6. Whoso sheddeth man's blood, &c. That is, wilfully and unwarrantably, for there are two exceptions to this law, (1.) Casual or unintentional murder, Deut. 19. 4. (2.) Death by the hand of the magistrate for capital crimes, to which the present rule has direct reference. The enactment contained in the preceding verse has, as we have endeavoured to show, a lead the laws respecting the cities of refuge, that such a means of severity is liable Deut. 19. The following remarks of to great abuses, and could never be so Michaelis on the subject of Goëlism effectual nor so free from objections, as will make the reader still better ac- the laws by which a magistrate punquainted with its nature and design.ishes a murderer after instituting a ju'Let us figure to ourselves a people dicial investigation of his guilt. Still without magistrates, and where every we can easily see that it might have father of a family is still his own mas-been adopted in those early ages as a ter. In such a state men's lives would temporary expedient of Providence, of necessity be in the highest degree in- though not perhaps appointed as a possecure, were there no such blood-aven-itive divine institution carrying with it ger as we have above described. Magis- the express authority of Heaven. God trate, or public judicial tribunal, to pun-in his providence often avails himself ish murder, there is none; of course of many things which at the same time acts of murder might be daily perpetra- exist rather by his sufferance than by ted, were there no reason to dread pun- his approbation. ishment of another description. For their own security, the people would be forced to constitute the avengement of blood an indispensable duty, and not only to consider the murderer as an outlaw, but actually to endeavour to put him to death, and whithersoever he might flee, never to cease pursuing him until he became the victim of vengeance. As, however, every one would not choose to undertake the dangerous of-ing reference to the rude and less orfice of thus avenging a murder, the nearest relations of the unfortunate sufferer would find it necessary to undertake it themselves. It would natural-more immediately upon the avenging ly be deemed a noble deed, and the interpositions of God's providence. The neglect of it, of course, highly disgrace- drift of that verse accordingly is to ful and justly productive of such infa- convey the assurance that he would acmy and reproach as blood alone could tually take it upon him to see to the wash away.' Comment. on Laws of maintaining of the interests of justice Moses, vol. 2. p. 195. It is, we suppose, among his creatures in the lack of those to such a provisional expedient as this institutions which would otherwise enthat the words before us refer, one able them to do it. But in the present which God was pleased to sanction for passage, we consider the divine Lawthe time being till more perfect systems giver as having his eye upon a someof laws and government should be in- what different and higher state of polittroduced among men; as it is evidentical society. Instead of being a mere ganized states of society, where the punishment of flagrant crimes, particularly that of murder, would devolve 8 T And God spake unto Noah, and to his sons with him, saying, 9 And I, "behold, I establish n ch. 6. 18. my covenant with you, and with your seed after you; o Is. 54. 9. but merely as a prediction, intimating that the murderer will usually die a violent death. But such a consequence would follow the commission of this crime only as the result of the ordering of Divine Providence, and the course of Providence is but another name for the expression of the will of God; so that it virtually amounts to the same thing, whether we consider it as a prediction or a precept.-¶ For in the image of God made he man. In addition to what is said above, it repetition of the leading idea of the former verse, the words seem to carry with them the implication of the existence of law and settled government, and that their prominent drift is to invest the magistrate with a divine warrant for inflicting capital punishment upon the wilful murderer. This will probably be still more evident from what follows.- -T By man shall his blood be shed. Chal. With witnesses by the sentence of the judges shall his blood be shed.' The welfare of society evidently requires that capital punish-may be well in this connection to rements should be inflicted, not by the mark that the celebrated Belgic comstroke of private revenge, but by the mentator, Venema, has proposed the arm of the authorized magistrate, and following rendering of these words, through the medium of a judicial sen- which he labours to support with great tence, Rom. 13. 1. This ordinance, acuteness and ingenuity, viz. 'whoso therefore, may be considered as a vir- sheddeth man's blood, by man shall tual institution of magistracy, which his blood be shed, although in the imperhaps affords us the most legitimate age of God created he him;' i. e. the interpretation of the clause; 'for in the fact of his bearing the image of his Maker image of God made he man,' i. e. in the is to constitute no impediment in the constitution of civil society, as emana- way of the sentence of death being proting from the will of the Most High, nounced and executed upon the murmen are to be appointed as the execu- derer. He supposes the words to be tive organs of the social body for the virtually a reply to the tacit objection, administration of justice; and a mag- that inasmuch as the image of God is istrate thus armed with authority bears common to all men, and in all is to be a visible impress of the Divine image held sacred and inviolable, therefore the in the legal sovereignty with which he putting to death a murderer was as real is invested. Still this sense need not an invasion and extinction of this exclude the usual construction, that a image as was the act of the culprit himmurderer obliterates the image of his self, and so was unlawful. But this Maker in the extinction of human life, scruple is directly met and removed in and therefore deserves to die. This is these words by the divine declaration, in itself true, and may perhaps be in- that this circumstance is not to be altended to be taught in the genuine im-lowed to prevent the execution of the port of the verse, though the former is its more legitimate scope. It is indeed sometimes maintained that this sentence is to be understood, not as a precept authorizing capital punishments, appointed sentence. That the literal rendering of the original will admit this construction there is no doubt, for we have already shown that such is the true import of the Heb. for in ch. 10 And with every living | shall there any more be a flood to creature that is with you, of the destroy the earth. fowl, of the cattle, and of every beast of the earth with you, from all that go out of the ark, to every beast of the earth. 11 And I will establish my covenant with you; neither shall all flesh be cut off any more by the waters of a flood; neither p Ps. 145. 9. q Is. 54. 9. 8. 21, to which numerous other instances might be added. But still from a view of the whole context we prefer the interpretation given above, which makes the image of God here to consist in man's representing his Maker in the exercise of authority and the administration of justice. 9. 1 establish my covenant with you. Heb. berithi. A covenant, as remarked in the note on Gen. 6 18, usually signifies a mutual compact, but here, as occasionally elsewhere, if imports mainly a solemn promise. It is merely an amplification of what was said at the altar, where the Lord smelled a sweet savour, and indeed the first seventeen verses of this chapter are a continuation of that subject. The goodness of God in this transaction is very remarkable. As man has no claims upon his Maker, he might have determined to exempt the world from the calamity of a second deluge, and yet not have acquainted them with his purpose. But he was pleased in this instance, as in many others, to lay himself under voluntary engagements with his creatures, that they might know how gracious he is, and be encouraged to serve him with more lively gratitude. Knowing that the severe judgment which he had inflicted upon the human race would, for a time at least, strike terror into succeeding generations, and perhaps deter them from cultivating the earth, he here, in order 12 And God said, ⋅ This is the token of the covenant which I make between me and you, and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations. 13 I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth. r ch. 17. 11. 8 Rev. 4. 3. to set their minds at rest on this score, gives Noah an assurance that he would never again destroy all his creatures with a flood, and this promise he has himself taught us to consider in the light of an oath. Is. 54. 9, 'For this is as the waters of Noah unto me; for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth; so have I sworn that I would not be wroth with thee, nor rebuke thee.' Thus also he deals with us in his Son. Being willing that the heirs of promise should have strong consolation, he confirms his word by an oath, Heb. 6. 17, 18. שחת .Heb 11. Neither shall there be any more a flood to destroy the earth. to corrupt. This has the air of being a mere repetition of what is said just before, but by referring to ch. 6. 13, it appears that there was a twofold threat ening, viz. against all flesh' and against 'the earth;' so here is a corresponding twofold promise. 12. This is the token of the covenant which I make, &c. Heb. 【 a sign. On the import of this word see note on Gen. 4. 15.— ·¶ Every living creature that is with you. Because the benefits of this covenant were to extend to all the animal creation, as well as to man, for whose sake they were created. Every living thing, not excepting even the meanest reptiles, was interested in it; so comprehensive is the beneficence of Heaven. The phrase 'with you, Γ 22 which is repeated so often in this connection, is very emphatic and points to the exceedingly intimate relation constituted by the Creator between man and the lower orders of creatures. not always a rainbow when there is rain, and God might have prevented its occurrence from a foresight of the moral uses to which he designed to have it applied after the flood. The grand import which God intended to convey by this sign was that of assurance of se 13. 1 do set my bor in the cloud. That is, in the clouds; collect. sing. for plur. The original word for set (curity against the occurrence of anothnathatti), usually rendered to give, has er deluge, and had not the phenomenon in innumerable instances the import of been new, had men been familiar with appointing or constituting, as Num. it in past ages, it is not altogether easy 14. 4, Let us make (1) a captain, to see how it could have been efficaand let us return into Egypt;' i. e. let cious enough to overcome the doubts us appoint a captain. 1 Kings 2. 35, and fears which it was intended to re'The king put (15) Benaiah over the move. 'What guaranty does this afford host; and Zadok did the king put (1) us,' they might say, 'that we shall not in the room of Abiathar ;' i. e. appoint-be deluged again, since we have often ed. So in the preceding verse 'the to-beheld this sight, and were deluged ken of the covenant which I make notwithstanding? If it be said that (),' is properly the token of the God's verbal promise made their secucovenant which I appoint.' As the rity certain, we may ask what need rainbow is the natural effect of the re- then was there of any outward sign at fraction and reflection of the sun's rays all? Was not his word as certain falling on drops of water, it is not ab- without a sign as with it? In fine, as solutely necessary to suppose that this it is impossible to prove that the rainphenomenon had never been witnessed bow had actually ever appeared before previous to the time now mentioned. the flood, we believe the most interAs the causes of it existed from the be-esting light in which this glorious specginning, it may have occasionally ap-tacle can be viewed, viz. as a great mepeared in the interval between the creation and the deluge; and all that is here implied may be that it was now first appointed as a pledge or outward visi ble sign of the covenant promise made /to Noah. Yet we incline upon the whole to regard this as the first appear-connection with the event in which it ance of the celestial arch. Such we think is the natural impression produced upon the mind of any one who reads the narrative without reference to any existing theory upon the subject; and no one can doubt that the effect upon Noah's mind would have been far more vivid and striking had this been the first time the splendid sight had met his eye. Although the causes of the phenomenon existed from the creation, yet it does not necessarily follow that the phenomenon itself had actually appeared before. Even now there is mento of the divine veracity, has been conceded away to the cavils of infidels; and that by looking upon it merely as an effect of natural causes that have always operated, we shall be apt to lose the force of its moral bearing in originated As a seal of this gracious assurance it is very peculiar. Its beauty, conspicuousness and grandeur make it a very suitable memorial for such a purpose, and yet whenever a rainbow appears, it is a sign that there is rain descending at that moment on the earth, and consequently when viewed in itself is rather a ground of apprehending that another deluge may come. But God in his wisdom has chosen that to be a pledge of our security which is in itself an intimation of our danger. And how strikingly does the Most High endear 14 And it shall come to pass, | cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember w the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth. when I bring a cloud over the 16 And the bow shall be in the u Ex. 28. 12. Lev. 26. 42, 45. Ezek. 16. 60. his goodness to our hearts by appointing a sign which he declares shall not only be a means of reminding us, but himself also, of his promise! 'I will look upon it that I may remember the everlasting covenant.' 14. When I bring a cloud over the earth. Heb. 1 when I make cloudy (the) cloud. That is, clouds, thick watery clouds, a collective term; whence the Gr. when I bring clouds (νεφέλας). 15. The waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh. It is now above four thousand years since the promise was given to Noah, and no part of it has ever yet failed. There have been partial inundations and partial suspensions of fruitful seasons; but at no period, from the deluge to this hour, has any thing occurred like the desolation that was visited upon the earth in the days of Noah. The conscious security in which the world reposes, as far as the occurrence of another deluge is concerned, is matter of devout admiration and perpetual praise. And so will it doubtless appear if due weight be given to the reflections of Calvin on this fearful catastrophe. 'The earth,' says he, 'in its primitive and most natural state was covered by the waters; and it was owing solely to the singular beneficence of the Creator that they were forced to give way and leave a space fit for the occupation of anima 17 And God said unto Noah, This is the token of the covenant which I have established between me and all flesh that is upon the earth. w ch. 17. 13, 19. ted beings. And this the philosophers are obliged to confess, that the subsidence of the waters below the surface of the earth so as to allow any portion of it to rise above them, is an event contrary to nature (præter naturam). Indeed, the Scriptures speak of it as among the divine miracles, Job 38. 811, that the waters of the sea should be kept back by forced restraints, as of bars and doors, from rushing forth and overwhelming the regions allotted to the habitation of men.' Comment. on Gen. 7. 11. Considering therefore the real exposedness of the earth to destruction from the element of water on the one hand and fire on the other, vast stores of which are treasured up in its bowels and continually tending to burst forth, we may well regard our safety as the effect of a perpetual miracle of mercy; and every appearance of a rainbow ought to be a signal for a new acknowledgment of the divine forbearance and faithfulness. Such according to Maimonides was the custom of the ancient Jews;-' When any one seeth the bow in the cloud, he blesseth God that remembereth his covenant, and is faithful therein, and stable in his promise.' Ainsworth. 'Look upon the rainbow, and praise him that made it,' says the son of Syrac, Ecclus. 43. 11, and to this injunction every pious heart will promptly respond. 17. And God said unto Noah, this |