Genesis 8:1 - Exposition

And God . Elohim, i.e. God in his most universal relation to his creatures. The supposition of two different accounts or histories being intermingled in the narrative of the Flood (Bleek, Eichhorn, Hupfeld, Kalisch, Alford, Coleuso) is not required for a sufficient explanation of the varying use of the Divine names. Remembered. From a root signifying to prick, pierce, or print, e.g; upon the memory; hence to remember. "Not that there is oblivion or forgetfulness with God, but then God is said to remember when he showeth by the effects that he hath taken care of man" (Willet). He remembers man's sins when he punishes them ( Psalms 25:7 ; cf. 1 Kings 17:20 ), and his people's needs when he supplies them (cf. Nehemiah 5:19 ). The expression is an anthropopathism designed to indicate the Divine compassion as well as grace. Calvin thinks the remembrance of which Moses speaks "ought to be referred not only to the external aspect of things ( i.e. the coming deliverance), but also to the inward feeling of the holy man," who, through grace, was privileged to enjoy "some sensible experience of the Divine presence" while immured in the ark. Noah ,—cf. the Divine remembrance of Abraham and Lot ( Genesis 19:29 ), the request of the Hebrew psalmist ( Psalms 132:1 )— and every living thing ,—chayyah, or wild beast ( vide Genesis 1:25 ; Genesis 7:14 )— and all the cattle that was with him in the ark. A touching indication of the tenderness of God towards his creatures. As a proof that God remembered the lonely inmates of the ark, he at once takes steps to accomplish their deliverance, which steps are next enumerated. And God made a wind —ruach . Not the Holy Ghost, as in Genesis 1:2 (Theodoret, Ambrose, LXX .— πνευ ͂ μα ), nor the heat of the sun (Rupertus); but a current of air ( α ̓ ì νεμος ), which "would promote evaporation and aid the retreat of the waters" (Murphy):—the ordinary method of driving away rain and drying the ground ( vide Proverbs 25:23 ); the special instrumentality employed to divide the waters of the Red Sea ( Exodus 14:21 )— to pass over the earth, and the waters assuaged, or began to grow calm , after a period of commotion (cf. Esther 2:1 ; Esther 7:10 )—the first stage in the returning of the waters. και Ì εκο ì πασε το Ì υ ̔ ì δωρ , and the water grew tried ( LXX .). Cf . ε ̓ κο ì πασεν ο ̔ α ̓ ì νεμος , Matthew 14:32 ; Mark 4:39 ; Mark 6:51 .