and praise him that made it, Ecclus. 43. 11.
Vers. 18. Cham] or Ham: Ch, is to be pronoun∣ced, not as we commonly doe in the word cham∣ber, [unspec 18] but as in the name Christ; as if it were written Cam. And so in other proper names, written after this manner: as Chaldea, or Caldea; Chanaan, or Canaan, and the like. father of Canaan] called in Hebrew Cenaghnan. And though Cham was fa∣ther of many moe sonnes, Gen. 10. 6. yet Canaan onely is named, because he was cursed, as here fol∣loweth in vers. 25.
Vers. 20. began to be] This speech doth not ne∣cessarily import as if hee had never beene an hus∣bandman [unspec 20] before; but that now after the Flood, he was one: as of Christ it is written, he began to say, Luke 12. 1. that is, he said, Mat. 16. 6. he began to cast out, Mar. 11. 15. that is, he did cast out, Mat. 21. 12. and of others, they began to disdaine, Mark. 10. 41. that is, they disdained, Mat. 20. 24. and sun∣dry the like. a husband man] or lands man: in Hebrew, a man of the ground; that is, giving him-selfe to husbandry or tillage: as the Chaldee saith, working in the earth: so a man of warre, is a soldjer, Ios. 5. 4. a man of blood, is a murtherer, 2 Sam. 16. 7. a man of cattell, is a shepheard, or grasier, Gen. 46. 32. a man of words, Exod. 4. 10. that is, eloquent.
Vers. 21. hee uncovered himselfe] that his shame [unspec 21] and nakednesse was to be seene: which sheweth, that wine is a mocker, Prov. 20. 1. and to be drunke therewith is a riotous excesse, Ephes. 5. 18. This fell out (in likelihood) some yeeres after his comming out of the Arke, as appeareth by the increase of his childrens children: after Canaan was borne. Noes sinne may be compared with Adams, who trans∣gressed by eating, as Noe doth by drinking the fruit of a tree: upon that, Adam saw himselfe na∣ked, and was ashamed; upon this, Noe is naked, and his shame discovered. Now, by drinking the fruit of the vine, wee have a signe and seale of the covering of our shame, the forgivenesse of our sins in Christ: Mat. 26. 27 28. 29. Vpon this similitude of Noes sinne with Adams in part, the Rabbines say, that Noe found a vine, that was cast out of the gar∣den of Eden: R. Menachem on Gen 9.
Vers. 22. he told it] and this (as the sequell shew∣eth) with a mockage of his aged father. [unspec 22]
Vers. 23. Sem] in that Sem the younger is named before his elder brother Iapheth, and after blessed [unspec 23] before and above him, vers. 26. 27. it is most like∣ly, that he was principall in this good counsell and worke.
Vers. 24. his younger son] which the Hebrew cal∣leth lesser, meaning in yeeres. [unspec 24]
Vers. 25. Cursea be Canaan] or Cursed shall hee be. It is thought of some, that Canaan told Cham [unspec 25] his father, of Noes nakednesse; and therefore had this curse upon him and his posterity, rather then the other sonnes of Cham, mentioned in Gen. 10. 6. or then Cham himselfe. And although by Canaan, may be understood or implyed Canaans fa∣ther, (as the Greeke translation hath Cham, and as elsewhere in Scripture Goliath is named, for Goli∣aths brother, 2 Sam. 21. 19. compared with 1 Chr. 20. 5.) yet the event and history after sheweth, that the Canaanites also were indeed under this curse, when the Israelites conquered their land. And that Noe pronounced this judgement by Gods spirit. But Cham is not exempted hereby from the curse, although his sonne be named: as Sem is not exempted from the blessing in the next verse, where Iehovah his God is named. So Iakob is said to blesse Ioseph, Gen. 48. vers. 15. when Iosephs children had their blessing, verse 16, &c. And the curse of the wicked, reacheth unto the fruit of their body, Deut. 28. 18. a servant of ser∣vants] that is, a most base and vile servant: the Chal∣dee saith, a working servant: Canaans name did also portend his condition, being of Canagh to humble, bow, or presse downe. And as servitude is here brought upon men for a curse, so the Scriptures under the name of servants signifying sinfull men, doe shut such out from the kingdome of God; Ioh. 8. 34. 35. Gal. 4. 30. 31. Among the Heathens also, such an estate was counted miserable: God ta∣keth away halfe the understanding of those men that are brought into servitude: saith Plato in his 6 booke of Lawes, from Homer.
Vers. 26. the God of Sem] under this, Sem also [unspec 26] himselfe receiveth a blessing, for, blessed is the peo∣ple whose God Iehovah is, Psal. 144. 15. and eter∣nall life is implyed herein, for God hath prepared for them a City, of whom hee is not ashamed to bee called their God, Heb. 11. 16. and Sem is the first man in Scripture, that hath expresly this honour. By the God of Sem, also may bee meant Christ, who came of Sem, according to the flesh; but is also God over all blessed for ever, Amen, Rom. 9. 5. Sem by inter∣pretation is a Name, (which is also used for re∣nowme, Gen. 6. 4.) and Christ hath a name above every name, whereat all knees bow, Phil. 2. 9. 10. servant to them] or, to him: that is, to Sem, and Iaphet, and specially to Sem: the Hebrew sig∣nifieth both them and him. So in the verse follow∣ing: the Chaldee translateth, to them: the Greek, his servant.
Vers. 27. perswade] or, shall perswade: or (as the [unspec 27] Greeke and Chaldee translate it) inlarge. The ori∣ginall word properly signifieth to perswade, entise, or allure, by faire and kind words, and is applied to Gods drawing of men unto him by the Gospell, Hos. 2. 14. and in the Hebrew there is allusion to his name, Iaphth le Iepheth: Perswade the perswa∣sible: It meaneth by fayre alluring words to per∣swade unto faith and obedience: and so is a pro∣phesie or prayer, that the Gentiles which come of Iapheth, should be brought to the faith of the Gos∣pell. This word of perswading, is often used for drawing men to Christ, Act. 17. 4. and 18. 4. and 19. 8. and 28. 23. 24. and it is the speciall worke of God, Ioh. 6. 44. Act. 11. 18. Inlarging also, is not on∣ly of roomth to dwell in (which may be implyed in this blessing of Iapheth, who had moe sons then either Cham, or Sem) but oftentimes of the heart by wisdome, love, and comfort; as in 1 King. 4. 29. 2 Cor. 6. 11. Esa. 60. 5. But it is another Hebrew word in those places. hee may dwell] or, and hee shall dwell in the tents of Sem: that is, be united with the Churches of the Iewes, (the