Partial Perfection and Noah's Character

He found it rightly, those who do not seek in the way they ought, not finding; for they say, 'They shall seek me,' yet 'evil men and they shall not find' (John 14:20). From this it is known that he sought well from the judgment and gift of God, when, as if sealing the grace himself, he gives: 'Not of the one willing nor of the one running, but of the merciful God' (Romans 3:27), and 'If the Lord builds a house, in vain the builders labored for it' (Psalm 127:1).

Yes, 9. These are the generations of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, being perfect in his generation, and he pleased God (Genesis 6:9). The genealogy of the righteous is not so much of men as of virtues; for these are his preceding offspring. This indeed teaches the written Spirit; for it being the case to say the generations of Noah, it brought forward: 'Noah was a righteous man, being perfect in his generation, and he pleased God' (Genesis 6:9).

Let us see what is signified by 'perfect in his generation.' According to a first interpretation, one might say that, compared to the men of his own time who had endowed themselves with immeasurable evil, he was perfect; this is not a great thing, if he were compared to the unknown, for it might perhaps be possible to say that of those entering the ark with him, he was called perfect because he was different; for it is indeed likely that they were such from the holy habit.

It might also be said thus: the generation of the righteous is similarity, and this is signified from 'This is the generation of those seeking him' (Psalm 14:3); for having said, 'Who shall ascend the mountain of the Lord, or who shall stand in his holy place? He who has innocent hands and is pure in heart' (Psalm 24:3-4) and the following, he brought forward: 'This is the generation of those seeking him,' having spoken of one generation of those adorned with the same virtue. By this, in the opposite way, similarly, it is the thing said: 'Sons of this age are wiser than the sons of light in their own generation'; for the generation of such things is the similar state and way of life.

And it is necessary to hear 'perfect' as it is in men, which Paul said to know perfectly in part, saying concerning the perfect: 'When the perfect comes, that which is in part shall be done away' (1 Corinthians 13:10); all the perfection being accomplished in men is as towards that in the future.

An age is complete only in part. Let what is said be clear by way of an example: he who is in the first letters is complete, yet as far as the one listening to grammatical discourse, he is incomplete. And the Apostle himself, saying, 'We know in part and we prophesy in part' (1 Cor 13:9), speaks this concerning himself and those like him: 'As for those who are perfect, we think this,' and 'But we speak wisdom among the perfect' (1 Cor 1:6); for just as the citizenship existing there is incomplete, as we have said, as far as the knowledge that is to come, being 'face to face' (1 Cor 13:12), even if it has reached its utmost limit.

And the things said about Noah—that he was righteous, and perfect, and pleasing to God—must be taken all at once, even if the words have an order; for he was 'righteous' and 'being perfect' he had a pleasingness toward God. But the perfect and the righteous are anticipated by the pleasingness; for it is not that because he pleased, he became righteous and perfect, but because he appeared righteous and perfect, he has been shown to be pleasing to God. And if Noah is said to be a man of such a state, it is not necessary to be surprised, since we have often observed that the name 'man' signifies more; for it is not regarding mere dust alone, as it is said: 'For where there is strife and jealousy among you, are you not acting as men and walking according to man?' (Gal 1:7), and concerning the devil sowing evil thoughts, it is said: 'A man has done this' (John 6:70); here, in addition to declaring the nature, it also signifies the 'man' as the one who saves according to the 'image' (Gen 1:26). And also, that he 'being perfect pleased God' (Gen 6:8); for he pleased God having already been promised perfection, not pleasing God by pleasing in everything, but by being pleasing to both righteous men and in other ways to men; for he is praised not only for pleasing the righteous, but after that for pleasing God.

10. And Noah fathered three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth. He fathered three sons, and Noah became a father of such a number; for nothing was said before this of having had another child. The explicit part is clear; but if one looks toward an upward leading, he might say that one fathering two of a certain physical sex would be casting symbols; for the two are kindred in matter, for this is divisible; but the one who fathered three is called perfect, being first to bear a complete image.