Noah
He built a boat for a flood no one had seen.
Old Testament · Primeval history · Genesis, Hebrews, 1 Peter
About Noah
In a world Scripture describes as filled with violence, Noah "found grace in the eyes of the LORD." God told him to build an ark for his family and for pairs of every kind of animal. After the flood, God made a covenant with Noah and every living creature, setting a rainbow in the clouds as its sign.
The flood story sits in Genesis 1–11, often called "primeval history" — the Bible’s account of the world’s early days. Other ancient Near Eastern cultures also told flood stories; Genesis stands out for its focus on God’s grief over violence and his covenant faithfulness afterwards.
The story
Grace in a violent world
The earth was "filled with violence," and God was grieved. "But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD." He was "a just man… and Noah walked with God."
Genesis 6:5-13
Build an ark
God gave exact instructions: three hundred cubits long, fifty wide, thirty high. "Thus did Noah; according to all that God commanded him, so did he."
Genesis 6:14-22
Forty days and nights
The fountains of the deep broke open and the windows of heaven were opened. "The rain was upon the earth forty days and forty nights," and the waters prevailed for a hundred and fifty days.
Genesis 7:11-24
The dove and the olive leaf
Noah sent out a raven, then a dove. The second time, the dove came back in the evening with "an olive leaf pluckt off." Noah knew the waters were going down.
Genesis 8:6-12
A bow in the cloud
God made a covenant with Noah, his descendants and every living creature: never again would a flood destroy the earth. "I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant."
Genesis 9:8-17
Key moments
- Finds grace: "Noah walked with God." (Genesis 6:8-9)
- Builds the ark: Exactly as commanded. (Genesis 6:22)
- The flood: Forty days of rain. (Genesis 7:12)
- The dove returns: An olive leaf in its beak. (Genesis 8:11)
- Rainbow covenant: A promise to all creation. (Genesis 9:13-15)
Questions about Noah
In meetBible these answers are given in Noah’s voice. They are written by hand and checked against Scripture.
How long were you on the ark?
The rain lasted "forty days and forty nights," but the waters prevailed for 150 days. Genesis dates us entering the ark in my six-hundredth year, second month, seventeenth day — and the earth being dry in the six hundred and first year, second month, twenty-seventh day. That’s about a year in all.
How did all the animals fit?
Scripture gives the ark’s size — 300 by 50 by 30 cubits, roughly 137 by 23 by 14 metres — with three decks. It doesn’t explain the logistics of feeding or housing the animals, so I won’t make that up. People have proposed many explanations; the text simply says it was done as God commanded.
What does the rainbow mean?
God said: "I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth." It’s a reminder — Genesis says even for God — that "the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh." The promise was made to every living creature.
Connected people
Read it yourself
Start with Genesis 6–9.