Noah was six hundred years old when the flood of waters came upon the earth. And Noah and his sons and his wife and his sons’ wives with him went into the ark to escape the waters of the flood.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The verse doesn't just state Noah's age; it highlights that this momentous, world-altering event happened precisely when he reached this significant milestone. It's a subtle emphasis suggesting his age wasn't merely a numerical fact but a marker of the fullness of time for God's judgment and Noah's salvation.
Noah was six hundred years old when the flood of waters came upon the earth. And Noah and his sons and his wife and his sons’ wives with him went into the ark to escape the waters of the flood.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The narrative is at the dramatic peak of the Flood story. After God's command and Noah's faithful obedience in building the ark and gathering the animals, the moment of judgment has arrived. This verse pinpoints the exact timing of the Flood's onset, marking the culmination of God's patience with humanity's pervasive wickedness and Noah's century-long labor of faith.
Why does the Bible mention Noah's age at this specific moment? It's more than just a number; it speaks volumes about God's character.
The verse states Noah was 600 years old when the flood began. This isn't just a chronological marker; it’s a testament to God’s incredible patience.
A Long Wait for Judgment
God's Reluctant Justice
The flood didn't just start with rain. The description points to a cataclysmic event that completely reshaped the earth.
Genesis 7:6 pinpoints the moment the flood began, but understanding the full context from Genesis 7:11 reveals a dual source of water:
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Breaking of the Deep
Opening of the Heavens
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.
tebah · Hebrew Noun
An ark (tebah) is a vessel or chest, notably used for Noah and the infant Moses. It signifies a place of divine protection and safety amidst a surrounding judgment or threat.
The verse pinpoints Noah's age at the precise moment the catastrophic Flood began, highlighting that this world-altering event occurred when he was a mature man in his 600th year, a detail emphasizing the long build-up and the significance of his obedience.
c. 2950 BC
Noah's Birth
According to the biblical genealogy in Genesis, Noah was born in this approximate year, approximately 1056 years after creation.
c. 2450 BC
Noah Becomes Father
Noah was 500 years old when he fathered his sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth. This marks a significant point in his life before the Flood.
c. 2350 BC
God Commands Noah
God instructs Noah to build the ark and gather his family and animals, a period of 120 years of warning given to humanity.
c. 2349 BC— this verse
Noah Enters the Ark
In his 600th year, Noah, his family, and the animals enter the ark. This is the moment the biblical text focuses on.
c. 2349 BC
The Great Flood Begins
The 'fountains of the great deep' burst open and the 'windows of heaven' open, unleashing the torrential rains and waters that cause the flood.
c. 2349 BC
Flood Waters Prevail
The waters cover the earth for 150 days, signifying the complete judgment upon the world and the sole preservation of life within the ark.
c. 2348 BC
Ark Rests on Ararat
After months on the waters, the ark comes to rest on the mountains of Ararat, signaling the end of the flood and the beginning of the earth's renewal.
This passage tells us Noah was 500 years old when he begat Shem, which, along with other details in Genesis 5, helps establish the timeline and shows Noah was a father by the time of the flood.
Genesis 6:9This verse introduces Noah as a 'righteous man, blameless in his generation,' directly preceding the account of the flood and setting the stage for why he and his family were preserved.
Genesis 7:11This verse pinpoints the exact day the flood began, correlating directly with Noah's age of six hundred years and providing crucial chronological detail for the event.
1 Peter 3:20This New Testament passage draws a parallel between the people who were disobedient in Noah's day and the saved eight souls in the ark, highlighting themes of judgment and salvation through faith.
Luke 17:26-27Jesus references the days of Noah, describing how people were living ordinary lives (eating, drinking, marrying) until the flood came, underscoring the suddenness of the judgment and the world's obliviousness.
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…
The verse doesn't just state Noah's age; it highlights that this momentous, world-altering event happened precisely when he reached this significant milestone. It's a subtle emphasis suggesting his age wasn't merely a numerical fact but a marker of the fullness of time for God's judgment and Noah's salvation.
The narrative is at the dramatic peak of the Flood story. After God's command and Noah's faithful obedience in building the ark and gathering the animals, the moment of judgment has arrived. This verse pinpoints the exact timing of the Flood's onset, marking the culmination of God's patience with humanity's pervasive wickedness and Noah's century-long labor of faith.
The narrative is at the dramatic peak of the Flood story. After God's command and Noah's faithful obedience in building the ark and gathering the animals, the moment of judgment has arrived. This verse pinpoints the exact timing of the Flood's onset, marking the culmination of God's patience with humanity's pervasive wickedness and Noah's century-long labor of faith.
"Noah was six hundred years old when the flood of waters came upon the earth. And Noah and his sons and his wife and his sons’ wives with him went into the ark to escape the waters of the flood." — The verse doesn't just state Noah's age; it highlights that this momentous, world-altering event happened precisely when he reached this significant milestone. It's a subtle emphasis suggesting his…
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Last reviewed October 2026