Genesis 7:17 kjv

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.

Genesis 7:17 nkjv

Now the flood was on the earth forty days. The waters increased and lifted up the ark, and it rose high above the earth.

Genesis 7:17 niv

For forty days the flood kept coming on the earth, and as the waters increased they lifted the ark high above the earth.

Genesis 7:17 esv

The flood continued forty days on the earth. The waters increased and bore up the ark, and it rose high above the earth.

Genesis 7:17 nlt

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

Genesis 7 verses

Genesis 7 17 Meaning

Genesis 7:17 succinctly describes the critical initial phase of the global deluge. It conveys that for forty consecutive days, the flood profoundly affected the earth. During this period, the waters continued to rise exponentially, powerfully lifting the ark from the land. This elevation separated the ark from the submerged world, commencing its designated role as a vessel of divine preservation amidst widespread judgment.

Genesis 7 17 Context

Genesis 7:17 is centrally placed within the biblical narrative detailing the onset and initial progression of the Great Flood. Preceding it, verses 1-5 establish God's command for Noah to enter the ark with his family and designated animals, signifying divine election and specific instruction for preservation. Verses 7-10 describe the family and animals entering the ark, while 7:11-12 depict the cataclysmic commencement of the flood: "all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened," leading to rain for forty days and nights. This immediate preceding context underscores that verse 7:17 is not an isolated event but the direct consequence of God's unleashed judgment, transitioning from the entry into the ark to its actual, life-sustaining function.

The broader chapter 7 focuses on the overwhelming nature of the flood. Following verse 17, verses 18-20 vividly describe the continued, escalating power of the waters, covering even the highest mountains, while verses 21-23 lament the perishing of "all flesh that moved upon the earth." This chapter emphasizes God's righteous judgment against human wickedness (as detailed in Gen 6:5-7) and His sovereign power over creation. Historically and culturally, the universal flood narrative, with its explicit global scale, stood in stark contrast to contemporary pagan flood myths which often depicted localized floods, capricious gods, or even gods terrified by their own destructive actions. The Genesis account asserts the sovereignty of a single, moral God who controls natural forces and enacts just judgment, distinguishing biblical monotheism from polytheistic explanations of cataclysm.

Genesis 7 17 Word Analysis

• And the flood (וְהַמַּבּוּל - v'ha-mabbul):
  • מַבּוּל (mabbul): This Hebrew word uniquely refers to the Great Flood described in Genesis. It is not used for ordinary floods or rain, underscoring its unparalleled, divinely orchestrated catastrophic nature. Its specific usage signifies a monumental, universal deluge rather than a local inundation.
• was forty days (אַרְבָּעִים יוֹם - 'arba'im yom):
  • אַרְבָּעִים (arba'im): "Forty." This numerical term carries profound symbolic significance throughout Scripture. It frequently denotes periods of testing, probation, divine judgment, or intensive preparation. For example, Israel's wilderness wandering, Moses' time on Sinai, Elijah's journey, and Jesus' temptation all lasted forty days or years, establishing a recurring motif of a critical, definitive period of divine action and human transformation. Here, it denotes the specific duration of the active, overwhelming increase of the flood.
• upon the earth (עַל הָאָרֶץ - 'al ha-arets):
  • אָרֶץ (erets): Earth, land, country. In this context, used universally to mean the entire habitable world, supporting the global scale of the flood and not a localized event.
• and the waters increased (וַיִּרְבּוּ הַמַּיִם - vayirbu ha-mayim):
  • רָבָה (rabah): To be great, become many, multiply, increase. The verb implies a continuous, intensifying process, indicating the ongoing and exponential rise of the water level. It speaks to the relentless power and volume of the deluge.
• and bare up the ark (וַיִּשְׂאוּ אֶת הַתֵּבָה - vayiss'u et ha-tevah):
  • נָשָׂא (nasa): To lift, carry, bear, take away. This active verb highlights the dynamic force of the waters in lifting the ark. Crucially, it conveys that the ark's elevation was not due to human ingenuity or effort in navigation, but solely the consequence of the waters' power, thus by extension, divine providence.
  • תֵּבָה (tevah): Ark, chest, basket. This unique Hebrew word is used only for Noah's ark and the basket in which infant Moses was placed (Exod 2:3). It doesn't describe a conventional sailing vessel, but rather a simple, buoyant container designed for preservation and endurance. Its choice reinforces the idea of divine design and special protection.
• and it was lift up above the earth (וַתָּרָם מֵעַל הָאָרֶץ - vataram me'al ha-arets):
  • רוּם (rum): To be high, to be exalted, to be lifted up, to rise. Similar to nasa, but emphasizing the resulting state of elevation. This clause signifies the complete detachment of the ark from the dry land and its contents, representing the separation of the chosen few from the perishing world below.

Words-Group Analysis:

• "And the flood was forty days upon the earth": This phrase immediately establishes the prolonged and pervasive nature of the catastrophic judgment. The duration of "forty days" serves as a biblical motif for periods of intense divine action, judgment, or testing, suggesting a set, intentional period for this phase of the global deluge.
• "and the waters increased, and bare up the ark": This depicts the direct, forceful interaction between the rising floodwaters and the ark. It illustrates the sheer power of the waters as they continuously escalated (increased), yet it was this very force that divinely served to elevate (bare up) the vessel of salvation, demonstrating God's sovereign control over even destructive forces for His redemptive purposes.
• "and it was lift up above the earth": This concludes the dynamic action by describing the final state of the ark. Its elevation above the earth symbolizes its physical and spiritual separation from the doomed world, highlighting God's act of setting apart Noah and his family, preserving them from the overwhelming destruction affecting all other life on land. The ark becomes a symbol of refuge and life floating free from judgment.

Genesis 7 17 Bonus section

• The sequence of increasing water levels in Genesis 7 (vv. 17, 18, 19, 20) demonstrates the comprehensive and escalating nature of the flood. From merely "lifted up above the earth," the waters progressed to "prevailed exceedingly" covering "all the high hills," and finally "the mountains were covered." This escalation reinforces the global scale and overwhelming power of the cataclysm, demonstrating that no part of the earth was spared.
• The selection of the specific Hebrew word תֵּבָה for "ark" (distinct from terms for ships or boats) highlights its unique theological purpose. It emphasizes a divine design for preservation and sustenance, rather than human navigational prowess. Its use mirrors the basket in which the infant Moses was saved from water, further associating the tevah with divinely orchestrated rescue through water.
• The passive nature of "it was lift up" emphasizes God's direct and ultimate control over the events. There is no mention of human effort in navigating or lifting the ark; God alone directed its journey. This absence of human agency in controlling the ark underlines that the preservation of Noah and his family was entirely an act of God's grace and sovereignty.

Genesis 7 17 Commentary

Genesis 7:17 provides a critical detail in the unfolding flood narrative, shifting from the commencement of rain to the direct physical effect on the ark. The duration "forty days" is significant, not merely specifying a time period, but invoking a common biblical trope for testing, divine action, and preparation leading to transformation or judgment. This period represents the intensive phase during which the very power of the escalating waters served God's purpose of preserving life within the ark. The phrase "the waters increased, and bare up the ark" precisely illustrates divine providence: the forces of judgment themselves became the means of salvation. The ark, designed by God's instruction, was not propelled by human hands or skill but sovereignly lifted, detaching Noah and his household from the earth doomed to destruction. This "lifting up" physically separated the chosen remnant from the perishing world, symbolizing the ark's function as a sanctuary from the world's pervasive wickedness. It underscores God's absolute control over creation, manifesting both His just wrath and His faithful covenant to preserve life according to His sovereign will.