SEV Biblia, Chapter 8:20
¶ Y edificó Noé un altar al SEÑOR y tomó de todo animal limpio y de toda ave limpia, y ofreció holocausto en el altar.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Genesis 8:20
Verse 20. Noah builded an altar] As we have already seen that Adam, Cain, and Hebel, offered sacrifices, there can be no doubt that they had altars on which they offered them; but this, builded by Noah, is certainly the first on record. It is worthy of remark that, as the old world began with sacrifice, so also did the new. Religion or the proper mode of worshipping the Divine Being, is the invention or institution of God himself; and sacrifice, in the act and design, is the essence of religion. Without sacrifice, actually offered or implied, there never was, there never can be, any religion. Even in the heavens, a lamb is represented before the throne of God as newly slain, Rev. v. 6, 12, 13. The design of sacrificing is two-fold: the slaying and burning of the victim point out, 1st, that the life of the sinner is forfeited to Divine justice; 2dly, that his soul deserves the fire of perdition. The Jews have a tradition that the place where Noah built his altar was the same in which the altar stood which was built by Adam, and used by Cain and Hebel, and the same spot on which Abraham afterwards offered up his son Isaac.
The word jbzm mizbach, which we render altar, signifies properly a place for sacrifice, as the root jbz zabach signifies simply to slay. Altar comes from the Latin altus, high or elevated, because places for sacrifice were generally either raised very high or built on the tops of hills and mountains; hence they are called high places in the Scriptures; but such were chiefly used for idolatrous purposes.
Burnt-offerings] See the meaning of every kind of offering and sacrifice largely explained on Lev. vii. 1-38.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 20-22 - Noah was now gone out into a desolate world, where, one might have thought, his first care would have been to build a house for himself but he begins with an alter for God. He begins well, that begins with God. Though Noah's stock of cattle was small, and that saved at grea care and pains, yet he did not grudge to serve God out of it. Serving God with our little is the way to make it more; we must never think that is wasted with which God is honoured. The first thing done in the new world was an act of worship. We are now to express ou thankfulness, not by burnt-offerings, but by praise, and piou devotions and conversation. God was well pleased with what was done But the burning flesh could no more please God, than the blood of bull and goats, except as typical of the sacrifice of Christ, and expressing Noah's humble faith and devotedness to God. The flood washed away the race of wicked men, but it did not remove sin from man's nature, wh being conceived and born in sin, thinks, devises, and loves wickedness even from his youth, and that as much since the flood as before. But God graciously declared he never would drown the world again. While the earth remains, and man upon it, there shall be summer and winter. It is plain that this earth is not to remain always. It, and all the works in it, must shortly be burned up; and we look for new heavens and a ne earth, when all these things shall be dissolved. But as long as it doe remain, God's providence will cause the course of times and seasons to go on, and makes each to know its place. And on this word we depend that thus it shall be. We see God's promises to the creatures mad good, and may infer that his promises to all believers shall be so __________________________________________________________________
Original Hebrew
ויבן 1129 נח 5146 מזבח 4196 ליהוה 3068 ויקח 3947 מכל 3605 הבהמה 929 הטהרה 2889 ומכל 3605 העוף 5775 הטהור 2889 ויעל 5927 עלת 5930 במזבח׃ 4196
