Genesis 6 & 8 - Noah's Ark

· 3 min read

The story of Noah’s ark is packed full of literary details that continue to establish the idea of sacred spaces and vessles of salvation.

One of the first things to point out is the chiastic structure of the story. According to Dr. Thomas L. Constable’s commentary on Genesis, the story culminates in verse 8:1 where it says:

“But God remembered Noah.."

This is the middle of the chiasm and the most important idea that is to be highlighted in the story. The structure is outlined in Constable’s notes:

Some other interesting points to consider:

  • Noah means “rest”
  • The number 7 is repeated many times throughout the story.
  • The number 40 is repeated and will be echoed throughout scripture in different ways.
  • There is another embedded mirrored structure using numbers: 7, 7, 40, 150, 150, 40, 7, 7

The structure and design of the ark itself gives some interesting theological ideas to meditate on:

  • Ark = Tebah which is an Egyptian word meaning a “chest,” “shrine to an idol,” or “coffin.” An idol is a physical representation of a god…man is made in the “image of god”…so the shrine to an idol was a structure in which idols were placed. The ark is a structure in which the “image of god” (Noah) is placed. The idea that the word means “coffin” is also interesting in that for Noah and his family to experience salvation from the pending flood, they must enter the “coffin”…this gives us an image to think about: for there to be life, there must be death. Noah must trust God and enter a symbol of “death” in order to receive life.

  • The story of Moses echos the flood story in that Moses was placed inside an “ark”/basket and placed in the Nile.

Some additional Hebrew words to meditate on and research:

  • Kopher = the word used for “pitch” can also mean “to cover, make atonement.” Also here

  • The ark “rests” on the top of Ararat on the 17th day of the 7th month. This is the date known as Nisan 17 which is a date on the Jewish religious calendar that begins the Feast of Firstfruits (symbolising new life). This is also the date typically assigned to the resurrection of Jesus. Source. Lots of intertwined symbolism here.

  • Ravens vs Doves: Ravens are black (dark) and associated with vice, cynicism, and harshness. They are considered an “unclean” bird because of their association with death. Doves are white (light) and are associated with peace and virtue. They often are seen in pairs (symbolizing friendship or love). Doves symbolize life. The dove is sent out 3 times.

  • v8:1 we see God sending “a wind over the earth, and the waters receded.” This echos images of Genesis 1 when the Spirit (wind) of God was hovering over the waters and began the work of creation. The receding of the waters is the beginning of a new creation.

Here is an additional video resource that goes deeper into some of the concepts above: