Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Sforno · Torah

Sforno on Genesis 6:9/ספורנו על בראשית ו׳:ט׳

אאֵלֶּה תּוֹלְדוֹת נֹחַ. עִנְיָנָיו וְיַלְדֵי יָמָיו.
1תולדות נח, a reference to his history, commencing with his own life and continuing with that of his offspring.
בצַדִּיק. בְּמַעֲשֶׂה.
2צדיק, in his deeds,
גתָּמִים. בַּמֻשְׂכָּלוֹת.
3תמים, in his attitudes,
דבְּדוֹרוֹתָיו. כְּפִי דּוֹרוֹתָיו, וְהֵם הָיוּ קְצָת דּוֹרוֹ שֶׁל מְתוּשֶׁלַח וְשֶׁל לֶמֶךְ וְשֶׁלּוֹ, וְהַדּוֹרוֹת שֶׁהוֹלִידוּ בְּנֵי דּוֹרוֹ בְּאַרְבַּע מֵאוֹת וְעֶשְׂרִים שָׁנָה:
4בדורותיו, according to the generations during which he lived. They included part of the generation of Metushelach, of Lemech, and those during the 600 years preceding the deluge.
האֶת הָאֱלֹהִים הִתְהַלֶּךְ נֹחַ. הָלַךְ בִּדְרָכָיו לְהֵיטִיב לְזוּלָתוֹ, וְהוֹכִיחַ בְּנֵי דּוֹרוֹ כְּדִבְרֵי רַבּוֹתֵינוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה. וְכֵן כָּתַב עָלָיו בְּרוּס הַכַּלְדִּיִּי:
5את האלוקים התהלך נח, he walked in G’d’s way trying to be helpful to others, and to instruct and if necessary to rebuke them, as our sages pointed out. This is also in accordance with what the historian Berussi Hacaldaii (3rd century B.C.) wrote about him.