[Notes, Critical and Explanatory, on the Book of Genesis; 2 vols in 1; ( New York: Robert Carter, 1873)]
Melancthon Williams Jacobus Sr. (1816–1876), born the nineteenth day of September, in the year of our Lord 1816, at Newark, New Jersey, was raised in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, receiving early instruction in the sacred Scriptures. Distinguished by gifts of mind and seriousness of purpose, he pursued his studies at Princeton College, whence he graduated with honors in 1834, and thereafter devoted himself to the knowledge of divinity at Princeton Theological Seminary, completing his course in 1838. The Lord called him to the pastoral office at the First Presbyterian Church of Brooklyn, where for nearly twelve years he ministered faithfully, expounding the Word of God with clarity and fervor. Impaired in health, he journeyed abroad for restoration, returning to accept the appointment of Professor of Oriental and Biblical Literature at Western Theological Seminary in Allegheny, Pennsylvania, a charge he discharged with eminent fidelity from 1852 until his decease in 1876. During these years, he likewise undertook the pastorate at Central Presbyterian Church, Pittsburgh, laboring both in the academy and the pulpit for the edification of Christ’s flock. Dr. Jacobus was esteemed among the brethren for his soundness in doctrine and clarity in exposition, as attested by his celebrated commentaries upon Genesis, Acts, and the New Testament, which are marked by devout spirit, learned research, and evangelical application. In 1869 he served as Moderator of the last General Assembly of the Old School Presbyterians and, in 1870, jointly presided over the first Assembly of the reunited Church, ever laboring for the unity and purity of the faith. Having run his race with perseverance, Dr. Jacobus entered into his eternal rest on October 28, 1876, leaving a legacy of erudition, godly zeal, and steadfast devotion to the cause of Reformed truth.
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1. Thus, lit., and were finished. The sacred historian now gives a summary statement, looking back over the preceding narrative, and harmonizing with the record of chapter 1 — that thus the heavens and the earth were finished — that is, in this order, and in this time, they were completed — (used of Solomon’s finishing the temple, 2 Chron. 7:11,) — not as some would have it, in an instant, though God could as easily have so done. Others would have it, in six indefinite ages. The narrative has it simply in the beginning, and in the six days which are followed by the seventh, without giving us any more particular account of the time. And this is so repeated here as to preclude all the tendencies to doubt and distort the record. Besides, it is added,“and all the host of them,” — that is, all their array, multitude, (as of an army, in their ranks and order,) were created in this time.
This is parallel with the declaration of John, (ch. 1:1-3,) “All things were made by Him, (the Personal Word, the Lord Jesus,) and without Him was not any (one) thing made that was made.” Ps. 33:6. The term here rendered host, is the same as is commonly used in the title of God as “Lord of (the starry) hosts.” The Samaritan reads, their parts. Sept. and Vulg. — their adornments. The other versions render it army — and the sense is of a multitude in orderly arrangement — as a host marshalled for battle. This term fitly expresses the orderly arrangement of the creation— every thing in its place — every living thing yielding according to its kind, and in its season — every animal, in its structure and instincts, exactly suited to its element and mode of life, and all things answering the Divine plan.
Observe. — Here is noted the positive completion of God’s creative work — the institution of natural laws — and no alteration of these natural laws has since been made, though God has wrought supernaturally, as He cannot be tied to mere laws of nature, which are only the ordinary modes of His operation. There is no positive evidence that any new species have been created since the close of the creative week. The work was gradual, to exhibit the order and arrangement of the parts, and to give fullest proof of intelligent design in all the details of it — while it is thus best calculated to give instruction to man, as well as to the higher orders of intelligence. Job 38:7.
“Their host,” that is of “the heavens and earth,” is referred to in Neh. 9:6, “Thou, even thou, art Lord alone; thou hast made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth and all that are therein, the seas and all therein, and thou preservest them all; and all the host of heaven worshippeth thee.” The angels would seem to be here referred to, in all their orders; and, perhaps, other tenants of other worlds. At least the idea is here expressed that all beings and things were created by God, and the statement is here distinctly repeated, perhaps to show that Satan, who is soon to be mentioned, is also a creature of God, and not independent of His control. Delitzsch says, “God is ‘Elohim of hosts.’ The stars are His hosts that he leads to battle against darkness.”
2. Here is given the great fact which lies at the basis of the Sabbath institution. God ended — finished — completed — the same term as is used in vs. 1, where the completion was already noted at the close of the sixth day. But here the verb is in the intensive form, and is construed with the preposition “from,” meaning God wholly ceased from. And He rested from. The verb is the same as the noun, which means Sabbath; and it conveys here the idea of rest, in the higher sense, not from exhaustion, or weariness, but ceasing from the creative work of the six days, as completed, perfected. “The Father worketh,” however, (John 5:17,) and the Son works, in all the works of Providence. That He ceased on the seventh day does not imply that any part of the creative work was done on the seventh day. Some have supposed this to be implied by the plain rendering, and hence the Sept., Syriac and Sam. altered the reading by adding “on the sixth day.” Others, as Rosenmuller, Calvin, etc., translate had ceased. But this is not necessary. It is that utter ceasing from His work which devoted the entire day to rest, (Exod. 31:17,) — “not doing any work,” as it is expressed in the fourth commandment. There is nothing here to favor the idea that the Sabbath is to be a day of indolence, or inaction — an actual cessation from employment of all kinds, but from labor such as is carried on in the six days — the secular labor of the week. It is to be a holy resting, even from lawful employments, which are worldly, and yet it is to be a holy activity in joyous, thankful worship, and in grateful works of necessity and mercy. See John, (ch. 7:23,) where our Lord expounds the doctrine.
3. This fact of God’s resting, ceasing, from His six days’ work is the positive ground upon which He proceeds tobless the seventh day, and sanctify it. As He ceased from His six days’ work, so we are commanded to cease from our six days’ work. “Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work; but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God, in it thou shalt not do any work,” etc. And God blessed the seventh day — (“the Sabbath day,” — fourth commandment,) — not so much the day as the ordinance. This distinction God here set upon the seventh day, that this alone of all the days He blessed — as being the original Sabbath, He conferred upon it His benediction, as “the pearl of days,” — the Sabbath — the best of all the seven on this account. He blessed it as the day that was to be made the channel of such special blessings to the race. He sanctified it — set it apart — separated it to a holy use — (this is the sense of the term,) — to the purpose of enjoying God’s special blessings in communion and fellowship with Him. This patriarchal Sabbath is referred to by the fourth commandment, (Exod. 20,) where, along with the other fundamental laws of universal moral obligation, is the Sabbath law, as instituted here in the earliest estate of man — even before the law of marriage and the law of labor — as indeed the very first necessity of man’s earthly being. One day in seven, as a day of thanksgiving and praise, a day of grateful work and worship, in lively communion with God — this is the Sabbath as made for man. And the fourth commandment refers back to this original institution, “Remember the Sabbath day, etc., for in six days the Lord (Jehovah,) made heaven and earth, etc., and rested the seventh day; wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it.” It is found to be in accordance with the physical constitution of man and beast, which requires such an interval of rest from the six days’ work. It is every way the highest boon to man, in his social interests — it is at the very foundation of social order — the great auxiliary of all good laws, and without whose blessed influences, infidelity and crime must desolate the fairest land. And the Sabbath is indispensable for men in the promotion of their spiritual interests. God has graciously set up this institution for the purposes of salvation — inviting His creatures, specially and publicly, to adore Him in His works and ways — to read His word — pay Him proper worship, and promote the interests of His church on earth — keeping up His ordinances and sacraments in the world according to His covenant of grace. And it is found to be what the necessities of His cause on earth demand. The abolition of the Sabbath is, therefore, a blow at the foundations of morality and religion. Accordingly, infidels and false religionists have been ready to unite for its overthrow.
Observe. — (1.) The original Sabbath was man’s first day upon earth; the first day after he was created was the Sabbath — and now the Christian Sabbath is the first day of the week, instead of the last — so that first of all, now under the gospel, as at the beginning, man may find rest and peace in Christ Jesus, and then go forth to the labors of the week, rejoicing in Him. (2.) Every dispensation has had its Sabbath — the Patriarchal, the Mosaic, and the Christian. The Sabbath was before the Mosaic law, and is not abrogated with it. The reason for its institution belongs equally to all times and people, and stands good for us, as for the patriarchs. (3.) The division of our time into weeks is most satisfactorily accounted for in this weekly Sabbath, and it stands as of perpetual obligation. Hence we find its observance commanded in the decalogue, as one of those first principles of morality, which cannot be abrogated. “The Sabbath was made for man,” not for the Jews alone, (Mark 2:27.) (4.) The day has been changed from the seventh to the first by the example of our Lord and the apostles; and this change was foreshadowed in the Mosaic law. “The day after the Sabbath” was a day of holy solemnities, and it was the day of presenting the first fruits which was Christ Jesus, (1 Cor. 15:20.) See Lev. 23:11; ch. 7:4; 8:10; 17:12; 20:10, showing traces of weeks — and in the New Testament, John 20:1, 19, 26; Acts 20:7; 1 Cor. 16:2; Rev. 1:10. Though no secular work is to be done on the Sabbath, it is to be a day of rest to the body — to the mind, and to the soul. The body is not to toil at its week-day labors. The mind is not to be occupied with its week-day cares. The soul is to rest itself wholly on Christ Jesus, and body, mind and soul are to be given to the work and worship of God, in Christ. Because. The immediate reason is here assigned for this Sabbath institution, because in it God had rested, as the type of a higher rest — and men are to labor to enter into that rest, (Heb. 4:11.) It will be observed that in this seventh day there is nothing said of “the evening and the morning,” as in each of the six days. The reason is that it was not a day — having a day’s work, that was spread out through the day, and limited by the evening. But it was a day of resting from the work of the previous days, and not needing any notice of the day’s progress and limitation — though it was bounded as the other days were. And as no new day of creation followed this seventh day, it did not need to have its boundary noted like the rest. This daily notice of “the evening and the morning” formed the transition — the connecting link — between one creative day and that which followed. Some understand the omission of this formula here, as meaning that the Divine Sabbath had no close — that it extends forward over all history, and is to absorb it into itself, so as to endure for ever and ever, as the Sabbath of God and of His creatures. (So Delitzsch, and others. But see Introduction, “Days of Creation.” Created and made — lit. — created to make, or to do. Here both terms used in the narrative of the creation are employed to express the whole work. Some understand these terms as both of them used here to include the original creative work, (out of nothing,) and the after formative work out of the created materials; or, this may be understood as an idiomatic expression, to denote the thoroughness and completeness of the work. This is Calvin’s view. The Jewish Fam. Bible reads, “which God had created in order to make it.” Sept., “which God began to make.” Some Jewish commentators understand it as expressing the continued activity of God, in the subsequent working of the ordinary laws of nature. Augustine says, “the seventh day is without an evening, and has no setting, because thou hast sanctified it to an eternal continuance,”“There remaineth, therefore, a rest (a Sabbath keeping,) to the people of God,” (Heb. 4:9.)
Observe. — The division of time into weeks is a memorial of this primitive Sabbath institution. The number seven is found in the earliest Bible history as a sacred number; and there is evidence of a seventh day as a sacred day, (see Gen. 4:3, 15, 24.) So in the history of the Flood — where four occasions are noted at successive intervals of seven days, all special and sacred — when the raven first, and then the dove three times, was sent out of the ark, (ch. 8:6-13.) So the sacred time was noted in Exodus, (16:23,) as a reason for gathering a double portion of the manna on the preceding day; and this was on the basis of the primitive institution, as here recorded, and prior to the decalogue at Sinai. So the ancient Persians, and the people of India, and the ancient Germans held a seventh day as sacred. So Homer, Hesiod, and Callimachus call the seventh day “holy.” Lucian records the fact that it was given to school-boys as a holiday. Eusebius declares that almost all the philosophers and poets acknowledge the seventh day as holy. And Porphyry states that the Phoenicians consecrated one day in seven as holy. The Egyptians, Assyrians, Babylonians and Chinese were acquainted with this weekly division of time; the nations of India also, and the people of interior Africa, (see Oldendorf,) and the aborigines of America. And no account can be given of its origin but this institution of the Sabbath. No other theory accounts for the sacred character of the seventh day. “Besides the general divisions of time produced by the sun and moon, and which were employed with more or less accuracy by all nations, the weekly division is acknowledged to have been purely Shemitish in its origin. Humboldt, in his ‘Kosmos’ admits this. Though there are intimations of this hebdomadal period in other ancient writings, yet it is found in the Bible, as in its native place, where the fact is accompanied by its reason, and both are treated as well known from the beginning.” In the event there recorded it has its origin — and as there is nothing astronomical in its character, there could have been no other foundation for it, than that which is here recorded.—(T. Lewis, p. 338.)
As the first chapter serves for a history of the world in general, so this second chapter serves as a foundation for the history of redemption in particular. This passage is the continuation. After the simplest outline of the creative work, Moses has furnished to him here, by the same inspiration, a fuller account of the formation of man, and of his location and relations. This narrative is nearly as long as the whole foregoing; showing plainly that the object is to give the history of the world in reference to man, and the history of man in reference to salvation. This paragraph belongs to the history of the third day’s work, as the following belongs to that of the sixth day’s work. It matters little whether we regard this verse as an appendix to the preceding chapter, or as a preface to the following chapter, or as belonging partly to the one and partly to the other — the latter clause beginning a new verse, “In the day,” etc. (See vs. 5, notes.)
4. This may be regarded as the opening of a new section, in which Moses, by the Spirit, proceeds to record the history of redemption in particular. It rests upon the first section and presupposes it. Hence the inspired historian repeats, in still another form, the most important declaration that this is the true history of the creation. In ch. 1:1, he had made the simple statement that, in the beginning, God (Elohim,) created the heavens and the earth. Then, after the detailed narrative of the six days’ work, he takes care (ch. 2:1,) to reassert the most fundamental truth that thus the heavens and the earth were brought to a completion, and all that they contain. And now again, he reiterates that these are the generations — (lit., births,) geneses — origins of them. This is the same kind of reiteration which the evangelist John uses, (ch. 1:1-3,) (as if to preclude denial,) “The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him, and without Him was not any thing made that was made.” Calvin well says, *“The design of Moses was deeply to impress upon our minds the origin of the heavens and the earth. For there have always been ungrateful and malignant men, who, either by feigning that the world was eternal, or by obliterating the memory of the creation, would obscure the glory of God. Wherefore it is not a superfluous repetition which inculcates the necessary fact that the world existed only from the time when it was created, since such knowledge directs us to its architect and author.”*The Arab reads, “This is a history of the production of the heavens and the earth.” According to the analogy of passages beginning with this clause, we should infer that it belongs to the following paragraph. So it occurs eleven times in this book — and as the phrase, “the generations of Adam,” (ch. 5:1,) and of Noah, (ch. 6:9,) means the descendants of these persons respectively, so “the generations of the heavens and the earth” would refer to the things which sprang from them or their developments. This is the division indicated in the Jewish MSS. But it is only the earth whose history follows. Dr. McCaul holds that instead of being a title, or summary of what follows, it is “a recapitulation of what is narrated in the first chapter,” as is indicated by the clauses of vs. 4 — first, the creation of “the heavens and the earth,” — second, the “making of the earth and the heavens,” — according to the order of ch. 1. When they were created. Lit. — In their being created. In the day. Rather, B’yōm, when (in day) — used here adverbially. This broad sense of the word “day” is a ground with some for contending that it may mean in ch. 1, an indefinite period of time. But in the first chapter the sense is limited by “the evening and the morning,” and here it is limited by the narrative immediately preceding, showing that it means not a day of twenty-four hours, but is used with the preposition adverbially, and refers to the six days, just specified. The Lord God. Here is first introduced the peculiar name Jehovah. It is in connexion with the absolute name of God, used in the former section Elohim. Here it is “Jehovah-Elohim.” Some have inferred from the use here of this new title of God, which is kept up through this and the following chapter, that Moses gathered his history from previous documents — and that this is a fragment from another source than the preceding. But such a view is arbitrary, and cannot be maintained. — (See Introduction) It is much more natural to suppose that the introduction here of a new title of God, has a meaning appropriate to the new section. And so we find it. The name used in the account of the creative work is the original, absolute name of God, (Elohim,) based on the term (El) signifying strength. This was, there, the appropriate name. Here the historian proceeds to a new section, in which he lays the foundation of the history of redemption — and accordingly he introduces the name Jehovah, which is the redemptive name of God, as God enters into history, and reveals Himself in the new creation. The name Jehovah from the future of the Heb. verb “to be,” — expresses the idea of God as He should reveal Himself more and more in redemption. He who shall be — He who is to come — the comer, (Matt. 11:3.) It is not exclusively the name of the Second Person of the Godhead, (see Ps. 110:1,) but the name of God in Christ, revealing Himself in history, which is the history of redemption. The two names are here combined — because here is the connecting link between creation and redemption, in which God appears as Creator and new Creator. God dwelling in His own world, (John 1:11,) as a Father, and Teacher, and Saviour. That the use of these different names is not arbitrary, nor unmeaning, nor owing to different sources of the history, is plainly stated in Exod. 6:3, where God declares that He appeared to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob by the name of God Almighty, “but by my name Jehovah — in my character as Jehovah — was I not known to them.” (See Heng. Pent. p. 294.) And this refers to His appearing in the fuller unfolding of His Divine nature to perform what He had promised to the patriarchs. Abraham said, on the Mount, “Jehovah jireh,” — Jehovah will appear in His full unfolding of Himself, and as fulfilling all that He had promised. So Abraham saw Christ’s day, in the sacrifice of Isaac, (John 8:56,) looking forward to the New Testament Isaac — the Great Son of Promise, as risen from the dead — the accepted Redeemer, — (See Introduction.) As Elohim is the more general name of God, and Jehovah the more peculiar name, in reference to the work of redemption, we shall see how they alternate, in the early period preceding the complete establishment of the theocracy more than afterwards. For a full discussion of the Divine names see Heng. Pent. p. 293.