Genesis 8:20

8:20-22 Noah was now gone out into a desolate world, where, one might have thought, his first care would have been to build a house for himself, but he begins with an alter for God. He begins well, that begins with God. Though Noah's stock of cattle was small, and that saved at great care and pains, yet he did not grudge to serve God out of it. Serving God with our little is the way to make it more; we must never think that is wasted with which God is honoured. The first thing done in the new world was an act of worship. We are now to express our thankfulness, not by burnt-offerings, but by praise, and pious devotions and conversation. God was well pleased with what was done. But the burning flesh could no more please God, than the blood of bulls and goats, except as typical of the sacrifice of Christ, and expressing Noah's humble faith and devotedness to God. The flood washed away the race of wicked men, but it did not remove sin from man's nature, who being conceived and born in sin, thinks, devises, and loves wickedness, even from his youth, and that as much since the flood as before. But God graciously declared he never would drown the world again. While the earth remains, and man upon it, there shall be summer and winter. It is plain that this earth is not to remain always. It, and all the works in it, must shortly be burned up; and we look for new heavens and a new earth, when all these things shall be dissolved.

But as long as it does remain, God's providence will cause the course of times and seasons to go on, and makes each to know its place. And on this word we depend, that thus it shall be. We see God's promises to the creatures made good, and may infer that his promises to all believers shall be so.

Genesis 8:20 . Noah builded an altar — The first altar that we read of; but not the first which was built; for the sacrifices which were offered before, Genesis 4:3-4 , presuppose an altar or altars. And it ought to be well observed, that the silence of Scripture concerning any thing is not sufficient evidence that it was not done; to remember which will greatly assist us in understanding many passages of the sacred oracles. Here we see, that the first thing that he did after his wonderful preservation was to pay this debt of gratitude so justly due to that God who had so wonderfully preserved him. 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 fowl — One, the odd seventh that we read of, Genesis 7:2-3 .

(20) Noah builded an altar unto the Lord (Jehovah). —The account of this sacrificial act is said to have been an interpolation of the Jehovist. Really it forms an integral portion of the numerous traditions of the flood. Thus in the Chaldean Genesis, after the sending forth of a dove, a swallow, and a raven, we read (p. 280):— “I sent them forth to the four winds; I sacrificed a sacrifice; I built an altar on the peak of the mountain.” This extreme antiquity of sections ascribed to the Jehovist, and supposed to be an after-thought, is seriously detrimental to the whole theory. One result of the flood was to sweep away all traces of the earthly paradise and of the subsequent abode of Adam; and it is probable also that Noah was removed far away from his previous home by the floating of the ark. Thus to him and his family it was a new earth, with no holy places, no spots hallowed by the past history of man. He therefore determines to consecrate the earth to Jehovah, who had been the object of the worship of his family since the days of Enos, and therefore builds an altar, the first mentioned in the Bible. By so doing he provided for future generations a central spot and sanctuary, round which their religious ideas would group themselves. The animals offered were probably the seventh of all clean kinds (see Note on Genesis 7:2). With Noah’s burnt offerings we must not connect any of the later Levitical ideas.

Apparently it was a simple thank-offering, the dominant thought of which was the hallowing man’s future life by commencing it with worship. It thus contained within it the presage that a better state of things had now begun. Subsequently the thank-offering became a feast, at which the offerer and his family partook of the victim as Jehovah’s guests; and as God during this sacrifice gave Noah permission to eat flesh (Genesis 9:3), it is probable that such was the case now, and that the eating of flesh was inaugurated in this solemn way. We have, however, previously seen reason to believe that the flesh of animals had occasionally been eaten before, though not as an ordinary article of diet.

20 . builded an altar unto the Lord ] It will be noticed that, in this account by J, the first thing that Noah does, on leaving the ark, is to build an altar, and to offer sacrifice. In J’s estimation sacrifice was primitive, and not merely Mosaic, in origin. See note on Genesis 7:2 . In P there is no mention of “altar” or “sacrifice” before the institution of the Levitical system in the wilderness. of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl ] The clean animals were used for sacrifice. Cf. Genesis 7:2 . Observe the mention of “clean fowl” implying the distinction between clean and unclean fowl. This distinction was not observed in Genesis 7:3 ; Genesis 7:8 . The number of “clean” animals, seven pairs of each, in the ark, according to J, would allow for the offering of sacrifice. In the Babylonian account, also, sacrifices were at once offered to the gods on quitting the ark. and offered burnt offerings ] The word for “burnt offering” is ‘ôlâh , which is derived from a verb meaning “to go up.” A burnt-offering, or ‘ôlâh , was the sacrifice which “went up” to God, being different from other sacrifices, because the whole of it was consumed in the fire of the altar. The offerer of an ‘ôlâh ate nothing of the sacrifice; nor did the priest. It was in an especial sense a propitiatory offering: compare David’s offering in 2 Samuel 24:25 . The ‘ôlâh is different from the minḥah of Genesis 4:3 . LXX renders εἰς ὁλοκάρπωσιν , Lat. holocausta . 20–22.

This is the first altar we read of, but not the first which was built; for the sacrifices which were offered before, Genesis 4:3-4 , presuppose an altar. Therefore it is no sufficient evidence that such things were not done because they are not said to be done in Scripture; which will be a useful consideration for the understanding of many passages in Scripture hereafter. The first thing Noah doth, is to pay his debt of justice and gratitude to that God which had so miraculously preserved him, and restored him to his ancient and proper habitation. God expects to be served in the first place. What beasts were clean and what unclean, see Genesis 7:2 Leviticus 11:2 , &c.

20. 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.

Verse 20. - And Noah builded an altar . Mizbeach , a place for slaying sacrifices, from zabach , to slaughter animals ( Genesis 31:54 ), to slay in sacrifice ( Leviticus 9:4 ; 1 Samuel 1:4 ), as θυσιαστήριον , from θύειν , is the first altar mentioned in history. The English term (from altus , high) signifies a high place, because the altar was commonly a raised structure or mound of earth or stones ( Exodus 20:24 ). Keil thinks that altars were not required prior to the Flood, the Divine presence being still visibly among men at the gate of Eden, "so that they could turn their offerings and their hearts towards that abode." Poole, Clarke, Bush, and Inglis hold that the antediluvian sacrifices presupposed an altar. Unto the Lord . Jehovah , the God of salvation. And took of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl . Vide Genesis 7:2 . "Seldom has there been a more liberal offering in proportion to the means of the giver. His whole stock of clean animals, wherewith to fill the world, was seven pairs of each" (Inglis). And offered . By Divine appointment, since his service was accepted; and "all religious services which are not perfumed with the odor of faith are of an ill savor before God (Calvin); but "God is peculiarly well pleased with free-will offerings, and surely, if ever an occasion existed for the exercise of grateful and adoring sentiments, the present was one" (Bush).

Burnt offerings . ' oloth , literally, things that ascend , from ' alah , to go up, alluding not to the elevation of the victims on the altar, but to the ascension of the smoke of the burnt offerings to heaven (cf. Judges 20:40 ; Jeremiah 48:15 ; Amos 4:10 ). On the altar. Genesis 8:20