Divine Will and the Ark

They act without being recognized. It is not necessary to suppose it is a lie that the time of every man has come, even if eight were saved in the ark; for here the general has been taken instead of 'for the most part'.

If, however, the 'every man' says, 'For where are strife and jealousy among you, are you not men?' (James 3:16), Noah is not subject to this by surpassing the human condition; and thus it is true that the time of every man has come, according to that which is called to sin in this way. Nor is 'against me' added in vain; for no mortal possesses the knowing of the time, by which one might have worthily acted so that the rest might have been made known. For this indeed no mortal truly knows; for if he were knowing the hearts, he would not even have helped by quickly turning back those who had come into sin.

For the only thing belonging to the unexceedable goodness, the goodness of essence which is not diminished, is to see the hidden and to know the time. If even someone of mortals participates in goodness from God by disposition, yet he is ignorant of the impositions of sins and the causes, just as God, knowing all, knows the time of the reprimand, therefore it is said 'against me' and 'because the earth was filled with injustice from them'. It is fitting that this too is said; for punishment does not come upon them because of the sins of others. It is also evident from this that such a death did not come upon them by fate; for since he says 'the earth was filled with injustice from them', the time has come, which would not have been established, unless they were sinning.

Yes, and behold, 'I will destroy them and the earth' (Jonah 3:4). The philanthropy and goodness of God are shown through these by foretelling what is to come, so that by the fear of what is expected, he might restrain the evil, which also happened to the Ninevites upon hearing the prophet Jonah: 'In three days Nineveh shall be overthrown' (Jonah 3:4). Consequently, too, to the righteous man he foretells these things and pre-arranges the making of the ark, putting forward this construction more clearly for the sake of every proclamation toward repentance, and he promises to destroy them and the earth, since it was necessary for this. For there are many reprimands given by God for the sake of the recognition of sins occurring; he wants...

For he says that he wished to gather all men into the knowledge of truth, as a bird gathers its young under its wings, but you did not wish to (Matt 23:37). For necessity does not force the good to become so, nor is it possible; for such a thing is no longer good. But when God, knowing all things, after many admonitions finds those whom he admonishes not obeying, he destroys them, according to what is profitable for his judgment. And the earth is also destroyed—that is, the things in the earth—for this is what 'the earth' signifies appropriately; for the things of men perishing, it was necessary for the things standing through them to pass away also. Just as the birds were left behind through Noah and those with him, and likewise the birds of all other animals were left behind.

Make for yourself an ark of squared timber; you shall make an ark for the sick; and you shall make it secure inside and outside with pitch (Gen 6:14). And so you shall make the ark: three hundred cubits the length of the ark, and fifty cubits the breadth, and thirty cubits its height. You shall make the ark by gathering pieces together, and you shall complete it one cubit by one cubit upward; and you shall make the door of the ark on the side. Make for it two or three decks. And I, behold, I bring the flood upon the earth, to destroy all flesh, in which is the spirit of life under heaven; and whatever is on the earth shall perish (Gen 6:17).

The phrase 'of squared timber' has the greater following, being commanded to make Noah's ark, first so that much time would not be consumed in dividing them, and secondly, which is more truthful, so that being made from whole timbers it might be more secure; for it was going to encounter storms and not a small gale, against which it would not have withstood if it had not been constructed from whole timbers. And 'the sick' is also useful, which are divided places, because of these two things: first, so that the habitation of the animals, which he was going to bring with him, would not be mixed, and second, for the joining of the construction; it is weaker...