a The ſame thing is ſo oft repeated for the ſtrengthning of the Faith of all men, and eſpecially of Noahand his Sons, whom the remembrance of thar dreadful deluge, which they had experience of, had made exceeding prone to fears of the like for time to Come.
18 © {nd the ſons of Noah that went forth of the ark, were Shem, and Ham, and Japhethz and Ham is the Father of F Canaan 6.
b Which is here mentioned to make way for the following re- lation.
19 Theſe are the three ſons of Noah: and of them ; was the whole carth overſpread c,
c A Truth which the old Heathens were not ignorant of,though chey changed the Names, and mixed their Fables with it ; for they tell us that Sarurn and his three Sons. divided the Worid among themſelves. And it is apparent, That their Saturn was no other than our No2h, becauſe they tell us he was the common Parent aad Prince of all Mankind, alſo an Husbandman and Vine-drefler, all which
of the Waters: "That he devourcd all his Children except three, becauſe Noah condemned and foretold the deſtruftion of all the relt of the World.
20 And Noah began ts be an husbandman 4, and he planted a vineyard.
a ( i:e: ) Was an Husbandman, as he had been before» The
| Verb, 70 begin, doth oft abound ; and is applied to him that conti- nueth, or repeaterh an Attion begun before. Thus Chriſt is faid ro begin to caſt our, Mark 11. 15 and to begin to ſpeak, Luke 12. 1. For which in the parallel places he is ſaid only to ca# our, Matth. 21. 12. and zoſpeak, Matth. 16. 6.
21 And he drank of the wine, and was drunken e, and he was uncovered f within his tent.
e Either through ignorance and inexperience of the nature and ſtrength of that Liquior,or through the infirmiry of the fleſh, which was tempred by its great, and, to him, new pleaſantnefs, and by the refrethment he tound in it, under the weary labours of his Bo- dy, ard rhe ſad thoughts of his Mind, for the deſolate condition of the World. f Eithe: to rebeve himſelfagainft the hear of the Cli- mate and +eaſon, or from his Negligence and Careleſneſs ; which might eaſily happen, becauſe Men's Garments, at that time, were loo!e, as they were in te following ages, when Breeches were not in common uſe, and therefore were peculiarly preſcribed ro the Prieſts, Exod. 28. 42. Exe. 44. 18, 19.
22 And Ham the father of Canaan 4b ſaw the nakedneſs + of his father and told his two brethren wichourt *,
g Whoſ grownage was a great aggravation of this Sin. h This is here added as a reaſon of Canaaz's Curſe, werſe 25. + (7: e:) The ſecret parts, oft ſo called, as Levit: 18: and elſewhere. * (7: e: ) Who were then without the Houſeor Room where their Fatherlay in thar poſture, whom he invited ro that proſpe&.
23 And Shem and Japheth took a garment, and laid zz upon both their ſhoulders, and went backward and covered the nakedneſs of their father ; and their
faces were backward, and chey ſaw not their fathers na. kedneſs. 24 And Noah awoke from his wine +, and knew ; what his younger fon & had done unto him. t (7.e. ) From his Drunkenneſs, or from his Sleep, the effte& of it. 7 Either by the information of his Sons; or by divine Infpi- ration... & Or, his little Son, either Ham mentioned, werſe 22: or Canaan mentioned 1n the next verſe ; by comparing of which places it may be gathered, that Canaan firſt ſaw it, and told his Father Ham of it, and he ro!d it to his Brethren. The latter ſeems here principally intended, 1. Pecauſe the Curſe following is appropri- ated ro him. 2. Beciuſe of rhe ritle of younger or litcle Son, which ſeems nor ro be fo properly added if Ham was meant ; both becauſe 1t doth not appear t1ar he was the youngeſt, for whereſoever theſe three Brethren a:e mentioned, he isalways pur in the middle place, and becauſc rthar addirion ſeems to be unneceſſary and im- pertinent ro the preſent buſineſs, which if Canaan be intended, is proper and pertinent, by way of diſtin&tion, to ſhew that he ſpake of his Grandſon, or his Sons Son. 4bje#. He calleth him his Sou. Anſw. Grandchildren are frequently called, their Grandfa- thers Sons 1n Scripture, as Geneſis 29: 5: 2 Samuel 19: 24: 1 Chron:
: I7. 25 And he ſaid 1, Curſed w be Canaan » ; a ſervant of ſervants o ſhall he be unro his brethren.
{ Nor from the paſſion of Revenge, but by divine Inſpiration,
, abhor- red by Men, miulſcrable in his Perſon and Polteriry.” 7 Queſt _
and the ſpirit of Propheſy. m ( i: e:) Hateful to God
pas, for the wife of Cleopas Father of Sychem, as our Engliſh Tranſlation rightly ſupplies it from Gen: 33: 19: Thus Goliah 1s put for Goliah's Brother, by comparing 2 Sam: 21: 19: with 1 Chron: 20. 5: an may be pur for the Father of Canaan,
Affts 7: 16: Emmir of Sychem, for the
as is evident So here Cana- as the Arabick Tranſlation hath ir, that is, Ham, as the Seventy here render it. And though Ham had more Sons, yet he may be here deſcribed by his relation to Canaan, becauſe in him the Curſe was more fixed and dreadful, reaching to his utter extirpation, whilſt the reſt of Ham's Poſterity in after ages were bleſſed with the ſaving knowledge of the Goſpel. o ( i:e: ) The yileſt and worſt of Servants ; as Yanity of Vanities, is the greateſ> Vanity, Eccleſ. 1. 2. and great Wickedneſs, Hoſ: 10: 15: 15 in the Hebrew Wickeaneſs of Wickeaneſs, and King of Kings IS put for the chief of Kings.
20 And he ſaid, Bleſſed be the Lord God of Shem p;
and Canaan ſhall be + his Servant,
higheſt degree, becauſe the Lore hath here declared himſelf ro be
Shem's God. Now for God to be ſaid to be any Man's God, is e-