The Ark and the Flood

He planted a vine, which is the chosen one; for he planted the people to be a kingdom and a chosen priesthood. He built a tower to provide refuge for the approaching enemies (Isa 5:2); the tower is a teaching tool, guarding and at the same time mocking the enemy's onset. Having built, he hears: 'If a spirit of the prevailing one ascends upon you, do not leave your place' (Luke 17:5). He also made a hedge and placed a fence around it, which signifies the safety from the angels. And despite all these things having happened, he remained in the same fruitlessness; therefore he says: 'What more shall I do to my vine when I have done nothing for it?' (Isa 5:4).

I have done all things without fail; therefore, since they themselves do not have the power to say what must happen, I will say, 'I will announce to you what I shall do to my vine' (Isa 5:5-6); I will take away what I gave it, 'I will pull down its wall and it shall be a pavement, and I will take away the fence and it shall be a plunder' (Isa 5:5-6). For it is useful to provide this help, which they received from the angels, to those who are useless, so that seeing what evils they are, they may desire to turn back; therefore he also rebukes, saying: 'And I will command the clouds not to rain upon it' (Isa 5:6), which signify the prophets and the messengers of the spiritual rain, concerning which it was said: 'The clouds rained down righteousness' (Job 36:28).

For with this rain, instead of grapes, he would have had to bear thorns; therefore the ruin of Israel has become such a loss by not receiving it. Thus it was; the deluge was brought upon them, with no one among the men desiring to be benefited by their own inclination. There will be a total destruction of the virtue that stands as a whole, just as the Savior says: 'Will the Son of Man, when he comes, find faith upon the earth?' (Luke 18:8). And Noah entered, and his sons, and his wife, and the wives of his sons with...

He entered into the ark because of the water of the flood. And from the winged ones and from the livestock the clean and from the livestock the not clean and from all the creeping things of the earth, two by two, they entered toward Noah into the ark, male and female, according to what God commanded him (Genesis 7:2). It is evident that, since certain signs of the flood existed and were made manifest to Noah, such as the moisture of the earth or the similarities, Noah entered into the ark, not after much time had passed.

And the things concerning the sons after Noah and the wives of the sons having entered, having been observed previously, have been said: for it was not fitting, such a punishment coming upon all, for them to perform the things of weddings; therefore, in order to have leisure from these, he divided the pairs, giving them out at the exit from the ark. And generally also he says that the animals had entered, having mentioned the clean ones first because of their preciousness; and the things previously mentioned—when Noah was being arranged toward God to bring in from the animals into the ark, and you cast them in here, so that we may not always say the same things.

And it happened after the seven days, and the water of the flood became upon the earth in the six hundredth year in the life of Noah, of the second month, the seventh and twentieth of the month (Genesis 7:11). Some observed because the flood happened in such a number, saying that, since for the perfection of a work gaps they emerged, because of this, it was remembered, a perfect inundation occurring, which for the salvation of the world came to be. For the removing of the sinners from the earth and the taking of the human race at the beginning to live with virtue is perfect; and just as it is of an excellent physician not only to excise a corruption having happened in bodies, but also to grow the flesh instead of the corruptions that remained, so is the work of God.