Genesis 7:12

And the rain was upon the earth forty days and forty nights.

And the rain {H1653} was upon the earth {H776} forty {H705} days {H3117} and forty {H705} nights {H3915}.

It rained on the earth forty days and forty nights.

And the rain fell upon the earth for forty days and forty nights.

And the rain was upon the earth forty days and forty nights.

Commentary

Genesis 7:12 describes the specific duration of the initial, intense phase of the Great Flood, stating, "And the rain was upon the earth forty days and forty nights." This verse marks a critical point in the biblical narrative of divine judgment and preservation.

Context

This verse follows directly from Genesis 7:11, which states that "all the fountains of the great deep [were] broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened." While the flood's waters came from both subterranean sources and atmospheric deluge, verse 12 emphasizes the continuous, torrential rainfall. This period of forty days and forty nights was when the earth was utterly submerged, covering even the highest mountains, as described later in Genesis 7:19-20. This event was the culmination of God's decision to cleanse the earth of its pervasive wickedness, a plan revealed to Noah, who obediently built the Ark.

Key Themes

  • Divine Judgment and Cleansing: The continuous rain for forty days and nights symbolizes God's decisive and thorough judgment upon a corrupt world. It was a complete washing away of sin and violence that had filled the earth.
  • God's Sovereignty: This verse powerfully demonstrates God's absolute control over creation, including natural forces like rain and water. He initiated, sustained, and eventually ceased the deluge according to His perfect timing and purpose.
  • The Significance of "Forty": In biblical numerology, the number forty often signifies a period of testing, purification, preparation, or judgment.

Linguistic Insights

The Hebrew word for "rain" here is geshem (גּ֢שׁ֢ם), which typically refers to a heavy, torrential rain, distinguishing it from a light shower. The repetition of "forty days and forty nights" emphasizes the relentless, continuous, and all-encompassing nature of the downpour, signaling the completeness of this phase of the flood.

Practical Application

Genesis 7:12 reminds us of several timeless truths:

  • God's Justice is Real: The Flood serves as a powerful reminder that God is righteous and will not indefinitely tolerate sin. While His patience is immense, there comes a point of reckoning.
  • God Provides Deliverance: Even amidst judgment, God provides a way of salvation for those who obey Him. Noah and his family, along with the animals, were safely preserved through the very waters that destroyed the wicked world. This foreshadows God's provision of salvation through Christ.
  • The Importance of Obedience: Noah's unwavering obedience to God's instructions, despite the immense scale of the task and the lack of visible rain, enabled his family's survival. This encourages believers to trust and obey God's commands even when circumstances seem impossible.
  • A Call to Reflection: The "forty days and forty nights" can prompt us to consider periods of testing or preparation in our own lives, recognizing that God often uses such times for growth, purification, and to prepare us for new seasons.
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Cross-References

  • Genesis 7:4

    For yet seven days, and I will cause it to rain upon the earth forty days and forty nights; and every living substance that I have made will I destroy from off the face of the earth.

  • Matthew 4:2

    And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred.

  • Genesis 7:17

    ΒΆ And the flood was forty days upon the earth; and the waters increased, and bare up the ark, and it was lift up above the earth.

  • 1 Kings 19:8

    And he arose, and did eat and drink, and went in the strength of that meat forty days and forty nights unto Horeb the mount of God.

  • Exodus 24:18

    And Moses went into the midst of the cloud, and gat him up into the mount: and Moses was in the mount forty days and forty nights.

  • Deuteronomy 9:18

    And I fell down before the LORD, as at the first, forty days and forty nights: I did neither eat bread, nor drink water, because of all your sins which ye sinned, in doing wickedly in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger.

  • Deuteronomy 9:9

    When I was gone up into the mount to receive the tables of stone, [even] the tables of the covenant which the LORD made with you, then I abode in the mount forty days and forty nights, I neither did eat bread nor drink water:
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