Genesis 7:4
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For seven days from now I will send rain on the earth for forty days and forty nights, and I will wipe from the face of the earth every living thing I have made.”
Commentaries
Excerpts gathered from published commentaries to ground the reading.
In this chapter we have the performance of what was foretold in the foregoing chapter, both concerning the destruction of the old world and the salvation of Noah; for we may be sure that no word of God shall fall to the ground. There we left Noah busy about his ark, and full of care to get it finished in time, while the rest of his neighbours were laughing at him for his pains. Now here we see what was the end thereof, the end of his care and of their carelessness. And this famous period of the old world gives us some idea of the state of things when the world that now is shall be destroyed by fire, as that was by water. (See Pe2 3:6, Pe2 3:7.) We have, in this chapter, I. God's gracious call to Noah to come into the ark (Gen 7:1), and to bring the creatures that were to be preserved alive along with him (Gen 7:2, Gen 7:3), in consideration of the deluge at hand (Gen 7:4). II. Noah's obedience to this heavenly vision (Gen 7:5). When he was six hundred years old, he came with his family into the ark (Gen 7:6, Gen 7:7), and brought the creatures along with him (Gen 7:8, Gen 7:9), an account of which is repeated (Gen 7:13-16), to which is added God's tender care to shut him in. III. The coming of the threatened deluge (Gen 7:10); the causes of it (Gen 7:11, Gen 7:12); the prevalency of it (Gen 7:17-20). IV. The dreadful desolations that were made by it in the death of every living creature upon earth, except those that were in the ark (Gen 7:21-23). V. The continuance of it in full sea, before it began to ebb, one hundred and fifty days (Gen 7:24).
Open source ↗7:4 The number forty is often associated with affliction, trial, or punishment (see Exod 16:35; Judg 13:1; 1 Kgs 19:8; Ezek 4:6; Jon 3:4; Matt 4:2; Acts 1:3).
Open source ↗Cross-references
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For forty days the flood kept coming on the earth, and the waters rose and lifted the ark high above the earth.
And the rain fell upon the earth for forty days and forty nights.
Then God said to Noah, “The end of all living creatures has come before Me, because through them the earth is full of violence. Now behold, I will destroy both them and the earth.
And behold, I will bring floodwaters upon the earth to destroy every creature under the heavens that has the breath of life. Everything on the earth will perish.
So the LORD said, “I will blot out man, whom I have created, from the face of the earth—every man and beast and crawling creature and bird of the air—for I am grieved that I have made them.”
May they be blotted out of the Book of Life and not listed with the righteous.
Like them, he who overcomes will be dressed in white. And I will never blot out his name from the Book of Life, but I will confess his name before My Father and His angels.
When God fixed the weight of the wind and measured out the waters,
They were snatched away before their time, and their foundations were swept away by a flood.
And Noah waited seven more days and sent out the dove again, but this time she did not return to him.