Genesis 7:6

Authorized King James Version

And Noah was six hundred years old when the flood of waters was upon the earth.

Word-by-Word Analysis
#1
וְנֹ֕חַ
And Noah
noach, the patriarch of the flood
#2
בֶּן
old
a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or
#3
שֵׁ֥שׁ
was six
six (as an overplus beyond five or the fingers of the hand); as ordinal, sixth
#4
מֵא֖וֹת
hundred
a hundred; also as a multiplicative and a fraction
#5
שָׁנָ֑ה
years
a year (as a revolution of time)
#6
וְהַמַּבּ֣וּל
when the flood
a deluge
#7
הָיָ֔ה
to exist, i.e., be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)
#8
מַ֖יִם
of waters
water; figuratively, juice; by euphemism, urine, semen
#9
עַל
above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applications
#10
הָאָֽרֶץ׃
was upon the earth
the earth (at large, or partitively a land)

Analysis

The creation and providence theme here intersects with the broader canonical witness to God's character and purposes. Biblical theology recognizes this as part of progressive revelation that finds its culmination in Christ. The phrase emphasizing divine revelation contributes to our systematic understanding of Christian doctrine and connects to the broader scriptural witness about God's consistent character and purposes.

Historical Context

The literary and historical milieu of ancient Near Eastern narrative literature addressing origins and identity shapes this text's meaning. The development from creation to divine election established God's sovereign care over history Understanding a worldview where divine beings actively governed natural and historical processes helps modern readers appreciate why the author emphasizes divine revelation in this particular way.

Questions for Reflection

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