Gênesis 6:9-22

1. The Flood 6:9-8:22

The 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. The second half of the story is thus a mirror image of the first. This kind of literary structure has been discovered in other parts of Genesis, but nowhere else is it developed on such a large scale. This may be partly due to the fact that a flood narrative is peculiarly suited to this literary form. . . .

"Particularly striking are the references to days (lines H, I, L, O). (Only the references to days form part of the palistrophe; the 40 days and nights [vii 4, 12] and the dates do not.) The periods of time form a symmetrical pattern, 7, 7, 40, 150, 150, 40, 7, 7. The turning point of the narrative is found in viii:1 ’God remembered Noah.’

"What then is the function of the palistrophe? Firstly, it gives literary expression to the character of the flood event. The rise and fall of the waters is mirrored in the rise and fall of the key words in its description. Secondly, it draws attention to the real turning point in the saga: viii 1, ’And God remembered Noah.’ From that moment the waters start to decline and the earth to dry out. It was God’s intervention that was decisive in saving Noah, and the literary structure highlights this fact." [Note: Gordon J. Wenham, "The Coherence of the Flood Narrative," Vetus Testamentum 28:3 (1978):337, 339-40. See also idem, Genesis 1-15, pp. 155-58. There is a helpful chart of the chronology of the Flood in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: Old Testament, p. 39.]

The following diagram illustrates this palistrophe (chiasm) simply.

"Introduction: Noah’s righteousness and Noah’s sons (Genesis 6:9-10).

A God resolves to destroy the corrupt race (Genesis 6:11-13).

B Noah builds an ark according to God’s instructions (Genesis 6:14-22).

C The Lord commands the remnant to enter the ark (Genesis 7:1-9).

D The flood begins (Genesis 7:10-16).

E The flood prevails 150 days and the water covers the mountains (Genesis 7:17-24).

F God remembers Noah (Genesis 8:1 a).

E’ The flood recedes 150 days, and the mountains are visible (Genesis 8:1-5).

D’ The earth dries (Genesis 8:6-14).

C’ God commands the remnant to leave the ark (Genesis 8:15-19).

B’ Noah builds an altar (Genesis 8:20).

A’ The Lord resolves not to destroy humankind (Genesis 8:21-22)." [Note: Ross, Creation and . . ., p. 191. See also the charts in Mathews, p. 354; and Waltke, Genesis, p. 125.]

Conditions and events before the Flood 6:9-7:10