John Gill

Now Noah was 600 years old when the floodwaters came upon the earth.

“And Noah was six hundred years old when the flood of waters was upon the earth,.... When it began, for he was in his six hundred and first year when it ended, Gen 8:13 his eldest son was now an hundred years old, since when…”

came to Noah to enter the ark, two by two, male and female, as God had commanded Noah.

“There went in two and two unto Noah into the ark,.... Of themselves, as Jarchi and Aben Ezra, being impressed with an instinct from God so to do; or by the ministry of angels, as observed See Gill on Gen 6:20 there were two of…”

And after seven days the floodwaters came upon the earth.

“And it came to pass after seven days,.... Were ended, or on the seventh day, after God had given the orders to Noah, to prepare for his going into the ark, with his family, and all the creatures: that the waters of the flood were…”

And the rain fell upon the earth for forty days and forty nights.

“And the rain was upon the earth forty days and forty nights,.... So long it was falling upon it, after the windows of heaven were opened.”

So the waters continued to surge and rise greatly on the earth, and the ark floated on the surface of the waters.

“And the waters prevailed, and were increased greatly upon the earth,.... Still they became greater and more powerful, as to bear up the ark, so to cast down houses, trees, &c.”

After forty days Noah opened the window he had made in the ark

“And it came to pass at the end of forty days,.... From the appearance of the mountains, that is, from the first day of the tenth month, to forty days after; and being ended, this must be the eleventh day of the eleventh month, the…”

Then Noah sent out a dove to see if the waters had receded from the surface of the ground.

“Also he sent forth a dove from him,.... Seven days after he had sent out the raven, as in Gen 8:10.”

Then God said to Noah,

“And God spake unto Noah, saying,.... Whether in a dream or vision, or by an articulate voice, appearing in an human form, or by an impulse on his mind, is not certain; however, the Lord spoke so to him, that he heard him and understood…”

But as for you, be fruitful and multiply; spread out across the earth and multiply upon it.”

“And you, be ye fruitful and multiply,.... Instead of taking away the lives of men, the great concern should be to multiply them; and this indeed is one reason of the above law, to prevent the decrease and ruin of mankind; and which was peculiarly…”

he said, “Cursed be Canaan! A servant of servants shall he be to his brothers.”

“And he said,.... Not in a drunken fit, as some profane persons would suggest, for he was awaked from his wine; nor in the heat of passion, but by inspiration, under a spirit of prophecy: cursed be Canaan; or, "O cursed Canaan", or rather, "Canaan…”

The sons of Japheth: Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras.

“The sons of Japheth,.... Who though mentioned last, the genealogy begins with him, by a figure which rhetoricians call a "chiasm". The posterity of Japheth are those whom Hesiod (z) often calls ιαπετιονιδης, "Iapetionides", and him ιαπετος, "Iapetus".”

the Hivites, the Arkites, the Sinites,

“And the Hivite,.... These dwelt in Hermon, a part of Mount Lebanon from Mount Baal Hermon unto the entering in of Hamath, Jos 11:3 to the east of the land of Canaan; hence they were sometimes called Kadmonites, or Easterlings, Gen 15:19 and are thought…”

These are the sons of Ham according to their clans, languages, lands, and nations.

“These are the sons of Ham,.... His sons and grandsons, which some reckon to be thirty, others thirty one, if the Philistines are taken in: after their families, after their tongues, in their countries, and in their nations: families of the same language joined together…”

“Come,” they said, “let us build for ourselves a city with a tower that reaches to the heavens, that we may make a name for ourselves and not be scattered…

“And they said, go to, let us build us a city and a tower,.... Some Jewish writers (r) say, these are the words of Nimrod to his people; but it is a question whether he was now born, or if he was, must be too…”

This is the account of Shem. Two years after the flood, when Shem was 100 years old, he became the father of Arphaxad.

“These are the generations of Shem,.... Or a genealogy of the posterity of Shem; not of all of them, only of those of the line which led to Abraham, by which might appear the true line in which the Messiah from Adam through Abraham sprung…”

When Arphaxad was 35 years old, he became the father of Shelah.

“And Arphaxad lived thirty five years, and begat Salah. Arphaxad is the first on record that had a son born to him so early; of Salah; see Gill on Gen 10:24.”

And after he had become the father of Reu, Peleg lived 209 years and had other sons and daughters.

“And Peleg lived, after he begat Reu, two hundred and nine years,.... In all two hundred and thirty nine, little more than half the age of his father: and begat sons and daughters; but not named the Arabic writers (g) say he begat Melchizedek the…”

When Reu was 32 years old, he became the father of Serug.

“And Reu lived thirty two years, and begat Serug. He is thought to give name to a city called Sarug, which, according to the Arabic geographer (i), was near Charrae, or Haran, in Chaldea; and another Arabic writer (j) speaks of a city called to…”

When Serug was 30 years old, he became the father of Nahor.

“And Serug lived thirty years, and begat Nahor. The grandfather of Abraham, one of the same name was Abraham's brother, Gen 11:26.”

And after he had become the father of Nahor, Serug lived 200 years and had other sons and daughters.

“And Serug lived, after he begat Nahor, two hundred years,.... The years of his life were two hundred and thirty: and he begat sons and daughters; nowhere else mentioned: he died, according to the above Jewish writer (o), in the one hundredth year of Abraham…”

When Nahor was 29 years old, he became the father of Terah.

“And Nahor lived twenty nine years, and begat Terah. The father of Abraham, and the first of the patriarchs of this line of Shem that fell off from the true religion to idolatry.”

But Sarai was barren; she had no children.

“But Sarai was barren; she had no child. Aben Ezra observes, there are some that say that Abraham was impotent, and not Sarai barren; the very reverse of the Scriptures; but as he rightly adds, his son Ishmael and his sons by Keturah show the…”

I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you; and all the families of the earth will be blessed through you.”

“And I will bless them that bless thee,.... Not the priests only that should bless his children, the children of Israel, as the Targum of Jonathan, but all men of all nations, and of every age, that speak well of him, commend him for his…”

Abram traveled through the land as far as the site of the Oak of Moreh at Shechem. And at that time the Canaanites were in the land.

“And Abram passed through the land,.... Entering the northern part of it, as appears by his going southward, Gen 12:9 he went on unto the place of Sichem, unto the plain of Moreh; the place afterwards called Shechem, from a prince of that name in…”

And Abram journeyed on toward the Negev.

“And Abram journeyed,.... He did not stay long in the mountain between Bethel and Hai, but moved from thence, and kept on journeying in the land of Canaan: going on still toward the south; the southern part of the land of Canaan, which lay nearest…”