Genesis 7:7 - Printer Friendly

ESV: 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.

NIV: And Noah and his sons and his wife and his sons' wives entered the ark to escape the waters of the flood.

NASB: Then Noah and his sons, his wife, and his sons’ wives with him entered the ark because of the waters of the flood.

CSB: So Noah, his sons, his wife, and his sons' wives entered the ark because of the floodwaters.

NLT: He went on board the boat to escape the flood — he and his wife and his sons and their wives.

KJV: And Noah went in, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons' wives with him, into the ark, because of the waters of the flood.

NKJV: So Noah, with his sons, his wife, and his sons’ wives, went into the ark because of the waters of the flood.

Only eight people will survive the flood, which will otherwise wipe out all of humanity. Noah and his wife and their three sons and their wives would shortly become the only people left on the entire planet. This is a common point held between those who interpret these verses as a local flood, and those who see a global flood. Whether these waters covered the entire surface of the globe, or only the regions inhabited by man, the purpose and effect is the same.

In the prior chapter, God saw that the human race was spiraling out of control. Everything was poisoned by evil (Genesis 6:5), and everything man did was abusive and vile (Genesis 6:11–12). The only exception, it seems, was Noah (Genesis 6:9). Rather than allow mankind to fall into complete ruin, God chooses to judge evil. And, in doing so, to spare those who honor Him. In this way, the human race can survive, but his drastic turn towards evil can be stopped.

Noah's three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth were each around 100 years old at this time, still relatively young men by the lifespans of their era.

Genesis 7:1–10 confirms that Noah fulfilled all that he was commanded in chapter 6. In addition to the two pairs of all animals, Noah is also told to bring seven (total) pairs of ''clean'' animals, most likely for sacrificial purposes. God gives Noah a last-minute warning of the coming flood. As the preparations are completed, the great catastrophe occurs, just as God said it would. The next passage describes the colossal event.

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.

Accessed 5/6/2024 8:01:47 AM