Genesis 7:18-20
New English Translation
18 The waters completely overwhelmed[a] the earth, and the ark floated[b] on the surface of the waters. 19 The waters completely inundated[c] the earth so that even[d] all the high mountains under the entire sky were covered. 20 The waters rose more than 20 feet[e] above the mountains.[f]
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Genesis 7:18 tn Heb “and the waters were great and multiplied exceedingly.” The first verb in the sequence is וַיִּגְבְּרוּ (vayyigberu, from גָּבַר, gavar), meaning “to become great, mighty.” The waters did not merely rise; they “prevailed” over the earth, overwhelming it.
- Genesis 7:18 tn Heb “went.”
- Genesis 7:19 tn Heb “and the waters were great exceedingly, exceedingly.” The repetition emphasizes the depth of the waters.
- Genesis 7:19 tn Heb “and.”
- Genesis 7:20 tn Heb “rose 15 cubits.” Since a cubit is considered by most authorities to be about 18 inches, this would make the depth 22.5 feet. This figure might give the modern reader a false impression of exactness, however, so in the translation the phrase “15 cubits” has been rendered “more than 20 feet.”
- Genesis 7:20 tn Heb “the waters prevailed 15 cubits upward and they covered the mountains.” Obviously, a flood of 20 feet did not cover the mountains; the statement must mean the flood rose about 20 feet above the highest mountain.
Genesis 7:18-20
New International Version
18 The waters rose and increased greatly on the earth, and the ark floated on the surface of the water. 19 They rose greatly on the earth, and all the high mountains under the entire heavens were covered.(A) 20 The waters rose and covered the mountains to a depth of more than fifteen cubits.[a][b] (B)
Footnotes
- Genesis 7:20 That is, about 23 feet or about 6.8 meters
- Genesis 7:20 Or rose more than fifteen cubits, and the mountains were covered
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