17 And the flood H3999 was forty H705 days H3117 upon the earth; H776 and the waters H4325 increased, H7235 and bare up H5375 the ark, H8392 and it was lift up H7311 above the earth. H776
18 And the waters H4325 prevailed, H1396 and were increased H7235 greatly H3966 upon the earth; H776 and the ark H8392 went H3212 upon the face H6440 of the waters. H4325
19 And the waters H4325 prevailed H1396 exceedingly H3966 H3966 upon the earth; H776 and all the high H1364 hills, H2022 that were under H8478 the whole heaven, H8064 were covered. H3680
20 Fifteen H6240 H2568 cubits H520 upward H4605 did the waters H4325 prevail; H1396 and the mountains H2022 were covered. H3680
21 And all flesh H1320 died H1478 that moved H7430 upon the earth, H776 both of fowl, H5775 and of cattle, H929 and of beast, H2416 and of every creeping thing H8318 that creepeth H8317 upon the earth, H776 and every man: H120
22 All in whose nostrils H639 was the breath H5397 H7307 of life, H2416 of all that was in the dry H2724 land, died. H4191
23 And every living substance H3351 was destroyed H4229 which was upon the face H6440 of the ground, H127 both man, H120 and cattle, H929 and the creeping things, H7431 and the fowl H5775 of the heaven; H8064 and they were destroyed H4229 from the earth: H776 and Noah H5146 only H389 remained H7604 alive, and they that H834 were with him in the ark. H8392
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Genesis 7
Commentary on Genesis 7 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 7
Ge 7:1-24. Entrance into the Ark.
1. And the Lord said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into the ark—The ark was finished; and Noah now, in the spirit of implicit faith, which had influenced his whole conduct, waited for directions from God.
2, 3. Of every clean beast … fowls—Pairs of every species of animals, except the tenants of the deep, were to be taken for the preservation of their respective kinds. This was the general rule of admission, only with regard to those animals which are styled "clean," three pairs were to be taken, whether of beasts or birds; and the reason was that their rapid multiplication was a matter of the highest importance, when the earth should be renovated, for their utility either as articles of food or as employed in the service of man. But what was the use of the seventh? It was manifestly reserved for sacrifice; and so that both during Noah's residence in the ark, and after his return to dry land, provision was made for celebrating the rites of worship according to the religion of fallen man. He did not, like many, leave religion behind. He provided for it during his protracted voyage.
4. For yet seven days—A week for a world to repent! What a solemn pause! Did they laugh and ridicule his folly still? He whose eyes saw and whose heart felt the full amount of human iniquity and perverseness has told us of their reckless disregard (Lu 17:27).
9. There went in two and two—Doubtless they were led by a divine impulse. The number would not be so large as at first sight one is apt to imagine. It has been calculated that there are not more than three hundred distinct species of beasts and birds, the immense varieties in regard to form, size, and color being traceable to the influence of climate and other circumstances.
16. and the Lord shut him in—literally, "covered him round about." The "shutting him in" intimated that Noah had become the special object of divine care and protection, and that to those without the season of grace was over (Mt 25:10).
17. the waters increased, and bare up the ark—It seems to have been raised so gradually as to be scarcely perceptible to its occupants.
20. Fifteen cubits upward … and the mountains were covered—twenty-two and a half feet above the summits of the highest hills. The language is not consistent with the theory of a partial deluge.
21. all flesh died … fowl … cattle, and … creeping thing—It has been a uniform principle in the divine procedure, when judgments were abroad on the earth, to include every thing connected with the sinful objects of His wrath (Ge 19:25; Ex 9:6). Besides, now that the human race was reduced to one single family, it was necessary that the beasts should be proportionally diminished, otherwise by their numbers they would have acquired the ascendancy and overmastered the few that were to repeople the world. Thus goodness was mingled with severity; the Lord exercises judgment in wisdom and in wrath remembers mercy.
24. an hundred and fifty days—a period of five months. Though long before that every living creature must have been drowned, such a lengthened continuance of the flood was designed to manifest God's stern displeasure at sin and sinners. Think of Noah during such a crisis. We learn (Eze 14:14) that he was a man who lived and breathed habitually in an atmosphere of devotion; and having in the exercise of this high-toned faith made God his refuge, he did not fear "though the waters roared and were troubled; though the mountains shook with the swelling thereof" [Ps 46:3].