Genesis 8 20

Genesis 8:20 kjv

And Noah builded an altar unto the LORD; and took of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt offerings on the altar.

Genesis 8:20 nkjv

Then Noah built an altar to the LORD, and took of every clean animal and of every clean bird, and offered burnt offerings on the altar.

Genesis 8:20 niv

Then Noah built an altar to the LORD and, taking some of all the clean animals and clean birds, he sacrificed burnt offerings on it.

Genesis 8:20 esv

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.

Genesis 8:20 nlt

Then Noah built an altar to the LORD, and there he sacrificed as burnt offerings the animals and birds that had been approved for that purpose.

Genesis 8 verses

Genesis 8 20 Meaning

Genesis 8:20 records Noah's immediate act of worship upon disembarking the Ark, building an altar and offering burnt sacrifices to the Lord from every clean animal and bird. This act signifies profound gratitude, faith, and dependence on God following the deliverance from the Flood. It is the foundational act of worship in the post-Flood world, establishing a pattern of responding to God's salvation with wholehearted devotion. It precedes God's covenant with Noah, illustrating humanity's acknowledgment of God's sovereignty and grace.

Genesis 8 20 Context

Genesis 8:20 immediately follows Noah, his family, and all the animals disembarking from the Ark after the global Flood (Gen 8:18-19). The ground had dried, and God commanded them to "Go out from the ark." Noah's first act upon stepping onto the new earth was not to seek food or shelter but to build an altar and offer sacrifices. This occurred after the waters had receded and the earth began to dry over a period of many months, culminating in Noah's release from the Ark on the 27th day of the second month of Noah's 601st year (Gen 8:14). This act sets the stage for God's subsequent covenant with Noah (Gen 9) and marks a new beginning for humanity and creation. Historically, this pre-dates the Mosaic Law by centuries, demonstrating an inherent or revealed understanding of worship and sacrifice.

Genesis 8 20 Word analysis

• Then (וַיִּבֶן, va-yi-ven): Connective adverb "and," implying continuity but also a significant immediate action after disembarking. It highlights the direct consequence or response to God's salvation.
• Noah (נֹחַ, Noach): The specific individual chosen by God to survive the Flood, now the patriarch of the new humanity. His action becomes a precedent for future generations.
• built (וַיִּבֶן, va-yi-ven - same word as 'then built'): From the Hebrew root banah, meaning "to build, construct, establish." It implies a deliberate and intentional act, not accidental or makeshift. This action establishes a physical locus for worship.
• an altar (מִזְבֵּחַ, mizbeach): From the Hebrew root zabach ("to slaughter" or "to sacrifice"). It refers to a raised structure used for sacrificing offerings to a deity. This is the first explicit mention of an "altar" in Scripture. It signifies a sacred place for communion with God through sacrifice.
• to the Lord (לַיהוָה, la-Yahweh): Specifies the recipient of the worship. Yahweh (יהוה) is the covenant name of God, indicating His personal, revealed character and faithfulness, emphasizing that this worship is directed to the one true God, not a generic deity or pagan gods.
• and took (וַיִּקַּח, va-yi-qach): From the Hebrew root laqach, meaning "to take, seize, fetch." It denotes a deliberate selection and appropriation for a sacred purpose.
• of every (מִכֹּל, mi-kol): Implies representation or a selection from the available stock, rather than taking every single one. It signifies taking samples that represent the entire category.
• clean (הַטְּהֹרָה, ha-tehorah): Refers to animals suitable for sacred use or consumption. This presupposes a prior distinction between clean and unclean animals, possibly known from creation, orally transmitted, or explicitly revealed before or during the ark-building instructions (Gen 7:2).
• animal (הַבְּהֵמָה, ha-behemah): Domesticated animals, often cattle or flocks.
• and of every clean bird (וּמִכֹּל הָעוֹף הַטָּהֹר, u-mi-kol ha-of ha-tahor): Reinforces the application of the clean/unclean distinction to birds as well.
• and offered (וַיַּעַל, va-ya'al): From the Hebrew root alah, meaning "to go up, ascend." In the context of sacrifice, it means "to cause to ascend," referring to the smoke of the offering rising heavenward.
• burnt offerings (עֹלֹת, olot): Plural of olah, literally "that which ascends." A whole burnt offering, where the entire animal (except for skin, which sometimes went to the priests later in Mosaic law) was consumed by fire on the altar, symbolizing complete devotion, surrender, atonement, and making oneself wholly acceptable to God.
• on the altar (עַל־הַמִּזְבֵּחַ, al-ha-mizbeach): Reinforces the proper place for the sacrifice, underscoring that it was a ritual act in the established location of worship.

Words-Group Analysis:

• "Then Noah built an altar to the Lord": This phrase highlights Noah's immediate and intentional response of worship, prioritizing God first after deliverance. It shows that true worship is directed to Yahweh, the true and living God, using a dedicated sacred space. This foundational act sets a precedent for how humanity should relate to God.
• "and took of every clean animal and of every clean bird": This demonstrates Noah's knowledge of the clean/unclean distinction, likely divinely revealed (as seen in Gen 7:2). The selection of clean animals indicates a holy offering, signifying purity and acceptability before God, and the principle that God desires a certain quality of offering.
• "and offered burnt offerings on the altar": This specifies the type of sacrifice – an olah, or whole burnt offering. This signified complete surrender and dedication, the ascending smoke symbolizing devotion, supplication, and atonement reaching God. The act on the newly built altar underscores the sanctity and order of the worship.

Genesis 8 20 Bonus Section

Noah's altar building in Genesis 8:20 marks the beginning of explicit formal worship after the Flood, distinct from the offerings of Cain and Abel. His action here establishes him as the first recorded high priest for the newly started humanity. The choice of clean animals, preserved abundantly due to the instruction in Genesis 7:2 (seven pairs of clean vs. two of unclean), shows God's provision even for the sacrifice. God's immediate and positive response in the subsequent verses (Gen 8:21, where the Lord smells the "soothing aroma" and pledges never to curse the ground again or destroy all life by flood) demonstrates His acceptance of such worship and initiates the Noahic Covenant. This offering serves as a spiritual anchor for the survival and re-establishment of life, mediating between humanity and the holy God. It also portrays Noah not just as a survivor, but as a priest, inaugurating an era with a proper expression of worship toward the Creator.

Genesis 8 20 Commentary

Genesis 8:20 presents a powerful picture of worship emerging from a profound experience of divine deliverance. Noah's first act after setting foot on a renewed earth was not survival-driven but God-centered. This spontaneous act of building an altar and offering sacrifices from the clean animals indicates Noah's deep gratitude, reverence, and understanding of God's saving grace. It underscores that humanity's proper response to God's intervention is wholehearted devotion.

The specificity of "clean" animals highlights a pre-Mosaic understanding of purity required for worship, implying divine instruction (Gen 7:2). The "burnt offering" (olah) signifies complete dedication and a seeking of reconciliation; it was wholly consumed by fire, symbolizing a complete surrender of the offerer to God. This act prefigures the more elaborate sacrificial system of the Mosaic Law, serving as an foundational archetype for human approach to the Holy God, and setting the stage for God's gracious response and covenant with Noah in Gen 8:21 and Gen 9. Noah's faith-filled act became the initial act of formal worship for all humanity after the Flood, establishing the proper disposition of a believer toward God—one of grateful surrender and dependence.

Examples of Practical Usage:

• Immediate Gratitude: After receiving a great blessing or deliverance, we should prioritize expressing heartfelt gratitude to God, as Noah did.
• Firstfruits Principle: Like Noah offering the "clean" first upon leaving the Ark, we are called to offer God our best, and prioritize Him in our lives and resources (Rom 12:1).
• Reverence and Intentionality: Worship should be a deliberate, focused, and reverent act directed towards the Lord, recognizing His unique identity and sovereignty.