Genesis 7:17

“And the flood was forty days on the earth; and the waters increased and lifted up the ark, and it rose above the earth.”
Genesis 7:17 · direct translation from the Hebrew

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With the Hebrew beneath

Andוַthe floodהַמַּבּוּלwasיְהִיfortyאַרְבָּעִיםdaysיוֹםonעַלthe earth;הָאָרֶץandוַthe watersהַמַּיִםincreasedיִּרְבּוּand lifted upוַיִּשְׂאוּthe ark,אֶת הַתֵּבָהand it roseוַתָּרָםaboveמֵעַלthe earth.הָאָרֶץ

Allusion · 2 Peter 2:5

Go to 2 Peter 2:5

Both texts speak of Noah and the flood; Genesis 7:23 says that only Noah and those who were with him in the ark were left.

They share words that are rare in the original, without a quotation.

נֹחַnoajH5146ΝῶεNōeG3575“Noah”
מַּבּוּלmabulH3999κατακλυσμὸνkataklysmonG2627“flood”

Genesis 7:17, word by word

the floodמַּבּוּלmabul

flood

Flood: the great flood in the days of Noah. The word is almost only used for that event.

Where else “mabul” appears

wasיְהִיyehi

To be: "I will be their Elohim".

Where else “yehi” appears

fortyאַרְבָּעִיםarbaim

forty

Forty.

Where else “arbaim” appears

daysיוֹםyom

day

The day, the hours of light, or a whole day.

Where else “yom” appears

the earthאָרֶץarets

earth

The whole world, everything under the sky.

Where else “arets” appears

the watersמַּיִםmayim

water

Water: for drinking, of rivers or seas.

Where else “mayim” appears

increasedיִּרְבּוּyirbu

multiply

To grow in number.

Where else “yirbu” appears

and lifted upיִּשְׂאוּyisu

lift up

To direct the eyes upward, make the voice loud, or put up the hand.

Where else “yisu” appears

the arkתֵּבָהteva

ark

Ark: a large box or chest. It is Noah's vessel; the same word is used only again for the basket where the baby Moses was put (Exodus 2:3).

Where else “teva” appears

and it roseתָּרָםtaram

be high

To be up above, raised in honor.

Where else “taram” appears

The context

16And those that came, male and female of all flesh, came as Elohim had commanded him; and YHWH shut the door behind him.

17 · This verse (above)

18And the waters prevailed and increased greatly on the earth, and the ark moved on the surface of the waters.

Read all of Genesis 7

To study Genesis 7 in a group

1. What it says
Who entered the ark, and what did YHWH do after they went in (vv. 7, 16)?
2. What it means
What does the text teach by repeating that Noah did all that Elohim had commanded him (vv. 5, 9)?
3. How I live it
What step you have been putting off can you take this week in obedience to what you know is good?

How to use it