Genesis 7:16 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And those that entered, male and female of all flesh, went in as God had commanded him. And the LORD shut him in.

NIV: The animals going in were male and female of every living thing, as God had commanded Noah. Then the LORD shut him in.

NASB: Those that entered, male and female of all flesh, entered as God had commanded him; and the Lord closed the door behind him.

CSB: Those that entered, male and female of every creature, entered just as God had commanded him. Then the Lord shut him in.

NLT: A male and female of each kind entered, just as God had commanded Noah. Then the Lord closed the door behind them.

KJV: And they that went in, went in male and female of all flesh, as God had commanded him: and the LORD shut him in.

NKJV: So those that entered, male and female of all flesh, went in as God had commanded him; and the Lord shut him in.

Under normal circumstances, there is simply no way for a man to capture, alive, representative samples of all animal life. This would have been especially difficult if that same man was also tasked with building an enormous ark to house those animals. According to the Bible, God never commanded Noah to track down these animals. Instead, God sent them to Noah (Genesis 6:20). This was God's power executing God's plan.

Still, Noah is commended for saying "yes" to all God commanded (Genesis 6:22, Genesis 7:5). He did what God said, when God said, and how God said. God still executes His plans through obedient servants without expecting them to have the power in themselves to do the impossible.

This verse also makes a very specific, very important point about how the ark was sealed in preparation for the flood. The closing of the ark is specifically credited to God Himself. This symbolism will become crucial in our understanding of God and salvation. This is important for two reasons.

First, this act emphasizes that it is God who is saving life from judgment. And, it serves as a reminder of God's promise to preserve those He has saved. Both to Noah, and to us, this is a symbol of God's ability to keep those He has saved.

Second, and of critical importance, is the fact that the door was not shut by Noah. When every life meant to be saved had boarded the ark, God shut Noah and all who were with him inside. Their security wasn't earned by something Noah had done. Noah was not the one who decided when the door would be shut, or when the opportunity for salvation would be lost to those outside. All of these are exclusively God's prerogative.

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.