Genesis Chapter 7 - Noah Enters the Ark | Genesis Bible Study

 Genesis 7:1 And the LORD said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation.

Genesis 7:2 Of every clean beast thou shalt take to thee by sevens, the male and his female: and of beasts that are not clean by two, the male and his female. 

Genesis 7:3 Of fowls also of the air by sevens, the male and the female; to keep seed alive upon the face of all the earth. 

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. 

Genesis 7:5 And Noah did according unto all that the LORD commanded him.

Genesis 7:1–5 — God Commands Noah to Enter the Ark

1. Why did the LORD command Noah and his household to enter the ark?
2. What does God’s statement about Noah’s righteousness reveal about Noah’s relationship with Him?
3. Does the text teach that Noah’s family was saved because of Noah’s righteousness? Explain.
4. Why did God distinguish between clean and unclean animals?
5. Why were more clean animals taken into the ark?

Genesis 7:6 And Noah was six hundred years old when the flood of waters was upon the earth.

Genesis 7:7 And Noah went in, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons' wives with him, into the ark, because of the waters of the flood.

Genesis 7:8 Of clean beasts, and of beasts that are not clean, and of fowls, and of every thing that creepeth upon the earth, 

Genesis 7:9 There went in two and two unto Noah into the ark, the male and the female, as God had commanded Noah. 

Genesis 7:10 And it came to pass after seven days, that the waters of the flood were upon the earth. 

Genesis 7:6–10 — Noah and His Household Enter the Ark

1. How old was Noah when the flood came?
2. Who entered the ark with Noah?
3. Why is the inclusion of Noah’s wife, sons, and daughters-in-law important?
4. What does the repeated mention of clean and unclean animals emphasize?
5. How did the animals enter the ark?

Genesis 7:11 In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened. 

Genesis 7:12 And the rain was upon the earth forty days and forty nights.

Genesis 7:13 In the selfsame day entered Noah, and Shem, and Ham, and Japheth, the sons of Noah, and Noah's wife, and the three wives of his sons with them, into the ark;

Genesis 7:14 They, and every beast after his kind, and all the cattle after their kind, and every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind, and every fowl after his kind, every bird of every sort. 

Genesis 7:15 And they went in unto Noah into the ark, two and two of all flesh, wherein is the breath of life.

Genesis 7:16 And they that went in, went in male and female of all flesh, as God had commanded him: and the LORD shut him in.

Genesis 7:11–16 — The Flood Begins

1. What specific date does Scripture give for the beginning of the flood?
2. Why might such a precise date have been recorded?
3. What are “the fountains of the great deep”?
4. What are “the windows of heaven”?
5. Did the flood come only from rainfall? Explain from the text.
6. How long did the rain continue?
7. Who entered the ark on the day the flood began?
8. What kinds of living creatures were preserved?
9. How does the repeated phrase “after his kind” connect Genesis 7 with the creation account?
10. What does the number of animals entering the ark reveal about God’s sovereignty?
11. Who shut Noah inside the ark?
12. Why is it significant that the LORD—not Noah—shut the door?
13. How did the closed door represent both salvation and judgment?
14. What does this passage reveal about God’s ability to protect those who trust Him?

Genesis 7:17 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.

Genesis 7:18 And the waters prevailed, and were increased greatly upon the earth; and the ark went upon the face of the waters.

Genesis 7:19 And the waters prevailed exceedingly upon the earth; and all the high hills, that were under the whole heaven, were covered.

Genesis 7:20 Fifteen cubits upward did the waters prevail; and the mountains were covered.

Genesis 7:17–20 — The Waters Prevail

1. What happened to the ark as the waters increased?
2. Why is the ark described as being lifted above the earth?
3. How many times does the passage describe the waters as increasing or prevailing?
4. What effect does this repetition create?
5. What happened to the high hills and mountains?
6. How deeply did the waters cover the mountains?
7. What does the extent of the waters communicate about the severity of God’s judgment?
8. How did the same waters that judged the world carry the ark to safety?
9. What does the ark teach about God’s provision of refuge?
10. How does this account demonstrate that God’s judgment cannot be escaped by human strength or position?

Genesis 7:21 And all flesh died that moved upon the earth, both of fowl, and of cattle, and of beast, and of every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth, and every man:

Genesis 7:22 All in whose nostrils was the breath of life, of all that was in the dry land, died. 

Genesis 7:23 And every living substance was destroyed which was upon the face of the ground, both man, and cattle, and the creeping things, and the fowl of the heaven; and they were destroyed from the earth: and Noah only remained alive, and they that were with him in the ark.

Genesis 7:24 And the waters prevailed upon the earth an hundred and fifty days.

Genesis 7:21–24 — Judgment Upon the Earth

1. Which living creatures died in the flood?
2. What does “all in whose nostrils was the breath of life” mean?
3. Why does the passage repeatedly use words such as “all” and “every”?
4. What connection can be seen between the destruction in Genesis 7 and the creation described in Genesis 1?
5. In what sense does the flood portray a reversal or undoing of creation?
6. Why was Noah left alive?
7. Who else survived with Noah?
8. How long did the waters prevail upon the earth?
9. What does the death of every creature outside the ark reveal about the seriousness of sin?
10. How does this chapter demonstrate that God’s warnings must be taken seriously?
11. What does the preservation of Noah’s family reveal about God’s mercy?
12. How are God’s holiness, justice, patience, and grace displayed together in this chapter?

Genesis Chapter 7 — Study Questions

Recall Questions

1. How old was Noah when the floodwaters came upon the earth?

2. How many days before the Flood did God tell Noah to enter the ark?

3. How many pairs of clean animals and how many pairs of unclean animals were Noah instructed to take?

4. Who entered the ark with Noah?

5. How long did the rain fall upon the earth?

6. How many days did the waters prevail upon the earth?

Observation Questions

1. What reason does God give in Genesis 7:1 for inviting Noah and his household into the ark?

2. What distinction does the chapter make between clean and unclean animals?

3. What repeated statements in Genesis 7:5, 7:9, and 7:16 emphasize Noah's obedience to God's command?

4. According to Genesis 7:11, what two sources contributed to the waters of the Flood?

5. What details in Genesis 7:17–20 show the increasing power and extent of the waters?

6. What contrast do you observe between those inside the ark and those outside the ark by the end of the chapter?

Personal Application

Genesis 7 presents a powerful contrast between obedience and judgment, safety and destruction, and God's warning and God's provision. Noah did not merely hear God's instructions—he acted upon them. His obedience became part of God's means of preserving his household through the coming judgment.

Consider your own walk with God: When God speaks through His Word, do you respond with obedience even when you cannot yet see the outcome? Are there areas where you have heard God's instruction but delayed acting upon it?

The ark also reminds us that God provided a place of preservation before judgment came. Genesis 7 therefore encourages us to take God's warnings seriously, trust His provision, and remain faithful to what He has commanded. Noah's example teaches us that genuine faith is demonstrated through obedient action: “Thus did Noah; according to all that God commanded him, so did he.” — Genesis 6:22 (KJV).