Parallels between Adam and Noah

Interesting commentary.

Parallels between Adam and the Original Creation and Noah and the Re-Creation.

The Flood defaces the original creation headed by Adam and cleanses the earth for its re-creation headed by Noah. Warren Gage notes striking parallels between the prediluvian and postdiluvian worlds, amking Adam the father of all humanity and Noah its father in the postdiluvian world. (1) Both ‘worlds’ are created out of a watery chaos in closely parallel acts (see phases of re-creation below). (2) Both Adam and Noah are uniquely associated with the ‘image of God,’ ‘in the Adam narrative as the basis of man’s identity and in the Noah narrative as the basis of man’s protection’ (Gen. 1:27; 5:1-3). (3) Both ‘walk with God’  (3:8; 6:9). (4) Both rule the animals: Adam by naming (2:19), Noah by preserving (7:15). (5) God repeats almost verbatim his commission to be fruitful, to multiply, and to rule the earth (1:28-30, 9:1-7). (6) Both work the ‘ground’ (cf. 3:17-19; 9:20). (7) Both follow a similar pattern of sinning, the former by eating and the latter by drinking (3:6; 9:21). (8) The immediate result of their sin is shameful nakedness (3:7; 9:21), connected with ‘knowing’ (3:5; 9:24) and being clothed by another (3:21; 9:23). (9) Both have three named sons (4:1-2, 25; 6:10). (10) As a remote result from Adam's sin, judgment falls on all; from Noah’s, a curse on Canaan. (11) Among their three sons is judgment and hope, division into elect and nonelect. The conflict between the seed of the Serpent (i.e., the curse-laden Cainites) and the seed of the woman (i.e., the Yahweh-worshiping Sethites), is now carried on between the cursed seed of Canaan and the seed of Shem, whose God is the Lord. In addition, in both halves of the Prehistory (books 1-3 and 4-6), human disobedience impinges on the heavenly sphere and God responds using the first-person plural (‘like one of us’; ‘let us’; 3:22; 11:7), and alienation is part of his judicial sentence (from the Garden of Eden and from Shinar; 3:24; 11:9; cf. 4:12).”

Bruce K. Waltke, Cathi J. Fredricks, Genesis: a Commentary, Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2001, pp. 127-128.

[Note: Waltke’s commentary says that his parallel list is a modification and supplementing of Gage’s parallels, p. 127).]

Seven progressive phases of renewing creation in Noah’s day parallel the first week of creation.

Precreation

• 1:2 earth, deep, Spirit, waters
• 8:1b-2 wind, earth, waters, deep

Day 2

• 1:6-8 waters, firmament (sky)
• 8:2b heaven (sky)

Day 3

• 1:9 water, dry land, appear
• 8:3-5 water, tops of the mountains, seen (appear)

Day 5

• 1:20-23 fowl, above the earth (in the open firmament, sky)
• 8:6-12 raven, dove, off the earth (no need to renew water creatures)

Day 6

• 1:24-25 living creatures, cattle, creeping thing, (wild) beasts
• 8:17-19 every living thing, fowl, cattle, creeping thing

“the appearance/reappearance of the nuclear family”

• 1:26-28 man, image of God, male and female
• 8:16, 18 Noah and his wife
• 9:6 man, image of God

The blessing of God on his family/creation

• 1:28 blessed, be fruitful, multiply, replenish the earth, subdue it (rule…every living thing)
• 9:1-2 blessed, be fruitful, multiply, replenish the earth, fear and dread on every living thing

Waltke, pp. 128-129