Genesis 7:19-20
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This verse emphasizes the totality of God's judgment – not a single "high mountain" remained untouched under the entire "whole heaven." This detail suggests that even the most inaccessible and seemingly permanent places on Earth were utterly inundated, underscoring the comprehensive nature of the flood's reach.
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)
The narrative is describing the overwhelming power of the floodwaters, which began to rise with the opening of the "fountains of the great deep" and the "windows of heaven." This unprecedented deluge continues to increase, lifting Noah's ark and ultimately covering even the highest mountains, signifying the complete submersion of the antediluvian world.
Imagine every single peak, no matter how high, disappearing beneath the waves. This wasn't just a local flood; it was an event of cosmic proportions.
Genesis 7:19 declares that 'all the high mountains under the whole heaven were covered.' This isn't hyperbole; it's a stark declaration of the universal reach of God's judgment.
Beyond Human Sight
While the world drowned, a small vessel floated. This wasn't just a boat; it was a testament to divine preservation.
The overwhelming waters that brought death to everything else became the very medium that sustained the ark and its inhabitants.
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God's Power in Preservation
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.
This verse depicts the peak of the global flood, emphasizing God's comprehensive judgment on a wicked world and His powerful preservation of life through Noah's ark.
c. 2950 BC
Early Human Migration
Human populations begin to spread from their original centers, suggesting a growing, though perhaps not global, presence across various regions.
c. 2950 BC
Moral Corruption
Societal wickedness, characterized by violence and pervasive evil, becomes extreme, prompting divine judgment.
c. 2950 BC
Noah's Ark Construction
Noah, warned by God, begins the monumental task of building an ark to save his family and the animal kingdom.
c. 2950 BC
Animals Gathered into the Ark
Animals, both clean and unclean, are divinely guided to enter the ark in pairs, ensuring the preservation of life.
c. 2950 BC
The Flood Begins
The 'fountains of the deep' are broken up and the 'windows of heaven' opened, commencing the deluge.
c. 2950 BC— this verse
Waters Cover the Earth
The floodwaters rise with immense power, covering all the highest mountains under the entire heaven, submerging the known world.
c. 2950 BC
The Floodwaters Prevail
The waters continue to cover the earth for 150 days, signifying the totality of God's judgment and the complete destruction of antediluvian life.
This Psalm echoes the Genesis account by stating that the waters covered the earth like a garment during creation, illustrating God's power over the vastness of water, much like His power displayed during the Flood.
Isaiah 54:9This prophetic passage directly alludes to the Flood, comparing God's covenant faithfulness to Noah's time, where He vowed never again to destroy the earth with a flood, reinforcing the unique and decisive nature of the Genesis event.
1 Peter 3:20-21Peter explicitly connects the Flood to baptism, explaining that the waters that destroyed the ungodly were the means by which Noah's family was saved, paralleling how baptism signifies both death to sin and new life in Christ.
2 Peter 3:6This verse reiterates the historical reality of the Flood and its destructive power, warning that just as God judged the ungodly world then, He will also bring judgment in the future, highlighting the finality of God's judgment.
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…
This verse emphasizes the totality of God's judgment – not a single "high mountain" remained untouched under the entire "whole heaven." This detail suggests that even the most inaccessible and seemingly permanent places on Earth were utterly inundated, underscoring the comprehensive nature of the flood's reach.
The narrative is describing the overwhelming power of the floodwaters, which began to rise with the opening of the "fountains of the great deep" and the "windows of heaven." This unprecedented deluge continues to increase, lifting Noah's ark and ultimately covering even the highest mountains, signifying the complete submersion of the antediluvian world.
The narrative is describing the overwhelming power of the floodwaters, which began to rise with the opening of the "fountains of the great deep" and the "windows of heaven." This unprecedented deluge continues to increase, lifting Noah's ark and ultimately covering even the highest mountains, signifying the complete submersion of the antediluvian world.
"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." — This verse emphasizes the totality of God's judgment – not a single "high mountain" remained untouched under the entire "whole heaven." This detail suggests that even the most inaccessible and seemin…
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Last reviewed October 2026
