Genesis 7:6 (KJV)

What does Genesis 7:6 mean?

Genesis 7:6 places the flood at a specific point in Noah’s life: he was 600 years old when the waters came upon the earth. The verse gives the reader a way to locate the flood within the story of Noah and his family.

The narrator makes this statement after describing Noah’s obedience in verse 5. The phrase “flood of waters” pictures a great covering of water across the earth, not simply a period of heavy rain.

The Hebrew behind Genesis 7:6

• “flood” — מַבּוּל (mabbul): This Hebrew word means “flood.” In the Old Testament, it is used for the flood in Noah’s story and once more in Psalm 29:10, making it a distinctive term for that event.
• “old” — בֵּן (ben): This word commonly means “son.” In an expression of age, it forms part of the way Hebrew says a person is a certain number of years old.

Why Genesis 7:6 matters

• Noah’s age helps place the events in sequence. Genesis 5:32 says Noah was 500 years old when he became the father of Shem, Ham, and Japheth; Genesis 7:6 places the flood when he was 600.
• The age also helps the reader follow the more exact date that comes later. Genesis 7:11 gives the month and day within Noah’s 600th year when the waters began to come.