Genesis 7:24 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And the waters prevailed on the earth 150 days.

NIV: The waters flooded the earth for a hundred and fifty days.

NASB: The water prevailed upon the earth for 150 days.

CSB: And the water surged on the earth 150 days.

NLT: And the floodwaters covered the earth for 150 days.

KJV: And the waters prevailed upon the earth an hundred and fifty days.

NKJV: And the waters prevailed on the earth one hundred and fifty days.

This verse brings us back to the Hebrew root word gabar, translated as "prevailed" in the ESV and other versions. It is a word used to refer to a military victory. The floodwaters "triumphed, overwhelmed, overcame or conquered" the surface of the land for 150 days, remaining victorious over everything beneath. Those who have witnessed a large river, a broken dam, or a tsunami have seen the immense power of moving water. Water only a few feet deep has the strength to tear down buildings and drown virtually any land animal. According to the Bible, the flood waters around the ark were never less than 18 cubits (22 feet or 7 meters) above the highest point of land. That's an invincible quantity of water, and nothing in its path survived (Genesis 7:23).

These 150 days include the first 40 days of torrential rain, followed at some point by the end of water gushing up from below. After this, the waters beginning to recede. But, for another 110 days, the flood waters utterly destroy everything in their path. As we'll see in the next chapter, the ark will finally come to rest on solid ground after those 150 days.

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.