A window shalt thou make to the ark
Or a "light", such as is that at noon, for which the word in the
dual number is used; and therefore Junius and Tremellius
translate it a "clear light". The Jewish writers F19 will
have it to be a precious stone, a pearl which Noah fetched from
the river Pison, and hung up in the ark, and it gave light to all
the creatures, like a large chandelier; but a window no doubt it
was to let light into the several apartments, and to look out at
on occasion, since Noah is afterwards said to open it; but what
it was made of is difficult to say, since it does not appear that
as yet glass was invented. Some think it was made of crystal,
which would let in light, and keep off the water. A very learned
F20 man is of opinion, that Noah
understanding chemistry, prepared a fine subtle fragrant spirit,
of an oily nature and luminous, which he put into vessels made of
crystal or glass, and hung them up in every room in the ark, and
which was both illuminating and refreshing; and this he thinks is
what is meant by the "Zohar", or "light", which we translate a
"window"; but this is afterward said to be opened by Noah, to
send forth the raven and the dove, which will not agree with such
a vessel of spirituous liquor:
and in a cubit shall thou finish it above;
not the window, as some think, which they place at top of the
ark, and suppose to be a cubit in length, but the ark itself,
which was finished with a roof raised up a cubit high in the
middle:
and the door of the ark shall thou set in the side
thereof;
on which it is not said; an Arabic writer F21 places
it on the east side of it, on which side he supposes Noah and his
sons dwelt, and on the west side his wife and his sons' wives.
How large this door was is not said; it is reasonably supposed
F23 to be ten cubits high and eight
broad, that there might be room enough for an elephant to enter
in by it; and it seems it was so large, that Noah, and those with
him, could not shut it, but it was done by the Lord, ( Genesis 7:16
)
[with] lower, second, and third [stories] shalt thou make
it:
the above Arabic writer F24 makes the lower story to be for the
beasts, the second for the birds, and the third for Noah and his
children; and with him agrees a Jewish writer F25: but
as by this distribution no place is left for provisions, they
seem most correct who place the beasts in the lower story, and
the birds with Noah and his family in the uppermost, and the
provisions for all in the middle. This ark was a type of the
church of God. As to the form and pattern of it, it was of God,
so the separation of men from the world in a church state is of
God; it is by his appointment, and it is his will, that when any
numbers of men are converted in a place, that they should be
incorporated together in a church state, the form of which is
given by him, its officers appointed, and the laws and ordinances
of it fixed by him: and as to the matter of it, "Gopher wood", a
lasting and incorruptible wood, denoting the duration of the
church; God ever had, and ever will have a church in the world:
as to the parts of it, and rooms in it, the rooms may point at
particular churches, of which there have been many; or may
signify, that there is always room enough in the church of God to
receive saints. The ark had three stories in it, as the
tabernacle and temple had three divisions, which were types of
the same also; and may have respect to the visible church,
consisting of believers and unbelievers, the invisible church, or
general assembly of the firstborn, whose names are written in
heaven, and the church triumphant. The door into the ark may
signify Christ, who, and faith in him, may be said to be the door
into the church, and to all the ordinances of it: the window may
either typify the glorious light of the Gospel, held forth in the
church, or the ordinances of it, to which sensible souls betake
themselves, as doves to their windows, ( Isaiah 60:8 ) . Into
this ark not only Noah and his family, but creatures of all sorts
were admitted, as sinners of all sorts called by grace, and
become peaceable, are received into the church of God; yea, even
good and bad have a place here, though the latter under the
notion and character of the former, but are hypocrites in Zion:
here also were plenty of provisions for all in it, as there are
in the church of God fulness of spiritual provisions for all the
people of God. The ark was of the use of a ship, and was the
means of saving a few men, even Noah and his family; so the
church of God has the nature and use of a ship, of which Christ
is the pilot, and conducts it through the sea of this world, in
which it is often tossed with tempests, and distressed; but at
last brought to its haven, in which a few are saved, not as the
cause, which alone is Christ, but as the means. The Apostle Peter
makes baptism its antitype, ( 1 Peter 3:21
) which is God's ordinance, and not man's, of his appointing; as
to the form and manner of it, is the object of the world's scorn,
when rightly administered, as Noah's ark was; represents a
burial, as that did when Noah entered into it; and was an emblem
of Christ's resurrection and ours, when he came out of it: it was
a type of baptism in its salutary effect, it saves by water, as
that does by leading to the resurrection of Christ; it saves not
as a cause, but as a means of directing to Christ, the author of
salvation; and saves not all in the water, only those that are in
the ark, that is, truly and rightly in the church, and real
members of it, or that are in Christ; and so many make the ark
also a type of Christ.
F19 Targum Jonathan in loc. Pirke Eliezer, c. 23.
F20 Dickinson. Physic. vet & vera, c. 20. p. 324, 325.
F21 Patricides, apud Hottinger. p. 248, 250.
F23 Scbeuchzer. Physica Sacra, vol. 1. p. 40.
F24 Patricides, apud Hottinger. p. 248, 250.
F25 Pirke Eliezer, c. 23.