Genesis 8:20-21
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The very first thing Noah does after the floodwaters recede and he and his family are safely on dry land is build an altar and offer sacrifices. This highlights that for Noah, and for humanity's new beginning, spiritual devotion and acknowledging God's sovereignty are the absolute priority, even before securing his own comfort or future.
Then Noah built an altar to the LORD and took some of every clean animal and some of every clean bird and offered burnt offerings on the altar. And when the LORD smelled the pleasing aroma, the LORD said in his heart, “I will never again curse the ground because of man, for the intention of man’s heart is evil from his youth. Neither will I ever again strike down every living creature as I have done.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Having just stepped out of the ark onto dry land after a catastrophic flood, Noah's immediate action is to build an altar and offer sacrifices to the Lord. This marks the beginning of a new era for humanity and the earth, establishing worship and gratitude as the very first act in this renewed world. The offerings, made from the clean animals God had preserved, signify thanksgiving and acknowledge God's sovereignty and faithfulness in their miraculous deliverance.
After surviving the greatest disaster in history, Noah’s very first act wasn't to build a house or survey his new world. It was something deeply spiritual.
Right after stepping out of the ark, Noah's immediate priority was worship. He built an altar and offered burnt offerings. This wasn't just a random act; it was a profound expression of gratitude and obedience to God. It signals that even after such devastation, humanity's relationship with God is the foundation for rebuilding.
The animals Noah offered were 'clean.' Why does that distinction matter, and what does this act foreshadow?
The selection of 'clean' animals for sacrifice is significant. In the Old Testament economy, 'clean' animals were set apart by God for specific purposes, including worship and food. By offering them, Noah wasn't just giving God any animal; he was giving the best, according to God's own designation.
Ask a follow-up
What was the immediate divine response to Noah's act of worship, and what promise did it secure?
God's response to Noah's sacrifice was immediate and profound. The text says, "The LORD smelled a sweet savor" (Genesis 8:21). This isn't about God literally smelling smoke; it’s a divine acknowledgment of the offering's acceptance, symbolizing peace and favor.
Understand the original words
mizbêach · Hebrew Noun
A structure typically made of stone or earth, designed for sacrifices or offerings to God, serving as a place of contact between the human and divine realms.
YHWH · Hebrew Noun/Proper Name
The personal, covenantal name of God revealed to Israel; it signifies His eternal existence, faithfulness to His promises, and holiness.
tâhôr · Hebrew Adjective
Animals designated as acceptable for ritual sacrifice according to the standards of holiness and purification in biblical law.
ʿôlâh · Hebrew Noun
A sacrifice wholly consumed by fire, symbolizing total devotion, surrender to God, and the need for atonement or appeasement of divine wrath.
YHWH · Hebrew Proper Noun
The personal, covenantal name of God in the Old Testament, representing His faithfulness, holiness, and self-existence as the Savior of His people.
nichoach · Hebrew Noun
A term used to describe a sacrifice or offering that is acceptable and pleasing to God, signifying His satisfaction and the restoration of relationship.
arar · Hebrew Verb
To invoke divine judgment, calamity, or separation from God’s blessing upon a person, place, or thing, often as a result of sin.
lebab · Hebrew Noun
In biblical usage, it refers to the inner self, the seat of the mind, will, affections, and the moral center of a person’s being.
ra' · Hebrew Adjective
Refers to the moral corruption, rebellion, and sinful inclination inherent in human nature since the Fall, affecting all aspects of human thought and desire.
Noah's act of building an altar and offering sacrifices immediately after leaving the ark wasn't just a ritual; it was the foundational act of worship for the new world, establishing a direct connection between humanity and God after the judgment.
c. 2950 BC— this verse
The Great Flood Subsides
The floodwaters that covered the earth began to recede, allowing Noah and his family to eventually disembark from the ark.
c. 2950 BC
Noah and Family Leave the Ark
Following God's command, Noah, his family, and all the animals disembarked onto the newly dried earth.
c. 2950 BC
Establishment of a Covenant by Sacrifice
Noah's immediate act of building an altar and offering burnt offerings to God signified a new beginning for humanity and established a pattern of worship.
c. 2950 BC
God's Covenant and Promise
God established a covenant with Noah and all living creatures, promising never again to destroy the earth by flood, marked by the rainbow as a sign.
This passage details the Levitical burnt offering, providing the later, formalized understanding of the practice Noah initiated, showing its purpose in acknowledging sin and seeking favor with God.
Exodus 29:38-46This passage describes the daily burnt offerings prescribed for the tabernacle, highlighting the continuous need for atonement and consecration to God, a theme echoed in Noah's first act of worship.
Hebrews 9:11-28This New Testament passage explains Jesus Christ as the ultimate sacrifice, the antitype to the Old Testament burnt offerings, emphasizing that His sacrifice is a once-for-all atonement far superior to animal sacrifices.
Romans 12:1-2This verse calls believers to present their bodies as 'living sacrifices,' a spiritual parallel to Noah's physical sacrifice, showing how worship and dedication continue in a transformed way for those in Christ.
clarkeGenesis 8:20: "And Noah builded an altar unto the LORD; and took of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt offerings on the altar."
Noah builded an altar - As we have already seen that Adam, Cain, and Abel, offered sacrifices, there can be no doubt that they had altars on which they offered them; but this, builded by Noah, is certainly the first on record. It is worthy of remark that, as the old world began with sacrifice, so also did the new. Religion or the proper mode…
pooleGenesis 8:20: "And Noah builded an altar unto the LORD; and took of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt offerings on the altar."
This is the first altar we read of, but not the first which was built; for the sacrifices which were offered before, Genesis 4:3-4 , presuppose an altar. Therefore it is no sufficient evidence that such things were not done because they are not said to be done in Scripture; which will be a useful consideration for the understanding of many pa…
The very first thing Noah does after the floodwaters recede and he and his family are safely on dry land is build an altar and offer sacrifices. This highlights that for Noah, and for humanity's new beginning, spiritual devotion and acknowledging God's sovereignty are the absolute priority, even before securing his own comfort or future.
Having just stepped out of the ark onto dry land after a catastrophic flood, Noah's immediate action is to build an altar and offer sacrifices to the Lord. This marks the beginning of a new era for humanity and the earth, establishing worship and gratitude as the very first act in this renewed world. The offerings, made from the clean animals God had preserved, signify thanksgiving and acknowledge God's sovereignty and faithfulness in their miraculous deliverance.
Having just stepped out of the ark onto dry land after a catastrophic flood, Noah's immediate action is to build an altar and offer sacrifices to the Lord. This marks the beginning of a new era for humanity and the earth, establishing worship and gratitude as the very first act in this renewed world. The offerings, made from the clean animals God had preserved, signify thanksgiving and acknowledge God's sovereignty and faithfulness in their miraculous deliverance.
"Then Noah built an altar to the LORD and took some of every clean animal and some of every clean bird and offered burnt offerings on the altar. And when the LORD smelled the pleasing aroma, the LORD said in his heart, “I will never again c…" — The very first thing Noah does after the floodwaters recede and he and his family are safely on dry land is build an altar and offer sacrifices. This highlights that for Noah, and for humanity's new…
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Last reviewed October 2026
