Paths in Biblical Studies

Book of Genesis · Chapter 7 of 50

Genesis 7: Verse-by-Verse Commentary (with Videos)

24 verses · 14 video commentaries from 5 courses · Berean Standard Bible

1Then the LORD said to Noah, “Go into the ark, you and all your family, because I have found you righteous in this generation.

2You are to take with you seven pairs of every kind of clean animal, a male and its mate; a pair of every kind of unclean animal, a male and its mate;

3and seven pairs of every kind of bird of the air, male and female, to preserve their offspring on the face of all the earth.

4For seven days from now I will send rain on the earth for forty days and forty nights, and I will wipe from the face of the earth every living thing I have made.”

5And Noah did all that the LORD had commanded him.

6Now Noah was 600 years old when the floodwaters came upon the earth.

7And Noah and his wife, with his sons and their wives, entered the ark to escape the waters of the flood.

8The clean and unclean animals, the birds, and everything that crawls along the ground

9came to Noah to enter the ark, two by two, male and female, as God had commanded Noah.

10And after seven days the floodwaters came upon the earth.

11In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, on the seventeenth day of the second month, all the fountains of the great deep burst forth, and the floodgates of the heavens were opened.

12And the rain fell upon the earth for forty days and forty nights.

13On that very day Noah entered the ark, along with his sons Shem, Ham, and Japheth, and his wife, and the three wives of his sons—

14they and every kind of wild animal, livestock, crawling creature, bird, and winged creature.

15They came to Noah to enter the ark, two by two of every creature with the breath of life.

16And they entered, the male and female of every living thing, as God had commanded Noah. Then the LORD shut him in.

17For forty days the flood kept coming on the earth, and the waters rose and lifted the ark high above the earth.

18So the waters continued to surge and rise greatly on the earth, and the ark floated on the surface of the waters.

19Finally, the waters completely prevailed upon the earth, so that all the high mountains under all the heavens were covered.

20The waters rose and covered the mountaintops to a depth of fifteen cubits.

21And every living thing that moved upon the earth perished—birds, livestock, animals, every creature that swarms upon the earth, and all mankind.

22Of all that was on dry land, everything that had the breath of life in its nostrils died.

23And every living thing on the face of the earth was destroyed—man and livestock, crawling creatures and birds of the air; they were blotted out from the earth, and only Noah and those with him in the ark remained.

24And the waters prevailed upon the earth for 150 days.

Genesis 7 Section and Chapter Commentary

Gen 7:1-24

Flood Narrative: Theological Reworking of Mesopotamian Precursors

The biblical flood narrative in Genesis is not a direct copy but a theological reworking of earlier Mesopotamian flood stories. While sharing similar features, the Genesis account emphasizes Yahweh's righteousness in destroying a wicked humanity and his role as both instigator and savior, contrasting with Mesopotamian myths where gods send floods due to human noise and then establish mechanisms to limit reproduction.

Summarized by AI · Bart D. Ehrman · YouTube · Before Genesis: What the Old Testament Borrowed from Mesopotamian Stories · watch the clip

Style confirms the flood story's two sources but did not divide them

Baden recalls that the flood story was separated into P and J on plot alone: how many animals, where the water came from. Only afterward does one notice that P consistently says 'all flesh', 'destroy', 'perish', 'the earth', 'male and female' and Elohim, while J says 'all existence', 'blot out', 'die', 'the ground', 'male and its mate' and Yahweh. He says such stylistic consistency confirms a division made on narrative grounds but should never be the reason for making it.

Summarized by AI · The Hebrew Bible: Exploring the Literature of Ancient Israel · Lecture 5: The Composition of the Pentateuch · watch the clip

Gen 7:17-24

God's destruction of the world by flood in Genesis

The Hebrew Bible, specifically Genesis, depicts God's violent acts, such as the destruction of the world by a flood in the days of Noah. This act of divine violence annihilated every man, woman, and child, including infants, due to humanity's disobedience, demonstrating God's wrath against sin early in biblical history.

Summarized by AI · The Bible and the Quran: Comparing Their Historical Problems · Lecture 7: A History of Hatred, Intolerance, and Violence | Is the Bible to Blame? · watch the clip

Gen 7:18-23

First flood story (P-source) details

One flood narrative (often associated with the Priestly source) describes Noah as righteous, the world corrupted by 'all flesh,' and God deciding to end 'everything.' Noah takes two of every living thing, the flood lasts 150 days, waters come from cosmic sources (deep and sky), a raven is sent out, and God establishes a covenant with a rainbow as a sign, promising never to destroy 'all flesh' again. This narrative also includes dietary laws and a calendar-based chronology.

Summarized by AI · The Hebrew Bible: Exploring the Literature of Ancient Israel · Lecture 4: The Primeval Histories · watch the clip

Genesis 7 Verse Notes

Gen 7:1-3

Second flood story (J-source) details

The other flood narrative (often associated with the Yahwist source) portrays humankind as 'wicked' with 'evil thoughts,' leading God to regret creation. Noah is righteous, and takes seven pairs of clean animals and birds, and one pair of unclean animals. The flood is caused by 40 days and nights of rain, a dove is sent out three times, and after the flood, Noah builds an altar and offers sacrifices of clean animals. God, pleased by the aroma, promises never to curse the earth again, acknowledging humanity's inherent wickedness.

Summarized by AI · The Hebrew Bible: Exploring the Literature of Ancient Israel · Lecture 4: The Primeval Histories · watch the clip

Gen 7:1

Noah as a Herald of Righteousness

2 Peter describes Noah as a 'herald of righteousness,' a detail not explicitly stated in the Genesis account of the flood. This title for Noah appears in other Jewish sources, suggesting that New Testament authors drew upon interpretive traditions that filled in gaps in the biblical narrative, such as explaining why Noah was called 'righteous' twice in Genesis.

Summarized by AI · Jesus and the Old Testament · Lecture 5: Angle 3 | New Testament Authors Reshaping Israel's Story Around Jesus · watch the clip

Two distinct flood narratives in Genesis 6-9

The biblical flood story in Genesis 6-9 is not a single, coherent narrative but an interwoven text containing two distinct and often contradictory accounts. These contradictions appear in details such as the number of animals taken onto the ark (two of every kind vs. seven pairs of clean animals and birds, one pair of unclean), the duration of the flood (40 days vs. 150 days), the source of the waters (rain vs. cosmic waters from above and below), and the birds sent out (raven vs. dove).

Summarized by AI · The Hebrew Bible: Exploring the Literature of Ancient Israel · Lecture 4: The Primeval Histories · watch the clip

Interweaving of narratives based on uniqueness of events

The decision to interweave narratives, such as the flood story, versus presenting them as separate blocks, like the creation accounts, often depends on whether an event can logically happen only once. Events like a global flood or a character's birth/death can only occur once, necessitating interweaving if multiple accounts exist. Creation, however, is unique in that its 'rules' are undefined, allowing for distinct, non-interwoven accounts without violating internal logic.

Summarized by AI · The Hebrew Bible: Exploring the Literature of Ancient Israel · Lecture 4: The Primeval Histories · watch the clip

Gen 7:2-3

Contradictory details in the flood narrative point to multiple sources

The flood narrative in Genesis contains conflicting details, such as the number of animals Noah was instructed to take onto the ark. One part of the story states two pairs of all animals, while another specifies seven pairs for some animals and two for others. These discrepancies suggest the weaving together of different source materials.

Summarized by AI · In the Beginning: History, Legend, and Myth in Genesis · Lecture 6: Who Wrote the Pentateuch? · watch the clip

Contradictions in the Flood Narrative

The biblical account of Noah's flood in Genesis 6-9 contains internal contradictions and repetitions that are often smoothed over in popular retellings. For instance, it mentions both 40 days and 150 days for the rain, Noah taking two of every animal and also seven pairs, and sending out both a dove and a raven.

Summarized by AI · Bart D. Ehrman · YouTube · The Bible Before the New Testament: A Conversation with Joel Baden · watch the clip

Gen 7:2

Conflicting instructions for animals on the ark

Genesis presents contradictory instructions regarding the number of animals Noah was to bring onto the ark. Chapter 6 states two pairs of every animal, while chapter 7 specifies seven pairs of clean animals and two pairs of unclean animals.

Summarized by AI · In the Beginning: History, Legend, and Myth in Genesis · Lecture 3: Did Genesis Borrow Its Stories From Other Cultures? · watch the clip

Gen 7:4

Second flood story (J-source) details

The other flood narrative (often associated with the Yahwist source) portrays humankind as 'wicked' with 'evil thoughts,' leading God to regret creation. Noah is righteous, and takes seven pairs of clean animals and birds, and one pair of unclean animals. The flood is caused by 40 days and nights of rain, a dove is sent out three times, and after the flood, Noah builds an altar and offers sacrifices of clean animals. God, pleased by the aroma, promises never to curse the earth again, acknowledging humanity's inherent wickedness.

Summarized by AI · The Hebrew Bible: Exploring the Literature of Ancient Israel · Lecture 4: The Primeval Histories · watch the clip

Gen 7:8-9

Contradictory details in the flood narrative point to multiple sources

The flood narrative in Genesis contains conflicting details, such as the number of animals Noah was instructed to take onto the ark. One part of the story states two pairs of all animals, while another specifies seven pairs for some animals and two for others. These discrepancies suggest the weaving together of different source materials.

Summarized by AI · In the Beginning: History, Legend, and Myth in Genesis · Lecture 6: Who Wrote the Pentateuch? · watch the clip

Gen 7:11

The flood as a reversal of creation

The Genesis flood narrative describes the waters from above and below returning to cover the earth, effectively reversing the creation process where God separated the waters. This suggests a cosmic undoing of creation due to human sin.

Summarized by AI · In the Beginning: History, Legend, and Myth in Genesis · Lecture 3: Did Genesis Borrow Its Stories From Other Cultures? · watch the clip

The Three-Storied Universe in Genesis

According to the Book of Genesis, God created one world with a three-storied structure: an 'above world' (heaven), the Earth, and a 'below world' (realm of the dead). God did not create water but divided existing waters with a firmament, separating the waters above from the waters below. The flood of Noah is depicted as a return to the pre-creation chaotic state when these divisions disappeared.

Summarized by AI · Bart D. Ehrman · YouTube · Did Jesus Really Go to Hell? · watch the clip

First flood story (P-source) details

One flood narrative (often associated with the Priestly source) describes Noah as righteous, the world corrupted by 'all flesh,' and God deciding to end 'everything.' Noah takes two of every living thing, the flood lasts 150 days, waters come from cosmic sources (deep and sky), a raven is sent out, and God establishes a covenant with a rainbow as a sign, promising never to destroy 'all flesh' again. This narrative also includes dietary laws and a calendar-based chronology.

Summarized by AI · The Hebrew Bible: Exploring the Literature of Ancient Israel · Lecture 4: The Primeval Histories · watch the clip

Cosmic Waters in the First Flood Story

In the first flood story, the waters originate from both above and below, specifically from the 'fountains of the deep and the floodgates of the sky.' This imagery connects directly to the Genesis 1 creation account, where God separates these cosmic waters. Thus, the flood in this narrative is depicted as an 'un-creation,' a reversal of the original cosmic order.

Summarized by AI · The Hebrew Bible: Exploring the Literature of Ancient Israel · Lecture 4: The Primeval Histories · watch the clip

Gen 7:12

Contradictions in the Flood Narrative

The biblical account of Noah's flood in Genesis 6-9 contains internal contradictions and repetitions that are often smoothed over in popular retellings. For instance, it mentions both 40 days and 150 days for the rain, Noah taking two of every animal and also seven pairs, and sending out both a dove and a raven.

Summarized by AI · Bart D. Ehrman · YouTube · The Bible Before the New Testament: A Conversation with Joel Baden · watch the clip

Second flood story (J-source) details

The other flood narrative (often associated with the Yahwist source) portrays humankind as 'wicked' with 'evil thoughts,' leading God to regret creation. Noah is righteous, and takes seven pairs of clean animals and birds, and one pair of unclean animals. The flood is caused by 40 days and nights of rain, a dove is sent out three times, and after the flood, Noah builds an altar and offers sacrifices of clean animals. God, pleased by the aroma, promises never to curse the earth again, acknowledging humanity's inherent wickedness.

Summarized by AI · The Hebrew Bible: Exploring the Literature of Ancient Israel · Lecture 4: The Primeval Histories · watch the clip

Gen 7:13-16

First flood story (P-source) details

One flood narrative (often associated with the Priestly source) describes Noah as righteous, the world corrupted by 'all flesh,' and God deciding to end 'everything.' Noah takes two of every living thing, the flood lasts 150 days, waters come from cosmic sources (deep and sky), a raven is sent out, and God establishes a covenant with a rainbow as a sign, promising never to destroy 'all flesh' again. This narrative also includes dietary laws and a calendar-based chronology.

Summarized by AI · The Hebrew Bible: Exploring the Literature of Ancient Israel · Lecture 4: The Primeval Histories · watch the clip

Gen 7:17

Second flood story (J-source) details

The other flood narrative (often associated with the Yahwist source) portrays humankind as 'wicked' with 'evil thoughts,' leading God to regret creation. Noah is righteous, and takes seven pairs of clean animals and birds, and one pair of unclean animals. The flood is caused by 40 days and nights of rain, a dove is sent out three times, and after the flood, Noah builds an altar and offers sacrifices of clean animals. God, pleased by the aroma, promises never to curse the earth again, acknowledging humanity's inherent wickedness.

Summarized by AI · The Hebrew Bible: Exploring the Literature of Ancient Israel · Lecture 4: The Primeval Histories · watch the clip

Gen 7:24

Contradictions in the Flood Narrative

The biblical account of Noah's flood in Genesis 6-9 contains internal contradictions and repetitions that are often smoothed over in popular retellings. For instance, it mentions both 40 days and 150 days for the rain, Noah taking two of every animal and also seven pairs, and sending out both a dove and a raven.

Summarized by AI · Bart D. Ehrman · YouTube · The Bible Before the New Testament: A Conversation with Joel Baden · watch the clip

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