Genesis 7:10-20

10 After seven days, the waters of the flood came and covered the earth.

11 When Noah was 600 years old, on the seventeenth day of the second month, all the underground waters erupted from the earth, and the rain fell in mighty torrents from the sky.

12 The rain continued to fall for forty days and forty nights.

13 That very day Noah had gone into the boat with his wife and his sons—Shem, Ham, and Japheth—and their wives.

14 With them in the boat were pairs of every kind of animal—domestic and wild, large and small—along with birds of every kind.

15 Two by two they came into the boat, representing every living thing that breathes.

16 A male and female of each kind entered, just as God had commanded Noah. Then the LORD closed the door behind them.

17 For forty days the floodwaters grew deeper, covering the ground and lifting the boat high above the earth.

18 As the waters rose higher and higher above the ground, the boat floated safely on the surface.

19 Finally, the water covered even the highest mountains on the earth,

20 rising more than twenty-two feet above the highest peaks.

Genesis 7:10-20 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]. Hebrew 15 cubits [6.9 meters].