Gen. 6:11-18; 7:11-14 - EXEGESIS 9 (Donovan)
CONTEXT - Gen. 5-10: Noah's story begins with his genealogy in Genesis 5 and continues through the listing of his descendants (known as the Table of Nations) in Genesis 10.
The flood story has its roots in 6:1-8, where God sees the wickedness of humankind and is sorry that he had created them (6:6). But then God acknowledges Noah as righteous and instructs him to build an ark to save his family and the animal kingdom (6:9-22). In chapter 7, we have the story of the great flood. Chapter 8 tells of the receding waters (8:1-12), the debarkation from the ark at God's command (8:13-19), and God's promise "will not again curse the ground any more for man's sake...; neither will I ever again strike everything living" (8:21). That promise is expanded in chapter 9 to a blessing of Noah and his sons (9:1-7) and the establishment of a covenant never again to cut off all flesh by the waters of a flood (9:8:17).
GENESIS 6:11-12. THE EARTH WAS CORRUPT BEFORE GOD
11The earth was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. 12God saw the earth, and saw that it was corrupt, for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth.
"The earth was corrupt (sahat) before God, and the earth was filled with violence" (hamas) (v. 11). God blessed the man and woman, telling them, "Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, and subdue it" (1:28). Here, though, they have filled the earth with violence rather than progeny.
Hamas means violence and suggests that cruelty and injustice are involved.
"God (Elohim) saw the earth, and saw that it was corrupt" (sahat) (v. 12a). Earlier, God saw that everything he had made "was very good" (1:31), but now he sees that "the wickedness of man was great in the earth" (6:5) and "saw that it (earth) was corrupt"-spoiled, ruined, perverted (6:12). God's intent has been thwarted and his creation sullied.
"for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth" (v. 12b). Earlier, the man said of the woman, "This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh" (2:23), and the narrator commented, "Therefore a man will leave his father and his mother, and will join with his wife, and they will be one flesh" (2:24). But now "all flesh" has been corrupted.
GENESIS 6:13-16. BEHOLD, I WILL DESTROY THEM
13God said to Noah, "The end of all flesh has come before me, for the earth is filled with violence through them. Behold, I will destroy them with the earth. 14Make a ship of gopher wood. You shall make rooms in the ship, and shall seal it inside and outside with pitch. 15This is how you shall make it. The length of the ship will be three hundred cubits, its breadth fifty cubits, and its height thirty cubits. 16You shall make a roof in the ship, and you shall finish it to a cubit upward. You shall set the door of the ship in its side. You shall make it with lower, second, and third levels.
"The end of all flesh has come before me, for the earth is filled with violence through them" (v. 13a). God announces his intentions to Noah and explains his reasons. Imagine the range of feelings that Noah must have felt upon hearing this announcement. On the one hand, this righteous man must chafe at the unrighteous behavior of his neighbors. On the other hand, a man like Noah (righteous, blameless, walking with God) must also feel some compassion for the people who are about to lose their lives. And he must also feel a certain uneasiness at the prospect of the end of the world as he has known it.
"for the earth is filled with violence through them" (v. 13a). At the creation, God blessed the man and woman and charged them, "Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, and subdue it" (1:28)-but their progeny have instead filled the earth with violence.
"Behold, I will destroy (sahat) them with the earth" (v. 13b). Sahat means to corrupt or destroy. Because the people are corrupt (sahat, v. 12), God will destroy (sahat-corrupt or destroy) them.
"Make a ship (teba, often translated ark) of gopher wood" (v. 14a). The word teba is used in the Old Testament only for the ark that will save Noah and his family and for the basket which will save the baby Moses (Exodus 2:3). The word that is used for the Ark of the Covenant is not teba but aron.
While God has stated his intent "end of all flesh has come before me " (v. 13a), he does not intend to wipe out the human race and all animals entirely. His instructions to Noah here reveal his intent to save a remnant (Noah's family and the animals) to repopulate the world-to start once again without the violence and corruption that characterize Noah's neighbors.
We aren't certain what gopher wood is. Cypress is a possibility.
"You shall make rooms (qinnim-nests) in the ship" (v. 14b). This word, qinnim, suggests safe havens or resting places. The ark will not be chaotic, but is intended to provide safe shelter and at least a modicum of privacy for the journey.
"and shall seal it inside and outside with pitch" (v. 14c). Pitch is a tar used to waterproof boats. This is another link with Moses, whose teba will be plastered with bitumen and pitch (Exodus 2:3).
"This is how you shall make it. The length of the ship will be three hundred cubits, its breadth fifty cubits, and its height thirty cubits" (v. 15). A cubit is approximately 1.5 feet (46 cm.), so the ark is to be 450 feet x 75 feet x 45 feet high (137 meters x 23 meters x 14 meters high).
Some scholars assume that the ark was flat-bottomed and boxy like a barge, but that is speculation. A tapered bow (front end) might make the ark more seaworthy.
"You shall make a roof in the ship" (v. 16a). A roof would be important to keep out the rain.
"and you shall finish it to a cubit upward" (v. 16b). We aren't sure what this means. It could involve a slight peak to the roof to facilitate the runoff of water. It could mean that the roof is to be suspended a cubit above the sides of the ark to provide ventilation-which would also require that the roof overhang the sides to keep rain out.
"You shall set the door of the ship in its side" (v. 16c). The door is to facilitate the loading and unloading of people, animals, and the copious supplies required to sustain them for the journey.
"You shall make it with lower, second, and third levels" (v. 16d). Given the dimensions of 450′ x 75′ x 45′, each deck is 1.5 million square feet (140,000 square meters). Three decks would be 4.5 million square feet or 420,000 square meters (equal to 3000 homes of 1500 square feet or 140 square meters each). If the boat is tapered toward the bottom and bow, it would lose part of that area. In any event, it was quite a large craft for its day and age.
GENESIS 6:17-18. I BRING FLOOD WATERS TO DESTROY ALL FLESH
17 I, even I, do bring the flood of waters on this earth, to destroy all flesh having the breath of life from under the sky. Everything that is in the earth will die. 18But I will establish my covenant with you. You shall come into the ship, you, your sons, your wife, and your sons' wives with you.
"I, even I, do bring the flood of waters on this earth, to destroy all flesh having the breath of life from under the sky. Everything that is in the earth will die" (v. 17). God intends to bring an end to the life that he created in Genesis 1-2. Everything that has the "breath of life" is to be affected-which would exclude fish and other sea creatures.
"But I will establish my covenant (berit) with you" (v. 18a). This is the first occurrence of berit in the Old Testament, but it will recur in more than 200 verses throughout the Old Testament-the frequency of its occurrence indicating its importance. God's covenant with Noah is outlined in detail in 8:20 - 9:17.
A covenant is an agreement, such as a business contract or treaty, between two people or groups of people. Covenants are usually solemnized by some sort of ritual, such as the swearing of an oath or the sharing of a meal.
In the Bible, God often initiates a covenant with a person or group of people. In such cases, God dictates the terms of the agreement, which always favor the people involved but requires their compliance. By initiating such a covenant, God binds himself to the terms of the covenant. Covenants between God and humans were often solemnized by ritual sacrifice. Noah offers a sacrifice at the conclusion of his journey in the ark (8:20).
In this instance, God makes a covenant with Noah personally. The "you" in verses 18-21 is singular. Noah's family will benefit from the covenant, but they will derive their benefit from God's covenant with Noah.
Some of the more important Biblical covenants are between God and Abraham (Genesis 12:1-3); Moses (Exodus 6:4-5; 19:5; 24:7-8; 25:21); David (2 Samuel 7:16; Psalm 89:2-4; 105:8-11); and Israel (Jeremiah 31:3-4, 31-37).
These covenants were all preliminary to the covenant established by Jesus (Matthew 26:28; Mark 14:24; Luke 22:20; 1 Corinthians 11:25).
"You shall come into the ship, you, your sons, your wife, and your sons' wives with you" (v. 18b). The compliance expected of Noah is that he will build the ark and that he and his family will come into the ark at the appropriate time.
EW Commentary - Gen. 6:11-18; 17:11-14 GENESIS 6:11-12.
THE EARTH WAS CORRUPT BEFORE GOD
11The earth was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. 12God saw the earth, and saw that it was corrupt, for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth.
"The earth was corrupt (sahat) before God, and the earth was filled with violence" (hamas) (v. 11). God blessed the man and woman, telling them, "Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, and subdue it" (1:28). Here, though, they have filled the earth with violence rather than progeny.
Hamas means violence and suggests that cruelty and injustice are involved.
"God (Elohim) saw the earth, and saw that it was corrupt" (sahat) (v. 12a). Earlier, God saw that everything he had made "was very good" (1:31), but now he sees that "the wickedness of man was great in the earth" (6:5) and "saw that it (earth) was corrupt"-spoiled, ruined, perverted (6:12). God's intent has been thwarted and his creation sullied.
"for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth" (v. 12b). Earlier, the man said of the woman, "This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh" (2:23), and the narrator commented, "Therefore a man will leave his father and his mother, and will join with his wife, and they will be one flesh" (2:24). But now "all flesh" has been corrupted.
GENESIS 6:13-16. BEHOLD, I WILL DESTROY THEM
13God said to Noah, "The end of all flesh has come before me, for the earth is filled with violence through them. Behold, I will destroy them with the earth. 14Make a ship of gopher wood. You shall make rooms in the ship, and shall seal it inside and outside with pitch. 15This is how you shall make it. The length of the ship will be three hundred cubits, its breadth fifty cubits, and its height thirty cubits. 16You shall make a roof in the ship, and you shall finish it to a cubit upward. You shall set the door of the ship in its side. You shall make it with lower, second, and third levels.
"The end of all flesh has come before me, for the earth is filled with violence through them" (v. 13a). God announces his intentions to Noah and explains his reasons. Imagine the range of feelings that Noah must have felt upon hearing this announcement. On the one hand, this righteous man must chafe at the unrighteous behavior of his neighbors. On the other hand, a man like Noah (righteous, blameless, walking with God) must also feel some compassion for the people who are about to lose their lives. And he must also feel a certain uneasiness at the prospect of the end of the world as he has known it.
"for the earth is filled with violence through them" (v. 13a). At the creation, God blessed the man and woman and charged them, "Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, and subdue it" (1:28)-but their progeny have instead filled the earth with violence.
"Behold, I will destroy (sahat) them with the earth" (v. 13b). Sahat means to corrupt or destroy. Because the people are corrupt (sahat, v. 12), God will destroy (sahat-corrupt or destroy) them.
"Make a ship (teba, often translated ark) of gopher wood" (v. 14a). The word teba is used in the Old
Testament only for the ark that will save Noah and his family and for the basket which will save the baby
Moses (Exodus 2:3). The word that is used for the Ark of the Covenant is not teba but aron.
While God has stated his intent "end of all flesh has come before me " (v. 13a), he does not intend to wipe out the human race and all animals entirely. His instructions to Noah here reveal his intent to save a remnant (Noah's family and the animals) to repopulate the world-to start once again without the violence and corruption that characterize Noah's neighbors.
We aren't certain what gopher wood is. Cypress is a possibility.
"You shall make rooms (qinnim-nests) in the ship" (v. 14b). This word, qinnim, suggests safe havens or resting places. The ark will not be chaotic, but is intended to provide safe shelter and at least a modicum of privacy for the journey.
"and shall seal it inside and outside with pitch" (v. 14c). Pitch is a tar used to waterproof boats. This is another link with Moses, whose teba will be plastered with bitumen and pitch (Exodus 2:3).
"This is how you shall make it. The length of the ship will be three hundred cubits, its breadth fifty cubits, and its height thirty cubits" (v. 15). A cubit is approximately 1.5 feet (46 cm.), so the ark is to be 450 feet x 75 feet x 45 feet high (137 meters x 23 meters x 14 meters high).
Some scholars assume that the ark was flat-bottomed and boxy like a barge, but that is speculation. A tapered bow (front end) might make the ark more seaworthy.
"You shall make a roof in the ship" (v. 16a). A roof would be important to keep out the rain.
"and you shall finish it to a cubit upward" (v. 16b). We aren't sure what this means. It could involve a slight peak to the roof to facilitate the runoff of water. It could mean that the roof is to be suspended a cubit above the sides of the ark to provide ventilation-which would also require that the roof overhang the sides to keep rain out.
"You shall set the door of the ship in its side" (v. 16c). The door is to facilitate the loading and unloading of people, animals, and the copious supplies required to sustain them for the journey.
"You shall make it with lower, second, and third levels" (v. 16d). Given the dimensions of 450′ x 75′ x 45′, each deck is 1.5 million square feet (140,000 square meters). Three decks would be 4.5 million square feet or 420,000 square meters (equal to 3000 homes of 1500 square feet or 140 square meters each). If the boat is tapered toward the bottom and bow, it would lose part of that area. In any event, it was quite a large craft for its day and age.
GENESIS 6:17-18. I BRING FLOOD WATERS TO DESTROY ALL FLESH
17 I, even I, do bring the flood of waters on this earth, to destroy all flesh having the breath of life from under the sky. Everything that is in the earth will die. 18But I will establish my covenant with you. You shall come into the ship, you, your sons, your wife, and your sons' wives with you.
"I, even I, do bring the flood of waters on this earth, to destroy all flesh having the breath of life from under the sky. Everything that is in the earth will die" (v. 17). God intends to bring an end to the life that he created in Genesis 1-2. Everything that has the "breath of life" is to be affected-which would exclude fish and other sea creatures.
a. "But I will establish my covenant (berit) with you" (v. 18a). This is the first occurrence of berit in the Old Testament, but it will recur in more than 200 verses throughout the Old Testament-the frequency of its occurrence indicating its importance. God's covenant with Noah is outlined in detail in 8:20 - 9:17.
A covenant is an agreement, such as a business contract or treaty, between two people or groups of people. Covenants are usually solemnized by some sort of ritual, such as the swearing of an oath or the sharing of a meal.
In the Bible, God often initiates a covenant with a person or group of people. In such cases, God dictates the terms of the agreement, which always favor the people involved but requires their compliance. By initiating such a covenant, God binds himself to the terms of the covenant. Covenants between God and humans were often solemnized by ritual sacrifice. Noah offers a sacrifice at the conclusion of his journey in the ark (8:20).
In this instance, God makes a covenant with Noah personally. The "you" in verses 18-21 is singular. Noah's family will benefit from the covenant, but they will derive their benefit from God's covenant with Noah.
Some of the more important Biblical covenants are between God and Abraham (Genesis 12:1-3); Moses (Exodus 6:4-5; 19:5; 24:7-8; 25:21); David (2 Samuel 7:16; Psalm 89:2-4; 105:8-11); and Israel (Jeremiah 31:3-4, 31-37).
These covenants were all preliminary to the covenant established by Jesus (Matthew 26:28; Mark 14:24; Luke 22:20; 1 Corinthians 11:25).
b. "You shall come into the ship, you, your sons, your wife, and your sons' wives with you" (v. 18b). The compliance expected of Noah is that he will build the ark and that he and his family will come into the ark at the appropriate time.
3. (7:11-14) God brings the waters upon the earth.
11 In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on the same day all the fountains of the great deep burst open, and the floodgates of the sky were opened. 12 The rain fell upon the earth for forty days and forty nights. 13 On the very same day Noah and Shem and Ham and Japheth, the sons of Noah, and Noah's wife and the three wives of his sons with them, entered the ark, 14 they and every beast after its kind, and all the cattle after their kind, and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth after its kind, and every bird after its kind, all sorts of birds.
a. After seven days that the waters of the flood were on the earth: Noah, the animals, and his family had to wait in the ark seven days for the rain to come. They had never seen rain up to this time. This was a real test of faith - to wait a week after more than 100 years of preparation.
b. The windows of heaven were opened: This is when the heavens containing the great waters that were above the firmament (Genesis 1:7) opened up. These waters formed the huge so-called blanket of water in the upper part of the earth's atmosphere since creation.
c. The fountains of the great deep that were broken up: Waters came up from under the earth also, no doubt accompanied by great geological catastrophe.
d. Forty days and forty nights: The number 40 becomes associated with testing and purification, especially before entering into something new and significant. This is seen in:
4. (7:13-14) All enter the ark and the door is shut.
On the very same day Noah and Noah's sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth, and Noah's wife and the three wives of his sons with them, entered the ark-they and every beast after its kind, all cattle after their kind, every creeping thing that creeps on the earth after its kind, and every bird after its kind, every bird of every sort. And they went into the ark to Noah, two by two, of all flesh in which is the breath of life. So those that entered, male and female of all flesh, went in as God had commanded him; and the LORD shut him in.
a. Went in as God had commanded him: This summary statement describes how everything was fulfilled exactly as the LORD had spoken. All things were ready for the flood God would bring upon the earth.
b. And the LORD shut him in: Noah did not have to shut the door on anyone's salvation; God did it. After the same pattern, it is never our job to disqualify people from salvation. If the door is to be shut, let God shut the door.
i. God kept the door open until the last possible minute, but there came a time when the door had to shut. When the door is open, it is open, but when it is shut, it is shut. Jesus is He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens (Revelation 3:7).
ii. The ark was salvation for Noah, but condemnation for the world. There were no second chances for those left out. "Yea, when the one hundred and twenty years were over, and God's Spirit would no longer strive with men, there stood the great ark with its vast door wide open, and still Noah continued to preach and to declare that all who would pass within that open portal into the ark of safety should be preserved from the coming destruction. Outside that door death would reign universally, but all would be peace within" (Spurgeon).
BRIDGEWAY COMMENTARY - The flood (GEN. 6:9-8:19)
Amid the corruption, there was one man, Noah, who remained faithful to God. Therefore, God promised to preserve Noah, along with his family, so that when the former evil race had been destroyed, he could use Noah and his family to build a new people (9-12; cf. Hebrews 11:7; 2 Peter 2:4-5; 2 Peter 2:4-5).
God's means of destruction was a great flood. Besides preserving Noah and his family, God preserved a pair of each kind of animals in the region, thereby helping to maintain the balance between people and animals.
All the people and animals to be preserved were housed in a huge box-like structure called an ark, which was designed to float on the floodwaters. The ark was about 133 metres long, 22 metres wide and 13 metres high. It had a door in the side, and a light and ventilation opening, almost half a metre deep, running around the top of the wall just below the roof overhang. Horizontally it was divided into three decks and vertically it was divided into a number of rooms. These divisions helped to separate the animals and brace the whole structure (13-22). Noah took additional clean animals into the ark, possibly to use later for food and sacrifices (7:1-10; cf. 8:20; 9:2-3).
It seems that, in addition to the forty days' constant downpour of heavy rain, there was a break in the earth's crust that sent the waters from the sea pouring into the Mesopotamian valley (11-16). Even when the rain stopped and the earth's crust and sea bed settled again, the floodwaters took many months to go down (17-24).
Almost four months after the rain stopped, the ark came to rest somewhere in the Ararat Range (8:1-4). Noah had difficulty seeing anything out of the ark, but he managed to notice a number of hilltops when they later became visible (5). By sending out firstly a raven and then a dove, he found out whether the land was drying out in the lower regions that he could not see (6-12). When at last he removed the ark's covering, he saw clearly that the land had now dried out completely. Nevertheless, he had to wait further till grass and plants had grown sufficiently to support animal life. Finally, more than seven months after the ark had been grounded, Noah, his family and all the animals came out of the ark (13-19).
As we have come to expect, the Bible describes the flood from the viewpoint of an ordinary person who might have seen it (e.g. Noah). As far as Noah was concerned, the flood was universal, as it covered the whole area which he could see or about which he could get information. It probably concerned the area of the world that the Bible story has been concerned with in the previous chapters. It was a total judgment on that ungodly world.
Expressions of universality such as 'all the earth', 'all people', 'every nation under heaven', etc. are used frequently in the Bible with a purely local meaning. They do not necessarily refer to the whole world as we know it today (e.g. Genesis 41:57; Deuteronomy 2:25; 1 Kings 4:34; 1 Kings 4:34; 1 Kings 18:10; Daniel 4:22; Daniel 5:19; Acts 2:5; Acts 11:28; Colossians 1:23).
Gen. 6:11-18; 7:11-14 - EXTRA COMMENTARY
1. 6:11-18
Genesis 6:11 "The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence."
"Corrupt ... filled with violence" (6:3, 5). The seed of Satan, the fallen rejecters of God, deceitful and destructive, had dominated the world.
It seems that masses of people were involved in every type of sin. Brother was killing brother. It seemed this Cain group had polluted the Seth descendants and violence and crime was rampant. Except for Noah, it seemed everyone was involved. Verse 12 tells how universal it was.
Genesis 6:12 "And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth."
We might say that about the earth now. There is crime on every hand. So many abominable things to God, prevail today such as rape, incest, homosexuality, murder, stealing, lying, cheating, adultery, disobeying parents, drugs, alcohol, filthy movies and television are common.
About the only way you can raise children to be Christians in this society today would be to totally isolate them from this evil and corrupt generation. The rock music alone can pervert a child's mind so badly, that he or she may never be able to function as a Christian.
Most who listen to the subliminal messages of this music cannot face reality of any kind, much less make firm decisions as a Christian. Our society has gone mad and God will not tolerate it.
We must realize that God is angry, and unless we repent as a nation, we will see something much worse than the flood, because our sins are more perverted than theirs. It seems there are no modern day Noahs', who have walked uprightly before God.
Genesis 6:13 "And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth."
"I will destroy them with the earth": Destroy did not mean annihilation, but rather referred to the flood judgment, both of the earth and its inhabitants.
The forces of nature are subject to God. If you will notice here, God was going to destroy them with the very thing that meant more to them than He did. You see, they had their eyes and their hearts caught up in the things of this earth; so, God would destroy them with the earth.
He was telling Noah, I am going to wipe them off the face of the earth. We will see (in verse 14), God provided a way out for all who earnestly seek to please Him.
Genesis 6:14 "Make thee an ark of gopher wood; rooms shalt thou make in the ark, and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch."
"Ark": A hollow chest, a box designed to float on water (Exodus 2:3).
"Gopher wood": This may be a reference to cedar or cypress trees, abundant in the mountains of Armenia.
The dimensions of the "ark" given in verse 15 indicate it was more like a barge than a ship. It was about 450
feet long, 75 feet wide and 45 feet high. It had about 95,700 square feet on three decks, 1,400,000 cubic feet,
and a gross tonnage of 13,960.
It was fully large enough to carry its prescribed cargo. Its carrying capacity equaled that of 522 standard railroad stockcars, which can carry 125,000 sheep. Thus, the ark was about the size of an oil tanker and was of proper seagoing dimensions for an ocean voyage.
"Pitch" refers to tar, which like oil is plentiful in the Near East. This was a resin substance to seal the seams and cracks in the wood.
We have heard so many preachers talk about this ark of safety. I think we should look at the physical and the spiritual implications this ark holds for all of us today.
If we are right with God, there is a way out of every problem that we face. Our ark of safety is belief in the Lord Jesus Christ. As this ark saved Noah and his family, Jesus Christ will save us and our families. One thing that really concerns me today is that we are not building our ark as God commanded Noah to do.
Some are being saved, but very few are shoring up the sides and thoroughly preparing for the disaster. Noah was not saved from the flood, he was saved in it. We have a Brill Cream religion, a little dab will do you!
Noah worked continuously preparing. He never questioned whether God had told him the truth or not. He went diligently to work. God had a perfect plan for the ark. He has a perfect plan for us, too. Noah had an attribute that many could take a lesson from today. He took instruction well. When God spoke, he listened.
So many of us will not slow down enough for God to speak, and even if He does, we seldom listen; we are a generation that does not like to be instructed. Our hearing apparatus in the heart is coated over with cares of this world. How many people even bother to read God's word: to fellowship with God, we must get into His Word.
I hear people say "I don't understand the Bible". Get some help, get in a good Bible study and start digging. The best treasures are not on the surface. All is not lost, if we will just heed the Scripture in 2 Chronicles:
Genesis 6:15 "And this [is the fashion] which thou shalt make it [of]: The length of the ark [shall be] three hundred cubits, the breadth of it fifty cubits, and the height of it thirty cubits."
While the ark was not designed for beauty or speed, these dimensions provided extraordinary stability in the tumultuous floodwaters. A cubit was about 18 inches long, making the ark 450 feet long, 75 feet wide and 45 feet high. A gigantic box of that size would be very stable in the water, impossible to capsize.
The volume of space in the ark was 1.4 million cubic feet, equal to the capacity of 522 standard railroad box cars, which could carry 125,000 sheep. It had 3 stories, each 15 feet high; each deck was equipped with various rooms (literally "nests").
This ark was to be made by specific directions of God so that it could hold up to the terrible strain of the high water. This boat was to house approximately 45,000 animals, which would cover several of all the species known on the earth today.
God also had specific places for Noah to place the animals, the foodstuff, and for the family of Noah. Noah had to follow every detail of instruction for this ark to be functional for the use God had intended it. The exact number of animals is just an estimate. No one knows for sure how many were aboard.
Genesis 6:16 "A window shalt thou make to the ark, and in a cubit shalt thou finish it above; and the door of the ark shalt thou set in the side thereof; [with] lower, second, and third [stories] shalt thou make it."
"A window" may have actually been a low wall around the flat roof to catch water for all on the ark.
This window was cut all the way around the ark under the roofline for light and ventilation. The "door" allowed an entrance for embarkation and debarkation. The three "stories" were to separate animals for safety and cooperation during the voyage.
This was a very precise and complicated ship to build. I assume that this window went the full length of the ship, and was 18 to 21 inches tall. This would give light and air to all inside. This door had to be a tall one to let in animals like giraffes.
The three stories were to separate the different types of animals, and for Noah's family to have separate quarters, as well.
Genesis 6:17 "And, behold, I, even I, do bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein [is] the breath of life, from under heaven; [and] every thing that [is] in the earth shall die."
"Flood of waters": Other notable Scriptures on the worldwide flood brought by God include (Job 12:15; 22:16; Psalm 29:10; Isa. 54:9; Matt. 24:37-39; Luke 17:26-27; Hebrews 11:7 1 Peter 3:20; 2 Pet. 2:5; 3:5-6).
God was very specific that this judgment was from Him. This was not something Satan did. It is terrible to fall under Satan's attacks, but we can withstand him with the blood of Jesus. The worst is to fall under the judgment of God. There is no hiding or protection from this.
This judgment was on all except Noah's family, and the few animals chosen to reproduce on the earth. God was angry and would, without repentance, bring judgment.
Genesis 6:18 "But with thee will I establish my covenant; and thou shalt come into the ark, thou, and thy sons, and thy wife, and thy sons' wives with thee."
"But with thee will I establish my covenant": In contrast with the rest of the created order which God was to destroy, Noah and his family were not only to be preserved, but they were to enjoy the provision and protection of a covenant relationship with God.
This is the first mention of "covenant" in Scripture. This pledged covenant is actually made and explained (in 9:9-17; see notes there).
God not only saves Noah because of his fellowship with God, but saves his family as well. God establishes His
agreement (covenant), with Noah and his family, they alone would be saved. "Eight" means new beginnings,
God would begin with Noah's family.
God invites us today to come into His ark of safety. Jesus Christ is the door we enter in by. Again, God was angry with a perverse generation. The Day of Judgment was here. God would not tolerate open and perverted sin.
2. 7:11-14
Genesis 7:11 "In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the
month, the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened."
"Month ... day": The calendar system of Noah's day is unknown, although it appears that one month equaled 30 days. If calculated by the Jewish calendar of Moses' day, it would be about May. This period of God's grace was ended (6:3, 8; 7:4).
"All the fountains of the great deep broken up": The subterranean waters sprang up from inside the earth to form the seas and rivers (1:10; 2:10-14), which were not produced by rainfall (since there was none), but by deep fountains in the earth.
"The windows of heaven were opened": The celestial waters in the canopy encircling the globe were dumped on the earth and joined with the terrestrial and the subterranean waters (1:7). This ended the water canopy surrounding the earth and unleashed the water in the earth; together these phenomena began the new system of hydrology that has since characterized the earth (see Job 26:8; Eccl. 1:7; Isa. 55:10; Amos 9:6).
The sequence in this verse, indicating that the earth's crust breaks up first, then the heavens drop their water, is interesting because the volcanic explosions that would have occurred when the earth fractured would have sent magma and dust into the atmosphere, along with gigantic sprays of water, gas, and air, all penetrating the canopy triggering its downpour.
This rain did not just fall from the sky, but it came from springs and openings in the earth as well. Water came from everywhere. It started on May 17 as we think of time.
Genesis 7:12 "And the rain was upon the earth forty days and forty nights."
The windows of heaven were opened, and the waters which were above the firmament, that is, in the air, were poured out upon the earth. The rain comes down in drops; but such rains fell then, as were never known before or since. It rained without stop or abatement, forty days and forty nights, upon the whole earth at once.
Genesis 7:13 "In the selfsame day entered Noah, and Shem, and Ham, and Japheth, the sons of Noah, and Noah's wife, and the three wives of his sons with them, into the ark;"
"Entered Noah, and Shem, and Ham, and Japheth, the sons of Noah": Not inconsistent with verses 4 and 5, which do not necessarily imply that the actual entry was made seven days before the Flood; but merely that Noah then began to carry out the Divine instructions.
The threefold recital of the entry: first in connection with the invitation or command (verse 5), and again in the actual process during the seven days (verse 7), and finally on the day when the Flood began (verse 15).
For sure we know that Noah was in the ark before the forty days and nights of rain, the other exact time that they entered the ark is speculation. I really believe verse 13 just means that the family all went in the same day. This warning God had given Noah in verse 4, that in seven days He would start the flood, was probably to give Noah a little more time to get his family into the ark.
Genesis 7:14-15 "They, and every beast after his kind, and all the cattle after their kind, and every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind, and every fowl after his kind, every bird of every sort." "And they went in unto Noah into the ark, two and two of all flesh, wherein [is] the breath of life."
There is a simple grandeur in the threefold description of the entrance of Noah and his retinue into the ark, first in the command, next in the actual process during the seven days, and lastly, in the completed act on the seventh day.
"Every living thing after its kind" is here unaccompanied with the epithet, evil or the qualifying term of the land or of the field, and therefore may, we conceive, be taken in the extent of Gen. 6:20; 7:2-3; 7:6.
At all events the whole of the wild animals did not need to be included in the ark, as their range was greater than that of antediluvian (before the flood), man or of the flood. "And the Lord shut him in." This is a fitting close to the scene. The whole work was manifestly the Lord's doing, from first to last.
Gen. 6:11-18; 7:11-14 - Bible Ref
CONTEXT: God sees. In the first chapter of Genesis, God saw that all He had made was good. Now, in Chap. 6, many generations after sin entered the world, God sees that all man has made is wickedness and evil. Human beings have used their power for violence and destruction. God declares His plan to wipe out all land-dwelling life on the face of the earth. He will however, preserve humanity and animal life for a new beginning through the one righteous man, Noah, and a huge life-giving structure called an ark. Gen. 6:9-22 begins another new section in Genesis called the ''generations of Noah.'' Because of humanity's power and wickedness, the earth had become filled with violence and sinfulness. By contrast, Noah was a righteous, blameless man who walked with God. God chooses to declare to Noah His plan to end all land-dwelling life on earth, but also to save Noah and his family and two of every animal. Noah obeys God's command to build the ark that would preserve the human race from total destruction in the flood.
Genesis 7 tells the story of the actual flood itself. God again commends Noah for his righteousness. The animals of every kind come to the ark. God shuts Noah and his family and the animals in, and it begins to rain. Water pours from above and bursts forth from below with incredible intensity. This outpouring of water lasts for 40 days, and covers the surface of the earth for another 110 days. The ark floats, rises, moves across the surface of the water. Outside of it, every land-dwelling, air-breathing thing dies. God wipes it all out, including every human being other than Noah and his family. Genesis 7:11-24 describes the greatest disaster in world history: the flood. For forty days and nights, rain falls from above, and underground water rushes from below. As a result, floodwaters fully cover the surface of the land for another 110 days. The ark, built as God has instructed Noah, is able to float and survive the deluge. Every land-dwelling, air-breathing human and creature dies, except for those aboard the ark.
v. 11: Now the earth was corrupt in the sight of God, and the earth was filled with violence. - This chapter frequently repeats the reasons for God sending the flood. Verse 5 explained that man, on the whole, thought of nothing but evil. Here, the same idea is brought out again. God sees the earth as it is: corrupt and ruined. What He had made and observed as good in Genesis 1 He now sees as unacceptably disgraced by human sin. A primary evidence of the corruption of the earth was violence. Instead of being filled with good, the earth was filled with human violence to others.
• The Hebrew word translated "violence" here is hā'mās'. This implies more than just the kind of brute force attacks we think of when we hear the English word. This can also include injustice, oppression, and cruelty. The term also suggests the effects physical violence has on a person or group which has been violently conquered: oppression, deprivation, and misuse. Men of the pre-flood world are not only disobedient to God, they are harsh and abusive to each other.
v. 12: And God looked on the earth, and behold, it was corrupt; for humanity had corrupted its way upon the earth. - This verse describes the extent of the corruption of sin on the earth: It was everywhere. It was everyone. And it was self-inflicted. "All people" or "all flesh" had corrupted their ways. In other words, every person was guilty of taking the good thing that God had made-including themselves-and turning it away from God's good intent to use it for selfishness and evil.
• The prior verse described man's culture as "violent," from the Hebrew term hā'mās'. This not only includes physical aggression, but cruelty and injustice, as well. Man has rejected God, and turned against each other. The fact that this evil is so widespread is a primary reason for God's chosen instrument of destruction: the flood. Left alone, humanity is doomed to fall further and further into sin and evil. Without intervention, there will soon be no godly people left. To correct the situation, God has chosen to limit the lifespan of human beings (Gen. 6:3), and will eliminate all but a tiny fraction (Genesis 6:8) in order to "reboot" the human race.
v. 13: Then God said to Noah, "The end of humanity has come before Me; for the earth is filled with violence because of people; and behold, I am about to destroy them with the earth. - God begins revealing His plan to Noah. We can only assume it must have been devastating for Noah to hear. As a righteous, blameless man who walked with God (v. 9), Noah would likely have agreed that the earth was filled with violence because of the sinfulness of humanity. But could anything have prepared Him for God's announcement? We can't be entirely sure about how many relatives, including possibly other children, Noah had at this time. Regardless, the idea of the entire human world being killed would have been terrifying.
• In plain language, God told Noah that He was getting ready to put an end to all of humanity because of their violence. He would destroy "all flesh," meaning both humanity and animals, along with the earth-or land-itself. In one blunt statement, God announces to Noah both His verdict and the sentence on humanity. God would exercise His right as creator and judge; He would hold His creatures responsible for their sinful choices. He alone had (and still has) both the right and the power to carry out such a plan.
v. 14: Make for yourself an ark of gopher wood; you shall make the ark with compartments, and cover it inside and out with pitch. - In the previous verse, God revealed to Noah that He would destroy all of humanity for their violence. What other details were given, we don't know. For our purposes, this is all Scripture has revealed. Now, God launches into specific instructions to Noah, describing exactly how to build the ark. Once again, what's recorded here in the Bible is not likely a complete transcript of God's discussions with Noah. Rather, it tells us the bare-bones basics of what this man is learning from God. Even with the instructions to follow, the text does not provide every detail needed to complete the construction of an ark. It does show us, though, that God's directions to Noah were very specific. God cared that Noah execute the construction of this craft according to God's particular plan.
• Strictly speaking, God does not tell Noah to build a boat. He tells Noah to build an ark. It's possible that the word ark meant "box" or "chest." This same term is used to describe the vessel used to carry the Ten Commandments by Israel after leaving Egypt (Exodus 25:10-16). In reference to the "ark" built by Noah, there is no mention made of sails, or oars, or a rudder. This craft is meant to float, not travel. The dimensions given to Noah in the following verses describe a giant rectangular box. At one point in history, skeptics laughed at the idea of such a craft being seaworthy. Now, however, the proportions of large cargo ships are extremely similar to the outlines of Noah's ark.
• Noah is told to build it with gopher wood, a material we aren't entirely sure of. Some scholars believe this is actually a reference to cedar, or cypress, while others think it might be from a now-extinct tree. Either way, it's a substance appropriate for a craft built for this purpose. Furthermore, Noah is directed to make rooms (or "nests") inside the ark, as well as to seal the spaces between the wood with pitch both inside and outside of the structure.
• It should be noted that, in the context of the story, it's unlikely that Noah was expected to build this ark only using his own two hands. Just as the owner of a company can be said to have "built" something, when much of the labor is done by others, it seems reasonable to assume Noah used the help of his sons, and probably others, to construct this ark.
v. 15: This is how you shall make it: the length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits, its width fifty cubits, and its height thirty cubits. - In this passage, God has informed Noah of His plan to destroy the entire human race, except for Noah and his family. God has also begun to describe the "ark," a large wooden box, which Noah is to use to preserve his family and certain animals from the flood.
• A cubit is a measure of length equal to approximately 18 inches, or about 46 centimeters. A cubit was traditionally thought to be the length from a man's elbow to the tip of his fingers with his hand extended. While that may sound vague to modern ears, it was not uncommon in ancient days to use body parts as measuring sticks. The concept of universal, objective measurements (such as the modern meter) was simply not practical at that point in human history.
• Using 1 cubit = 18 inches = 46 cm, the craft God describes to Noah would be about 450 feet (137 meters) long, 75 feet (23 meters) wide, and 45 feet (14 meters) high. This would make the ark 1-1/2 times as long as an American football field. Or, slightly longer than a regulation FIFA soccer field. It would have been somewhere around as tall as a 4-1/2 story building. Even by modern standards, if this was a ship, it would be a big ship!
• Despite the size, there's no reason to think Noah could not have constructed this ark. God nowhere orders Noah to use only his own two hands. So, as with any other project, it's common sense to assume Noah had help from his sons, and probably others, in constructing this massive vessel. This would be no different than a contractor or business owner "building" something through oversight of others.
v. 16: You shall make a window for the ark, and finish it to a cubit from the top; and put the door of the ark on the side; you shall make it with lower, second, and third decks. - Here, God concludes His very general instructions to Noah about how to build the ark. In the previous verses, Noah was instructed to make the ark about 450 feet (137 meters) long, 75 feet (23 meters) wide, and 45 feet (14 meters) high. This is based on the traditional length of a cubit, as the distance from the top of the finger to the elbow: approximately 18 inches (46 centimeters). For materials, Noah is told to use "gopher wood," which is an unknown material. Some scholars think this was either cedar or cypress.
• Now God tells Noah to construct a roof with an opening of about 1 cubit all the way around the top. In addition, the ark would have three decks and a single door on one side of it. This door would presumably need to be large enough to accommodate the entrance and exit of all the animals who would be making the voyage with Noah and his family. Once again, the details given here are not meant to tell us, the reader, how to construct our own ark. Rather, they are general summaries of the specific instructions given by God to Noah.
v. 17: Now behold, I Myself am bringing the flood of water upon the earth, to destroy all flesh in which there is the breath of life, from under heaven; everything that is on the earth shall perish. - In prior verses, God has told Noah that He would put an end to all the people on the earth. This is due to their violence and evil (Genesis 6:5; Genesis 6:13). After making this grave announcement, God gives Noah instructions about how to build an ark (Genesis 6:14-16). Those directions included the materials Noah should use, the dimensions of the ark, and the features it needed to have.
• This verse, now, is actually the first time that God reveals how He will destroy all life. God will bring a killing flood to wipe out everything that breathes. All land-dwelling life will die. In some sense, this is God taking His creation back to a very literal "reset." In the beginning, God transformed the earth by bringing land and animals out of the water. In the flood, He will send the earth, at least symbolically, back into the state it was in prior to man's creation.
• This must have been overwhelming for Noah to hear. God is going to judge mankind by destroying almost all people. That judgment will wreak havoc on the animals and the land, as well. Beyond that, only Noah and his family will survive, and only by constructing a massive ark. Indeed, it's overwhelming for us to consider, all of these millennia later. God is planning to exercise His authority as Creator and Lord of all the universe by delivering justice against human sinfulness and violence. As the following verses will reveal, God will also demonstrate His grace by saving one human family and two of every animal so that created life will continue.
v. 18: But I will establish My covenant with you; and you shall enter the ark-you, your sons, your wife, and your sons' wives with you. - The prior verse summarized God's plan to wipe out all land-dwelling life on earth with a flood. Before that, God had given Noah instructions on building the huge ark which would carry man and animals to be spared. Here, God specifically tells Noah that he and his family alone would be saved from the flood.
• In doing so, God uses a word which will become important for God's people forever: covenant. This term implies more than just a simple contract, or agreement. It carries the idea of a pledge and a promise. God says that He will establish His covenant with Noah. In this case, God wants Noah to understand that the Lord is obligating Himself to save Noah and his family from the coming destruction.
• The purpose of God using this language is trust. A covenant is a very solemn, serious obligation. Its worth is only as good as the person making it. At the same time, it implies that the one making the covenant is staking their entire reputation on upholding their end of the bargain. So, when God tells Noah He is making a covenant with him, it implies the most absolutely binding, serious kind of commitment. If Noah cannot place his trust in a covenant from God, he can't place his trust in anything. God's covenant with Noah-and through Noah with humanity to follow-will be further developed in the coming chapters.
Chapter 7:11-14
v. 11: In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on that day all the fountains of the great deep burst open, and the floodgates of the sky were opened. - This verse points to a very specific day in the life of Noah for the beginning of the flood. Scholars have suggested many possible reasons this date might be significant. The most obvious one may be that including a specific date for the beginning of the flood gives the report authenticity. In short, the flood is not a myth. It began on an actual day in the history of the world. On that day, the Creator began to destroy much of what He had made and nearly all of the wickedness sinful humanity had made on the earth.
• In addition to a specific starting date, chapter 8 will give exact dates for the landing of the ark, for the receding of the waters, for the drying of the earth, and for the exodus from the ark. Clearly, the text means for us to understand exactly how long each phase of the flood lasted, from beginning to end. This cataclysmic judgment of God was a historical event in the life of the world.
• We are told that on that day all the fountains or springs of the great deep burst forth. The picture is of geyser spewing its contents into the sky, implying that a great underground ocean had existed and had been under some amount of pressure since the beginning of creation. In addition, the "windows of heaven" were opened. Great torrents of rain poured from the sky.
• The language is poetic, but it also parallels God's work on the second day of creation. Genesis 1:7 tells us that God created an "expanse" of atmosphere between the waters below and the waters above. Some scholars speculate that the waters above created a kind of canopy around the earth. They suggest that in this moment that canopy was broken and the waters above the earth poured down to create the flood. Others dispute this, but either interpretation is compatible with the text.
• In any case, the earth was about to revert to its original state of being covered by water (Gen. 1:1-9).
v. 12: The rain fell upon the earth for forty days and forty nights. - The previous verse describes the two directions the floodwaters came from. On the one hand, water gushed ("burst forth") from below the surface of the earth. On the other, a torrential rain poured down out of the sky. Now we're told for the first time that it rained for 40 days and nights.
• The coming chapters will explain that 40 days of that kind of rain, combined with the water uncorked and bursting from below, will be adequate to cover the entire earth. Once again, the earth will be covered with water as it was before the second day of creation (Genesis 1:9-10). As with prior verses, scholars note that the term 'erets is used here, translated as "earth," which is often used in a symbolic or local sense. The Hebrew term tebel, specifically meaning the entire planet, is not used in the flood accounts. This is part of the debate over whether the flood was planetary, or only in the region occupied by men. But regardless of that question, there is no question that this torrent of water accomplished its purpose: the elimination of the entire human race, except for Noah and his family.
v. 13: On this very same day Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth, the sons of Noah, and Noah's wife and the three wives of his sons with them, entered the ark, - The Bible credits Noah with obedience to God (Gen. 6:22; Genesis 7:5). That obedience is a key part of the story here, as the flood begins. At the very beginning of this chapter, Noah is given the command by God to board the ark. Common sense says it would take time to finish loading the ark with all the animals and last-minute supplies. According to verse 4, God had given Noah seven days' notice. This verse shows how Noah's obedience was, once again, critical to success. On the very day they finished boarding the ark, the flood waters arrived. Any delay would have been catastrophic.
• On the day the flood started, apparently, the small company of humans and huge contingent of animals, birds, and insects entered the ark. Whether this meant every animal, or, more likely, the last of the animals which had been boarding, the text does not specifically say.
• The human men are named here again: Noah and his three sons Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Each man had a wife, who is not named. Together, these eight people would restart the human race in the new beginning God would establish after the flood.
v. 14: they and every animal according to its kind, and all the livestock according to their kind, and every crawling thing that crawls on the earth according to its kind, and every bird according to its kind, all sorts of birds. - The previous verse described in more detail the eight human beings who boarded the ark on the day the rains came. This verse gives a bit more detail about the non-human occupants of the boat.
• It important to remember that Genesis claims a supernatural work of God in gathering and delivering these animals to the ark. God wanted to save a representative of every kind of beast, every kind of livestock, every kind of "creeping thing" (including insects), every kind of bird, and every kind of winged creature. As some have noted, such a collection of predators and prey, of large animals and small, could never have occupied such a space together if God had not orchestrated it for the purpose of preserving animal life on the planet.
• The repetition of this information is also part of the story. A theme of Genesis is God's ability to make good on His promises. Earlier parts of this story describe what God is predicting, later ones describe those events happening exactly as God said they would. Rather than simply saying, "animals went on the ark," Scripture emphasizes the details. This highlights the idea that God's will, and His knowledge, are specific.
