Noah (Genesis 5:28–32; Genesis 6:5–12; Genesis 6:13–22; Genesis 7:1–16; Genesis 7:17–24; Genesis 8:1–22; Genesis 9:1–17; Genesis 9:18–29; Isaiah 54:9; Ezekiel 14:14–20; Matthew 24:37–38; Luke 17:26–27; Hebrews 11:7; 1 Peter 3:20; 2 Peter 2:5)

Preacher of Righteousness, Builder of the Ark

Son of Lamech, a righteous man who walked with God, found favor in the eyes of the LORD, built the ark as God commanded, was shut in with his household while the flood destroyed all flesh, built an altar after leaving the ark, received God's covenant with the bow as its token, and after the vineyard pronounced a curse on Canaan and a blessing on Shem and Japheth.

Lamech “called his name Noah, saying, This same shall comfort us in our work and in the toil of our hands, which cometh because of the ground which Jehovah hath cursed” (Genesis 5:29). At five hundred years old “Noah begat Shem, Ham, and Japheth” (Genesis 5:32). When “the wickedness of man was great in the earth” (Genesis 6:5), “Noah found favor in the eyes of Jehovah” (Genesis 6:8), and Scripture says of him, “Noah was a righteous man, and perfect in his generations: Noah walked with God” (Genesis 6:9).

God told him, “Make thee an ark of gopher wood” (Genesis 6:14), and “Thus did Noah; according to all that God commanded him, so did he” (Genesis 6:22). He went in with his sons, his wife and his sons' wives, and the animals, and “Jehovah shut him in” (Genesis 7:16). The waters prevailed, “and Noah only was left, and they that were with him in the ark” (Genesis 7:23). “God remembered Noah” (Genesis 8:1); when he came out he “builded an altar unto Jehovah” (Genesis 8:20), and God established his covenant with Noah, his sons, and every living creature, setting his bow in the cloud as its token (Genesis 9:8-17).

The last episode told of him is in the vineyard he planted: “he drank of the wine, and was drunken; and he was uncovered within his tent” (Genesis 9:21). Waking, he pronounced “Cursed be Canaan” (Genesis 9:25) and “Blessed be Jehovah, the God of Shem” (Genesis 9:26). “And all the days of Noah were nine hundred and fifty years. And he died” (Genesis 9:29). Through Ezekiel the LORD names him with Daniel and Job: “though these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they should deliver but their own souls by their righteousness” (Ezekiel 14:14). The New Testament recalls that “By faith Noah, being warned of God concerning things not seen as yet, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house” (Hebrews 11:7), and calls him “a preacher of righteousness” (2 Peter 2:5).

Strengths

• Righteous
• Found favor
• Walked with God
• Did all that God commanded
• Builded an altar
• Faith

Weaknesses

• Drunken and uncovered

Themes

• Righteousness amid violence
• Obedience
• Judgment by flood
• Covenant and the bow
• A new beginning

Born and named (Genesis 5:28–32)

Lamech names his son Noah, saying he will comfort them in their toil because of the cursed ground; at five hundred years old Noah begets Shem, Ham and Japheth.

Found favor and was righteous (Genesis 6:5–12)

The LORD sees that the wickedness of man is great and the earth corrupt, but Noah finds favor in his eyes and is called righteous, perfect in his generations, walking with God.

Found favor and was righteous

“And Jehovah saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And it repented Jehovah that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart” (Genesis 6:5-6).

“But Noah found favor in the eyes of Jehovah. These are the generations of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, and perfect in his generations: Noah walked with God. And Noah begat three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth” (Genesis 6:8-10).

“And the earth was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. And God saw the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted their way upon the earth” (Genesis 6:11-12).

The command to build the ark (Genesis 6:13–22)

God tells Noah that the end of all flesh has come, gives the measures of an ark, promises his covenant, and Noah does all that God commands.

The command to build the ark

“And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth. Make thee an ark of gopher wood; rooms shalt thou make in the ark, and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch” (Genesis 6:13-14).

The ark is to be “three hundred cubits” (Genesis 6:15) long, “fifty cubits” (Genesis 6:15) broad and “thirty cubits” (Genesis 6:15) high (Genesis 6:15). God adds, “But I will establish my covenant with thee; and thou shalt come into the ark, thou, and thy sons, and thy wife, and thy sons' wives with thee” (Genesis 6:18), and tells him to bring two of every sort of living thing, and food for them and for himself.

“Thus did Noah; according to all that God commanded him, so did he” (Genesis 6:22). Scripture gives the measures and does not say how long the work took.

Enters the ark (Genesis 7:1–9; Genesis 7:13–16)

The LORD tells Noah to come into the ark with all his house because he has seen him righteous; Noah does all that was commanded, and the LORD shuts him in.

The flood (Genesis 7:10–12; Genesis 7:17–24)

The fountains of the deep are broken up, the waters prevail until the high mountains are covered, all flesh on the dry land dies, and Noah only is left with those in the ark.

The flood

“In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened. And the rain was upon the earth forty days and forty nights” (Genesis 7:11-12).

“And the waters prevailed, and increased greatly upon the earth; and the ark went upon the face of the waters. And the waters prevailed exceedingly upon the earth; and all the high mountains that were under the whole heaven were covered” (Genesis 7:18-19).

“And all flesh died that moved upon the earth” (Genesis 7:21); “and they were destroyed from the earth: and Noah only was left, and they that were with him in the ark. And the waters prevailed upon the earth a hundred and fifty days” (Genesis 7:23-24).

Leaves the ark and builds an altar (Genesis 8:1–22)

God remembers Noah and the waters abate; Noah sends out a raven and a dove, goes forth at God's word, builds an altar to the LORD, and the LORD says he will not again curse the ground for man's sake.

Leaves the ark and builds an altar

“And God remembered Noah, and all the beasts, and all the cattle that were with him in the ark: and God made a wind to pass over the earth, and the waters assuaged” (Genesis 8:1). “And the ark rested in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, upon the mountains of Ararat” (Genesis 8:4).

Noah sent forth a raven, and then a dove, which “found no rest for the sole of her foot” (Genesis 8:9). Sent again, “the dove came in to him at eventide; and, lo, in her mouth an olive-leaf plucked off: so Noah knew that the waters were abated from off the earth” (Genesis 8:11).

At God's word, “Go forth from the ark” (Genesis 8:16), “Noah builded an altar unto Jehovah, and took of every clean beast, and of every clean bird, and offered burnt-offerings on the altar. And Jehovah smelled the sweet savor; and Jehovah said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man's sake” (Genesis 8:20-21).

The covenant and the bow (Genesis 9:1–17)

God blesses Noah and his sons, gives instruction about food and blood, and establishes his covenant with them and every living creature, setting his bow in the cloud as its token.

The covenant and the bow

“And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth” (Genesis 9:1). God also said, “Every moving thing that liveth shall be food for you; as the green herb have I given you all. But flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, shall ye not eat” (Genesis 9:3-4).

“And I, behold, I establish my covenant with you, and with your seed after you; and with every living creature that is with you … neither shall all flesh be cut off any more by the waters of the flood; neither shall there any more be a flood to destroy the earth” (Genesis 9:9-11).

“I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth” (Genesis 9:13).

The vineyard and the sons (Genesis 9:18–27)

Noah plants a vineyard, drinks of the wine and is uncovered in his tent; Ham tells his brethren, Shem and Japheth cover their father, and Noah on waking curses Canaan and blesses the LORD, the God of Shem.

His death (Genesis 9:28–29)

Noah lives after the flood three hundred and fifty years, and all his days are nine hundred and fifty years, and he dies.

Lamech (Genesis 5:28–31; Luke 3:36)

Lamech begat a son and called his name Noah.

Shem and Japheth (Genesis 7:13; Genesis 9:23; Genesis 9:26–27)

Sons who went into the ark with him and covered their father's nakedness, going backward; Noah blessed the God of Shem and asked God to enlarge Japheth.

Ham (Genesis 7:13; Genesis 9:18; Genesis 9:22)

A son who went into the ark with him; the father of Canaan, he saw the nakedness of his father and told his two brethren without.

Canaan (Genesis 9:18; Genesis 9:25–27)

Ham is the father of Canaan, on whom Noah pronounced a curse.

Noah's wife and his sons' wives (Genesis 6:18; Genesis 7:7; Genesis 8:16–18)

God told Noah to come into the ark with his wife and his sons' wives, and they went in and came out with him; Scripture names none of them.

The LORD (Genesis 6:8; Genesis 7:5; Genesis 7:16; Genesis 9:8–17)

Noah found favor in his eyes, did all that he commanded, and was shut into the ark by him.

Major sections

• Genesis 5:28–32
• Genesis 6–9

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