Attributed commentary excerpt
Keil & Delitzsch on Genesis 6:13
A historical reference excerpt for this verse. Read it alongside the biblical text and other available sources.
Commentary on the Old Testament
C. F. Keil & F. Delitzsch · 19th-century historical commentary
Source: BibleWord.ai's local reference edition of this named work.
"The end of all flesh is come before Me." , when applied to rumours, invariably signifies "to reach the ear" (vid., Gen 18:21; Exo 3:9; Est 9:11); hence in this case cannot mean a me constitutus est (Ges.). , therefore, is not the end in the sense of destruction, but the end (extremity) of depravity or corruption, which leads to destruction. "For the earth has become full of wickedness ," i.e., proceeding from them, "and I destroy them along with the earth." Because all flesh had destroyed its way, it should be destroyed with the earth by God. The lex talionis is obvious here. Gen 6:14-15 Noah was exempted from the extermination. He was to build an ark, in order that he himself, his family, and the animals might be preserved. , which is only used here and in Exo 2:3, Exo 2:5, where it is applied to the ark in which Moses was placed, is probably an Egyptian word: the lxx render it κι βωτος here, and θι βη in Exodus; the Vulgate arca, from which our word ark is derived. Gopher-wood (ligna bituminata; Jerome) is most likely cypress. The α π. λεγ. gopher is related to , resin, and κυπα ρισσος; it is no proof to the contrary that in later Hebrew the cypress is called berosh, for gopher belongs to the pre-Hebraic times. The ark was to be made cells, i.e., divided into cells, (lit., nests, niduli, mansiunculae), and pitched ( denom. from ) within and without with copher, or asphalte (lxx α σφαλτος, Vulg. bitumen). On the supposition, which is a very probable one, that the ark was built in the form not of a ship, but of a chest, with flat bottom, like a floating house, as it was not meant for sailing, but merely to float upon the water, the dimensions, 300 cubits long, 50 broad, and 30 high, give a superficial area of 15,000 square cubits, and a cubic measurement of 450,000 cubits, probably to the ordinary standard, "after the elbow of a man" (Deu 3:11), i.e., measured from the elbow to the end of the middle finger.
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