Noach - Genesis 6:9-11:32
The Call
Noah was called a “just man, perfect in his generations.” He had three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japeth. God calls to Noah and tells him that he plans to destroy the earth. He tells Noah to create an ark (literally “box,” only used here and the basket with which Moses was set into the river). Interestingly, it is to be made of gopher wood and covered, inside and out, with “pitch” which could also be translated as “henna bush,” “deny,” “atonement,” or “ransom.” Each of those other translations are interesting when you consider that pitch on the inside of the boat would be a sticky mess. Perhaps the outside was pitched for water-tightness and the inside was made holy - atoned for - by God.
God then gives the dimensions and tells him that a flood is coming.
The Covenant of Noah
A covenant is an agreement between two parties that is enforced by penalty of death. It stipulates the terms of both parties. In the case of God’s covenants, they are generally “listen to me and I will make your life blessed.” The covenant with Noah is no different. go into the ark, bring animals, and you will all live.
Noah obeys and animals are brought to the ark by God.
The Flood
We are then told that “the fountains of the great deep were broken up and the windows of heaven were opened.” It rained for 40 days and nights, non-stop. The same day, Noah and his family boarded the ark, along with all the animals, insects, birds. We are told that the waters not only covered the mountains but also exceeded that height by 15 cubits - 22.5 feet. Everything not in the ark was killed. Everything and everyone.
We’re told then that “the waters prevailed on the earth” 150 days. God then caused a wind to pass over the earth, the underwater jets and rain also stopped; the waters receded. After this, Noah begins sending out birds to see if they return for lack of land. We’re told that the water was finally gone and the earth dry after a full year and 10 days.
His family and the animals leave the ark and Noah immediately builds an altar to God. He took of every clean animal and bird that had survived and offered them to God. God responds by stating that he would never again curse the ground, never kill again, and will allow the seasons to continue as they should. As a symbol of this, he sets the rainbow in the clouds so that He may always be reminded of His promise to Noah to never destroy the earth by rain again.
The Second Covenant
After this, God blessed Noah and his sons, telling them to replenish the earth. He causes a fear of man to fall on the animals and offers them as food (meaning that prior to this, it is possible that man was vegetarian). He commands that no blood, however, should be eaten; life is in the blood.
The Rest of Noah’s Life
After this, we’re told that Noah becomes a vineyard farmer and a bit of a sloppy drunk (wouldn’t you, if you’d been the sole survivor of the entire earth? He must have heard the screams of friends and enemies alike, begging for salvation from the flood for days; yet God himself sealed the ark).
We learn of one final story from the final 150 years of Noah’s life - the years after the flood. We learn that Noah lay drunk and naked in his tent. Ham sees him and tells his brothers of this. Shem and Japheth cover him, walking backwards so as not to shame him. The next morning he awakens. We know that Japheth is the youngest son so “knows what the youngest son did” would imply that Canaan, Noah’s grandson, was the one at fault. He then curses Canaan and blesses She and Japheth.
Noah dies at 950 years of age, making him the third longest-lived human of all time (after Methuselah, Noah’s grandfather; and Jared, the father of Enoch, grandfather of Methuselah, and great-great-grandfather of Noah).
Descendants of Noah
After the events of the flood, we have another list of names.
Japeth
Japheth > Gomer > Ashkenaz, Rifat, Togarmah Japheth > Javan > Elishah, Tarshish, Kittim, Dodanim
These 7 sons became the nations.
Ham
Ham > Cush > Seba, Havilah, Sabtah, Raamah (> Sheba, Dedan), Sabteca, and Nimrod Ham > Mizraim > Ludim, Anamim, Lehabim, Naftuhim, Patrusim, Casluhim (Philistines) Caftorim Ham > Canaan > Zidon and Heth (from this line came the Jebusite, Amorite, Girgashite, Hivite, Arkite, Sinite, Arvadite, Zemarite, and Hamathite)
These stayed in and around the land of Israel
Shem
Shem > Elam, Ashshur, Arpachsbad (>Shelah > Ever (>Peleg, Joktan(>Almodad, Shelef, Hazarmavet, Jerah, Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah, Oval, Avimael, Sheva, Ofir, Havilah, Jobab))), Lud, Aaram (> Uz, Hul, Geter, Mash)
These all moved to the east
The Tower of Babel
At this point, everyone was a descendant of Noah. Everyone had only a few items and spoke the same language. In the land of Shinar, they created brick and mortar in order to build a city and a tower “whose top may reach to the heavens” and “we will make a name for ourselves.”
God came and saw the city and the tower and saw that nothing would be restrained from them. To prevent the same debauchery that caused the flood, he confused the languages so that they scattered and stopped building the city. This is why the name Babel stuck, as “Babel” means “mix” or “confuse”
To Abraham
One last geneology to round things off though this one isn’t as neat as previous ones. I believe this was placed mostly as a historical record and to demonstrate that, as Noah declared, Shem’s line would be blessed.
| Name | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Shem | Name |
| Arpachshad | Healer / releaser |
| Shelah | Request / petition |
| Ever | The region beyond |
| Peleg | Division / channel |
| Reu | Friend / shepherd / behold |
| Serug | Branch / intertwined |
| Nahor | Snort / strong breath |
| Terah | Wanderer / loiterer |
| Abram | Exalted father |
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