God reneweth the blessing of multiplication, 3. alloweth the eating of flesh, but not of blood. 8. promiseth never again to destroy the world by water. 13. giveth the rainbow for a sign thereof. 22. Cham seeth, and telleth his father's nakedness, which Sem and Japheth covered. 24. For which he is cursed, and they are blessed.God reneweth the blessing of multiplication, 3. alloweth the eating of flesh, but not of bloud. 8. promiseth neuer againe to destroy the world by water. 13. giueth the rainbow for a signe therof. 22. Cham seeth, and telleth his fathers nakednes, which Sem and Iapheth couered. 24. For which he is cursed, and they are blessed.
And God blessed Noe and his sons. And he said to them: Increase and multiply, and fill · Vulgate: replete the earth.AND God blessed Noe and his sonnes. And he said to them: Increase & multiplie, and replenish the earth.Benedixitque Deus Noë et filiis ejus. Et dixit ad eos : Crescite, et multiplicamini, et replete terram.
2And your terror and dread be it upon all the beasts of the earth, and upon all the fowls of the air, with all that move upon the earth: all the fishes of the sea are delivered to your hand.And your terror and dread be it vpon al the beasts of the earth, and vpon al the foules of the ayre, with al that moue vpon the earth: al the fishes of the sea are deliuered to your hand.Et terror vester ac tremor sit super cuncta animalia terræ, et super omnes volucres cæli, cum universis quæ moventur super terram : omnes pisces maris manui vestræ traditi sunt.
3And all that moveth and liveth shall be yours for food · Vulgate: in cibum: even as the green herbs have I delivered all to you.And al that moueth and liueth shal be yours for meat: euen as the grene herbes haue I deliuered al to you.Et omne, quod movetur et vivit, erit vobis in cibum : quasi olera virentia tradidi vobis omnia.
4except · Vulgate: excepto that flesh with blood you shall not eat.Sauing that flesh with bloud you shal not eat.Excepto, quod carnem cum sanguine non comedetis.
5For I will require the blood of your souls at the hand of every beast: and at the hand of man, at the hand of each man, and of his brother, will I require the soul of man.For I wil require the bloud of your soules at the hand of euerie beast: and at the hand of man, at the hand of each man, and of his brother, wil I require the soule of man.Sanguinem enim animarum vestrarum requiram de manu cunctarum bestiarum : et de manu hominis, de manu viri, et fratris ejus requiram animam hominis.
6Whosoever shall shed man's blood, his blood shall be shed: for to the image of God man was made.Who soeuer shal shed mans bloud, his bloud shal be shed: for to the image of God man was made.Quicumque effuderit humanum sanguinem, fundetur sanguis illius : ad imaginem quippe Dei factus est homo.
7But increase you and multiply, and go upon the earth, and fill it.But increase you and multiplie, and goe vpon the earth, and fil it.Vos autem crescite et multiplicamini, et ingredimini super terram, et implete eam.
8Thus also said God to Noe, and to his sons with him:Thus also said God to Noe, and to his sonnes with him:Hæc quoque dixit Deus ad Noë, et ad filios ejus cum eo :
9Behold I will establish my covenant with you, and with your seed after you:Behold I wil establish my couenant with you, and with your seede after you:Ecce ego statuam pactum meum vobiscum, et cum semine vestro post vos :
10and with every living soul that is with you, as well in all fowls as in cattle and beasts of the earth that are come forth out of the ark, and in all the beasts of the earth.and with euerie liuing soule that is with you, as wel in al foules as in cattle & beasts of the earth that are come forth out of the arke, and in al the beasts of the earth.et ad omnem animam viventem, quæ est vobiscum, tam in volucribus quam in jumentis et pecudibus terræ cunctis, quæ egressa sunt de arca, et universis bestiis terræ.
11I will establish my covenant with you, and all flesh shall be no more destroyed with the waters of a flood, neither shall there be from henceforth a flood to waste the earth.I wil establish my couenant with you, and al flesh shal be no more destroyed with the waters of a floud, neither shal there be from henceforth a floud to waste the earth.Statuam pactum meum vobiscum, et nequaquam ultra interficietur omnis caro aquis diluvii, neque erit deinceps diluvium dissipans terram.
12And God said: This is the sign of the covenant which I give between me and you, and to every living soul that is with you, for perpetual generations.And God said: This is the signe of the couenant which I giue betwen me and you, and to euerie liuing soule that is with you, for perpetual generations.Dixitque Deus : Hoc signum fœderis quod do inter me et vos, et ad omnem animam viventem, quæ est vobiscum in generationes sempiternas :
13My rainbow · Vulgate: arcum will I set in the clouds, and it shall be the sign of a covenant between me and between the earth.My bowe wil I set in the cloudes, and it shal be the signe of a couenant betwen me and betwen the earth.arcum meum ponam in nubibus, et erit signum fœderis inter me et inter terram.
14And when I shall cover the sky with clouds, my bow shall appear in the clouds:And when I shal couer the skie with cloudes, my bowe shal appeare in the cloudes:Cumque obduxero nubibus cælum, apparebit arcus meus in nubibus :
15and I will remember my covenant with you, and with every living soul that beareth flesh: and there shall no more be waters of a flood, to destroy all flesh.and I wil remember my couenant with you, and with euerie liuing soule that beareth flesh: and there shal no more be waters of a floud, to destroy al flesh.et recordabor fœderis mei vobiscum, et cum omni anima vivente quæ carnem vegetat : et non erunt ultra aquæ diluvii ad delendum universam carnem.
16And the bow shall be in the clouds, and I shall see it, and shall remember the everlasting covenant, that was made between God and every living soul of all flesh which is upon the earth.And the bowe shal be in the cloudes, and I shal see it, and shal remember the euerlasting couenant, that was made betwen God and euerie liuing soule of al flesh which is vpon the earth.Eritque arcus in nubibus, et videbo illum, et recordabor fœderis sempiterni quod pactum est inter Deum et omnem animam viventem universæ carnis quæ est super terram.
17And God said to Noe: This shall be the sign of the covenant, which I established, between me and all flesh upon the earth.And God said to Noe: This shal be the signe of the couenant, which I established, betwen me & al flesh vpon the earth.Dixitque Deus ad Noë : Hoc erit signum fœderis, quod constitui inter me et omnem carnem super terram.
18The sons therefore of Noe, that came forth out of the ark, were Sem, Cham, and Japheth: and Cham he is the father of Chanaan.The sonnes therefore of Noe, that came forth out of the arke, were Sem, Cham, and Iapheth: and Cham he is the father of Chanaan.Erant ergo filii Noë, qui egressi sunt de arca, Sem, Cham et Japheth : porro Cham ipse est pater Chanaan.
19These three are the sons of Noe: and of these was all mankind spread over the whole earth.These three are the sonnes of Noe: and of these was al mankind spread ouer the whole earth.Tres isti filii sunt Noë : et ab his disseminatum est omne genus hominum super universam terram.
20And Noe a farmer · Vulgate: vir agricola began to till the ground, and planted a vineyard.And Noe a husbandman began to til the grounde, and planted a vineyard.Cœpitque Noë vir agricola exercere terram, et plantavit vineam.
21And drinking of the wine was made drunk, and naked in his Vulgate: tabernaculo: tent.And drinking of the wine was made drunke, and naked in his tabernacle.Bibensque vinum inebriatus est, et nudatus in tabernaculo suo.
22Which when Cham the father of Chanaan had seen, to namely · Vulgate: scilicet, that his father's private parts · Vulgate: verenda were bare, he told it to his two brethren outside · Vulgate: foras.Which when Cham the father of Chanaan had seene, to wit, that his fathers priuities were bare, he told it to his two brethren abroad.Quod cum vidisset Cham, pater Chanaan, verenda scilicet patris sui esse nudata, nuntiavit duobus fratribus suis foras.
23But indeed Sem and Japheth put a cloak upon their shoulders, and going backward, covered the privities of their father: and their faces were turned away, and they saw not their father's nakedness.But indeede Sem and Iapheth put a cloake vpon their shoulders, and going backward, couered the priuities of their father: and their faces were turned away, and they saw not their fathers nakednes.At vero Sem et Japheth pallium imposuerunt humeris suis, et incedentes retrorsum, operuerunt verenda patris sui : faciesque eorum aversæ erant, et patris virilia non viderunt.
24And Noe awaking from the wine, when he had learned what his younger son had done to him,And Noe awaking from the wine, when he had learned what his yonger sonne had done to him,Evigilans autem Noë ex vino, cum didicisset quæ fecerat ei filius suus minor,
25he said: Cursed be Chanaan, a servant of servants shall he be to his brethren.he said: Cursed be Chanaan, a seruant of seruants shal he be to his brethren.ait : Maledictus Chanaan, servus servorum erit fratribus suis.
26And he said: Blessed be the Lord God of Sem, Chanaan be his servant.And he said: Blessed be the Lord God of Sem, Chanaan be his seruant.Dixitque : Benedictus Dominus Deus Sem, sit Chanaan servus ejus.
27God Vulgate: dilatet: "make wide"; the name Japheth means enlargement Japheth, and dwell he in the tabernacles of Sem, and Chanaan be his servant.God enlarge Iapheth, and dwel he in the tabernacles of Sem, and Chanaan be his seruant.Dilatet Deus Japheth, et habitet in tabernaculis Sem, sitque Chanaan servus ejus.
28And Noe lived after the flood three hundred fifty years.And Noe liued after the floud three hundred fiftie yeares.Vixit autem Noë post diluvium trecentis quinquaginta annis.
29And all his days were in the whole nine hundred fifty years: and he died.And al his dayes were in the whole nine hundred fiftie yeares: and he died.Et impleti sunt omnes dies ejus nongentorum quinquaginta annorum : et mortuus est.
Annotations
9:3All that moveth. St. Justin Martyr, St. Chrysostom, and other ancient Doctors prove, that flesh was lawful to be eaten before the flood: but being not necessary, because men were stronger, and other things also of more force, the better sort which were of Seth's race abstained from it. But after the flood flesh being more necessary, God altereth that custom of abstinence, with this limitation and commandment, that they shall not eat blood.
9:4Flesh with blood. Though this positive precept, of not eating blood, served well to make men more abhor manslaughter (which is forbid by the law of nature, and the revenge thereof here and in other places severely threatened) yet it was specially given both immediately after the flood, and in the law of Moyses (with many the like) to exercise men in obedience. And the same was renewed, for a time, by the Apostles, to appease a controversy in the primitive Church. For that the Jews converted to Christ, having been long accustomed to this observation, could not endure to see it broken, by themselves, or other Christians, and being no great burden, for the Gentiles, it was decreed that all should keep it. And so peace was made. Nevertheless it was abolished when the cause ceased. As St. Augustine declareth against Faustus the Manichee. Such is the authority of the Church to decree, and again to disannul an observation of a thing of itself indifferent.
9:21Drunk. Noe sinned not, by the common judgement of ancient Fathers; in that he was overcome with wine, because he knew not the force thereof, having drunk only water all his life before. But this external rebuke, and worldly disgrace happened to Noe, in figure of Christ naked on the Cross. As St. Cyprian (Epist. 63. ad Coecilium) St. Augustine (li. 16. de civit. c. 2. & li. 12. contra Faustum Manicheum. c. 23. & 24.) Eucherius, Rupertus and others (upon this place) do teach. And likewise that Sem and Japheth were a figure of the Church consisting of Jews and Gentiles, and Cham of Heretics, and other Infidels, that deride the infirmities, which our Saviour sustained. Go to now (ye Manichees, saith St. Augustine) object calumnies to the ancient holy Scriptures, do so, ye children of Cham, to whom naked flesh seemeth vile, by which your selves were begotten. For neither could ye by any means have been called Christians, except Christ (as he was foretold by the Prophets) had come into the world, had drunk that cup of his vineyard, which could not pass from him, had slept in his passion, as in drunkenness of folly (which is wiser than men) and so the infirmity of mortal flesh (which is stronger than men) had become naked, by the secret counsel of God; which infirmity unless the WORD OF GOD had taken upon him, the very name Christian, whereof ye also glory, had not been at all in the earth.
9:25Cursed be Chanaan. Why Chanaan the son is cursed, and not his father Cham, divers yield divers reasons. St. Theodoret reporteth out of the Hebrew Doctors, that Chanaan a boy first saw his grandfather's nakedness, and told the same to his father, and so they both derided that which they should have covered, Cham's other sons not offending, and therefore not his whole progeny but only Chanaan and his posterity were here cursed by Noe. St. Chrysostom supposeth that forsomuch as God had blessed Noe and his three sons coming forth of the Ark, he could not presume to curse any of those, whom God had blessed, therefore cursed Chanaan who in wickedness was like to his father. St. Gregory bringeth this, for example of wicked men, escaping punishment in this life, and are punished in the next, and in their posterity, following their vices. What meaneth it (saith he) that Cham sinning, Chanaan his son had sentence of revenge, but that the sins of the reprobate prosper here in this life unrevenged, and are punished afterwards? And clear it is that Chanaan's most wicked posterity were subdued in the end, and most of them destroyed by the children of Israel (who were of Sem) under the conduct of Josue, according to Noe's prophetical blessing of Sem, and cursing of Chanaan.
9:27God enlarge. This blessing of Japheth was literally fulfilled, when (according to his name, which signifieth Latitude or enlargement) his plentiful issue possessed most ample countries, both in the Continent, and Islands. But mystically it had effect (as St. Jerome, St. Augustine, Rupertus and others expound it) when the Apostles, being Jews of the race of Sem, first builded the Christian Church, wherein the most part of that nation refused to dwell, contemning Christ's Gospel and grace, and the fulness of Gentiles entered in, and were made inheritors. Finally Chanaan is servant to both Sem and Japheth, in that Heretics being under the Jurisdiction of the Church, gathered of Jews and Gentiles, serve to stir up Catholics' diligence to more exact knowledge of all truth; and their patience to more merit and glory.