14. Make thee an ark—ark, a hollow chest (Exodus 2:3). gopher wood—probably cypress, remarkable for its durability and abounding on the Armenian mountains. rooms—cabins or small cells. pitch it within and without—mineral pitch, asphalt, naphtha, or some bituminous substance, which, when smeared over and become hardened, would make it perfectly watertight. read more
15. And this is the fashion—According to the description, the ark was not a ship, but an immense house in form and structure like the houses in the East, designed not to sail, but only to float. Assuming the cubit to be 21.888 inches, the ark would be five hundred forty-seven feet long, ninety-one feet two inches wide, and forty-seven feet two inches high. read more
16. A window—probably a skylight, formed of some transparent substance unknown. in a cubit shalt thou finish it above—a direction to raise the roof in the middle, seemingly to form a gentle slope for letting the water run off. read more
1. The Flood 6:9-8:22The chiastic (palistrophic, crossing) structure of this section shows that Moses intended to emphasize God’s grace to Noah, which occupies the central part of the story."One mark of the coherence of the flood narrative is to be found in its literary structure. The tale is cast in the form of an extended palistrophe, that is a structure that turns back on itself. In a palistrophe the first item matches the final item, the second item matches the penultimate item, and so on.... read more
D. What became of Noah 6:9-9:29The Lord destroyed the corrupt, violent human race and deluged its world, but He used righteous Noah to preserve life and establish a new world after the Flood."Noah’s experience presents decisively the author’s assertion that the Lord judges human sin but provides a means for perpetuating the creation blessing (Genesis 1:26-28) and the salvation hope for an elect seed (Genesis 3:15). The recurring theme of blessing, threatened by sin but preserved by divine... read more
Notice again that the earth and nature suffer because of human sin (cf. Genesis 3:17-19; Genesis 4:12; Romans 8:20-21).Noah received detailed instructions that he was to follow in building the ark. Later Moses received detailed instructions that he was to follow in building the tabernacle. Both men followed their respective instructions and received praise (Genesis 6:22; Exodus 39:42-43; Leviticus 8:36; Numbers 27:22; Deuteronomy 34:9). Both men inaugurated a new epoch. In this respect Moses... read more
The FloodThis narrative records the judgment of God upon the sinful forefathers of mankind, and His preservation of a righteous family, in whom the divine purposes for men might be carried out. The spiritual teaching of Noah’s deliverance has always been recognised by Christians, who see in the ark a symbol of the Church into which they are admitted by baptism, God thereby graciously providing for their deliverance from the wrath and destruction due to sin. The story of the Flood was fittingly... read more
The FloodThis narrative records the judgment of God upon the sinful forefathers of mankind, and His preservation of a righteous family, in whom the divine purposes for men might be carried out. The spiritual teaching of Noah's deliverance has always been recognised by Christians, who see in the ark a symbol of the Church into which they are admitted by baptism, God thereby graciously providing for their deliverance from the wrath and destruction due to sin. The story of the Flood was fittingly... read more
(14) Make thee an ark.—Têbâh, a word so archaic that scholars neither know its derivation, nor even to what language it belongs. It is certain, however, that it was an oblong box, not capable of sailing, but intended merely to float. In the Chaldean account of the deluge, the language everywhere is that of a maritime people: the history in Genesis is as plainly the work of a people living inland.Of gopher wood.—Heb., trees (or beams) of gopher This is also a word which occurs nowhere else, but... read more
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Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Genesis 6:14
Genesis 6:14. Make thee an ark— תבת tebat, an ark, or hollow vessel: it is used only on this occasion, and for the vessel into which Moses was put, Exodus 2:2-3. This ark was constructed according to the divine direction. Its materials were gopher wood, that is, cypress-wood, says Mr. Locke. It is probable some of the turpentine species of trees, which abound with pitchy and resinous particles, is meant, and very likely the cedar, or cypress; the wood of which, as Bochart has shewn, is very... read more