In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on that day all the fountains of the great deep burst forth, and the windows of the heavens were opened.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The scripture highlights not just the rain, but also the simultaneous eruption of underground waters, revealing a dual source for the deluge—one from above and one from below. This emphasizes that the catastrophe was a complete, overwhelming event, not solely a natural disaster but a divinely orchestrated cosmic upheaval.
In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on that day all the fountains of the great deep burst forth, and the windows of the heavens were opened.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The narrative has built to this climactic moment: after 120 years of warning and labor, Noah and his family have finally entered the ark. Now, at the exact moment God commanded, the catastrophic flood begins, unleashed by both the bursting forth of subterranean waters and the opening of the heavens. This unleashes the judgment described in the previous verses and sets the stage for the waters to cover the entire earth for 150 days.
Imagine the ground beneath you splitting open and the sky itself weeping an unimaginable deluge. Genesis 7:11 describes not just rain, but a dual-source catastrophe that reshaped the planet.
The verse paints a vivid picture of the flood's immense power by highlighting two distinct sources of water:
Fountains of the Great Deep
This refers to vast, subterranean reservoirs of water bursting forth. Think of it as the earth's hidden plumbing system erupting violently. The ancient world conceived of massive underground bodies of water that supplied the seas and rivers. This imagery emphasizes a literal upheaval of the earth itself, releasing these immense stores.
Windows of the Heavens
This phrase describes the heavens opening up, not just for normal rain, but for an unprecedented downpour. It suggests that the usual barriers holding back atmospheric water were completely removed, allowing an overwhelming flood from above. Some scholars even suggest this involved a transformation of the atmosphere itself, converting vapor into water through intense electrical activity, which would have been accompanied by terrifying lightning and thunder.
Together, these phrases convey a cataclysm of global proportions, where both the earth's interior and the sky unleashed their waters simultaneously.
The Bible is remarkably precise with dates, especially during pivotal moments. The specific day Noah entered the ark and the flood began isn't just a detail; it underscores God's sovereign hand in judgment and salvation.
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Genesis 7:11 pinpoints the exact date: 'In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month.' This isn't arbitrary record-keeping; it highlights several crucial aspects:
Sovereign Control:
God is not caught off guard by events. He orchestrates time and circumstance. The precise dating emphasizes that this cataclysm was not a random natural disaster, but a divinely appointed judgment.
A Moment of Truth:
For Noah, this was the culmination of a lifetime of obedience and warning. For the unrighteous, it was the final, irrevocable moment of opportunity lost. The specific date marks the absolute end of God's patience and the beginning of His righteous judgment.
Foreshadowing Salvation:
Just as God meticulously scheduled the flood, He also meticulously schedules salvation. This exactness in judgment points to the precise and faithful execution of His redemptive plan, ultimately fulfilled in Christ.
Understand the original words
tehom · Hebrew Noun
The vast subterranean waters believed by the ancient Israelites to be beneath the earth, which God unleashed to bring judgment upon the world during the Flood. It represents the chaotic, unbridled power of nature held in check by God's decree.
arubbah · Hebrew Noun
A metaphor for the celestial portals or floodgates through which God releases rain upon the earth, signifying both divine judgment and the provision of water.
The precise dating of the flood's commencement anchors this cataclysmic event, revealing it not as a timeless theological concept but as a specific, divinely ordained judgment following a period of unprecedented human wickedness and preceding a divinely initiated new beginning for humanity.
c. 2950 BC
Creation of the World
The world is created by God, with waters both above and below the firmament.
c. 2950 BC - 2350 BC
Antediluvian Era
Humanity's wickedness grows significantly, leading God to grieve and decide to bring a flood.
c. 2350 BC
Noah Enters the Ark
Noah, his family, and the animals enter the ark as commanded by God, seven days before the flood begins.
c. 2350 BC— this verse
The Great Flood Begins
On Noah's 600th birthday, the fountains of the deep burst forth and the windows of heaven open, starting the flood.
c. 2350 BC
Forty Days and Nights of Rain
Torrential rain falls continuously for forty days and nights, contributing to the rising waters.
c. 2350 BC
Waters Prevail
The floodwaters increase for 150 days, covering the highest mountains and destroying all life on dry land.
c. 2349 BC
Floodwaters Recede
The waters begin to recede, and the ark comes to rest on the mountains of Ararat.
This psalm poetically recounts God's power over the waters, including how He set boundaries for the 'great deep' and the seas, mirroring the concept of these waters being unleashed and contained in Genesis 7.
Isaiah 51:10This prophetic passage directly alludes to God's power in parting the sea and making the deep a path, echoing the idea of the 'great deep' being a force God controls, as seen in the flood narrative.
Matthew 24:38-39Jesus Himself draws a parallel between the days before the flood, when people were unaware until the flood came, and the days before His second coming, highlighting the suddenness of divine judgment.
2 Peter 3:5-7Peter explicitly references the creation by God's word and the destruction by water in the flood, linking it to the current heavens and earth being reserved for fire, showing the flood as a precedent for divine judgment.
Revelation 16:1-2This passage describes God pouring out bowls of wrath, starting with sores from the 'great sea' and then the rivers and springs, mirroring the concept of the 'fountains of the great deep' and the 'windows of heaven' being opened in judgment.
gillGenesis 7:11: "In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened."
In the six hundredth year of Noah's life,.... Not complete, but current, for otherwise Noah would have lived after the flood three hundred and fifty one years, whereas he lived but three hundred and fifty; Genesis 9:28 . in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month: as the…
clarkeGenesis 7:11: "In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened."
In the six hundredth year, etc. - This must have been in the beginning of the six hundredth year of his life; for he was a year in the ark, Genesis 8:13 ; and lived three hundred and fifty years after the flood, and died nine hundred and fifty years old, Genesis 9:29 ; so it is evi…
The scripture highlights not just the rain, but also the simultaneous eruption of underground waters, revealing a dual source for the deluge—one from above and one from below. This emphasizes that the catastrophe was a complete, overwhelming event, not solely a natural disaster but a divinely orchestrated cosmic upheaval.
The narrative has built to this climactic moment: after 120 years of warning and labor, Noah and his family have finally entered the ark. Now, at the exact moment God commanded, the catastrophic flood begins, unleashed by both the bursting forth of subterranean waters and the opening of the heavens. This unleashes the judgment described in the previous verses and sets the stage for the waters to cover the entire earth for 150 days.
The narrative has built to this climactic moment: after 120 years of warning and labor, Noah and his family have finally entered the ark. Now, at the exact moment God commanded, the catastrophic flood begins, unleashed by both the bursting forth of subterranean waters and the opening of the heavens. This unleashes the judgment described in the previous verses and sets the stage for the waters to cover the entire earth for 150 days.
"In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on that day all the fountains of the great deep burst forth, and the windows of the heavens were opened." — The scripture highlights not just the rain, but also the simultaneous eruption of underground waters, revealing a dual source for the deluge—one from above and one from below. This emphasizes that th…
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Last reviewed October 2026