7:1 And the Lord said unto Noah, Psalms 33:18-19 Behold, the eye of the "righteous" (tsaddiyq) "clean beast" /
Come thou and all thy house into Lord is upon them that fear him, Just, lawful, righteous. It is very interesting that the /
the ark; for thee have I seen upon them that hope in his mercy; concept of a clean and an unclean /
righteous before me in this To deliver their soul from death, "clean" (tahor) beast was known before the flood. /
generation. and to keep them alive in famine. Pure, fair, clean. Had the Lord communicated to man /
7:2 Of every clean beast thou shalt Leviticus 10:10 And that ye may put the principals of the "Law" prior to /
take to thee by sevens, the male difference between holy and unholy, "male" (iysh) the flood? We know that they pre- /
and his female: and of beasts that and between unclean and clean; Male, man. pared sacrifices also! They also had /
are not clean by two, the male and Ezekiel 44:23-24 And they shall teach a concept of righteousness. Cannot /
his female. my people the difference between the "female" (ishshah) we therefore imply that they had been /
7:3 Of fowls also of the air by holy and profane, and cause them to Female, wife, woman. given a set of rules similar to the /
sevens, the male and the female; discern between the unclean and the Law? Rules which nearly all the popu- /
to keep seed alive upon the face clean. "beasts (bhemah) lation had chosen to ignore. That is /
of all the earth. And in controversy they shall stand A dumb beast, animal, cattle. all but Noah and his family. /
7:4 For yet seven days, and I will in judgment; and they shall judge it /
cause it to rain upon the earth according to my judgments: and they "fowls" (owph) "And Noah went in" /
forty days and forty nights; and shall keep my laws and my statues in Bird, fowl, that flieth, as covered We have listed eight individuals, /
every living substance that I have all mine assemblies; and they shall with feathers. the four females for which we have no /
made will I destroy from off the hallow my sabbaths. names. We have noted that the Script- /
face of the earth. Luke 17:26-29 And as it was in the "seed" (zera) ure often do not give complete people /
7:5 And Noah did according unto all days of Noah, so shall it be also in Seed, grain, sowing, prosperity, listings. Many scholars have often /
that the Lord commanded him. the days of the Son of man. race. proposed that there were many more on /
7:6 And Noah was six hundred years They did eat, they drank, they the ark and that only the eight of /
old when the flood of waters was married wives, they were given in "destroy" (machah) renown are given. They propose that /
upon the earth. marriage, until the day that Noah To rub out, blot out, abolish, Noah was a tribal leader or king. That /
7:7 And Noah went in, and his sons, entered into the ark, and the flood erase, wipe away, destroy. he would have a number of followers and /
and his wife, and his sons' wives came, and destroyed them all. servants similar to Abraham who could /
with him, into the ark, because of Likewise also as it was in the days "commanded" (tsavah) field an army of 318. They propose /
the waters of the flood. of Lot; they did eat, they drank, To enjoin, to bid, to command. that the ark was too big for only four /
7:8 Of clean beasts, and of beasts they bought, they sold, they men to build and take care of. /
that are not clean, and of fowls, planted, they builded; "flood" (mabbuwl) /
and of every thing that creepeth But the same day that Lot went out A flowing, a deluge, a flood. "seven days" /
upon the earth, of Sodom it rained fire and brim- "in the second month, the seventeenth /
7:9 There went in two and two unto stone from heaven, and destroyed "creepeth" (ramas) day of the month" /
Noah into the ark, the male and them all. To glide swiftly, to swarm, It is very interesting that so /
the female, as God had commanded Job 22:12,15-16 Is not God in the to crawl, to creep. many details are not given, but now /
Noah. height of heaven? And behold the we are given a precise day of the /
7:10 And it came to pass after seven height of the stars, how high they "fountains" (mayanah) month. It suddenly becomes important /
days, that the waters of the flood are! A spring, a well, a fountain. to document the happenings in precise /
were upon the earth. Hast thou marked the old way which days. As if it has long been fore- /
7:11 In the six hundredth year of wicked men have trodden? "great deep" (rab thom) known that the flood was to become a /
Noah's life, in the second month, Which were cut down out of time, Large abyss, abundant depth, very controversial subject during the /
the seventeenth day of the month, whose foundation was overflown with great deep, a large surging mass. last days! "For this they are will- /
the same day were all the a flood: ingly ignorant of, that by the word /
fountains of the great deep broken Proverbs 8:27-29 When he prepared the "broken up" (baqa) of God the heavens were of old, and /
up, and the windows of heaven were heavens, I was there: when he set To break, to rip open, to cleave. the earth standing out of the water /
opened. a compass upon the face of the and in the water: Whereby the world /
7:12 And the rain was upon the earth depth: "windows of heaven" (arubbah shameh) that then was, being overflowed with /
forty days and forty nights. When he established the clouds Sluice gates of the sky, the water, perished:" (II Peter 3:5-6) /
7:13 In the selfsame day entered above: when he strengthened the chimneys of heaven, the windows of Is it possible that the flood and the /
Noah, and Shem, and Ham, and fountains of the deep: heaven. proofs of its happenings will be a /
Japheth, the sons of Noah, and When he gave to the sea his decree, great sign that many people will have /
Noah's wife, and the three wives that the waters should not pass his "opened" (pathach) to ponder as they make their decision /
of his sons with them, into the commandment: when he appointed the To open wide, to break forth. to accept or reject the Creator? /
ark; foundations of the earth: /
7:14 They, and every beast after his Proverbs 10:28-30 The hope of the "flesh" (basar) "every beast" /
kind, and all the cattle after righteous shall be gladness: but Of the body, skin, flesh. "every creeping thing" /
their kind, and every creeping the expectation of the wicked shall "every fowl" /
thing that creepeth upon the earth perish. "breath" (ruwach) "all flesh" /
after his kind, and every fowl The way of the Lord is strength to A wind, a breath, life. "all the high hills" /
after his kind, every bird of the upright: but destruction shall "under the whole heaven" /
every sort. be to the workers of iniquity. "increased" (rabah) "All in whose nostrils was the breath /
7:15 And they went in unto Noah into The righteous shall never be To enlarge, to heap up, to increase. of life" /
the ark, two and two of all flesh, removed: but the wicked shall not "all that was in the dry land" /
wherein is the breath of life. inhabit the earth. "bare up" (nacah) The Hebrew word "kowl" appears many /
7:16 And they went in, went in male Job 12:12-16 With the ancient is To lift, to raise, to hold high, times in the latter half of the /
and female of all flesh, as God wisdom; and in length of days under- to bare up. chapter. Its intrepretation is vital /
had commanded him: and the Lord standing. to a proper understanding of the text. /
shut him in. With him is wisdom and strength, "prevailed exceedingly" (gabar mod) The same word is translated as "all, /
7:17 And the flood was forty days he hath counsel and understanding. To overwhelm vehemently, to utterly every and whole". In other texts it /
upon the earth; and the waters Behold, he breaketh down, and it prevail. can be translated as "enough, as many /
increased, and bare up the ark, cannot be build again: he shutteth as and altogether". Strong's informs /
and it was lifted up above the up a man, and there can be no "hills, mountains" (har) us that it is from "kalah" which is /
earth. opening. A range of mountains or hills. "to complete, to make perfect". As we /
7:18 And the waters prevailed, and Behold, he withholdeth the waters, try to understand the true nature of /
were increased greatly upon the and they dry up: also he sendeth "upward" (maal) the flood and its impact on the earth /
earth; and the ark went upon the them out, and they overturn the The upper part, overhead, above. there is much that we have trouble /
face of the waters, earth. understanding. The true extent of the /
7:19 And the waters prevailed With him is strength and wisdom: "whole heaven" (kowl shameh) flood and its impact on the planet /
exceedingly upon the earth; and the deceived and the deceiver are All under the sky, the whole heaven. earth is very controversial and many /
all the high hills, that were his. have long debated it. And many have /
under the whole heaven, were Psalms 104:5-6 Who laid the founda- "all flesh" (kowl basar) used the flood story as a key point /
covered. tions of the earth, that it should All that have bodily flesh, the or excuse for their nonbelief in the /
7:20 Fifteen cubits upward did the not be removed for ever. whole of life. Scriptures. We, as do many, have /
water prevail; and the mountains Thou coveredst it with the deep trouble visualizing the earth as being /
were covered. as with a garment: the waters stood "died" (gava) totally covered with water! Does /
7:21 And all flesh died that moved above the mountains. To breath out, to perish, to die. it truly mean "all living flesh" upon /
upon the earth, both of fowl, and the total surface of the earth except /
of cattle, and of beast, and of II Peter 2:5,9 And spared not the old for that in the ark was totally destr- /
every creeping thing that creepeth world, but saved Noah the eighth "all, every, whole" (kowl) oyed? Is it intended to indicate that /
upon the earth, and every man: person, a preacher of righteousness, Any, all, every, whole, total. the destruction was total as the repe- /
7:22 All in whose nostrils was the bringing in the flood upon the world titiousness of the text would seem to /
breath of life, of all that was in of the ungodly; "nostrils" (aph) indicate? Noah was not instructed to /
the dry land, died. The Lord knoweth how to deliver the Nose, nostril, snout, face. save plant and marine life, therefore /
7:23 And every living substance was godly out of temptations, and to it is inferred that they could and did /
destroyed which was upon the face reserve the unjust unto the day of "every living substance" (kowl yquwm) survive the deluge. And many infer /
of the ground, both man, and judgment to be punished: All living thing, every substance. that insects also would easily survive. /
cattle, and the creeping things, I Peter 3:20 Which sometime were But how complete and destructive was /
and the fowl of the heaven; and disobedient, when once the long- "remained alive" (shaar) the deluge? We are trapped on this /
they were destroyed from the suffering of God waited in the days To swell up, to be redundant, to be planet and its present environment and /
earth: and Noah only remained of Noah, while the ark was a left, to remain. have difficulty envisioning it compl- /
alive, and they that were with him preparing, wherein few, that is, etely covered with water to the high- /
in the ark. eight souls were saved by water. est mountain in the past 10,000 years. /
7:24 And the waters prevailed upon See following " Matters of contention" /
the earth a hundred and fifty for much more discussion! /
days. /
/
MATTERS OF CONTENTION MATTERS OF CONTENTION /
/
A local flood? "rain was upon the earth forty days and forty nights" /
Many scholars propose that the described flood was not a universal global Such an extended rain upon the whole surface of the earth is not possible /
flood! They propose that God's intentions were only to cleanse the areas under present atmospheric conditions. The present atmosphere can provide /
of the planet that had been contaminated by man's transgressions. That at extremely heavy and destructive rainfall in localized areas for a temporary /
this time the descendants of Adam and Eve had only spread through out a time period only and then the moisture in the atmosphere is depleted and /
localized region of the earth. That they were still confined to the area must be replenished by evaporation over a time period. This has led many /
of the Euphrates basin and had not yet greatly multiplied and could be to discount the flood story as a fairy tale. Others reply that this is /
numbered only possibly to a few million. Possibly the extended rainfall indeed true, but the Biblical account is describing an atmospheric condit- /
caused the Indian Ocean to flood into the low lying Euphrates basin and ion that was dramatically different from that at present. The fossil record /
carried the ark northwestward toward Armenia and the area of Ararat. In preserve the remains of a warmer and a more humid atmosphere. The remains /
the area of the lower Euphrates basin archaeologists have uncovered at of tropic plants are found even to Siberia and fossils of marine life are /
various sites layers of mud and sand deposits five to eight feet thick found in most all areas and even to very high elevations in the mountains. /
which they at one time identified as possibly deposits from the deluge. The contention is not with the presence of these records, but with the time /
They excavated debris from cities both above and below the deposit at sites frame of the happenings. Many contend that these remains were deposited /
of Kish, Fara, Nineveh and others. But subsequently it was discovered many millions of years ago and that it takes millions of years to form /
that not all these deposits were laid down during the same time period. these deposits. Others contend that if deeply burried the pressure can /
It has been pointed out that the wandering rivers often change their course preserve these records in rock in a relatively short time period. /
and riverbeds and that this could have caused the deposits and disruption /
of civilization at these sites. "all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven /
were opened" /
The Flood Traditions! Many a scholar has pondered long concerning this description. This is /
The extent of the ancient traditions of a destructive flood is considered not the description of a simple rainfall. The great deep refers to the /
by many scholars to be undeniable verification of the Biblical record. depths of the ocean. Fountains, of course, we understand as spraying of /
Those of the Assyrian/Babylonian tablets mostly closely duplicate the waters into the atmosphere. We understand about geysers with subterrain- /
Biblical account even though they include varying mixtures of polythiesm. ean heating generating steam and pressure which forces subsurface moisture /
The traditions of the Persians, Syrians, Egyptians, Greeks, Italians, into the atmosphere. Could it be that the account is a description of a /
Indians and Chinese also contain various elements of the account. The massive disruption of the planet surface by extensive ocean bottom volcanic /
numerous appearances of the tradition amongst the native tribes of eruptions? Eruptions that turned the seas into massive boiling fountains. /
Alaska, Canada, United States (100 tribes), Mexico, Nicaragua, Peru and such an occurrence would seem to propel massive amounts of heated moisture /
Brazil would seem to be verification of the universality of the flood. into the atmosphere and could generate large amounts of rainfall as the /
The tradition also is told by peoples of many islands including the moisture cooled. Obviously there is sufficient subterrainean magma to /
Polynesian, Hawaiian, Leward, Fiji, Andaman and Sumatra. Most all include sustain such a condition for an extended period. /
the preservation of the human race on a large boat. Concerning the other Some scholars have proposed the impact of a large object from space into /
details there is considerable variation with each tradition seeming to the ocean could generate a very catastrophic effect including massively /
preserve a small portion which seemed to be important to them. The Jewish turbulent conditions that would disrupt greatly the atmospheric conditions. /
historian Josephus wrote. Others have proposed the near approach of a large ice comet with the heat- /
"Now all the writers of barbarian histories make mention of this flood, of the encounter stripping large amounts of ice and water from the comet. /
and of this ark; among whom is Berosus the Chaldean. For when he is There is also evidence that at one time the earth and one of the neighbor- /
describing the circumstances of the flood, he goes on thus: "It is said ing planets had eliptical orbits which would allow them to approach close /
there is still some part of this ship in Armenia, at the mountain of the enough to cause catastrophic effects to the earth's atmosphere. Many /
Cordyeans; and that some people carry off pieces of the bitumen, which scholars have proposed such a catastrophic occurance was what changed the /
they take away, and use chiefly as amulets for the averting of mischiefs." atmospheric condition of the earth sufficiently to cause the extinction of /
Hieronymus the Egyptian also, who wrote the Phoencian Antiquities, and the dinosaurs. But many desire to place such catastrophic occurences in /
Mnaseas, and a great many more make mention of the same. Nay, Nicolaus the far distant past and cannot believe that they possibly occurred in the /
of Damascus, in his ninety-sixth book, hath a particular relation about last ten thousand years. The Biblical account is describing such a recent /
them; where he speaks thus: "There is a great mountain in Armenia, over catastrophic occurrence and it's occurrence has also been preserved in the /
Minyas, called Baris, upon which it is reported that many who fled at many traditions of the ancient humans all over the earth's surface. /
the time of the Deluge were saved; and that one who was carried in an /
ark came on shore upon the top of it; and that the remains of the "the mountains were covered" /
timber were a great while preserved. This might be the man about whom "all flesh died that moved upon the earth" /
Moses the legislator of the Jews wrote."" "the waters prevailed upon the earth a hundred and fifty days" /
Many cannot picture the earth being covered to fifteen cubits above the /
A Universal Flood? highest mountains which exceed 29,000 feet in height! However they cannot /
Many scholars maintain that the wording of the account is definite and dispute the fact that marine fossils have been found to elevations exceed- /
that the flood covered the entire planet! That this is verified by the ing ten thousand feet. Also the drowning of "all flesh" seems improbable /
many records that are found all over the planet. Skeptics point out that to most. The animal and plant species have a very impressive capability /
there is only enough water vapor in the present atmosphere to cover the to survive very extreme conditions. /
surface of the earth for a very few inches, not to the tops of the moun- Do the descriptions of the account require a total absolute destruction? /
tains. That rain from the present atmosphere could not cause a deluge. Or could it be that the accounts are speaking in generalizations which is /
Scholars who maintain that a universal flood is describe reply that there the way of most languages and societies. The traditions of the flood pre- /
is presently enough water on the planet to cover the earth to a depth of served by many diverse peoples indicate that small groups of people and /
approximately one and one half miles if the planet surface was more animals in many diverse locations were able to survive the flood. The /
uniform. That the Genesis account is describing a earth that has a diff- location of the proposed ark remains in Turkey are not at the extreme top /
erent environment from what we now have. of the mountain nor do the geologic evidences that remain today seem to /
The "vapor canopy theory" as proposed would describe a atmosphere that indicate that the extreme mountain tops have been covered by water. /
contained considerably more water vapor and that the flood account is Obviously the ark could have gone aground after the waters had receeded /
describing the catastrophic decay of the vapor canopy by rain. Some have considerably. Also the time which the tops of the mountains would have /
proposed that the sudden decay of the vapor canopy was triggered by a been covered could have been only a very few days and later erosion could /
large asteriod or comet that impacted the earth causing considerable have easily erased these evidences. The most vivid records would have been /
damage to the earth and drastically changed the environment of the planet. deposited in the lowlands where vast amounts of debris would collect as the /
That what is described is an extreme catastrophe that completely changed waters rushed to return to the depths of the sea. Considerable erosion /
the surface of the earth. That the great deluge and subsequent draining would also take place. Scientists maintain that the pressure of the vast /
of the water into the ocean basins formed the great irregularities of the amounts of water would cause great shifts and movements of the earth's /
earth's surface as we now know them. That the great destruction formed crust. One of the traditions from Greenland maintains that "the earth was /
the vast deposits of fossil remains and created the coal and oil format- tilted over". Is this just poetic language or did the axis of the earth /
ions of decomposed organic material. actually change? Many scientists maintain that the axis of the earth has /
Obviously there is considerable disagreement concerning this matter. changed in the distant past. That such an axis change could posssibly /
Many will say that the surface of the planet as we now know it was formed account for the findings of vast deposits of organic material and fossils /
over many millions of years by a slow process of evolution. Others main- in now barren artic locations. But again most cannot envision such drastic /
tain that the evidences of past recent major catastrophies are being changes occuring within the last ten thousand years! /
ignored. That fossils and coal/oil deposits do not form due to slow /
natural processes. Plants and animals that die naturally are slowly decayed "...that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after /
and leave no traces. It requires sudden catastrophic deep burying of live their own lusts. And saying, ...all things continue as they were /
animal and organic matter to generate the vast deposits of fossils and from the beginning of the creation. For this they willingly are /
organic coal/oil deposits that exist today. ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and /
the earth standing out of the water and in the water; Whereby the /
world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished:" /
