Genesis 7:19-20
And the waters prevailed so mightily on the earth that all the high mountains under the whole heaven were covered. The waters prevailed above the mountains, covering them fifteen cubits deep.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
The phrasing "all the high mountains under the whole heaven" isn't just describing the height of the flood, but rather emphasizing its total, comprehensive reach across the entire known world. It highlights that there was no refuge on earth, no peak so high it escaped God's judgment, underscoring the profound completeness of the destruction for all outside the ark.
The narrative is deep into the flood itself, with the waters not only raining down but also bursting forth from the earth's depths. This verse describes the terrifying, relentless rise of those waters, emphasizing their power and universality as they cover even the highest mountains. This event marks the complete destruction of all life outside the ark, underscoring the judgment being poured out on a wicked world.
How could water cover the highest mountains on Earth? It's a question that challenges our understanding of the natural world.
The description in Genesis 7:19 is meant to convey the absolute, overwhelming power of God's judgment. It's not just about a flood; it's about God's sovereign act.
A World Drowned
The text says, "all the high mountains under the whole heaven were covered." This wasn't a regional flood; it was a global inundation that surpassed any natural phenomenon we can imagine. The commentators note that if we tried to explain this purely through natural means, we'd run into physical impossibilities regarding the sheer volume of water needed.
Divine Power at Work
However, the Bible doesn't present this as a natural event. It's a miracle, an act of divine power. Believing in God means acknowledging that He is not bound by the physical laws He created. For God, bringing forth the waters to cover the highest peaks was as simple as speaking them into existence. This wasn't about the amount of water on Earth, but about God's decision to unleash it.
The flood wasn't just a devastating event; it was a complete cleansing of a world gone astray.
Genesis 7:19 describes a totality that speaks volumes about the seriousness of God's judgment. The waters didn't just rise; they 'prevailed exceedingly,' leaving no high ground untouched.
A Universal Consequence
This imagery serves to underscore that God's judgment was comprehensive. It reached every corner of the known world, covering even the loftiest mountains. The intent was not merely to punish but to eradicate the rampant sin that had permeated antediluvian society. The commentaries suggest that 'under the whole heaven' likely referred to the entirety of the inhabited world as known to people at that time, emphasizing the extent of God's judgment on human wickedness.
A New Beginning
By covering everything, the flood paved the way for a fresh start. It was a drastic, absolute measure to cleanse the earth and allow for a renewed humanity, represented by Noah and his family, to continue the human lineage. This wasn't capricious destruction; it was a divine act of judgment that also held the promise of future redemption.
Understand the original words
ammah · Hebrew Noun
A Hebrew unit of measurement (approximately 18 inches) based on the length of a forearm; here it serves to emphasize the precision of the biblical account and the completeness of the floodwaters' reach.
The verse depicts a cataclysmic event that, within its biblical context, is presented as a singular, world-altering catastrophe. The surrounding timeline acknowledges the ancient civilizations that arose in fertile regions, but the Flood itself stands as a foundational event in the biblical narrative, marking a complete reset for humanity and the planet.
c. 10,000 BC - 4,000 BC
Early Human Migration and Settlement
Following the end of the last Ice Age, human populations began to spread and establish settlements across various fertile regions of the Earth, including river valleys like those of Mesopotamia.
c. 2950 BC— this verse
The Great Flood of Noah
According to the biblical narrative, God sends a catastrophic global flood to cleanse the Earth of its wickedness, destroying all life except for Noah, his family, and pairs of every animal aboard the Ark. The waters covered even the highest mountains.
c. 2950 BC - 2949 BC
The Flood Subsides
After 150 days, the waters begin to recede, and the Ark eventually comes to rest on the mountains of Ararat. Noah sends out birds to check for dry land, eventually leading to his family and all the creatures disembarking to repopulate the Earth.
c. 2300 BC
Mesopotamian Civilizations Flourish
This Psalm beautifully echoes the Genesis creation account, referencing how the waters at creation stood above the mountains, much like they did during the flood, highlighting God's power over both.
Isaiah 54:9This passage draws a direct parallel between God's covenant with Noah after the flood and His new covenant with His people, assuring them that such a complete destruction would not happen again.
1 Peter 3:20Peter explicitly connects the waters of the flood with baptism, showing how the destruction that overwhelmed the wicked was the very means by which Noah's family was saved, mirroring how baptism saves believers.
Luke 17:27Jesus uses the flood as a warning about His second coming, emphasizing that life continued as normal until the moment of judgment, just as people were unaware until the waters covered everything in Genesis.
gillGenesis 7:19: "And the waters prevailed exceedingly upon the earth; and all the high hills, that were under the whole heaven, were covered."
And the waters prevailed exceedingly on the earth,.... Yet more and more, so that the people without the ark were obliged to remove, not only from the lower to the higher rooms in their houses, and to the tops of them, but to the highest trees; and when these were bore down, to the highest hills and mountains; and to those it was in vain to fly, by what fo…
calvinGenesis 7:1-24: "And the LORD said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation."
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 anno sexcentesimo annorum vitae Noah, in mense secundo, in septimadecima die mensis, die ipsa, rupti sunt omnes fontes voraginis magnaaa…
The phrasing "all the high mountains under the whole heaven" isn't just describing the height of the flood, but rather emphasizing its total, comprehensive reach across the entire known world. It highlights that there was no refuge on earth, no peak so high it escaped God's judgment, underscoring the profound completeness of the destruction for all outside the ark.
The narrative is deep into the flood itself, with the waters not only raining down but also bursting forth from the earth's depths. This verse describes the terrifying, relentless rise of those waters, emphasizing their power and universality as they cover even the highest mountains. This event marks the complete destruction of all life outside the ark, underscoring the judgment being poured out on a wicked world.
The narrative is deep into the flood itself, with the waters not only raining down but also bursting forth from the earth's depths. This verse describes the terrifying, relentless rise of those waters, emphasizing their power and universality as they cover even the highest mountains. This event marks the complete destruction of all life outside the ark, underscoring the judgment being poured out on a wicked world.
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Ask a follow-up
Ask Sola things like:
Live chat about Genesis 7:19-20 is available in the Sola app.
Sumerian, Akkadian, and later Babylonian and Assyrian cultures develop in the region between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, building cities and developing complex societies.
c. 1800 BC
Code of Hammurabi
The Babylonian king Hammurabi establishes one of the earliest known comprehensive legal codes, reflecting the social and legal structures of ancient Mesopotamian society.
"And the waters prevailed so mightily on the earth that all the high mountains under the whole heaven were covered. The waters prevailed above the mountains, covering them fifteen cubits deep." — The phrasing "all the high mountains under the whole heaven" isn't just describing the height of the flood, but rather emphasizing its total, comprehensive reach across the entire known world. It hig…
