The Flood Rises and Subsides

In this section, the repetition is significant and emphasizes the loss of life and the extent of the Flood. In the chart below, the parallelism can be seen:

1) the disappearance of the last traces of life.

2) the search for and discovery of the earliest traces of life.


Genesis 7

Genesis 8

17) Then the flood came upon the earth for forty days, …

6) Then it came about at the end of forty days,…

21) All flesh that moved on the earth perished, birds and cattle and beasts and every swarming thing that swarms upon the earth, and all mankind;

7) and he sent out a raven, and it flew here and there until the water was dried up from the earth.

22) of all that was on the dry land, all in whose nostrils was the breath of the spirit of life, died.

8) Then he sent out a dove from him, to see if the water was abated from the face of the land; 9) but the dove found no resting place for the sole of her foot, so she returned to him into the ark, for the water was on the surface of all the earth.

23a) Thus He blotted out every living thing that was upon the face of the land, from man to animals to creeping things and to birds of the sky, and they were blotted out from the earth…

10) So he waited yet another seven days; and again he sent out the dove from the ark. 11) The dove came to him toward evening, and behold, in her beak was a freshly picked olive leaf. So Noah knew that the water was abated from the earth.

23d) and only Noah was left, together with those that were with him in the ark.

12) Then he waited yet another seven days, and sent out the dove; but she did not return to him again.


Genesis 7:17-24

17) Then the flood came upon the earth for forty days, and the water increased and lifted up the ark, so that it rose above the earth. 18) The water prevailed and increased greatly upon the earth, and the ark floated on the surface of the water. 19) The water prevailed more and more upon the earth, so that all the high mountains everywhere under the heavens were covered. 20) The water prevailed fifteen cubits higher, and the mountains were covered. 21) All flesh that moved on the earth perished, birds and cattle and beasts and every swarming thing that swarms upon the earth, and all mankind; 22) of all that was on the dry land, all in whose nostrils was the breath of the spirit of life, died. 23) Thus He blotted out every living thing that was upon the face of the land, from man to animals to creeping things and to birds of the sky, and they were blotted out from the earth; and only Noah was left, together with those that were with him in the ark. 24) The water prevailed upon the earth one hundred and fifty days.

Genesis 8:6-12

6) Then it came about at the end of forty days, that Noah opened the window of the ark which he had made; 7) and he sent out a raven, and it flew here and there until the water was dried up from the earth. 8) Then he sent out a dove from him, to see if the water was abated from the face of the land; 9) but the dove found no resting place for the sole of her foot, so she returned to him into the ark, for the water was on the surface of all the earth. Then he put out his hand and took her, and brought her into the ark to himself. 10) So he waited yet another seven days; and again he sent out the dove from the ark. 11) The dove came to him toward evening, and behold, in her beak was a freshly picked olive leaf. So Noah knew that the water was abated from the earth. 12) Then he waited yet another seven days, and sent out the dove; but she did not return to him again.


References:

Cassuto U, A Commentary on the Book of Genesis, Jerusalem: Magnes (1961).

Shea W, "The Structure of the Genesis Flood Narrative and Its Implications", Origins 6 (1979): 8-29.


Scripture taken from the New American Standard Bible ®, Copyright © The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 Used by permission. (www.Lockman.org)


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