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 7:4KJV
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Genesis 7:4 (KJV)

What does Genesis 7:4 mean?

Genesis 7:4 records God telling Noah that in seven days, God will send rain on the earth for forty days and forty nights, and every living thing that God has made will be wiped off the face of the earth. This is a warning of the coming flood and the destruction it will bring.

In this verse, God is speaking directly to Noah, giving him a specific timeline before the flood begins. The verse sets the stage for the great flood by announcing both the duration of the rain and the total destruction that will follow. It highlights the seriousness of the coming judgment and the urgency for Noah to complete his preparations.

The Hebrew behind Genesis 7:4

  • "rain" (מָטַר, māṭar): This word means to rain or cause to rain, emphasizing that the coming flood is a direct act of God, not just a natural event.
  • "destroy" (מָחָה, māḥāh): This word often means to blot out or wipe away completely, showing that the destruction will be thorough, not partial.
  • "substance" (יְקוּם, yequm): This word refers to all living things or creatures that have life, making it clear that the judgment covers every living being, not just people.

Why Genesis 7:4 matters

  • Genesis 7:4 clarifies that the flood was not a sudden or random disaster, but a planned event with a clear warning and timeline given to Noah.
  • The verse shows the total scope of the flood’s destruction, emphasizing that it would affect every living thing, not just humans.
  • By specifying "forty days and forty nights," Genesis 7:4 connects to the recurring biblical theme of the number forty as a period of testing or judgment.

Where else these words appear

“substance” Hebrew H3351 · used in 3 verses

  • 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.
  • Deuteronomy 11:6 And what he did unto Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, the son of Reuben: how the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up, and their households, and their tents, and all the substance that was in their possession, in the midst of all Israel:

“rain” Hebrew H4305 · used in 14 verses

  • Genesis 2:5 And every plant of the field before it was in the earth, and every herb of the field before it grew: for the LORD God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was not a man to till the ground.
  • Exodus 16:4 Then said the LORD unto Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law, or no.
  • Psalms 78:24 And had rained down manna upon them to eat, and had given them of the corn of heaven.

“every” Hebrew H3605 · used in 24 verses

  • Genesis 3:17 And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;
  • Exodus 16:23 And he said unto them, This is that which the LORD hath said, To morrow is the rest of the holy sabbath unto the LORD: bake that which ye will bake to day, and seethe that ye will seethe; and that which remaineth over lay up for you to be kept until the morning.
  • 2 Samuel 3:35 And when all the people came to cause David to eat meat while it was yet day, David sware, saying, So do God to me, and more also, if I taste bread, or ought else, till the sun be down.

“yet” Hebrew H5750 · used in 30 verses

  • Genesis 4:25 And Adam knew his wife again; and she bare a son, and called his name Seth: For God, said she, hath appointed me another seed instead of Abel, whom Cain slew.
  • Genesis 48:7 And as for me, when I came from Padan, Rachel died by me in the land of Canaan in the way, when yet there was but a little way to come unto Ephrath: and I buried her there in the way of Ephrath; the same is Bethlehem.
  • Judges 2:14 And the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel, and he delivered them into the hands of spoilers that spoiled them, and he sold them into the hands of their enemies round about, so that they could not any longer stand before their enemies.