17 God said to Noah, "This is the token of the covenant which I have established between me and all flesh that is on the earth."
*Minor differences ignored. Grouped by changes, with first version listed as example.
God seems here to direct Noah's attention to a rainbow actually existing at the time in the sky, and presenting to the patriarch the assurance of the promise, with all the impressiveness of reality.
This is the token - אות oth, The Divine sign or portent: The bow shall be in the cloud. For the reasons above specified it must be there, when the circumstances already mentioned occur; if therefore it cannot fail because of the reasons before assigned, no more shall my promise; and the bow shall be the proof of its perpetuity.
Both the Greeks and Latins, as well as the Hebrews, have ever considered the rainbow as a Divine token or portent; and both of these nations have even deified it, and made it a messenger of the gods.
Homer, Il. xi., ver. 27, speaking of the figures on Agamemnon's breastplate, says there were three dragons, whose colors were
- - ιρισσιν εοικοτες, ἁς τε Κρονων.
Εν νεφεΐ στηριξε, τερας μεροπων ανθρωπων.
"like to the rainbow which the son of Saturn has placed in the cloud as a Sign to mankind," or to men of various languages, for so the μεροπων ανθρωπων of the poet has been understood. Some have thought that the ancient Greek writers give this epithet to man from some tradition of the confusion and multiplication of tongues at Babel; hence in this place the words may be understood as implying mankind at large, the whole human race; God having given the rainbow for a sign to all the descendants of Noah, by whom the whole earth was peopled after the flood. Thus the celestial bow speaks a universal language, understood by all the sons and daughters of Adam. Virgil, from some disguised traditionary figure of the truth, considers the rainbow as a messenger of the gods. Aen. v., ver. 606:
Irim de caelo misit Saturnia Juno.
"Juno, the daughter of Saturn, sent down the rainbow from heaven;" and again, Aen. ix., ver. 803: -
aeriam caelo nam Jupiter Irim Demisit.
"For Jupiter sent down the ethereal rainbow from heaven."
It is worthy of remark that both these poets understood the rainbow to be a sign, warning, or portent from heaven."
As I believe the rainbow to have been intended solely for the purpose mentioned in the text, I forbear to make spiritual uses and illustrations of it. Many have done this, and their observations may be very edifying, but they certainly have no foundation in the text.
And God said unto Noah, (m) This [is] the token of the covenant, which I have established between me and all flesh that [is] upon the earth.
(m) God repeats this often to confirm Noah's faith even more.
And God said to Noah, this is the token of the covenant,.... Which is repeated for the greater confirmation and certainty of it, since the fears of men would be apt to run very high, especially while the flood was fresh in memory:
which I have established between me and all flesh that is upon the earth: see Genesis 9:9, it is highly probable, that from the rainbow being the token of the covenant between God and Noah, and the creatures, sprung the fable of the Chinese concerning their first emperor, Fohi, who seems to be the same with Noah, and whom they call the son of heaven, and say he had no father; which is this, that his mother, walking on the bank of a lake near Lanthien, in the province of Xensi, trod upon a large footstep of a man impressed upon the sand, and from thence, being surrounded with the rainbow, conceived and brought forth Fohi (x).
(x) Martin. Sinic. Hist. p. 11.
*More commentary available at chapter level.