Genesis 7 summary meaning ai explained commentary

Genesis 7 meaning explained in AI Summary

The floodwaters rise, covering the earth and destroying all life outside the ark. Noah and his family, along with the animals, remain safe within the ark for 40 days and 40 nights. The waters gradually recede, and the ark comes to rest on Mount Ararat.

Chapter 7 of Genesis details the beginning of the Great Flood, a cataclysmic event sent by God to cleanse the earth of wickedness.

1. Entering the Ark: God commands Noah to enter the ark with his family and the animals. He reiterates the distinction between clean and unclean animals, instructing Noah to take seven pairs of each clean animal and one pair of each unclean animal.

2. The Floodgates Open: Seven days after Noah and the animals enter the ark, the flood begins. Torrential rain falls for forty days and forty nights, submerging the earth.

3. All Life Submerged: The rising waters lift the ark, and soon even the highest mountains are covered. All living creatures outside the ark perish, fulfilling God's judgment on the wicked.

4. The Waters Prevail: The floodwaters remain at their peak for one hundred and fifty days, demonstrating the complete and utter destruction of the pre-flood world.

Key Themes:

God's Justice and Judgment: The flood serves as a stark reminder of God's power and his intolerance for wickedness.
God's Mercy and Preservation: Despite the widespread destruction, God preserves Noah and his family, along with representatives of all living creatures, demonstrating his mercy and desire for a new beginning.
Obedience and Faithfulness: Noah's unwavering obedience to God's instructions, even in the face of seemingly impossible tasks, highlights the importance of faith and trust in God's plan.

Chapter 7 sets the stage for the next phase of the flood narrative, where the waters recede and a new era begins.

Genesis 7 bible study ai commentary

Genesis 7 details the climactic execution of God's judgment upon a corrupt world. It is a chapter of de-creation, where the boundaries restraining the primordial waters are released, erasing life from the earth. Simultaneously, it is a story of immense grace, as God personally secures the salvation of Noah's family and the animal kingdom's representatives. The narrative carefully balances the terror of divine judgment with the security of divine protection, highlighting God's sovereignty over both destruction and preservation.

Genesis 7 Context

The story of the flood is set against the backdrop of other Ancient Near Eastern (ANE) flood myths, most notably the Epic of Gilgamesh. The Genesis account functions as a direct polemic against these pagan narratives. In contrast to the Mesopotamian gods who are capricious, fearful of their own creation, and act out of annoyance at human noise, the God of Israel (YHWH) is singular, sovereign, and acts with moral justification against universal human wickedness. The flood is not a chaotic accident but a righteous and orderly act of judgment and de-creation, orchestrated by the one true Creator.

Genesis 7:1

Then the LORD said to Noah, “Go into the ark, you and all your household, for I have seen that you are righteous before me in this generation.”

In-depth-analysis

The Invitation: The command "Go into" (Hebrew: Bo) is a divine invitation to safety. It's an act of grace amidst impending judgment.
YHWH: The use of God's personal, covenant name YHWH (the LORD) here, and in v. 16, frames the entire event. The Judge (Elohim) decrees the flood, but the covenant-keeper (YHWH) personally saves His people.
Righteous: The word for "righteous" (tsaddiq) denotes adherence to a standard. While Genesis 6:9 describes Noah as righteous in his character, this verse states God sees him as righteous, signifying divine approval which is the basis for his salvation. This righteousness is unique "in this generation."

Bible references

Hebrews 11:7: "By faith Noah, being warned by God... prepared an ark for the saving of his household. By this he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith." (Defines Noah's righteousness as faith-based).
2 Peter 2:5: "...he did not spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah, a herald of righteousness, with seven others, when he brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly." (Affirms Noah's role and the flood as historical judgment).
Ezekiel 14:14: "...even if these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they would deliver but their own lives by their righteousness, declares the Lord GOD." (Lists Noah as a paradigm of righteousness).

Cross references

Prov 10:25 (righteous as an everlasting foundation), Prov 11:4 (righteousness delivers from death), Psa 34:17 (Lord hears the righteous), Acts 10:35 (in every nation the one who fears him is acceptable).

Genesis 7:2-4

Take with you seven pairs of all clean animals, the male and his mate, and a pair of the animals that are not clean, the male and his mate, and seven pairs of the birds of the heavens also, male and female, to keep their offspring alive on the face of all the earth. For in seven days I will send rain on the earth forty days and forty nights, and every living thing that I have made I will blot out from the face of the ground.

In-depth-analysis

Clean and Unclean: This distinction predates the Law of Moses (Leviticus 11). The immediate purpose was for post-flood sacrifice (Genesis 8:20), a form of worship. It also provided a source of food for Noah's family after the flood without depleting the breeding pairs.
Seven Pairs: The number seven in the Bible symbolizes divine completion, perfection, and fulfillment. The clean animals, intended for worship, are marked by this divine number.
Two of every kind: The minimum required for procreation and fulfilling the mandate to "be fruitful and multiply."
Forty Days and Forty Nights: This time-frame becomes a recurring biblical motif for periods of testing, trial, and consecration.
Blot Out: The Hebrew (machah) means to wipe, erase, or utterly destroy. It’s the language of a scribe wiping a tablet clean. God is wiping His creation clean of wickedness.

Bible references

Genesis 8:20: "Then Noah built an altar to the LORD and took some of every clean animal and some of every clean bird and offered burnt offerings on the altar." (Reveals the immediate purpose for the seven pairs of clean animals).
Matthew 4:2: "And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry." (Shows Jesus undergoing a 40-day period of testing, echoing Israel in the wilderness and the flood).
Exodus 24:18: "Moses entered the cloud and went up on the mountain. And Moses was on the mountain forty days and forty nights." (Moses on Sinai receiving the Law).

Cross references

Deut 25:19 (blot out the memory of Amalek), 1 Kgs 19:8 (Elijah's 40-day journey), Acts 1:3 (Jesus appears for 40 days after resurrection).

Genesis 7:5

And Noah did all that the LORD had commanded him.

In-depth-analysis

This verse is a crucial summary statement, echoing Genesis 6:22. It highlights Noah's complete and unquestioning obedience. His faith was not passive; it was an active response to God’s word. This obedience is the tangible evidence of his righteousness.

Bible references

Genesis 6:22: "Noah did this; he did all that God commanded him." (Parallel statement emphasizing consistent obedience before the flood).
1 John 5:3: "For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments..." (Connects love for God with obedience).
John 14:15: "If you love me, you will keep my commandments." (Jesus makes the same connection).

Genesis 7:6-9

Noah was six hundred years old when the flood of waters came upon the earth. And Noah and his sons and his wife and his sons' wives with him went into the ark to escape the waters of the flood. Of clean animals, and of animals that are not clean, and of birds, and of everything that creeps on the ground, two and two, male and female, went into the ark with Noah, as God had commanded Noah.

In-depth-analysis

Specificity: The age of Noah (600) anchors the event in his personal history, lending it the feel of a historical record rather than a timeless myth.
Orderly Procession: The text emphasizes the orderly fulfillment of God’s command. It wasn't a chaotic scramble but a divinely organized entry into salvation. Male and female pairs underscore the purpose of future procreation.
Repetition: The repetition of the pairs and the fulfillment of God’s command reinforces the themes of divine order and Noah’s faithful execution of that order.

Genesis 7:10-12

And after the seven days, the floodwaters came upon the earth. In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on that very day all the fountains of the great deep burst forth, and the windows of the heavens were opened. And rain fell upon the earth forty days and forty nights.

In-depth-analysis

Precise Dating: The exact date provides a literary anchor, giving the account the weight of a factual report. This contrasts with the vague, mythological timelines of other ANE texts.
Cosmic De-creation:
- Fountains of the great deep (tehom): This is a direct callback to Genesis 1:2, where the unformed earth was a "deep," watery chaos. The bursting forth of these subterranean waters is the undoing of the creative act of separating the waters below from the land in Genesis 1:9.
- Windows of the heavens (arubbot ha-shamayim): This is the undoing of the creative act of separating the "waters above" from the "waters below" with the expanse in Genesis 1:6-7. The firmament is poetically described as having sluice gates, which are now opened.
The flood is therefore portrayed not just as a big storm, but as a systematic de-creation of the world, returning it to its primordial, watery state.

Bible references

Genesis 1:2, 6-7: "...the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters... 'Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.'" (The original creation acts that are now being reversed).
Psalm 29:10: "The LORD sits enthroned over the flood; the LORD sits enthroned as king forever." (Declares God's absolute sovereignty and control over the floodwaters, not fear like pagan gods).
Job 38:8-11: "Or who shut in the sea with doors when it burst out from the womb... and said, ‘Thus far shall you come, and no farther, and here shall your proud waves be stayed’?" (Describes God's power in setting boundaries for the sea, boundaries that are removed during the flood).

Cross references

2 Pet 3:6 (the world that then existed was deluged), Isa 24:18 (windows of heaven language for judgment), Prov 8:28-29 (Wisdom present when God established the fountains of the deep).

Polemics

Unlike Mesopotamian myths where the gods fear the flood they unleashed, here God is entirely in command. The language of "burst forth" and "opened" are divine actions. This is not nature run amok; it is God acting deliberately to dismantle His own creation as an act of judgment.

Genesis 7:13-16

On the very same day Noah and his sons, Shem and Ham and Japheth, and Noah’s wife and the three wives of his sons with them entered the ark, they and every beast, according to its kind... And those that entered, male and female of all flesh, went in as God had commanded him. And the LORD shut him in.

In-depth-analysis

"According to its kind": This phrase, repeated throughout Genesis 1, is deliberately used here. The same order and distinction used in creation are now being used in preservation.
The LORD shut him in (vayyisgor YHWH ba'ado): This is a profound statement of divine grace and finality.
- Protection: God himself secures Noah inside. The source of judgment (God) is also the source of salvation and security.
- Finality: Once God shuts the door, the time for repentance is over. The decision is final. It separates the saved from the condemned. No one else could enter, and those inside could not leave.

Bible references

Matthew 25:10: "...and the door was shut. Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ But he answered, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.’" (Jesus uses the "shut door" motif as a symbol of the finality of judgment).
Luke 13:25: "When once the master of the house has risen and shut the door... he will answer... 'I do not know where you come from.'" (Another "shut door" parable of eschatological judgment).
John 10:9: "I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture." (The Ark as a type of Christ, who is the sole entry to salvation).

Genesis 7:17-23

The flood continued forty days on the earth. The waters increased and bore up the ark, and it rose high above the earth... And all flesh died that moved on the earth, birds, livestock, beasts, all swarming creatures that swarm on the earth, and all mankind. Everything on the dry land in whose nostrils was the breath of life died. He blotted out every living thing that was on the face of the ground... only Noah was left, and those who were with him in the ark.

In-depth-analysis

Totality: The text uses sweeping, universal language to emphasize the totality of the destruction: "all the high mountains... were covered," "all flesh died," "every living thing... was blotted out."
15 Cubits: This depth (approx. 22.5 feet) could refer to the draft of the ark (how deep it sat in the water), ensuring it floated freely, or it could mean the waters rose 15 cubits above the highest peaks, stressing the completeness of the inundation.
Breath of Life (nishmat ruach chayyim): This exact phraseology connects directly to the creation of Adam in Genesis 2:7. God, who breathed life into humanity, is now the one who takes it away from all land-based life as part of this de-creation.
Reversal of Creation: The list of creatures that died is an intentional inversion of the creation accounts, signifying a complete undoing of that work.
The Remnant: The verse ends by starkly contrasting total destruction with singular preservation: "only Noah was left."

Bible references

Matthew 24:39: "...they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man." (Jesus confirms the historicity and totality of the flood's destruction).
Genesis 2:7: "...the LORD God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life..." (The giving of the life that is now taken away in judgment).
2 Peter 3:6: "...by means of these the world that then existed was deluged with water and perished." (The apostle Peter confirms the global and destructive nature of the flood).

Genesis 7:24

And the waters prevailed on the earth for 150 days.

In-depth-analysis

Duration: This period of 150 days (five months) is the total time the waters prevailed, from the start of the flood until the waters began to recede (as mentioned in Genesis 8:3). It underscores the duration and severity of the judgment, showing the world was held in a state of watery death for a significant time before the hope of a new beginning emerged.

Genesis chapter 7 analysis

Divine Names: The chapter strategically uses both Elohim (God as the transcendent, all-powerful Creator and Judge) and YHWH (the LORD, God as the personal, covenant-keeping Savior). YHWH is used in key verses of personal interaction and salvation (vv. 1, 16).
Literary Structure: The entire flood narrative (Gen 6-9) is often seen as a large chiasm (a mirroring literary structure), with Genesis 7:17–8:5 forming the central panels. The peak of the waters and God's act of "remembering" Noah in 8:1 is the turning point of the entire story.
The Ark as a Type: Throughout Christian theology, the Ark is a type, or foreshadowing, of Christ. It is the one and only vessel of salvation, planned by God, built in obedience, and entered by faith. Just as the ark door was the sole entrance, Christ is the "door" (John 10:9) for salvation.
The Flood as a Type of Baptism: 1 Peter 3:20-21 explicitly compares the waters of the flood to baptism. The waters that brought judgment and death to the world are the very same waters that lifted the ark and its occupants to safety. Similarly, in baptism, the water symbolizes both death to an old life of sin and resurrection to a new life in Christ.
De-creation and Re-creation: The chapter is a textbook example of de-creation. The dismantling of the cosmos by removing the boundaries on water in vv. 11-12 is a direct reversal of Genesis 1. This sets the stage for Genesis 8, which functions as a new, condensed re-creation narrative.

Genesis 7 summary

God executes His righteous judgment, commanding Noah to enter the ark with his family and the designated animals. After a seven-day waiting period, the cosmic waters are unleashed from above and below for forty days, returning the world to a state of watery chaos. The waters rise to cover all mountains, blotting out every land-based, air-breathing creature not secured in the ark, which God himself shut. The ark floats safely, preserving the remnant of humanity and the animal kingdom as the waters prevail for 150 days.

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Genesis chapter 7 kjv

¹ And the LORD said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation.
² Of every clean beast thou shalt take to thee by sevens, the male and his female: and of beasts that are not clean by two, the male and his female.
³ Of fowls also of the air by sevens, the male and the female; to keep seed alive upon the face of all the earth.
⁴ For yet seven days, and I will cause it to rain upon the earth forty days and forty nights; and every living substance that I have made will I destroy from off the face of the earth.
⁵ And Noah did according unto all that the LORD commanded him.
⁶ And Noah was six hundred years old when the flood of waters was upon the earth.
⁷ And Noah went in, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons' wives with him, into the ark, because of the waters of the flood.
⁸ Of clean beasts, and of beasts that are not clean, and of fowls, and of every thing that creepeth upon the earth,
⁹ There went in two and two unto Noah into the ark, the male and the female, as God had commanded Noah.
¹⁰ And it came to pass after seven days, that the waters of the flood were upon the earth.
¹¹ In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened.
¹² And the rain was upon the earth forty days and forty nights.
¹³ In the selfsame day entered Noah, and Shem, and Ham, and Japheth, the sons of Noah, and Noah's wife, and the three wives of his sons with them, into the ark;
¹⁴ They, and every beast after his kind, and all the cattle after their kind, and every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind, and every fowl after his kind, every bird of every sort.
¹⁵ And they went in unto Noah into the ark, two and two of all flesh, wherein is the breath of life.
¹⁶ And they that went in, went in male and female of all flesh, as God had commanded him: and the LORD shut him in.
¹⁷ And the flood was forty days upon the earth; and the waters increased, and bare up the ark, and it was lift up above the earth.
¹⁸ And the waters prevailed, and were increased greatly upon the earth; and the ark went upon the face of the waters.
¹⁹ And the waters prevailed exceedingly upon the earth; and all the high hills, that were under the whole heaven, were covered.
²⁰ Fifteen cubits upward did the waters prevail; and the mountains were covered.
²¹ And all flesh died that moved upon the earth, both of fowl, and of cattle, and of beast, and of every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth, and every man:
²² All in whose nostrils was the breath of life, of all that was in the dry land, died.
²³ And every living substance was destroyed which was upon the face of the ground, both man, and cattle, and the creeping things, and the fowl of the heaven; and they were destroyed from the earth: and Noah only remained alive, and they that were with him in the ark.
²⁴ And the waters prevailed upon the earth an hundred and fifty days.

Genesis chapter 7 nkjv

¹ Then the LORD said to Noah, "Come into the ark, you and all your household, because I have seen that you are righteous before Me in this generation.
² You shall take with you seven each of every clean animal, a male and his female; two each of animals that are unclean, a male and his female;
³ also seven each of birds of the air, male and female, to keep the species alive on the face of all the earth.
⁴ For after seven more days I will cause it to rain on the earth forty days and forty nights, and I will destroy from the face of the earth all living things that I have made."
⁵ And Noah did according to all that the LORD commanded him.
⁶ Noah was six hundred years old when the floodwaters were on the earth.
⁷ So Noah, with his sons, his wife, and his sons' wives, went into the ark because of the waters of the flood.
⁸ Of clean animals, of animals that are unclean, of birds, and of everything that creeps on the earth,
⁹ two by two they went into the ark to Noah, male and female, as God had commanded Noah.
¹⁰ And it came to pass after seven days that the waters of the flood were on the earth.
¹¹ In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, on that day all the fountains of the great deep were broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened.
¹² And the rain was on the earth forty days and forty nights.
¹³ On the very same day Noah and Noah's sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth, and Noah's wife and the three wives of his sons with them, entered the ark?
¹⁴ they and every beast after its kind, all cattle after their kind, every creeping thing that creeps on the earth after its kind, and every bird after its kind, every bird of every sort.
¹⁵ And they went into the ark to Noah, two by two, of all flesh in which is the breath of life.
¹⁶ So those that entered, male and female of all flesh, went in as God had commanded him; and the LORD shut him in.
¹⁷ Now the flood was on the earth forty days. The waters increased and lifted up the ark, and it rose high above the earth.
¹⁸ The waters prevailed and greatly increased on the earth, and the ark moved about on the surface of the waters.
¹⁹ And the waters prevailed exceedingly on the earth, and all the high hills under the whole heaven were covered.
²⁰ The waters prevailed fifteen cubits upward, and the mountains were covered.
²¹ And all flesh died that moved on the earth: birds and cattle and beasts and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth, and every man.
²² All in whose nostrils was the breath of the spirit of life, all that was on the dry land, died.
²³ So He destroyed all living things which were on the face of the ground: both man and cattle, creeping thing and bird of the air. They were destroyed from the earth. Only Noah and those who were with him in the ark remained alive.
²⁴ And the waters prevailed on the earth one hundred and fifty days.

Genesis chapter 7 niv

¹ The LORD then said to Noah, "Go into the ark, you and your whole family, because I have found you righteous in this generation.
² Take with you seven pairs of every kind of clean animal, a male and its mate, and one pair of every kind of unclean animal, a male and its mate,
³ and also seven pairs of every kind of bird, male and female, to keep their various kinds alive throughout the earth.
⁴ 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 creature I have made."
⁵ And Noah did all that the LORD commanded him.
⁶ Noah was six hundred years old when the floodwaters came on the earth.
⁷ And Noah and his sons and his wife and his sons' wives entered the ark to escape the waters of the flood.
⁸ Pairs of clean and unclean animals, of birds and of all creatures that move along the ground,
⁹ male and female, came to Noah and entered the ark, as God had commanded Noah.
¹⁰ And after the seven days the floodwaters came on the earth.
¹¹ In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, on the seventeenth day of the second month?on that day all the springs of the great deep burst forth, and the floodgates of the heavens were opened.
¹² And rain fell on the earth forty days and forty nights.
¹³ On that very day Noah and his sons, Shem, Ham and Japheth, together with his wife and the wives of his three sons, entered the ark.
¹⁴ They had with them every wild animal according to its kind, all livestock according to their kinds, every creature that moves along the ground according to its kind and every bird according to its kind, everything with wings.
¹⁵ Pairs of all creatures that have the breath of life in them came to Noah and entered the ark.
¹⁶ The animals going in were 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 as the waters increased they lifted the ark high above the earth.
¹⁸ The waters rose and increased greatly on the earth, and the ark floated on the surface of the water.
¹⁹ They rose greatly on the earth, and all the high mountains under the entire heavens were covered.
²⁰ The waters rose and covered the mountains to a depth of more than fifteen cubits.
²¹ Every living thing that moved on land perished?birds, livestock, wild animals, all the creatures that swarm over the earth, and all mankind.
²² Everything on dry land that had the breath of life in its nostrils died.
²³ Every living thing on the face of the earth was wiped out; people and animals and the creatures that move along the ground and the birds were wiped from the earth. Only Noah was left, and those with him in the ark.
²⁴ The waters flooded the earth for a hundred and fifty days.

Genesis chapter 7 esv

¹ Then the LORD said to Noah, "Go into the ark, you and all your household, for I have seen that you are righteous before me in this generation.
² Take with you seven pairs of all clean animals, the male and his mate, and a pair of the animals that are not clean, the male and his mate,
³ and seven pairs of the birds of the heavens also, male and female, to keep their offspring alive on the face of all the earth.
⁴ For in seven days I will send rain on the earth forty days and forty nights, and every living thing that I have made I will blot out from the face of the ground."
⁵ And Noah did all that the LORD had commanded him.
⁶ Noah was six hundred years old when the flood of waters came upon the earth.
⁷ And Noah and his sons and his wife and his sons' wives with him went into the ark to escape the waters of the flood.
⁸ Of clean animals, and of animals that are not clean, and of birds, and of everything that creeps on the ground,
⁹ two and two, male and female, went into the ark with Noah, as God had commanded Noah.
¹⁰ And after seven days the waters of the flood came upon the earth.
¹¹ In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on that day all the fountains of the great deep burst forth, and the windows of the heavens were opened.
¹² And rain fell upon the earth forty days and forty nights.
¹³ On the very same day Noah and his sons, Shem and Ham and Japheth, and Noah's wife and the three wives of his sons with them entered the ark,
¹⁴ they and every beast, according to its kind, and all the livestock according to their kinds, and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth, according to its kind, and every bird, according to its kind, every winged creature.
¹⁵ They went into the ark with Noah, two and two of all flesh in which there was the breath of life.
¹⁶ And those that entered, male and female of all flesh, went in as God had commanded him. And the LORD shut him in.
¹⁷ The flood continued forty days on the earth. The waters increased and bore up the ark, and it rose high above the earth.
¹⁸ The waters prevailed and increased greatly on the earth, and the ark floated on the face of the waters.
¹⁹ And the waters prevailed so mightily on the earth that all the high mountains under the whole heaven were covered.
²⁰ The waters prevailed above the mountains, covering them fifteen cubits deep.
²¹ And all flesh died that moved on the earth, birds, livestock, beasts, all swarming creatures that swarm on the earth, and all mankind.
²² Everything on the dry land in whose nostrils was the breath of life died.
²³ He blotted out every living thing that was on the face of the ground, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens. They were blotted out from the earth. Only Noah was left, and those who were with him in the ark.
²⁴ And the waters prevailed on the earth 150 days.

Genesis chapter 7 nlt

¹ When everything was ready, the LORD said to Noah, "Go into the boat with all your family, for among all the people of the earth, I can see that you alone are righteous.
² Take with you seven pairs ? male and female ? of each animal I have approved for eating and for sacrifice, and take one pair of each of the others.
³ Also take seven pairs of every kind of bird. There must be a male and a female in each pair to ensure that all life will survive on the earth after the flood.
⁴ Seven days from now I will make the rains pour down on the earth. And it will rain for forty days and forty nights, until I have wiped from the earth all the living things I have created."
⁵ So Noah did everything as the LORD commanded him.
⁶ Noah was 600 years old when the flood covered the earth.
⁷ He went on board the boat to escape the flood ? he and his wife and his sons and their wives.
⁸ With them were all the various kinds of animals ? those approved for eating and for sacrifice and those that were not ? along with all the birds and the small animals that scurry along the ground.
⁹ They entered the boat in pairs, male and female, just as God had commanded Noah.
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.
²¹ All the living things on earth died ? birds, domestic animals, wild animals, small animals that scurry along the ground, and all the people.
²² Everything that breathed and lived on dry land died.
²³ God wiped out every living thing on the earth ? people, livestock, small animals that scurry along the ground, and the birds of the sky. All were destroyed. The only people who survived were Noah and those with him in the boat.
²⁴ And the floodwaters covered the earth for 150 days.