Genesis 7:4 kjv

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.

Genesis 7:4 nkjv

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."

Genesis 7:4 niv

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."

Genesis 7:4 esv

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."

Genesis 7:4 nlt

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."

Genesis 7 verses

Genesis 7 4 Meaning

Genesis 7:4 is God's declarative warning to Noah regarding the imminent global flood. It specifies a timeline of seven days before the onset of the rain, which will then persist for forty days and forty nights. The verse reveals God's resolute decision to "blot out" all living creatures He had made from the face of the earth, as a consequence of widespread human wickedness. It underscores God's sovereign control over creation and His unwavering justice against sin.

Genesis 7 4 Context

Genesis chapter 7 stands within the broader narrative of the Genesis account, following the tragic fall of humanity (Gen 3), the escalating violence and wickedness on the earth (Gen 6), and God's lament over His creation. In Genesis 6, God grieves the extent of human depravity, stating His intention to "blot out" humanity and all living things (Gen 6:7) and affirming His decision to bring destruction upon the corrupt world (Gen 6:13). Genesis 7:1-3 details God's command to Noah and his family, along with specific instructions for bringing the animals into the ark. Verse 4 serves as the critical declaration of the impending judgment, providing the precise timeframe and destructive force. It marks the final, specific warning before the judgment commences, highlighting God's justice and His patience (giving Noah seven more days), before His pronouncements of wrath are actualized.

Genesis 7 4 Word Analysis

• For in seven days: Shiv'at yamim (שִׁבְעַ֣ת יָמִ֑ים).

  • "seven": The number seven frequently signifies completion, perfection, or a divine period in the Bible. Here, it denotes the precise countdown for divine action, marking the culmination of God's patience and the imminence of judgment. This short timeframe also suggests an intensive period of Noah's final preparations and a stark warning for the doomed world. It sets a specific, urgent deadline, highlighting God's ordered and purposeful actions even in judgment, contrasting with impulsive pagan deities.
  • "days": Implies literal days, emphasizing the real, historical nature of the event and God's specific timing.

• I will send rain: Mamṭîr (מַמְטִ֣יר).

  • "send rain": A Hiphil participle, indicating that God is the direct and active agent causing the rain. This is not a natural meteorological event independent of God, but a divine intervention. It showcases God's absolute sovereignty over creation and natural phenomena, affirming His power to command and control the elements for His purposes, whether blessing or judgment. The source of the flood is identified as directly from God.

• on the earth: hā'āreṣ (הָאָ֑רֶץ).

  • "the earth": Specifies the global scope of the impending judgment. The judgment is not localized but universal, affecting the entire land mass inhabited by humanity.

• forty days and forty nights: ʾarbāʿîm yôm wəʾarbāʿîm laylāh (אַרְבָּעִ֨ים י֖וֹם וְאַרְבָּעִ֣ים לָ֑יְלָה).

  • "forty": This number is highly significant in biblical typology, often denoting a period of testing, judgment, probation, purification, or preparation. Examples include the forty years in the wilderness for Israel, Moses on Sinai for forty days, Elijah's forty-day journey, and Jesus' forty-day fast. Here, it marks the sustained and thorough duration of God's destructive judgment, signifying the complete obliteration of life from the earth.
  • "days and nights": Emphasizes the ceaseless, continuous nature of the downpour, intensifying the judgment and removing any possibility of relief or escape once it began.

• and every living thing: kāl- hayəqûm (כָּל־ הַיְקוּם֙).

  • "every living thing": Derived from the verb qum (to arise, stand up), yequm refers to "everything that has arisen/exists." It comprehensively encompasses all breathing creatures on land outside the ark, reinforcing the absolute universality of the destruction declared by God. This emphasizes that not just humanity, but also the animal kingdom which suffered due to humanity's fallen state (Gen 6:7, 12), would be subjected to this judgment.

• that I have made: ʾašer ʿāśîṯî (אֲשֶׁ֥ר עָשִׂ֖יתִי).

  • "that I have made": This phrase highlights God's sovereign right as Creator. He exercises His ultimate authority over what He has created, affirming His right to bring about an anti-creation or "de-creation" event due to sin. It also implies the deep grief and righteous indignation of the Creator over the corruption of His own handiwork, reiterating that His judgment is not arbitrary but flows from His righteous character.

• I will blot out: Māḥîṯî (מָחִ֕יתִי).

  • "blot out": The Hebrew verb machah (מָחָה) is a powerful term, meaning to wipe clean, obliterate, efface, erase, or completely destroy. It vividly conveys the thoroughness and finality of God's judgment, as if something written is utterly erased. This is a reversal of creation; where God brought life into existence, He would now erase it, mirroring the idea of God wiping away sins or names from a record (Exod 32:32; Psa 69:28).

• from the face of the ground: Mêʿal pəney hāʾădāmāh (מֵעַל֙ פְּנֵ֣י הָאֲדָמָ֔ה).

  • "face of the ground": This is an emphatic idiom signifying complete removal from the earth's surface. The term adamah (ground) is often associated with man (adam), from whom man was formed (Gen 2:7). The judgment is total, eradicating life from the very medium that sustained it and from which humanity itself originated, signifying a thorough cleansing of the earth's surface.

Word Group Analysis:

• "For in seven days... forty days and forty nights": This coupling emphasizes God's precise and deliberate divine timing. The short "seven days" for the initiation points to God's patient yet firm final warning, while the extended "forty days and forty nights" highlights the duration, severity, and comprehensive nature of the judgment that would cleanse the earth entirely. It's a structured execution of divine wrath.
• "every living thing that I have made I will blot out": This phrase stresses the full extent of the judgment and God's righteous authority over all life. It shows the creator reversing His creative act due to profound grief over pervasive corruption. It implies a de-creation or unmaking of what He previously established as "good" in Genesis 1. The universal scope signifies a comprehensive purge of wickedness.
• "I will send rain... I will blot out": These two phrases directly link God's active involvement in the destructive act. It is not a natural disaster, but a direct, volitional act of divine judgment. He uses an element of His creation (rain) to unmake other parts of His creation, demonstrating His absolute power over all things.

Genesis 7 4 Bonus section

The Hebrew word for "blot out" (machah) is potent and versatile. While it denotes physical obliteration here, it is also used metaphorically in other contexts, such as "blotting out" sins or "blotting out" a name from a book (e.g., Exod 32:32; Psa 51:1, 9). In Genesis 7:4, it signifies a physical de-creation, a reversal of God's creative work. The idea that God "made" the very things He intends to "blot out" (Gen 7:4; 6:7) introduces a profound theological tension: the sorrow of the Creator forced by His own righteous nature to unmake what He so perfectly made. This deliberate "unmaking" sets the Genesis flood apart from other ancient Near Eastern flood narratives where gods often reacted capriciously or in annoyance. The biblical account stresses God's righteous grief, His moral indignation, and His just, purposeful action in the face of deep-seated moral corruption, thereby establishing His character as distinct and supreme over other supposed deities. The 7-day period prior to the flood can also be seen as an ultimate demonstration of God's longsuffering; having patiently endured human wickedness for centuries, He still provided a final, clear window before unleashing His judgment.

Genesis 7 4 Commentary

Genesis 7:4 stands as a profound declaration of God's divine judgment against a corrupt world. It follows His lament and firm decision in Genesis 6 and gives a precise countdown. The "seven days" highlight God's specific and purposeful timing, a period of final grace before the irreversible judgment. This interval served as Noah's last window for preparation and, potentially, for any others to repent, although the world remained oblivious (Matt 24:37-39). The subsequent "forty days and forty nights" symbolizes a period of extensive cleansing, testing, and ultimate judgment, ensuring no escape from the relentless divine action. God's act of "sending rain" confirms His absolute sovereignty over nature; He does not just permit calamity but actively orchestrates it as a means of justice. The decree to "blot out every living thing that I have made" expresses the comprehensive scope of the destruction. This wiping clean of the earth from its living inhabitants, apart from those in the ark, demonstrates the depth of God's grief and righteous wrath against the pervasive wickedness (Gen 6:5-7, 11-12). It underscores that His holiness necessitates judgment when sin has saturated the world. Yet, within this pronouncement of total destruction, God's justice is also seen in His provision of salvation for Noah and his family, illustrating that even in judgment, there is a remnant preserved for His redemptive purposes. This event sets a biblical precedent for divine judgment on sin while simultaneously preserving a righteous remnant.