Genesis 9:2 - Exposition

And the fear of you and the dread of you . Not simply of Noah and his sons, but of man in general. Shall be . Not for the first time, as it could not fail to be evoked by the sin of man during the previous generations, but, having already been developed, it was henceforth to be turned back upon the creature rather than directed against man. Upon . The verb to be is first construed with עַל , and afterwards with בְּ . The LXX . render both by ε ̓ πι Ì , though perhaps the latter should be taken as equivalent to ε ̓ ì ν , in which case the three clauses of the verse will express a gradation. The dread of man shall first overhang the beasts, then it shall enter into and take possession of them, and finally under its influence they shall fall into man's hand. Every beast of the earth, and upon every fowl of the air, upon (literally, in ; vide supra . Murphy translates with ) all that moveth upon the earth, and upon (literally, in ) all the fishes of the sea. This does not imply that the animals may not sometimes rise against man and destroy him (cf. Exodus 8:6 , Exodus 8:17 , Exodus 8:24 ; Le Exodus 26:22 ; 1 Kings 13:24 , 1 Kings 13:25 ; 1 Kings 20:36 ; 2 Kings 2:24 ; Ezekiel 14:15 ; Acts 12:23 , for instances in which the creatures were made ministers of Divine justice), but simply that the normal condition of the lower creatures will be one of instinctive dread of man, causing them rather to avoid than to seek his presence—a Statement sufficiently confirmed by the facts that wherever human civilization penetrates, there the dominion of the beasts retires; that even ferocious animals, such as lions, tigers, and other beasts of prey, unless provoked, usually flee from man rather than assail him . Into your hand are they delivered. Attested by