unjustly; for they are doomed to be drowned. And he built the ark; and so often as a company of his people passed by him, they derided him" but he said, Though ye scoff at us now, we will scoff at you hereafter, as ye scoff at us; and ye shall surely know on whom a punishment shall be inflicted, which shall cover him with shame, and on whom a lasting punishment shall fall. Thus were they employed until our sentence was put in execution, and the oven poured forth water *. And we said unto NOAH, Carry into the ark of every species of animals one pair, and thy family', (except him on whom a previous sentence of destruction hath passed), and those They derided him.] For building a vessel in an inland country, and so far from the sea; and for that he was turned carpenter, after he had set up for a prophet (1). * And the oven poured forth water.] Or, as the original literally signifies, boiled over; which is consonant to what the Rabbins say, that the waters of the deluge were boiling hot. This oven was, as some say, at Cûfa, in a spot whereupon a mosque now stands; or, as others rather think, in a certain place in India, or else at Ain Warda, in Mesopotamia (2); and its exundation was the sign by which Noah knew the flood was coming (3). Some pretend that it was the same oven which Eve made use of to bake her bread in, being of a form different from those we use, having the mouth in the upper part, and that it descended from patriarch to patriarch, till it came to Noah (4). It is remarkable that Mohammed, in all probability, borrowed this circumstance from the Persian Magi, who also fancied that the first waters of the deluge gushed out of the oven of a certain old woman, named Zala Cûfa (5). But the word Tannûr, which is here translated Oven, also signifying the superficies of the earth, or a place whence waters spring forth, or where they are collected, some suppose it means no more in this passage, than the spot or fissure whence the first eruption of waters brake forth. y One pair.] Or, as the words may also be rendered, and some commentators think they ought, two pair, that is, two males, and two females, of each species; wherein they partly agree with divers Jewish and Christian writers (6), who, from the Hebrew expression, seven and seven, and two and two, the male and his female (7), suppose there went into the ark fourteen pair of every clean, and two pair of every unclean, species. There is a tradition that GOD gathered together unto Noah all sorts of beasts, birds, and other animals, (it being indeed difficult to conceive how he should come by them all, without some supernatural assistance,) and that as he laid hold on them, his right hand constantly fell on the male, and his left on the female (8). Thy family.] Namely, thy wife and thy sons, and their wives (9). ; a Except him on whom a previous sentence of destruction hath passed.] This was an unbelieving son of Noah (10), named Canaan (11), or Yam(12); though others say he was not the son of Noah, but his grandson by his son Ham, or his wife's son by another husband: nay, some pretend he was related to (1) Al BEIDAWI. (2) Idem. (3) JALLALO'DDIN, &C. (4) V. D'HεrBELOT. Bibl. Orient. Art. Noah. (5) V. HYDE de rel. vet. Persar, and LORD's account of the relig. of the Persees, p. 9. (6) ABEN EZRA, JUSTIN MARTYR, ORIGEN, &C. (7) Genes. vii. 2. (8) JALLALO'DDIN. (9) Al BEIDAWI. (11) JALLALO'DDIN, Al BEIDAWI. (12) EEN SHOHNAH. (10) YAHYA. who believe. But there believed not with him, except a few. And NOAH said, Embark thereon, in the name of GOD; while it moveth forward, and while it standeth still"; for my LORD is gracious and merciful. And the ark swam with them between waves like mountains: and NOAH called up to his son', who was separated from him, saying, Embark with us, my son, and stay not with the unbelievers. He answered, I will get on a mountain, which will secure me from the water. NOAH replied, There is no security this day from the decree of GOD, except for him on whom he shall have mercy. And a wave him no farther than by having been educated and brought up in his house (1). The best commentators add, that Noah's wife, named Wâïla, who was an infidel, was also comprehended in this exception, and perished with her son (2). b And those who believe.] Noah's family being mentioned before, it is supposed that by these words are intended the other believers, who were his proselytes, but not of his family: whence the common opinion among the Mohammedans, of a greater number than eight being saved in the ark seems to have taken its rise (3). There believed not with him except a few.] Viz. his other wife, who was a true believer, his three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japhet, and their wives, and seventy-two persons more (4) Embark thereon in the name of GOD, while it moveth forward, and while it standeth still.] That is, omit no opportunity of getting on board. According to a different reading, the latter words may be rendered, Who shall cause it to move forward, and to stop, as there shall be occasion. The commentators tell us, that the ark moved forwards, or stood still, as Noah would have it, on his pro nouncing only the words, In the name of God (5). It is to be observed, that the more judicious commentators make the dimensions of the ark to be the same with those assigned by Moses (6); notwithstanding others have enlarged them most extravagantly (7), as some Christian writers (8) have also done. They likewise tell us that Noah was two years in building the ark, which was framed of Indian plane-tree (9); that it was divided into three stories, of which the lower was designed for the beasts, the middle one for the men and women, and the upper for the birds (10); and that the men were se parated from the women by the body of Adam, which Noah had taken into the ark (11). This last is a tradition of the eastern Christians (12), some of whom pretended that the matrimonial duty was superseded and suspended during the time Noah and his family were in the ark (13); though Ham has been accused of not observing continency on that occasion, his wife, it seems, bringing forth Canaan in the very ark (14). Between waves like mountains.] The waters prevailing fifteen cubits above the mountains (15). f See above, note". (1) Al ZAMAKHSHARI, V. D'HERBEL. Bibl. Orient. p. 676. (2) JALLALO'DDIN, Al ZAMAKHSHARI, AL BEIDAWI. (3) See chap. vii. (4) See ibid. (5) Al BEIDAW1, &c. (6) Idem, &c. (7) YAHYA. V. MARRACC. in Alcor. p. 340. (8) ORIGEN. Contr. Cels. 1. 4. V. KIRCHER. de Arca Noe. c. 8. (9) Al BEIDAWI. V. D'HERBEL. p. 675. & EUTYCH. p. 34. (10) Al BEIDAWI. V. EUTYCH. annal. p. 34. (11) YAHYA. (12) JACOB. EDESSENUS, apud Barcepham de parad. part. 1. c. 14. EUTYCH. ubi sup. V. etiam ELIEZER. pirke c. 23. (13) AMBROS de Noa. & Arca, c. 21. (14) V. HEI PEGGER. Hist Patriarch. v. 1. p. 409. (15) Al BEIDAWI. passed between them, and he became one of those who were drowned. And it was said, O earth, swallow up thy waters; and thou, O heaven, withhold thy rain. And immediately the water abated, and the decree was fulfilled, and the ark rested on the mountain AL JUDI; and it was said, Away with the ungodly people! And NOAH called upon his LORD, and said, O LORD, verily my son is of my family; and thy promise is true: for thou art the most just of those who exercise judgment. GOD And the ark rested upon the mountain Al Jûdi.] This mountain is one of those which divide Armenia, on the south, from Mesopotamia, and that part of Assyria which is inhabited by the Curds, from whom the mountains took the name of Cardu, or Gardu, by the Greeks turned into Gordyæi, and other names (1). Mount Al Judi (which name seems to be a corruption, though it be constantly so written by the Arabs, for Jordi, or Giordi) is also called Thamanîn (2), probably from a town at the foot of it (3), so named from the number of persons saved in the ark, the word Thamanîn signifying eighty, and overlooks the country of Diyâr Rabiah, near the cities of Mawsel, Forda, and Jazirat Ebn Omar, which last place one affirms to be but four miles from the place of the ark, and says that a Mohammedan temple was built there with the remains of that vessel, by the Khalif Omar Ebn Abd'alazîz, whom he by mistake calls Omar Ebn al Khattab (4). The tradition which affirms the ark to have rested on these mountains must have been very ancient, since it is the tradition of the Chaldeans themselves (5). The Chaldee paraphrasts consent to their opinion (6), which obtained very much formerly, especially among the eastern Christians (7). To confirm it, we are told, that the remainders of the ark were to be seen on the Gordyæan mountains. Berosus and Abydenus both declare there was such a report in their time (8); the first observing that several of the inhabitants thereabouts scraped the pitch off the planks as a rarity, and carried it about them for an amulet and the latter saying, that they used the wood of the vessel against many diseases with wonderful success. The relics of the ark were also to be seen here in the time of Epiphanius, if we may believe him (9). And we are told the emperor Heraclius went from the town of Thamanîn up to the mountain Al Jûdi, and saw the place of the ark (10). There was also formerly a famous monastery, called the monastery of the ark, upon some of these mountains, where the Nestorians used to celebrate a feast-day on the spot where they supposed the ark rested: but in the year of Christ 776, that monastery was destroyed by lightning, with the church, and a numerous congregation in it (11). Since which time it seems the credit of this tradition hath declined, and given place to another, which obtains at present, and according to which the ark rested on mount Masis, in Armenia, called by the Turks, Aghir dagh, or the heavy or great mountain, and situate about twelve leagues south-east of Erivan (12). h Thy promise is true.] Noah here challenges God's promise, that he would save his family. (1) See BOCHART. Phaleg. l. 1. c. 3. (2) Geogr. Nub. p. 202. (3) V. D'HERBEL. Bibl. Orient. p. 404 and 676. & AGATHIAM, 1. 14. p. 135. (4) BENJAMIN. Itiner. p. 61. (5) BEROSUS, apud. Joseph. Antiq. 1. 1. c. 4. (6) ONKELOS and JONATHAN, in Genes. viii. 4. (7) V. EUTYCH. Annal. (8) BEROSUS, apud Joseph. ubi sup. ABYDENUS, apud Euseb. Præp. Ev. 1. 9. c. 4. (9) EPIPH. Hæres. 18. (10) ELMACIN, 1. 1. c. i. (11) V. Chronic. DIONYSII patriarch, Jacobitar. apud. Asseman. Bibl. Orient. T. 2. p. 113. (12) Al BEIDAWI. P. 41. answered, O NOAH, verily he is not of thy family': this intercession of thine for him, is not a righteous work. Ask not of me therefore that wherein thou hast no knowledge: I admonish thee, that thou become not one of the ignorant. NOAH said, O LORD, I have recourse unto thee for the assistance of thy grace, that I ask not of thee that wherein I have no knowledge and unless thou forgive me, and be merciful unto me, I shall be one of those who perish. It was said unto him, O NOAH, come down from the ark', with peace from us, and blessings upon thee, and upon a part of those who are with thee: but as for a part of them ", we will suffer them to enjoy the provision of this world; and afterwards shall a grievous punishment from us be inflicted on them, in the life to come. This is a secret history, which we reveal unto thee: thou didst not know it, neither did thy people before this. Wherefore persevere with patience; for the prosperous issue shall attend the pious. And unto the tribe of AD we sent their brother HUD. He said, O my people, worship God; ye have no GOD besides him: ye only imagine falsehood, in setting up idols and intercessors of your own making. O my people, I ask not of you, for this my preaching, any recompense: my recompense do I expect from him only, who hath created me. Will ye not therefore understand? O my people, ask pardon of your LORD; and be turned unto him: he will send the heaven to pour forth rain plentifully upon you; and he will increase your strength by iHe is not of thy family.] Being cut off from it on account of his infidelity. * According to a different reading, this passage may be rendered, For he hath acted unrighteously. Come down from the ark, &c.] The Mohammedans say that Noah went into the ark on the tenth of Rajeb, and came out of it the tenth of al Moharram; which therefore became a fast. So that the whole time of Noah's being in the ark, according to them, was six months (1). (1) Al BEIDAWI. See D'HERBEL. ubi sup. (2) See the notes to chap. 7. giving unto you farther strength": therefore turn not aside to commit evil. They answered, O HUD, thou hast brought us no proof of what thou sayest; therefore we will not leave our gods for thy saying, neither do we believe thee. We say no other than that some of our gods have afflicted thee with evil'. He replied, Verily I call GOD to witness, and do ye also bear witness, that I am clear of that which ye associate with GOD, besides him. Do ye all therefore join to devise a plot against me, and tarry not; for I put my confidence in GOD, my LORD and your LORD. There is no beast, but he holdeth it by its forelock: verily my LORD proceedeth in the right way. But if ye turn back, I have already declared unto you that with which I was sent unto you; and my LORD shall substitute another nation in your stead; and ye shall not hurt him at all: for my LORD is guardian over all things. And when our sentence came to be put in execution, we delivered HUD, and those who had believed with him, through our mercy; and we delivered them from a grievous punishment. And this tribe of AD wittingly rejected the signs of their LORD, and were disobedient unto his messengers, and they followed the command of every rebellious perverse person. Wherefore they were followed in this world by a curse, and they shall be followed by the same on the day of resurrection. Did not AD disbelieve in their LORD? Was it not said, Away with AD, the people of HUD? And unto the tribe of THAMUD we sent their brother SALEH. He said unto them, O may people, worship GOD; ye have no GOD besides him. It is he And will increase your strength.] By giving you children; the wombs of their wives being also rendered barren, during the time of the drought, as well as their lands (1). Have afflicted thee with evil.] Or madness; having deprived thee of thy reason for the indignities thou hast offered them. (1) Al BEIDAWI. There is no beast but he holdeth it by its forelock.] That is, he exerciseth an absolute power over it; a creature held in this manner, being supposed to be reduced to the lowest subjection. And those who believed with him.] Who were in number four thousand (2). See chap. 7. (2) Idem. |