22
Everythingכֹּלthat hadאֲשֶׁרthe breathנִשְׁמַתof the spiritרוּחַof lifeחַיִּיםin its nostrils,בְּאַפָּיוof allמִכֹּלthatאֲשֶׁרwason dry land,בֶּחָרָבָהdied.מֵתוּ
Genesis 7:22
Study it in the app“Everything that had the breath of the spirit of life in its nostrils, of all that was on dry land, died.”
With the Hebrew beneath
Genesis 7:22, word by word
- the breathנִשְׁמַתnishmat
breath
The puff of life God gave; "every living thing that draws air".
Where else “nishmat” appears- of the spiritרוּחַruach
spirit
What moves a person inside: their life, their mood.
Where else “ruach” appears- of lifeחַיִּיםchayim
life
The span and strength of being alive, which come from God.
Where else “chayim” appears- in its nostrilsאַפָּיapay
nose
The nose, the part of the face we breathe through.
Where else “apay” appears- on dry landחָרָבָהcharava
dry ground
Dry land, solid ground.
Where else “charava” appears- diedמֵתוּmetu
die
To cease living; also, one who has ceased living.
Where else “metu” appears
Translation note
The Hebrew puts together here “breath” (neshama) and “spirit” (ruach): “breath of the spirit of life.”
The context
21And all flesh that moved on the earth perished: birds, livestock, animals, and all the swarming things that swarm on the earth, and all human beings.
22 · This verse (above)
23And he wiped out all that existed that was on the face of the ground, from human being to livestock, to creeping things and to the birds of the sky; and they were wiped out from the earth. And only Noah was left, and those who were with him in the ark.
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?