{"author":null,"canonical_references":[],"database_sha256":"8cfbe7284c6936871d57c02dc6aa63ebbdfd4722422d539dd9f716e46e91112e","date_end":null,"date_start":null,"edition_year":null,"id":"sermonindex-ecf-6366","native_reference":{"book_number":10,"chapter_from":8,"chapter_to":8,"system":"MyBible module coordinates (mapping unverified)","verse_from":6,"verse_to":6},"public_import_allowed":false,"record_kind":"verse-keyed-module-record","review_required":["English edition and exact text","author/work attribution","dating","verse mapping and citation kind","reuse and attribution","split author quotations and deduplicate"],"review_status":"unreviewed","source_html":"<p><b>Bede</b>: Noah wanted to know how things stood on the face of the earth when the inundation had come to an end, and he sent forth a raven, which scorned to return to the ark, signifying those who, although they have been cleansed by the waters of baptism, nevertheless neglect putting off the very black dress of their old selves by living more faultlessly; and lest they deserve to be renewed by the anointing of the Holy Spirit, they at once fall away from the inmost unity of catholic peace and rest by following exterior things, that is, the desires of the world.<br/><i>— Homilies on the Gospels, HOMILY XI. ON THE FEAST DAY OF THEOPHANY</i></p><p><b>Bede</b>: And when forty days had passed, Noah opened the window of the ark, which he had made, and sent out a raven, etc. We have spoken above about the window of the ark, which, after the flood has subsided, is opened, indicating the secret mysteries of the heavens, to which those baptized are especially initiated; but with these same sacraments some are led to the allurements of the world, others to works of piety; and these indeed are represented by the raven, those by the dove. The fact that forty days are completed by four tens indicates not unreasonably the fulfillment of the divine law, which is perfected by the grace of the gospel. For the law is contained in ten commandments: the doctrine of the gospel is described in four books, and rightly after the beginning of the tenth month, after the appearance of the peaks of the mountains, forty days pass, and so Noah, opening his window, revealed the entry of new light into the ark, because surely Christ revealed to the faithful the future life they are to receive, laid bare the pride of those who, placed outside the Church, boast of worldly glory, and also revealed to His faithful that the precepts of the law should be fulfilled, not by the power of human liberty, but by the gift of evangelical grace, which they deserve to know, as if the window, newly opened in the ark, reveals higher gifts of the heavenly homeland, but the same knowledge of heavenly gifts, as we have said, some use to their ruin, others to salvation; hence it is well said of the raven sent out from the ark.<br/><i>— Commentary on Genesis (Hexaemeron)</i></p><p><b>Jerome</b>: (Verse 6) After forty days, Noah opened the door of the ark which he had made, and released a raven, but it did not return to him until the waters had dried up from the earth. As for the dove, it is said differently: He released a raven, and it went out, going and coming back until the waters had dried up from the earth.<br/><i>— Hebrew Questions on Genesis</i></p><p><b>John Chrysostom</b>: But for the present we need to explain the reason why the bird [the raven] did not come back. Perhaps, with the waters subsiding, the bird, being unclean, happened upon corpses of men and beasts and, finding nourishment to its liking, stayed there! This would have been something that proved to be no little sign of hope and encouragement for the just man [if the raven had returned].<br/><i>— HOMILIES ON Genesis 26.12</i></p><p><b>Prudentius</b>: As a sign that the flood had abated<br/>the dove is now bringing<br/>Back to the ark in her beak<br/>the budding green branch of an olive.<br/>For the raven, held captive by gluttony,<br/>clung to foul bodies,<br/>While the dove brought back<br/>the glad tidings of peace that was given.<br/><i>— SCENES FROM SACRED HISTORY 3</i></p><p><b>Augustine of Hippo</b>: ON THE RAVEN COMING OUT OF THE ARK. — It is written that a raven was let loose, and did not return; and then a dove was sent out, and returned, not finding or setting foot. This gives rise to the following question: Has the raven died, or has it been able to live in any way? If he could rest on the earth, so could the dove. This is what makes some people guess that the raven eagerly had been able to attach itself to some corpse, while the dove would have naturally not wanted to attach to a corpse. [<br/><i>— QUESTIONS ON GENESIS, Q. 12 (tr. J. Litteral, draft)</i></p>","source_html_sha256":"ee7847dd2b2bac0d1fb414a9eb196ff336ca4b0d511609161bcc90b65a6d7768","source_module":"ECF","source_row_id":6366,"source_url":"https://www.sermonindex.net/commentary/ecf/","text_sha256":"8d66f3c46b15893f07ca8ed87a486da598ab8f2f4d3cfb2a68c33e34c7a3f480","translator":null,"work":null}