [2316] sent forth [649] into [1519] all [3956] the earth [1093].