Genesis 7:19 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And the waters prevailed so mightily on the earth that all the high mountains under the whole heaven were covered.

NIV: They rose greatly on the earth, and all the high mountains under the entire heavens were covered.

NASB: And the water prevailed more and more upon the earth, so that all the high mountains everywhere under the heavens were covered.

CSB: Then the water surged even higher on the earth, and all the high mountains under the whole sky were covered.

NLT: Finally, the water covered even the highest mountains on the earth,

KJV: And the waters prevailed exceedingly upon the earth; and all the high hills, that were under the whole heaven, were covered.

NKJV: And the waters prevailed exceedingly on the earth, and all the high hills under the whole heaven were covered.

As in the prior verse, Genesis uses the Hebrew root word gabar, translated as "prevailed or triumphed" to describe the victory of the floodwaters of God's judgment. This catastrophic effect is shown in how high the water rises over the surface of the ground. The water is said to cover all of the highest hā'rim. This term, hā'rim is also often translated as "hills," or even "high hills."

This is important in the discussion of whether or not this was a planetary flood, or a "local" flood only affecting the regions inhabited by men. The tallest peaks in the Middle East region are not nearly as high as those in other places on earth. The highest point in the middle east is Mount Damāvand, in Iran, more than 18,000 feet (5,600 m) above sea level. Israel's highest point is in the Golan Heights, and rises almost 7,300 feet (2,200 m) above sea level. By comparison, Mount Everest is more than 29,000 feet (8,000 m) high, and some parts of Argentina are more than 22,000 feet (nearly 7,000 m) tall. In other words, according to proponents of a local flood, the amount of water needed to annihilate the early territory of men would have been far, far less than that needed to cover the peaks of the planet's highest mountains.

At the same time, others have speculated that the eruption of the waters from the deep, in combination with the enormous forces of the floodwaters on the earth, resulted in the creation of the mountains as we know them today. That would include these various points already mentioned.

In any case, the Bible is explicitly claiming that the waters from this flood covered every meaningful point of land, leaving no possibility of escape or rescue for those who were not on the ark.

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.

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.

In chapter 6, God saw the wickedness and violence of humanity and resolved to wipe it all out. He revealed that plan to Noah, and He commanded Noah to build the ark. In chapter 7, the ark is finished, the animals arrive, the door is shut, and the rain begins on a specific date in the history of the world. All life aboard the ark is saved; all land-dwelling, air-breathing life outside of it is ended. The waters burst from below the earth and pour from above with great intensity for 40 days and then covered the earth for another 110. In the following chapter, the ark will come to rest, and the remade earth will begin to dry out.

The book of Genesis establishes fundamental truths about God. Among these are His role as the Creator, His holiness, His hatred of sin, His love for mankind, and His willingness to provide for our redemption. We learn not only where mankind has come from, but why the world is in its present form. The book also presents the establishment of Israel, God's chosen people. Many of the principles given in other parts of Scripture depend on the basic ideas presented here in the book of Genesis. Within the framework of the Bible, Genesis explains the bare-bones history of the universe leading up to the captivity of Israel in Egypt, setting the stage for the book of Exodus.