Genesis 7:1-8

1 Also the Lord said to Noe, Enter thou and all thine house into the ship, for I saw (that) thee (alone were) just before me in this generation. (And then the Lord said to Noah, Enter thou and all thy household, or all thy family, into the ship, for I have seen that in this generation, thou alone be righteous before me.)
2 Of all clean living beasts, thou shalt take (with thee) by seven and by seven, male and female; forsooth of unclean living beasts, thou shalt take by twain and by twain, male and female; (Of all clean beasts, thou shalt take with thee seven pairs, male and female; but of all unclean beasts, thou shalt take only one pair, male and female;)
3 and also of [the] volatiles of (the) heaven(s), thou shalt take, by seven and by seven, male and female, that their seed be saved on the face of all (the) earth. (and also of the birds of the air, thou shalt take seven pairs, male and female, so that their descendants will continue to live on the face of the earth.)
4 For yet and after seven days, I shall rain on [the] earth forty days and forty nights, and I shall do away all substance which I made, from the face of [the] earth. (For in seven days, I shall send rain on the earth for forty days and forty nights, and I shall do away all the substance which I made, from off the face of the earth.)
5 Therefore Noe did all things which the Lord commanded to him.
6 And he was six hundred years (old), when the waters of the great flood flowed on [the] earth.
7 And Noe entered into the ship, and his sons, and his wife, and the wives of his sons, entered with him, for the waters of the great flood (because of the waters of the great flood).
8 And of living beasts clean and unclean, and of [the] birds of (the) heaven(s), and of each beast which is moved on [the] earth, (And of the clean and unclean beasts, and of the birds of the air, and of each beast which creepeth on the earth,)

Genesis 7:1-8 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.

Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.