1. The Flood 6:9-8:22

The chiastic (palistrophic) structure of this section shows that Moses intended to emphasize God's grace to Noah.

"One mark of the coherence of the flood narrative is to be found in its literary structure. The tale is cast in the form of an extended palistrophe, that is a structure that turns back on itself. In a palistrophe the first item matches the final item, the second item matches the penultimate item, and so on. The second half of the story is thus a mirror image of the first. This kind of literary structure has been discovered in other parts of Genesis, but nowhere else is it developed on such a large scale. This may be partly due to the fact that a flood narrative is peculiarly suited to this literary form. . . .

"Particularly striking are the references to days (lines H, I, L, O). (Only the references to days form part of the palistrophe; the 40 days and nights[vii 4, 12] and the dates do not.) The periods of time form a symmetrical pattern, 7, 7, 40, 150, 150, 40, 7, 7. The turning point of the narrative is found in viii:1 God remembered Noah.'

"What then is the function of the palistrophe? Firstly, it gives literary expression to the character of the flood event. The rise and fall of the waters is mirrored in the rise and fall of the key words in its description. Secondly, it draws attention to the real turning point in the saga: viii 1, And God remembered Noah.' From that moment the waters start to decline and the earth to dry out. It was God's intervention that was decisive in saving Noah, and the literary structure highlights this fact."²⁹²

The following diagram illustrates this palistrophe simply.

"Introduction: Noah's righteousness and Noah's sons (6:9-10).

AGod resolves to destroy the corrupt race (6:11-13).

BNoah builds an ark according to God's instructions (6:14-22).

CThe Lord commands the remnant to enter the ark (7:1-9).

DThe flood begins (7:10-16).

EThe flood prevails 150 days and the water covers the mountains (7:17-24).

FGod remembers Noah (8:1a).

E'The flood recedes 150 days, and the mountains are visible (8:1b-5).

D'The earth dries (8:6-14).

C'God commands the remnant to leave the ark (8:15-19).

B'Noah builds an altar (8:20).

A'The Lord resolves not to destroy humankind (8:21-22)."²⁹³

 Conditions and events before the Flood 6:9-7:10

6:9-12 "The same explanation for Enoch's rescue from death (he walked with God') is made the basis for Noah's rescue from death in the Flood: he walked with God' (6:9). Thus in the story of Noah and the Flood, the author is able to repeat the lesson of Enoch: life comes through walking with God.'"²⁹⁴

"Noah is depicted as Adam redivivus(revived). He is the sole survivor and successor to Adam; both walk' with God; both are the recipients of the promissory blessing; both are caretakers of the lower creatures; both father three sons; both are workers of the soil; both sin through the fruit of a tree; and both father a wicked son who is under a curse."²⁹⁵

"The two words, corrupt' and violence,' give us respectively the character and expression of the sin, the cause and the effect [v. 11]. The corruption has led to violence, for badness always leads to cruelty in one form or another. A life that is wrong with God necessarily becomes wrong with its fellows."²⁹⁶

"Whereas God has blessed the human family with the power of procreation to fill the earth (1:28; 9:1), these culprits have filled the earth' by procreating violence' (cf. v. 13; Ezek 8:17; 28:16)."²⁹⁷

6:13-16 Notice that the earth and nature suffer because of human sin (cf. 3:17-19; Rom. 8:20-21).

Noah received detailed instructions that he was to follow in building the ark. Later Moses received detailed instructions that he was to follow in building the tabernacle. Both men followed their respective instructions and received praise (v. 22; Exod. 39:42-43; Lev. 8:36; Num. 27:22; Deut. 34:9). Both men inaugurated a new epoch. In this respect Moses was another Noah.

"God must be obeyed in all his instructions if his people expect to enjoy the fruit of life and blessing (e.g., Deut 26:16-19; 28:1-14)."²⁹⁸

The ark was about 450 feet long (1 1/2 American football fields), 75 feet wide (7 parking spaces), and 45 feet high (a four-story building). It had three decks and over 100,000 square feet of deck space. There were over 1 million cubic feet of space in it. This is the capacity of approximately 800 railroad boxcars. It had a capacity of almost 14,000 gross tons.

The ark probably looked more like a rectangular box than a ship. This design uses space very efficiently. The ark would have been very stable in the water. Modern ocean-going tankers and aircraft carriers have a similar scale of dimensions. The wood out of which Noah made it is unknown. The Hebrew word occurs only here in the Old Testament.

6:17-21 This is the first occurrence of the word "covenant"(Heb. berith) in the Old Testament (v. 18). There were two basic kinds of covenants in the ancient Near East.²⁹⁹

1. The parity covenantwas one that equals made. Examples: Abraham and Abimelech (21:22-32), Isaac and Abimelech (26:26-33), and Jacob and Laban (31:44-54).

2. The suzerainty covenantwas one that a superior (king) made with an inferior (vassal). Examples: the Noahic Covenant (Gen. 6:16), the Abrahamic Covenant (Gen. 15:18), the Mosaic Covenant (Exod. 19--Num. 10), et al.

"The Noahic covenant is closer to the royal grant known from the ancient Near East where a deity bestows a benefit or gift upon a king. It has its closest parallels to the Abrahamic and Davidic covenants (Gen 15; 17; 2 Sam 7), which are promissory charters made by God with the individuals and their offspring, characteristically forever. Unlike the Mosaic covenant, in the royal grant form of covenant God alone is under compulsion by oath to uphold his promise to the favored party."³⁰⁰

6:22 We can see Noah's faith (Heb. 11:7) in his complete obedience to God even though he faced many obstacles.

"The author's purpose in drawing out the list of specifications for the ark in chapter 6, as with the details of the building of the tabernacle, is not that readers might be able to see what the ark or the tabernacle looked like, but rather that readers might appreciate the meticulous care with which these godly and exemplary individuals went about their tasks of obedience to God's will. They obeyed God with all their hearts.'"³⁰¹

"What a splendid figure this man makes, a picture of solitary goodness! He was the one saint of that day. It ispossible, therefore, to be good even though we have to stand alone. It is possible to be right with God even amidst surrounding iniquity. God is the same today as He was to Noah, and if only we are willing to fulfill the conditions we too shall walk with God and please Him."³⁰²

7:1-10 "It is not that Noah's works of righteousness gains [sic] him salvation, for none is cited. Rather, his upright character is noted to condemn his generation, which merits death."³⁰³

"Sinful men do not deserveto live on God's earth. This is the basic message of the Genesis Flood."³⁰⁴

God did not reveal the basis for His distinction between clean and unclean animals here (v. 2). Israel's pagan neighbors also observed clean and unclean distinctions between animals though they varied from country to country. In the Mosaic Law, God further distinguished between foods. Jesus Christ and the Apostle Paul taught that now these distinctions no longer need affect people as far as our relationship to God goes (Mark 7:15, 19; cf. Acts 10:15; 11:9; Rom. 14:14).

 The Flood proper 7:11-24

There are two views among evangelicals as to the extent of the Flood.

1. A universal flood.Evidence:

a. The purpose of the Flood (6:5-7, 11-13).

b. The need for an ark (6:14).

c. The size of the ark (6:15-16).

d. The universal terms used in the story (6:17-21; 7:19, 21-23). Context must determine whether universal terms are truly universal or limited (cf. Luke 2:1; Matt. 28:19-20).

e. The amount of water involved (7:11, 20; 8:2).

f. The duration of the Flood: 371 days (7:11; 8:14).

g. The testimony of Peter (2 Pet. 3:3-7).

h. The faithfulness of God (8:21).

This view has been the most popular with conservative interpreters throughout history.

"By and large, the tradition of the Christian church is that the context requires a universal flood, and many Christian scholars have maintained this position knowing well the geological difficulties it raises."³⁰⁵

2. A local flood.Evidence:

a. The main arguments rest on modern geology and the improbability of a universal flood in view of consequent global changes.

b. Advocates take the universal statements in the text as limited to the area where Moses said the Flood took place.

This view has gained wide acceptance since the modern science of geology has called in question the credibility of the text.

"The principle concern of those advocating a local flood is to escape the geological implications of a universal flood."³⁰⁶

Basically, this controversy, like that involving the creation account, involves presuppositions about the credibility of Scripture or science and the possibility of supernatural occurrences. The scientific community is more open to catastrophism of some kind than it used to be.³⁰⁷

Some interpreters have understood the opening of the "floodgates of the sky"(v. 11) as a breaking up of a water vapor canopy that some say covered the earth before the Flood.³⁰⁸Advocates of this "canopy theory"believe that it may account for longevity before the Flood.

"The water for Noah's Flood came from the release of great underground sources of water (the fountains of the great deep which continued pouring forth for 150 days), and from the collapse of the waters above (presumably a vast water vapor blanket or canopy above the atmosphere), giving the 40 days and nights of rain. Psalm 104 indicates that after the Flood, the mountains were upthrust to their present positions, with associated deepening of the ocean basins, which now hold the waters of the Flood.

"These waters would not have been enough to cover today's highest mountains. Genesis indicates no rain or rainbows before the Flood, which is consistent with the absence of high mountains that are important to the triggering of rainfall. Also, the absence of large temperature differences between poles and equator under such a greenhouse blanket of water vapor would mean an absence of the vast winds which are also necessary (now, but not before the Flood) for the rainfall cycle. Genesis describes how the earth before the Flood was watered by mists and/or springs and geysers."³⁰⁹

"We have shown earlier that the flood narrative points ahead to Moses and the escape of the Hebrews through the Red Sea. This is evidenced again by the term dry land' (haraba) in our passage (v. 22) rather than the customary dry ground' (yabasa). This infrequent term occurs eight times, only once more in the Pentateuch at Exod 14:21, where it describes the transformation of the sea into dry land' by a strong east wind.' This exodus parallel is confirmed by 8:1b, which speaks of God's sending a wind' upon the waters. Later Israel identified itself with Noah and the tiny group of survivors who escaped the wicked by the awesome deeds of God."³¹⁰

 The aftermath of the Flood ch. 8

8:1-5 When Moses wrote that God remembered someone (v. 1), he meant God extended mercy to him or her by delivering that person from death (here; 19:29) or from barrenness (30:22).³¹¹God's rescue of Noah foreshadows His deliverance of Israel in the Exodus (cf. 8:13-14 and Exod. 2:24; 14:21).³¹²

"Ararat,' known as ancient Urartu in Assyrian records, was an extensive territory and bordered the northern Mesopotamian region. It reached its political zenith in the ninth to sixth centuries B.C. Urartu surrounded Lake Van with boundaries taking in southeast Turkey, southern Russia, and northwest Iran. Among the mountains of modern Armenia is the impressive peak known today as Mount Ararat, some seventeen thousand feet in elevation, which the Turks call Byk Ari Da. Mount Ararat' as a geographical designation comes from later tradition. During the eleventh to twelfth centuries A.D., it became the traditional site known as the place of Noah's landing. Verse 4, however, does not specify a peak and refers generally to its location as the mountains of Ararat.' . . . The search for the ark's artifacts has been both a medieval and a modern occupation; but to the skeptic such evidence is not convincing, and to the believer, while not irrelevant, it is not necessary to faith."³¹³

Modern Mt. Ararat lies on the border between Turkey and Armenia near the center of the ancient world. From this region Noah's descendants spread out over the earth.³¹⁴

8:6-19 "The raven in seeking food settles upon every carcass it sees, whereas the dove will only settle on what is dry and clean."³¹⁵

Doves (v. 8), white, clean animals (Lev. 1:14; 12:6; et al.) in contrast to black, unclean animals (Lev. 11:15; Deut. 14:14), return to their home when they find no place to land.

"The olive tree will put out leaves even under water."³¹⁶

There are many interesting thematic parallels between God's calling Noah out of the ark and God's calling Abraham out of Ur (cf. 8:15 and 12:1; 8:16 and 12:1; 8:18 and 12:4; 8:20 and 12:7; 9:1 and 12:2; 9:9 and 12:7).

"Both Noah and Abraham represent new beginnings in the course of events recorded in Genesis. Both are marked by God's promise of blessing and his gift of the covenant."³¹⁷

Verses 18 and 19 may seem like needless repetition to the modern reader, but they document Noah's obedience to God's words, which Moses stressed in the entire Flood narrative.

8:20-22 Noah's "altar"is the first mentioned in the Bible. His "burnt offerings"were for worship. Some of the burnt offerings in the Mosaic system of worship were for the same purpose. Specifically a burnt offering made atonement and expressed the offerer's complete personal devotion to God (cf. Lev. 1; Rom. 12:1-2). As the head of the new humanity, Noah's sacrifice represented all mankind.

God may judge the wicked catastrophically and begin a new era of existence with faithful believers.

Comparison of Flood Stories³¹⁸

Biblical

Berossus (Greek)

Atrahasis (Akkadian)

Gilgamesh (Akkadian)

Sumerian

Date of Account

Earliest possible: 15th century B.C.

ca. 275 BC

16th century (copy of earlier work)

ca. 1500 B.C. (copies, not the original)

19th century B.C. (copy, not the original)

Author of Flood

Yahweh

Enlil

Council of gods

Assembly of gods

Intercessor

Yahweh

Kronos

Ea

Ea

Enki (probably)

Reason for Flood

Wickedness of mankind, violence, corruption.

The clamor, uproar of man disturbs Enlil's sleep.

No reason given at first. In the end, the "sin of man"implied as the cause.

None given.

Hero

Noah (rest)

Xisouthros (Greek for Ziusudra)

Atrahasis (all wise)

Utnapishtim (finder of life)

Ziusudra (he saw life)

Intended for Whom

All mankind.

All mankind.

City of Shurippak particularly, but all mankind.

All mankind.

Reason Hero Spared

"Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord."

"A righteous man. Blameless. Walked with God."

Ziusudra was "humbly obedient,"reverent; one who seeks revelation by dreams and incantations.

Means of Escape

Ark

Boat

Large ship

Ship

Huge boat

Description

Detailed:

3 stories,

1 door,

1 window at least.

(Text destroyed)

Detailed: 6 stories, 1 door, 1 window at least.

Occupants

Noah, wife, 3 sons, their wives.

7 pairs of all clean animals (male and female).

1 pair of all unclean animals (male and female).

Xisouthros, family, others, all species of animals.

Atrahasis, wife, family, relations, craftsmen. Grain, possessions, foods. Beasts and creatures of the field.

Utnapishtim and all his family and kin. Craftsmen. Beasts and wild creatures of the field.

Duration of Storm

40 days and nights

7 days and nights

6 days and nights

7 days and nights

Landing Place

Mountains of Ararat

Mountains of Armenia

(Text missing)

Mt. Nisir (Mt. of Salvation)

Birds Released

Raven, dove, dove, dove

Birds

(Text missing)

Dove, swallow, raven

Sacrifice

Hero offers. "Lord smelled the pleasing odor."

Hero offers

(Text missing)

Hero offers. "Gods smelled the sweet savor."

Hero offers, bows to Utu, Anu, Enlil.

Blessing

God blesses Noah and charged him to populate earth.

Hero disappears but his voice instructs others.

Enlil blesses Utnapishtim. Hero and his wife then become as gods.

Ziusudra granted "life as a god"and "breath eternal"; called "preserver of seed of mankind."

These non-biblical stories are undoubtedly perversions of the true account that God preserved in Scripture. God may have revealed the true account directly to Moses, or He may have preserved a true oral or written account that Moses used as his source of this information. Moses may have written Genesis under divine inspiration to correct the Mesopotamian versions (the maximalist view), or both the biblical and Mesopotamian accounts may go back to a common tradition (the minimalist view).

"Biblical religion explained that the seasonal cycle was the consequence of Yahweh's pronouncement and, moreover, evidence of a divine dominion that transcends the elements of the earth. There is no place for Mother-earth in biblical ideology. Earth owes itspowers (not her powers!) to the divine command."³¹⁹