Genesis 6:13–16 — Judgment Announced and the Ark Described
The announcement of destruction is followed by practical directions for preserving life. Where the original leaves a detail uncertain, the study does too.
Rather than reproducing a copyrighted translation, this article cites the passage. Keep your Bible open as you read.
Verse 13 — Ruin and destruction share a Hebrew root
God tells Noah that the end of all flesh has come before him, because the earth is filled with violence. The Lord declares that he will destroy them with the earth. This is an announcement of judgment in the story's own terms.
The Hebrew root shachath links the corruption described in verses 11–12 with the destruction announced in verse 13. Humanity has ruined its way and the world in which it lives; God now announces a judgment that will bring destruction. The repetition gives a pointed connection between wrongdoing and its consequences.
Destroying the earth ‘with them’ does not mean that the planet itself vanishes. Genesis 8:13–14 later describes the water retreating and dry ground appearing. The language should be interpreted in the flood narrative rather than as a claim of cosmic annihilation.
Verse 14 — Gopher wood, rooms, and waterproofing
Noah is commanded to build an ark from gopher wood, make compartments, and coat it inside and out with pitch. Gopher transliterates a rare Hebrew term, and the exact species of wood is unknown. Cypress is a proposed identification, not a settled one.
The Hebrew tebah, ‘ark,’ also occurs for the basket that protects the infant Moses in Exodus 2:3 and 2:5. Although the vessels differ dramatically in size, both are containers used to preserve life amid the danger of water. This is a concrete verbal connection within Scripture.
The term translated as compartments or rooms is related to nests. The pitch functions as a waterproofing material applied to the vessel's interior and exterior. The point is that Noah receives practical instructions for protecting the lives that will be placed inside.
Verse 15 — Dimensions in cubits
The ark is to be 300 cubits long, 50 cubits wide, and 30 cubits high. A cubit is an ancient length unit associated with a person's forearm, and actual measurements varied by period and location.
If a cubit is estimated at 45 centimeters, the dimensions are approximately 135 meters long, 22.5 meters wide, and 13.5 meters high. These numbers are a helpful illustration, not a claim that the exact ancient cubit used here can be established with certainty.
The text conveys the scale of a vessel planned to carry people, animals, and supplies. It does not specify every contour, join, or structural detail, so contemporary visual models necessarily introduce design assumptions.
Verse 16 — Opening, door, and three decks
The term tsohar, commonly associated with an opening or window, is difficult to interpret. Some understand it as an aperture admitting daylight; others connect it with the roof or a feature near the top. The direction about finishing it ‘to a cubit from above’ is likewise ambiguous.
Constable and UBS translation commentary describe several proposals, including a continuous gap for light and air below the roof. An upper opening is plausible, but a precise architectural drawing cannot be derived from this wording alone.
The side door and three levels, lower, middle, and upper, are stated more plainly. The passage does not assign specific animals to particular decks or identify the compass direction of the door. Verse 22 later emphasizes Noah's obedience to God's instructions.
We should not pretend to know the exact wood species or the appearance of the opening when the text leaves these unresolved. What the passage does clearly show is a command to prepare a real means of preserving life and Noah's responsibility to carry it out.
A place for personal reflection
This is a reflection prompt, not a claimed personal testimony. The Korean lay author's own journal entry will be added after review.
01Am I turning my reconstruction of the ark into something the text supposedly requires?
02How does a divine promise become connected with practical preparation?
03What does the repeated root for corruption and destruction contribute to the account?
Sources and further reading
Passages and commentaries for checking the reasoning; a cited source is not a claim of universal scholarly agreement.
01Genesis 6:13–16 — NET Bible on shachath, gopher, cubits, and opening02UBS translators' commentary on Genesis 6:1303UBS translators' commentary on Genesis 6:1404UBS translators' commentary on Genesis 6:1605Thomas Constable — Notes on Genesis