And I, behold, I establish my covenant with you, and with your seed after you;
8 17b. The Covenant with Noah
9. I, behold, I ] Cf. Gen 6:17, “I, behold, I do bring the flood of waters.” The same personal emphasis is expressed in proclaiming the mercy of the covenant as previously in the sentence of doom.
establish my covenant ] See Gen 6:18. The Pentateuch mentions three covenants between God and man: (1) with Noah, and its token is the rainbow; (2) with Abraham, 15 and 17, and its token is circumcision, chap. 17; (3) with the people of Israel at Mt Sinai, and its tokens are “the blood of the covenant,” the Tabernacle, and the Levitical system (Exodus 24, 25.).
In a covenant between God and man, God makes the promise and lays down the conditions. Man accepts the terms unconditionally, while God “establishes,” or ratifies, them.
There is no equality of relationship as in a covenant agreement between men. Man is pledged to obedience on the strength of God’s promise of blessing. An outward sign is the “sacrament” of the relation.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
i.e. My promise, for the beasts included in this covenant, Gen 9:10, are not capable of a covenant properly so called. And the word
covenant is oft used for a simple promise, as we shall see hereafter.
With your seed, i.e. your posterity, as that word is frequently taken, as Gen 12:7; Exo 28:43, &c.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
And [I], behold, [I] establish my covenant with you,…. Not the covenant of grace in Christ, but of the preservation of the creatures in common, a promise that they should not be destroyed any more by a flood; to which promise it seems an oath was annexed, as appears from Isa 54:9 which passage refers to this covenant, as Aben Ezra on the place observes; and both to raise attention to what is here affirmed, and to show the certainty of it, the word “behold” is prefixed to it; nor is it amiss what Jarchi observes, that this follows upon the direction and exhortation to procreation of children, and is an encouragement to it; since it is assured that posterity should be no more cut off in the manner it had been; for this covenant was made and established not only with Noah, and his sons, but with all their succeeding offspring, as follows:
and with your seed after you; with all their posterity to the end of the world; so that this covenant was made with all the world, and all the individuals in it, from Noah’s time to the end of it; for from him and his sons sprung the whole race of men that peopled the world, and still continue to inhabit it; hence here is nothing in it peculiar to the seed of believers.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(9) I, behold, I establish my covenant . . . The covenant between God and man is thus solemnly introduced as Elohims personal act. No covenant is mentioned as existing between Elohim and the antediluvian world; but distinctly now there is a step onward in all respects, and man, in the renovated earth after the flood, is brought nearer to God by being admitted into covenant with Him. And not only is man included in the covenant, but, first, those animals which had been with Noah in the ark; and, secondly, those which had not been admitted there. For the words of Gen. 9:10 are: From all that go out of the ark unto every beast of the earth (the larger world). To such straits are those reduced who hold to the theory of a universal deluge, that Kalisch argues that it means the fish, as if fishes would be destroyed by a second flood any more than they were by the first. Plainly, the words imply the existence of a larger world-sphere than that in connection with Noah, and give the assurance that not only those now providentially preserved, but the animals everywhere, shall never again be in danger of a similar extinction.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
Gen 9:9. And I, behold, I establish my covenant, &c. Before Noah entered the ark, ch. Gen 6:18. we read, that the Almighty declared his purpose of “establishing his covenant with him;” which he here fulfils, and takes into it Noah’s seed after him, as well as all living creatures. Now, that the covenant certainly implies the promise of the future preservation of the earth from destruction by a deluge, is plain from Gen 6:11. See also Isa 54:9. And that the rainbow was appointed a sign or token of this part of the covenant, is equally certain, from Isa 54:13-16. But the question is, whether more, much more than this, is not comprehended in this covenant established by God with Noah and his seed after him? To which it may justly be replied, that as Noah was not only the restorer of the human race, but one of the progenitors of the promised seed, it may well be conceived, that this covenant refers to that original promise and seed; a covenant which afterwards was renewed with Abraham, in whose seed, that is, Christ, all nations of the earth were to be blessed: and, as that covenant contained a temporal as well as a spiritual part, the former referring to the possession of the land of Canaan, the latter to the Messiah; so here we may observe, the covenant is two-fold; 1st, regarding the earth and all its inhabitants, which the Lord promises to bless; and 2nd, referring to that promised seed, which was to descend from Noah, and to bless all mankind: and the rainbow (which we find round about the throne of the promised Redeemer, Rev 4:3.) may well be understood as a sign or token of both parts of the covenant. And thus we may fully understand the passage: 1st, The term covenant need not be received in the sense of a mutual contract or agreement, but only of a promise, a gracious and voluntary promise, necessary for Noah in his state, and comfortable to all mankind: but 2nd, This covenant may well comprehend the general promise relating to the seed of the woman, which God remembered, and for that purpose preserved Noah, through whom that seed was to descend.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
And I, behold, I establish my covenant with you, and with your seed after you;
Once for all, I beg the Reader to remark with me, the distinguishing features of the divine covenant; namely, that it is all of God: that it is to be fulfilled by God; and that it is ultimately leading to God, in the promotion of his glory. How precious the thought, that he who makes it, undertakes for its completion; and therefore leaves not the issue of it, to anything doubtful or uncertain. Well might the apostle draw that sweet conclusion from it, Gal 3:15-29 .
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Gen 9:9 And I, behold, I establish my covenant with you, and with your seed after you;
Ver. 9. And I, behold, I establish my covenant with you. ] This covenant God had made with them before the flood; but here he renews it for their further confirmation: for he knows our infirmities, and therefore seals again. This covenant is said to be made with an oath, Isa 54:9 yet we find no such thing here expressed, because God’s bare word is as sure as an oath. So God is said to have sworn to Abraham, that which he said to him only. Exo 32:13 , with Gen 12:7
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
I, behold, I. Figure of speech Epizeuxis, for emphasis.
covenant. Mentioned seven times in verses: Gen 9:9-17.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Gen 9:11, Gen 9:17, Gen 6:18, Gen 17:7, Gen 17:8, Gen 22:17, Isa 54:9, Isa 54:10, Jer 31:35, Jer 31:36, Jer 33:20, Rom 1:3
Reciprocal: Gen 6:17 – behold Gen 9:16 – everlasting Gen 17:2 – And I Exo 14:17 – behold Num 18:6 – And I Jdg 5:3 – even I Psa 57:10 – truth Isa 27:3 – I the Jer 33:25 – If my
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Gen 9:9. Behold, I establish my covenant, &c. We have here the general establishment of Gods covenant with this new world, and the extent of that covenant.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
9:9 And I, behold, I establish my {h} covenant with you, and with your {i} seed after you;
(h) To assure you that the world will never again be destroyed by a flood.
(i) The children which are not yet born, are comprehended in God’s covenant with their fathers.