Syriac Patrology, Volume 1: The Demonstrations of Aphrahat

The prophet pronounces, saying: "I sought for a man among them who would make up the hedge and stand in the gap before me on behalf of the land, so that I would not destroy it: but I found none." Ezekiel 22:30

5. As he showed beforehand, this occurred in the righteous of the ancient generations. For ten generations of the house of Adam were preserved until the days of Mathusalem; and at the time when he died, the flood arrived, and the world perished and was consumed by wrath. Noah, however, was snatched from the waters of the flood, so that the second world might be renewed by him cf. Demonstratio XIII, 5. And in the days of Noah, quiet men, ten generations were preserved from the flood and onwards. And when the time was completed and he had died, Abraham migrated from Ur of the Chaldeans; and the Most High, showing Himself patient, showed His mercy to the Canaanites; for when the measure of their sins was not yet completed, He did not wish to destroy them; He introduced the seed of Abraham into Egypt, and imposed servitude on His beloved son, so that the iniquities of the Amorites might be completed, and that He might show His wonders to their oppressors. And when He brought them out by His great power, He manifested His wonders to them. He fed them in the desert with the food of His holy ones, and satisfied them with the bread of angels; in a place...

The prophet pronounces, saying: "I sought for a man among them, who would make up the hedge and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, so that I would not destroy it: and I found none."

4. And just as he showed before, this came to pass in the righteous of the early generations. For ten generations of the house of Adam were guarded until the days of Mathusalem; and in the time that he died, the flood came and the world was destroyed and consumed by wrath. Noah was saved from the waters of the flood, so that the second world might be renewed from him. And in the days of Noah, quiet men, ten generations were guarded from the flood and onwards. And when the time arrived and he had died, Abraham migrated from Ur of the Chaldeans; and the Most High, showing Himself patient, showed His mercy to the Canaanites; for as long as the measure of their sins had not arrived, He did not wish to destroy them; but He let the seed of Abraham serve in Egypt the beloved son, so that they might fulfill the iniquities of the Amorites, and that He might show what kind of wonder [He would do] to their oppressors. And when He brought them out by His great power, He showed them His wonders. He fed them in the desert with the food of His holy ones, and satisfied them with the bread of angels; and He gave them water to drink in a place that was destroying them, without water.