Chapter Seven
Final Preparation
Essentially, we fast-forward 120 years, the ark is now ready to float, and animals are ready to board. God has some final instructions for Noah. The sad news is that no one else listened to Noah, as only he and his family have been found worthy to be saved.
7:1 Then the LORD said to Noah, “Go into the ark, you and all your household, for I have seen that you are righteous before me in this generation.
God is using the ark as an instrument of salvation for Noah and his family, and He is inviting them to enter because He has seen their obedience and faith. This will not be an easy voyage, as there will be a lot of things to do, but He will bring them through. God delights in keeping His promises. This should remind us that being a Christian is not always easy, but we know that we have a Savior that will always be with us too, as He still delights in keeping His promises.
7:2 Take with you seven pairs of all clean animals, the male and his mate, and a pair of the animals that are not clean, the male and his mate, 3 and seven pairs of the birds of the heavens also, male and female, to keep their offspring alive on the face of all the earth.
These verses can easily be overlooked. This is one of those locations we investigated in our discussion regarding the knowledge of good and evil, that imply that Noah had some idea what was and what was not a clean animal for sacrifices, not consumption.[1] The statement that defines these animals does not occur until much later, when Moses receives the “Mosaic Law” from God on Mount Sinai. The criteria for delineation is recorded in the 11th chapter of the book of Leviticus. The larger number of clean animals was intended to allow some to be offered as sacrifices (see Genesis 8:20).
The Hebrew manuscripts vary slightly for these verses. The phrase translated here as “seven pairs” in some manuscripts simply repeat the word for the number seven (’šiḇ·’ā(h)’),[2] while others use the Hebrew word ‘šiḇ’·ā·ṯǎ·yim’,[3] a dual noun that indicates that something is increased seven times. Most modern Bible translations (such as the ESV, NLT, CSB, ISV, etc.) include the words “seven pairs” instead of “by sevens” or a reference to a total number of seven of each kind. The use of the seven pairs is now considered by most scholars to be the correct interpretation.
7:4 For in seven days I will send rain on the earth forty days and forty nights, and every living thing that I have made I will blot out from the face of the ground.” 5 And Noah did all that the LORD had commanded him.
God gives Noah seven days to complete everything before it starts to rain. Some commentators point out that since it is likely that Methuselah just died at this time (remember that his name meant, “his death shall bring,” referring to the flood), that this period will also serve as a time to mourn (see Genesis 50:10). God also tells Noah that it will rain for 40 days and 40 nights, blotting out (same Hebrew word found in Genesis 6:7, meaning to wipe out) every “living thing” (a somewhat unique all-inclusive Hebrew word ‘yeqûm’,[4] only found two other times in the Bible, see Genesis 7:23 and Deuteronomy 11:6) from the face of the earth. Once again, we hear that Noah did everything God asked him to do.
7:6 Noah was six hundred years old when the flood of waters came upon the earth. 7 And Noah and his sons and his wife and his sons’ wives with him went into the ark to escape the waters of the flood. 8 Of clean animals, and of animals that are not clean, and of birds, and of everything that creeps on the ground, 9 two and two, male and female, went into the ark with Noah, as God had commanded Noah.
We are then told that Noah was 600 years old when the flood started, based on the genealogy of Genesis chapter five, the world would be approximately 1,656 years old. Noah, his wife and their three sons, along with their wives each came on board to escape the worldwide destruction. Note that not even the families of the three wives came along; were they dead or did they not believe? The animals came into the ark as well, one male and one female to continue their kind after the flood. We know that there were seven pairs for each clean animal, however, they would be potential sacrifices, so we see at least one pair that would not be sacrificed to propagate their kind.
Considerations
Back in Genesis chapter two, we discussed that the antediluvian world (before the flood) had a potentially different hydrologic cycle than what we see today.[5] Some scholars believe that there was no rain fall prior to the flood, and that there were no seasonal changes either, some also believe that this was the result of not having any tilt to the earth. That would also mean that there would be little to no wind, no snow, or any major storm activity. Basically, nothing too cold and nothing too hot, unless perhaps at the polar caps. While Noah obviously knew what rain was (God would have explained it to him), he probably never experienced rainfall. So, what was the main contributor to the flood? Okay, there was lots of rain, of course, but the majority came from the "fountains of the great deep," (see next two verses).
The Flood Begins
7:10 And after seven days the waters of the flood came 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 that day all the fountains of the great deep burst forth, and the windows of the heavens were opened. 12 And rain fell upon the earth forty days and forty nights.
We see that God gives us the exact date when the flood began, “in the second month, on the seventeenth day,” and then using Noah’s age as a reference, we know the year. Even though the calendar system has not been explained yet, we will be given the dates of every major event as it happens in the narrative (see table below for a compilation).
In verse eleven we are given two amazing visual descriptions, the first being the “fountains of the great deep burst open,” fountains (Hebrew word ‘mǎ·yenōṯ’,[6] meaning spring of water) of the great deep (Hebrew word ‘tehōm’,[7] referring to the deepest part of the earth; the Septuagint translates it as ‘abussou’[8] or more commonly known, the ‘abyss’), bursting open and flowing to the surface. Where did all that water come from? No one knows for sure as the earth’s deep interior is largely unexplored. Then we read that the “windows of the heavens were opened,” creating a dramatic illustration of a vast amount of water inundating the earth. This phrase was probably selected since the term ‘rain’, or even ‘downpour’, are not sufficient to illustrate this phenomenon, and it continued for forty days and nights!
7:13 On the very same day Noah and his sons, Shem and Ham and Japheth, and Noah’s wife and the three wives of his sons with them entered the ark, 14 they and every beast, according to its kind, and all the livestock according to their kinds, and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth, according to its kind, and every bird, according to its kind, every winged creature. 15 They went into the ark with Noah, two and two of all flesh in which there was the breath of life. 16 And those that entered, male and female of all flesh, went in as God had commanded him. And the LORD shut him in.
We are given the passenger manifest once again along with the statement that all the animals are onboard as well. Then we read that God shut them in. Why would God shut the door? Is He concerned that they might escape? No, He was not concerned about anyone leaving, but once the ark was shut, no one could get in, or out. Once judgment begins, it’s too late. Just like it is with Jesus today, the time to accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior is NOW! Let me say it again, once judgment begins, it’s too late. Did some of Noah’s neighbors come over and start knocking on the door? Perhaps, but since God closed the door, no one else could open the door, even if they wanted to.
7:17 The flood continued forty days on the earth. The waters increased and bore up the ark, and it rose high above the earth. 18 The waters prevailed and increased greatly on the earth, and the ark floated on the face of the waters. 19 And the waters prevailed so mightily on the earth that all the high mountains under the whole heaven were covered. 20 The waters prevailed above the mountains, covering them fifteen cubits deep.
These verses give us another interesting visual, the water continued for forty days, picking up the ark and raising it above the level of the highest mountain. The whole earth was covered with water. The highest water level was 15 cubits above the highest peak (approximately 22 feet at the shallowest location). The root for the words translated here as ‘prevailed’, all three times, is the Hebrew ’gāḇar’,[9] it basically means “to be strong,” however, it is most often used to indicate superior strength. This is the first appearance of the word and will be used one additional time in this chapter.
7:21 And all flesh died that moved on the earth, birds, livestock, beasts, all swarming creatures that swarm on the earth, and all mankind. 22 Everything on the dry land in whose nostrils was the breath of life died. 23 He blotted out every living thing that was on the face of the ground, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens. They were blotted out from the earth. Only Noah was left, and those who were with him in the ark.
We are told twice that everything had died in the flood, the second time emphasis is placed on those that breathed air had died. Using the same words found in verse four, we read that God had indeed blotted out every living thing with the exception of Noah and all those in the ark.
7:24 And the waters prevailed on the earth 150 days.
In this fourth and final use of the word ‘gāḇar’ in this chapter, we are informed that the water remained in place for 150 days before receding.
Considerations
A Global Flood, Not a Local Flood
Although it may be difficult to understand how someone can read the description of the flood and conclude it must have been a local flood, many do. Christians that believe that the Word of God is indeed inspired, but yet deny that the flood recorded in this chapter is worldwide, may not be giving God the attributes of God. Apparently uniformitarianism-thinking scientists have been successful in their challenges against the Bible’s account and have penetrated churches and Christian thinkers just as Jude warned (see Jude 4). If you believe the Bible to be true, then let’s review a few points:[10]
The Bible clearly teaches that the flood as recorded in the book of Genesis was indeed a worldwide flood.
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[1] See Considerations under Genesis Chapter Three, “Life as We Know It Begins,” for discussion regarding knowledge of the law prior to it being written.
[2] Strong’s Hebrew 7659, seen here twice (back-to-back)
[3] Also cataloged under Strong’s Hebrew 7659.
[4] Strong’s Hebrew 3351.
[5] See Considerations under Genesis 2:7, Rain or No Rain.
[6] Strong’s Hebrew 4599.
[7] Strong’s Hebrew 8415.
[8] Strong’s Greek 12.
[9] Strong’s Hebrew 1396.
[10] This list was “distilled down” from a great list of reasons why this was a global flood in Morris, H. M. (1976). The Genesis record: a scientific and devotional commentary on the book of beginnings (pp. 199–203). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books.
[11] See commentary under Genesis 6:17.