Home / Commentary / Genesis / Genesis Chapter 7

Genesis 7 Commentary

Please choose a passage:

Genesis 7:1-5

God tells Noah to enter the ark. Further instructions are to take a male and female of every unclean creature and seven pairs of every clean creature into the ark.

Genesis 7:6-14

Noah was 600 years old when the flood came. There were eight people, and a male and female of every kind of animal on the ark as God had commanded.

Genesis 7:15-20

By twos (male and female) they entered the ark, and God sealed the ark. The rain came and lifted the ark. It floated as the waters continued to rise even covering the mountains.

Every living thing left on the earth died and was blotted out. Only Noah and those safe in the ark escaped the judgment of the flood. The flood water was on the earth 150 days before it began to recede.

Additional Resources

Book Theme

Genesis is a book about many beginnings. The beginnings of the world, the human race, sin and redemption, and the nation of Israel to name a few. In fact, the word Genesis from the Greek means “origin,” and in Hebrew it means “beginning.” The book of Genesis contains the events of the flood, tower of Babel, Sodom and Gomorrah, and the lives of the Patriarchs.

In the beginning, God created everything by simply speaking, “God said…and it was so” (Genesis 1:6-7, 9, 11, 14-15). This is not a scientific technical account of creation, but it shows a loving God creating a universe and mankind to rule it and fellowship with God. Man was formed especially from the ground and given the breath of life from God. The woman was made from the man’s rib (Genesis 2:7).

After man fell into sin, things began to spin out of control quickly. Cain murdered his brother Abel and the human race became so violent that God decided to destroy them all with a flood. God saved one righteous man (Noah) and his family in an ark filled with animals to deliver the human race from extinction. God chose Abraham and blessed a special group of people named “Israel.” God began to unfold a plan of salvation from a coming famine by sending Joseph to rule in Egypt. The failure of man in every circumstance is met by the salvation of God. We fail, but the good news is God saves us.

Chapter Context

In Genesis chapter 7 the flood comes. Noah’s family and all the animals on the ark were saved. It rained for forty days. The flood waters lasted more than a year covering the whole earth. This terrible judgment wiped out all living creatures (including humans) everywhere on the earth. The basic theme of Genesis 7 is that God is both just and gracious and keeps His promises. The ark reveals both the judgment and grace of God.