Genesis 6:14-16
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
The text emphasizes the practical, even laborious, aspects of salvation, detailing the construction of the ark with its "rooms" and "pitch." This wasn't a spiritual escape from the problem, but a physical, hands-on process ordained by God, highlighting that obedience often involves tangible, difficult work.
Make yourself an ark of gopher wood. Make rooms in the ark, and cover it inside and out with pitch. This is how you are to make it: the length of the ark 300 cubits, its breadth 50 cubits, and its height 30 cubits. Make a roof for the ark, and finish it to a cubit above, and set the door of the ark in its side. Make it with lower, second, and third decks.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The world has become so corrupt and violent that God decides to bring a devastating flood to wipe out all life. He reveals this plan to Noah, a righteous man who found favor with God, and instructs him to build a massive ark to save himself, his family, and pairs of all living creatures. This detailed command to construct the ark, including its materials and internal structure, immediately precedes the account of the flood itself.
Noah wasn't just given a vague instruction; he was given specific materials and a detailed plan. What does this tell us about how God works with us?
The instructions for the ark are remarkably detailed: 'Make yourself an ark of gopher wood. Make rooms in the ark, and cover it inside and out with pitch.'
God's Precise Plan
Notice that God doesn't just say, 'Build a boat.' He specifies the material ('gopher wood' – a type of durable, possibly cypress, wood) and the construction details ('rooms,' 'pitch'). This wasn't a vague suggestion; it was a blueprint.
Faith in Action
This tells us a few things about faith:
Ask a follow-up
This massive vessel wasn't just Noah's lifeboat; it was a stark declaration to the world. What did the ark represent to those outside and to Noah within?
The ark is more than just a boat; it's a powerful symbol packed with theological meaning.
A Witness to Wickedness
Before the flood, the world was consumed by violence and corruption. The very act of Noah building this enormous ark, a stark contrast to the surrounding decay, served as a public testament and a silent judgment. It highlighted the world's sin by offering a path to salvation that most rejected.
A Haven of Grace
For Noah and his family, the ark represented salvation and God's unwavering grace. Despite the pervasive sin that led to judgment, God provided a way for a remnant to survive. Stepping into the ark meant leaving the world behind and trusting entirely in God's provision and promise.
Separation and Preservation
The act of pitching the ark 'within and without' also speaks to this separation. It sealed them off from the destructive outside world, preserving them within God's covenant. This echoes how God calls His people to be set apart from the corrupting influences of the world, finding safety and life in Him.
Understand the original words
tebah · Hebrew Noun
A vessel of deliverance built according to divine instructions; it serves as a symbol of salvation and protection from divine judgment.
kopher · Hebrew Noun
A substance used for waterproofing; metaphorically, it is associated with atonement, as the Hebrew word for 'cover' (kaphar) shares the same root as the word for 'pitch' (kopher).
ammah · Hebrew Noun
An ancient unit of measurement based on the length of the forearm from the elbow to the tip of the middle finger, commonly used in Old Testament architectural instructions.
ammah · Hebrew Noun
The literal or metaphorical measurement of distance, often used in constructing sacred spaces like the tabernacle or, in this case, the ark. It reflects God's demand for precision and obedience in the execution of His instructions.
The construction of the ark wasn't just an engineering feat; it was a profound act of faith in a world spiraling into deep-seated corruption. The specific materials and construction details emphasize obedience and a deliberate separation from the world's decay, highlighting Noah's unique role as a preserver of life amidst judgment.
~8000 BC - ~2000 BC
Early Human Civilizations Develop
This period sees the rise of early agricultural societies and the beginnings of complex cultures across various regions. The foundations for human civilization are laid, but also an increasing departure from pure, God-centered living as described in the early chapters of Genesis.
c. 2500 BC— this verse
Noah's Era of Extreme Wickedness
Humanity's corruption reaches its zenith, characterized by widespread violence, moral decay, and a general disregard for God. This pervasive wickedness sets the stage for God's judgment.
c. 2500 BC
God Commands Noah to Build the Ark
In response to humanity's extreme corruption, God reveals His plan to destroy the world by flood and instructs Noah, a righteous man, to build a massive ark to save himself, his family, and pairs of all living creatures.
c. 2500 BC - c. 2350 BC
Ark Construction and Divine Patience
Noah meticulously constructs the ark over many years, demonstrating extraordinary faith and obedience. During this extended period, God's patience is evident, offering a prolonged window for repentance that remains largely unheeded.
c. 2350 BC
The Great Flood Begins
The divine judgment commences as the "windows of heaven" open and the fountains of the great deep burst forth, unleashing a catastrophic flood that covers the entire earth and purifies it of its wickedness.
c. 2350 BC
God Establishes His Covenant with Noah
With the floodwaters receding, God formally establishes His covenant with Noah and his descendants, promising never again to destroy all life with a flood and setting the rainbow as a perpetual sign of this promise.
This passage highlights Noah's faith, emphasizing that his obedience in building the ark, as instructed, was a demonstration of his trust in God's unseen warnings and promises.
1 Peter 3:20This verse links the ark directly to baptism, suggesting that the ark, a vessel of salvation through water, symbolizes spiritual cleansing and preservation through faith in God's provision.
Genesis 9:1This passage shows God's blessing on Noah and his family after they leave the ark, establishing a new covenant and reiterating His promise of life and multiplication, which began with Noah's obedience in building the ark.
Exodus 2:3The word used for Noah's ark ('tebah') is the same word used for the basket that preserved baby Moses, highlighting a thematic parallel of divine preservation through a specially prepared vessel in the face of deadly waters.
Luke 17:27Jesus references the days of Noah, specifically mentioning the eating, drinking, and marrying that occurred before the flood, which underscores the normalcy and unsuspecting nature of the world Noah was building the ark to escape.
calvinGenesis 6:1-22: "And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them,"
There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown.
Gigantes fuerunt in terra in diebus illis: et etiam postquam ingressi sunt filii Dei ad filias hominum, genuerunt eis: isti sunt potentes, qui a saec…
gillGenesis 6:14: "Make thee an ark of gopher wood; rooms shalt thou make in the ark, and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch."
Make thee an ark of Gopher wood,.... It is not called a ship, for it was not made for sailing to any distant parts, but an ark or chest, being like one, flat bottomed, and ridged and sloping upwards, and was made for floating on the waters for a little way. So Lucian (c), and other Heathen writers, call it "an ark" or "chest": this was made of "Gopher wood", whic…
The text emphasizes the practical, even laborious, aspects of salvation, detailing the construction of the ark with its "rooms" and "pitch." This wasn't a spiritual escape from the problem, but a physical, hands-on process ordained by God, highlighting that obedience often involves tangible, difficult work.
The world has become so corrupt and violent that God decides to bring a devastating flood to wipe out all life. He reveals this plan to Noah, a righteous man who found favor with God, and instructs him to build a massive ark to save himself, his family, and pairs of all living creatures. This detailed command to construct the ark, including its materials and internal structure, immediately precedes the account of the flood itself.
The world has become so corrupt and violent that God decides to bring a devastating flood to wipe out all life. He reveals this plan to Noah, a righteous man who found favor with God, and instructs him to build a massive ark to save himself, his family, and pairs of all living creatures. This detailed command to construct the ark, including its materials and internal structure, immediately precedes the account of the flood itself.
"Make yourself an ark of gopher wood. Make rooms in the ark, and cover it inside and out with pitch. This is how you are to make it: the length of the ark 300 cubits, its breadth 50 cubits, and its height 30 cubits. Make a roof for the ark,…" — The text emphasizes the practical, even laborious, aspects of salvation, detailing the construction of the ark with its "rooms" and "pitch." This wasn't a spiritual escape from the problem, but a phy…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Last reviewed October 2026
