Genesis 7

1 And the LORde sayd vnto Noe: goo in to the arcke both thou and all thy houssold. For the haue I sene rightuous before me in thys generacion.
2 Of all clene beastes take vnto the .vij. of every kynde the male and hys female And of vnclene beastes a payre the male and hys female:
3 lykewyse of the byrdes of the ayre vij. of every kynde male and female to save seed vppon all the erth.
4 For .vij. dayes hence wyll I send rayne vppo the erth .xl. dayes and .xl. nyghtes and wyll dystroy all maner of thynges that I haue made from of the face of the erth..
5 And Noe dyd acordynge to all yt the lorde comaunded hym:
6 and Noe was .vi. hundred yere olde when the floud of water came vppon the erth:
7 and Noe went and his sonnes and his wyfe and his sonnes wyves wyth hym in to the arke from the waters of the floud.
8 And of clene beastes and of beastes that ware vnclene and of byrdes and of all that crepeth vppo the erth
9 came in by cooples of every kynde vnto Noe in to the arke: a male and a female: even as God commaunded Noe.
10 And the seventh daye the waters of the floud came vppon the erth.
11 In the .vi. hundred yere of Noes lyfe in the secode moneth in the .xvij daye of the moneth yt same daye were all the founteynes of the grete depe broken vp and the wyndowes of heave were opened
12 ad there fell a rayne vpon the erth .xl. dayes and .xl. nyghtes.
13 And the selfe same daye went Noe Sem Ham and Iapheth Noes sonnes and Noes wyfe and the .iij. wyues of his sonnes wyth them in to the arke:
14 both they and all maner of beastes in their kide and all maner of catell in their kynde and all maner of wormes that crepe vppon the erth in their kynde and all maner of byrdes in there kynde. and all maner off foules what soever had feders.
15 And they came vnto Noe in to the arke by cooples of all flesh yt had breth of lyfe in it.
16 And they that came came male ad female of every flesh acordige as God comaunded hym: and ye LORde shytt the dore vppo him
17 And the floud came .xl. dayes and .xl. nyghtes vppon the erth and the water increased and bare vp the arcke ad it was lifte vp from of the erth
18 And the water prevayled and increased exceadingly vppon the erth: and the arke went vppo he toppe of the waters.
19 And the waters prevayled excedingly above mesure vppo the erth so that all the hye hylles which are vnder all the partes of heaven were covered:
20 eve .xv. cubytes hye prevayled the waters so that the hylles were covered.
21 And all fleshe that moved on the erth bothe birdes catell and beastes perisshed with al that crepte on the erth and all men:
22 so that all that had the breth of liffe in the nostrels of it thorow out all that was on drye lond dyed.
23 Thus was destroyed all that was vppo the erth both man beastes wormes and foules of the ayre so that they were destroyed from the erth: save Noe was reserved only and they that were wyth hym in the arke.
24 And the waters prevayled vppon the erth an hundred and fyftye dayes.

Genesis 7 Commentary

Chapter 7

Noah, and his family and the living creatures, enter the ark, and the flood begins. (1-12) Noah shut in the ark. (13-16) The increase of the flood for forty days. (17-20) All flesh is destroyed by the flood. (21-24)

Verses 1-12 The call to Noah is very kind, like that of a tender father to his children to come in-doors when he sees night or a storm coming. Noah did not go into the ark till God bade him, though he knew it was to be his place of refuge. It is very comfortable to see God going before us in every step we take. Noah had taken a great deal of pains to build the ark, and now he was himself kept alive in it. What we do in obedience to the command of God, and in faith, we ourselves shall certainly have the comfort of, first or last. This call to Noah reminds us of the call the gospel gives to poor sinners. Christ is an ark, in whom alone we can be safe, when death and judgment approach. The word says, "Come;" ministers say, "Come;" the Spirit says, "Come, come into the Ark." Noah was accounted righteous, not for his own righteousness, but as an heir of the righteousness which is by faith, ( Hebrews 11:7 ) . He believed the revelation of a saviour, and sought and expected salvation through Him alone. Thus was he justified by faith, and received that Spirit whose fruit is in all goodness; but if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. After the hundred and twenty years, God granted seven days' longer space for repentance. But these seven days were trifled away, like all the rest. It shall be but seven days. They had only one week more, one sabbath more to improve, and to consider the things that belonged to their peace. But it is common for those who have been careless of their souls during the years of their health, when they have looked upon death at a distance, to be as careless during the days, the few days of their sickness, when they see death approaching; their hearts being hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. As Noah prepared the ark by faith in the warning given that the flood would come, so he went into it, by faith in this warning that it would come quickly. And on the day Noah was securely fixed in the ark, the fountains of the great deep were broken up. The earth had within it those waters, which, at God's command, sprang up and flooded it; and thus our bodies have in themselves those humours, which, when God pleases, become the seeds and springs of mortal diseases. The windows of heaven were opened, and the waters which were above the firmament, that is, in the air, were poured out upon the earth. The rain comes down in drops; but such rains fell then, as were never known before or since. It rained without stop or abatement, forty days and forty nights, upon the whole earth at once. As there was a peculiar exercise of the almighty power of God in causing the flood, it is vain and presumptuous to attempt explaining the method of it, by human wisdom.

Verses 13-16 The ravenous creatures were made mild and manageable; yet, when this occasion was over, they were of the same kind as before; for the ark did not alter their natures. Hypocrites in the church, who outwardly conform to the laws of that ark, are yet unchanged; and it will appear, one time or other, what kind they are after. God continued his care of Noah. God shut the door, to secure him and keep him safe in the ark; also to keep all others for ever out. In what manner this was done, God has not been pleased to make known. There is much of our gospel duty and privilege to be seen in Noah's safety in the ark. The ( 1 Peter. 3:20 1 Peter. 3:21 ) Observe then, it is our great duty, in obedience to the gospel call, by a lively faith in Christ, to come into that way of salvation which God has provided for poor sinners. Those that come into the ark, should bring as many as they can with them, by good instructions, by persuasions, and by good examples. There is room enough in Christ for all comers. God put Adam into paradise, but did not shut him in, so he threw himself out; but when God put Noah into the ark, and so when he brings a soul to Christ, the salvation is sure: it is not in our own keeping, but in the Mediator's hand. But the door of mercy will shortly be shut against those that now make light of it. Knock now, and it shall be opened, ( Luke 13:25 ) .

Verses 17-20 The flood was increasing forty days. The waters rose so high, that the tops of the highest mountains were overflowed more than twenty feet. There is no place on earth so high as to set men out of the reach of God's judgments. God's hand will find out all his enemies, ( Psalms 21:8 ) . When the flood thus increased, Noah's ark was lifted up, and the waters which broke down every thing else, bore up the ark. That which to unbelievers betokens death unto death, to the faithful betokens life unto life.

Verses 21-24 All the men, women, and children, that were in the world, excepting those in the ark, died. We may easily imagine what terror seized them. Our Saviour tells us, that till the very day that the flood came, they were eating and drinking, Lu. 17:26, Lu. 17:27 ; they were deaf and blind to all Divine warnings. In this posture death surprised them. They were convinced of their folly when it was too late. We may suppose they tried all ways and means possible to save themselves, but all in vain. And those that are not found in Christ, the Ark, are certainly undone, undone for ever. Let us pause, and consider this tremendous judgment! Who can stand before the Lord when he is angry? The sin of sinners will be their ruin, first or last, if not repented of. The righteous God knows how to bring ruin upon ( 2 Peter. 2:5 ) day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men! Happy they who are part of Christ's family, and safe with him as such; they may look forward without dismay, and rejoice that they shall triumph, when fire shall burn up the earth, and all that therein is. We are apt to suppose some favourable distinctions in our own case or character; but if we neglect, refuse, or abuse the salvation of Christ, we shall, notwithstanding such fancied advantages, be destroyed in the common ruin of an unbelieving world.

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO GENESIS 7

This chapter begins with an order to Noah to come with his family and all the creatures into the ark, that they might be safe from the flood, which would quickly be upon the earth, Ge 7:1-4 and then gives an account of Noah's obedience to the divine command in every particular, Ge 7:5-9 and of the time of the beginning of the flood, and its prevalence, Ge 7:10-12 then follows a repetition of Noah, his family, and the creatures entering into the ark, Ge 7:13-16 and next a relation is given of the increase of the waters, and of the height they arrived unto, Ge 7:17-20 and of the consequences of the flood, the death and destruction of every living creature, except those in the ark, fowl, cattle, beast, creeping things, and men, Ge 7:21-23 and the chapter is closed with an account how long the waters continued before they began to ebb, even one hundred and fifty days, Ge 7:24.

Genesis 7 Commentaries

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