Genesis 8:15-17 - Exposition

And God spake unto Noah, saying, Go forth of the ark. For which command doubtless the patriarch waited, as he had done for instructions to enter in ( Genesis 7:11 ), "being restrained by a hallowed modesty from allowing himself to enjoy the bounty of nature till he should hear the voice of God directing him to do so" (Calvin). Thou, and thy wife, and thy sons, and thy sons' wives with thee. The order is different, in Genesis 7:7 , whence Ambrose noteth, "non commiscetur sexus in introitu, sod commiscetur in ingressu." Bring forth with thee —God having preserved alive the creatures that a twelvemonth before had been taken into the ark, and were now to be restored to their appropriate habitations on the earth— every living thing that is with thee, of all flesh, both of fowl, and of cattle, and of every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth (cf. Genesis 7:21 ; Genesis 9:10 ); that they may breed abundantly —sharatz, to creep or crawl, used of reptiles and small water animals ( Genesis 1:20 ; Genesis 7:21 ); hence to swarm, or multiply ( Genesis 9:7 )— in the earth, and be fruitful ( Genesis 1:22 ), and multiply— literally, become numerous — upon the earth .