Noah was six hundred years old when the flood of waters came upon the earth.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This verse isn't just a chronological marker; it highlights that Noah, in his advanced age, was still actively obedient, facing the terrifying reality of God's judgment with faith and obedience right up to the very moment the flood began.
Noah was six hundred years old when the flood of waters came upon the earth.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The narrative has just established God's judgment upon a wicked world through a great flood, and Noah, a righteous man, has been instructed to build an ark for salvation. Noah and his family, along with pairs of every living creature, have now entered the ark just before the catastrophic rains begin. This verse pinpoints the exact moment the deluge commences, emphasizing Noah's advanced age at the time of this world-altering event.
Why does the Bible specifically mention Noah's age? It's more than just a number; it signifies a lifetime of faithfulness in a world gone wild.
When Genesis 7:6 states "Noah was six hundred years old when the flood of waters came upon the earth," it's not just providing a chronological marker. This age represents the culmination of a long, arduous journey of faith.
A Lifetime of Obedience
The flood didn't just happen; it was initiated by God. What does this tell us about divine justice and mercy?
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The verse marks the precise moment God's judgment began. This isn't arbitrary; it's a testament to God's justice, holiness, and his ultimate plan for redemption.
God's Sovereign Hand
Understand the original words
mabbul · Hebrew Noun
The Hebrew word for "flood" used here specifically refers to the cataclysmic Deluge, a unique judgment of God upon the world. It carries the sense of a divine destruction of life through water.
erets · Hebrew Noun
In Hebrew, this term refers to the entire planet or a specific landmass; in this context, it signifies the globe that was covered by the judgment of the waters.
Noah's age of 600 highlights the immense duration of God's patience with humanity and the sheer scale of the impending judgment, emphasizing that this was not a sudden event but a culmination of long-suffering.
c. 2950 BC
Noah is born
Noah was born into a world where humanity's wickedness had grown significantly, yet he walked with God.
c. 2450 BC
God's warning and Noah begins building the Ark
God warns Noah of the impending flood and instructs him to build an ark to save his family and the animals.
c. 2350 BC— this verse
Noah is 600 years old; Flood begins
Noah reaches the age of 600, and on the 17th day of the second month, the great flood commences with the breaking of the fountains of the deep and the opening of the windows of heaven.
c. 2350 BC
Forty days of rain
Torrential rain falls upon the earth for forty days and forty nights, contributing to the rising waters.
c. 2350 BC
Waters prevail for 150 days
The floodwaters cover the earth, and the ark floats upon them for 150 days.
c. 2349 BC
Waters recede and ark rests
The waters begin to recede, and the ark comes to rest on the mountains of Ararat.
c. 2349 BC
Noah and family exit the ark
After over a year, Noah and his family, along with the animals, leave the ark to repopulate the earth.
This verse directly supports the detail of Noah's age by mentioning Noah was 500 years old when he began to father his sons, thus clarifying his age at the time of the flood.
Genesis 7:11This passage provides the exact date the flood began, mentioning 'In the six hundredth year of Noah's life,' which directly correlates with and expands upon the information given in Genesis 7:6.
Luke 17:26-27Jesus likens the days of Noah to the days before His second coming, emphasizing the suddenness and unexpectedness of judgment falling upon an unsuspecting world, mirroring the event described in Genesis 7:6.
1 Peter 3:20Peter refers to the flood as a time when 'God’s patience waited, once in the days of Noah,' highlighting the long period of warning and God's forbearance before the judgment described in Genesis 7:6 occurred.
Hebrews 11:7This verse speaks of Noah building the ark 'by faith' in response to divine warning about what was to come, underscoring the faith that motivated Noah to act and enter the ark at the specified age in Genesis 7:6.
gillGenesis 7:6: "And Noah was six hundred years old when the flood of waters was upon the earth."
And Noah was six hundred years old when the flood of waters was upon the earth,.... When it began, for he was in his six hundred and first year when it ended, Genesis 8:13 his eldest son was now an hundred years old, since when Noah was five hundred years old he begat children, Genesis 5:32 .
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 isn't just a chronological marker; it highlights that Noah, in his advanced age, was still actively obedient, facing the terrifying reality of God's judgment with faith and obedience right up to the very moment the flood began.
The narrative has just established God's judgment upon a wicked world through a great flood, and Noah, a righteous man, has been instructed to build an ark for salvation. Noah and his family, along with pairs of every living creature, have now entered the ark just before the catastrophic rains begin. This verse pinpoints the exact moment the deluge commences, emphasizing Noah's advanced age at the time of this world-altering event.
The narrative has just established God's judgment upon a wicked world through a great flood, and Noah, a righteous man, has been instructed to build an ark for salvation. Noah and his family, along with pairs of every living creature, have now entered the ark just before the catastrophic rains begin. This verse pinpoints the exact moment the deluge commences, emphasizing Noah's advanced age at the time of this world-altering event.
"Noah was six hundred years old when the flood of waters came upon the earth." — This verse isn't just a chronological marker; it highlights that Noah, in his advanced age, was still actively obedient, facing the terrifying reality of God's judgment with faith and obedience right…
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Last reviewed October 2026