Genesis 7:17-19 - Exposition

And the flood was forty days upon the earth . Referring to the forty days' and nights' rain of Genesis 7:4 ( τεσσαρα ì κοντα η ̔ με ì ρας και Ì τεσσαρα ì κοντα νυ ì κτας , LXX .), during which the augmentation of the waters is described in a threefold degree. And the waters increased . Literally, grew great . The first degree of increase, marked by the floating of the ark. And bare up the ark, and it was lift up above the earth . Literally, it was high from upon the earth, i.e. it rose above it. And the waters prevailed. Literally, were strong ; from גָּבַר , to be strong; whence the Gibborim of Genesis 6:4 . And were increased greatly on the earth. Literally, became great, greatly . The second degree of increase, marked by the going of the ark. And the ark went — i.e. floated along; και Ì ε ̓ πεφε ì ρετο , LXX . ( Psalms 104:26 )— upon the face of the waters. And the waters prevailed exceedingly . Literally, and the waters became strong, exceedingly . The third degree of increase, marked by the submergence of the mountains. And all the high hills, that were under the whole heaven, were covered. A clear assertion of the universality of the Flood (Keil, Kalisch, Alford, Bush, Wordsworth); but the language does not necessarily imply more than that all the high hills beneath the spectator's heaven were submerged (cf. Genesis 41:57 ; Exodus 9:25 ; Exodus 10:15 ; Deuteronomy 2:25 ; 1 Kings 10:24 ; Acts 2:5 ; Colossians 1:25 , for instances in which the universal terms all and every must be taken with a limited signification); while it is almost certain that, had the narrator even designed to record only the fact that all the heights within the visible horizon had disappeared beneath the rising waters, he would have done so by saying that "all the high hills under the whole heaven were covered." While, then, it is admitted that the words may depict a complete submergence of the globe, it is maintained by many competent scholars that the necessities of exegesis only demand a partial inundation (Poole, Murphy, Taylor Lewis, 'Speaker's Commentary,' Inglis).