Genesis 7:11-24

11 In 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.

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

13 On 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—

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

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

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

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

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

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

20 The waters rose and covered the mountaintops to a depth of fifteen cubits. ^[b]

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

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

23 And 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.

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

Genesis 7:11-24 Meaning and Commentary

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.

Footnotes

• [a]. Literally of all flesh; similarly in verses 16 and 21
• [b]. 15 cubits is approximately 22.5 feet or 6.9 meters.