Chapter 7
24 verses — switch translations with the toolbar below.
Scripture
KJV1And the LORD said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation.
2Of every clean beast thou shalt take to thee by sevens, the male and his female: and of beasts that are not clean by two, the male and his female.
3Of fowls also of the air by sevens, the male and the female; to keep seed alive upon the face of all the earth.
4For yet seven days, and I will cause it to rain upon the earth forty days and forty nights; and every living substance that I have made will I destroy from off the face of the earth.
5And Noah did according unto all that the LORD commanded him.
6And Noah was six hundred years old when the flood of waters was upon the earth.
7And Noah went in, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons’ wives with him, into the ark, because of the waters of the flood.
8Of clean beasts, and of beasts that are not clean, and of fowls, and of every thing that creepeth upon the earth,
9There went in two and two unto Noah into the ark, the male and the female, as God had commanded Noah.
10And it came to pass after seven days, that the waters of the flood were upon the earth.
11In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened.
12And the rain was upon the earth forty days and forty nights.
13In the selfsame day entered Noah, and Shem, and Ham, and Japheth, the sons of Noah, and Noah’s wife, and the three wives of his sons with them, into the ark;
14They, and every beast after his kind, and all the cattle after their kind, and every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind, and every fowl after his kind, every bird of every sort.
15And they went in unto Noah into the ark, two and two of all flesh, wherein is the breath of life.
16And they that went in, went in male and female of all flesh, as God had commanded him: and the LORD shut him in.
17And the flood was forty days upon the earth; and the waters increased, and bare up the ark, and it was lift up above the earth.
18And the waters prevailed, and were increased greatly upon the earth; and the ark went upon the face of the waters.
19And the waters prevailed exceedingly upon the earth; and all the high hills, that were under the whole heaven, were covered.
20Fifteen cubits upward did the waters prevail; and the mountains were covered.
21And all flesh died that moved upon the earth, both of fowl, and of cattle, and of beast, and of every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth, and every man:
22All in whose nostrils was the breath of life, of all that was in the dry land, died.
23And every living substance was destroyed which was upon the face of the ground, both man, and cattle, and the creeping things, and the fowl of the heaven; and they were destroyed from the earth: and Noah only remained alive, and they that were with him in the ark.
24And the waters prevailed upon the earth an hundred and fifty days.
“And they that went in, went in male and female of all flesh, as God had commanded him: and the LORD shut him in.”
Overview
God commands Noah to enter the ark with his family and the animals — seven pairs of clean animals and one pair of unclean. After seven days, the floodwaters come: the fountains of the great deep break open and the windows of heaven are opened. Rain falls for forty days and forty nights, and the waters prevail upon the earth for one hundred fifty days, destroying every living thing not in the ark. God shuts Noah in the ark, sealing its only door.
Key Themes
Divine Judgment on Sin
The flood demonstrates that God takes sin seriously — His patience has a limit, and persistent rebellion eventually meets His righteous judgment.
God Shuts the Door
The Lord Himself shuts Noah in the ark (v. 16), both protecting those inside and sealing the fate of those outside — God alone determines who is saved.
The Faithfulness of Noah
Noah does 'according unto all that the LORD commanded him' (v. 5), demonstrating unwavering obedience over the decades of construction and the terror of the flood.
Study Questions
Why does God distinguish between clean and unclean animals before the Mosaic Law was given (v. 2)?
What is the significance of the detail that 'the LORD shut him in' (v. 16) — that God, not Noah, closes the door of the ark?
How does the flood narrative challenge modern views that God is too loving to judge sin?
What parallels exist between the flood judgment and the future judgment that Jesus and the apostles describe (Matthew 24:37-39, 2 Peter 3:5-7)?
How does Noah's faithful obedience over such a long period of time challenge us in our own walk with God?
Connection to Christ
Jesus Himself compared His second coming to the days of Noah (Matthew 24:37-39). Just as the flood brought sudden, universal judgment while Noah was saved through the ark, so Christ's return will bring judgment on unbelief while those 'in Christ' are saved. The ark's one door, shut by God Himself, pictures Christ as the only door of salvation (John 10:9).
Personal Reflection
Take time to journal or meditate on what God is teaching you through Genesis 7. How can these truths transform your thinking and actions today?