Genesis 7:20 — Word Study
WLCחֲמֵ֨שׁ עֶשְׂרֵ֤ה אַמָּה֙ מִלְמַ֔עְלָה גָּבְר֖וּ הַמָּ֑יִם וַיְכֻסּ֖וּ הֶהָרִֽים׃
BSAThe watersmayim [prevailing, rising higher] rosegâbar■ and coveredkâçâh▸ [to hide from view, overwhelming] the mountaintopshar [the highest mountains, lofty peaks] to a depthmaʻal [height, upward measure] of fifteenchâmêsh [ten and five, a significant quantity] cubitsʼammâh [a unit of measurement, about the length of a forearm]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| חֲמֵ֨שׁ | fif- | Adj |
| עֶשְׂרֵ֤ה | teen | |
| אַמָּה֙ | cubit[s] | Noun common, feminine singular absolute |
| מִלְמַ֔עְלָה | from to above | Preposition, preposition, suffix |
| גָּבְר֖וּ | they increased | Verb, Qal, perfect third person common plural |
| הַמָּ֑יִם | the waters | Particle, noun common masculine plural absolute |
| וַיְכֻסּ֖וּ | and they were covered | Verb, Pual, sequential imperfect third person masculine plural |
| הֶהָרִֽים׃ | the mountains | Particle, noun common masculine plural absolute |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | The waters rose and covered the mountaintops to a depth of fifteen cubits. |
| KJV | Fifteen cubits upward did the waters prevail; and the mountains were covered. |
| ASV | Fifteen cubits upward did the waters prevail; and the mountains were covered. |
| YLT | fifteen cubits upwards have the waters become mighty, and the mountains are covered; |
| WEB | The waters rose fifteen cubits higher, and the mountains were covered. |
| BBE | The waters went fifteen cubits higher, till all the mountains were covered. |
Where they part company is עֶשְׂרֵ֤ה — see How Translations Differ.
The structure is straightforward, with a main clause followed by details about the depth and the subject of the coverage.
8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
verbגָּבַר
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Genesis 7:20
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — The Great Floodgenerated
Genesis 7:20 describes the extent of the flood during Noah's time, emphasizing how the waters rose significantly to cover the highest mountains. This event illustrates the severity of God's judgment on the earth due to humanity's wickedness, as highlighted in the surrounding verses, including Genesis 7:19 and Genesis 7:21.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psalm 104:6 | You covered it with the deep like a garment; the waters stood above the mountains. |
| 2 | Jeremiah 3:23 | Surely deception comes from the hills, and commotion from the mountains. Surely the salvation of Israel is in the LORD our God. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 2 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — חֲמֵ֨שׁ, cha.Meshgenerated
The word חָמֵשׁ (cha.Mesh) simply means five in Hebrew. It serves as a cardinal number and can indicate a multiple of five when combined with another number, as seen in various contexts throughout the Bible.
This numeral appears frequently, illustrating its importance in counting and measurements. The parsing as an adjective indicates its role in describing quantities, such as in the case of חֲמֵ֨שׁ being part of the total depth of fifteen cubits.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The finite verb גָּבְר֖וּ (they increased) governs the main clause, with the prepositional phrase מִלְמַ֔עְלָה (from above) detailing where the waters rose from, and the noun phrases הַמָּ֑יִם (the waters) and הֶהָרִֽים (the mountains) identifying the subjects involved.
The structure emphasizes the action of the waters and their overwhelming effect on the mountains, with the depth of fifteen cubits being a significant detail that highlights the extent of the flood.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
In the Septuagint, חֲמֵ֨שׁ is rendered as πέντε (five), which aligns closely with the Hebrew meaning, maintaining the numerical significance.
The choice of עֶשְׂרֵ֤ה as δέκα (ten) similarly reflects the original meaning, reinforcing the importance of these numbers in describing the flood's depth.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Genesis 7:20 tells us that the waters rose and completely covered the mountaintops to a depth of fifteen cubits. This shows how severe the flood was during Noah's time, as all the high mountains were overwhelmed.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
Fifteen cubits is a measurement that indicates the depth of the waters above the mountaintops, showing the extent of the flood.
The number five is part of the total of fifteen cubits, indicating a specific measurement that contributes to understanding the flood's severity.
To prevail means that the waters increased in strength and coverage, overwhelming the mountains completely.
This verse illustrates the culmination of the flood narrative, emphasizing God's judgment and the totality of the flood's impact on the earth.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- What does the measurement of fifteen cubits tell us about the severity of the flood?
- How do numbers in the Bible often carry deeper meanings beyond their face value?
- In what ways can we see God's power reflected in the events of the flood?
- How does understanding the context of this verse enhance our comprehension of the flood narrative?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
Bede comments on the significance of the flood's depth, interpreting the number fifteen in a theological context.
The water was fifteen cubits higher than the mountains which it covered. Indeed, seven and eight make fifteen; seven pertains to the rest of souls which is to be after death,Early Church Fathers on Genesis 7 →
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Genesis 7:20 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleFifteen cubits upwards did the waters prevail,.... Either to such an height above the earth, upwards from that, or from the high hills; for though the words do not necessarily imply that, yet it may
Read John Gill on Genesis 7 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryFifteen cubits upward did the waters prevail; and the mountains were covered. Fifteen cubits upward.
Read Robert Jamieson on Genesis 7 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleFifteen cubits were sufficient for the destruction of the highest men, or other creatures, though placed upon the highest mountains.
Read Matthew Poole on Genesis 7 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsGenesis 7:20 Fifteen cubits upward did the waters prevail; and the mountains were covered.Ver. 20. Fifteen cubits upward.] So, above any mountain. The Popish fable of Enoch, preserved alive in some high place of the earthly paradise, shall as soon be believed as the Jewish tale of Og (one of the old giants, say they), escaping death by riding astride upon the ark.
Read John Trapp on Genesis 7 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(20) Fifteen cubits upward.—This apparently was the draught of the ark, computed after it had settled. in the region of Ararat. Fifteen cubits would be about twenty-two feet, and as the ark floated onward without interruption until it finally grounded, there must have been this depth of water even on the highest summit in its course. Continuous rains for forty days and nights would scarcely produce so vast a mass of water, unless we suppose that the adâmâh was some low-lying spot of ground whither the waters from many regions flowed together; but this is negatived by the ark having travelled into Armenia. In England the whole average mean rainfall in a year is not more than twenty-eight or…
Read Charles John Ellicott on Genesis 7 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 20. Fifteen cubits upward] Should any person object to the universality of the deluge because he may imagine there is not water sufficient to drown the whole globe in the manner here related, he may find a most satisfactory answer to all the objections he can raise on this ground in Mr. Ray's Physico-theological Discourses, 2d edit., 8vo., 1693.
Read AdamClarke on Genesis 7 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges20. Fifteen cubits] P describes a depth of water of 15 cubits (= 22 feet) above the mountains. Why should 15 cubits be mentioned? Very possibly, because the height of the ark was 30 cubits (Genesis 6:15), and the ark was considered to be submerged for half its depth. It would thus just touch the top of “the mountains of Ararat” (Genesis 8:4). 21 (P). And all flesh died] Cf. Genesis 6:17. P here describes the death by drowning of all living creatures. creeping thing] Literally, as marg., swarming thing that swarmeth. See note on Genesis 1:20. The word used is characteristic of P. 22 (J). all] The account in this and the following verse gives J’s description of the destruction of all life.…
Read Cambridge on Genesis 7 →Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible20. Fifteen cubits upward — The arithmetical exactness here is noteworthy.
Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Genesis 7 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
The waters rose and covered the mountaintops to a depth of fifteen cubits.
The waters rose fifteen cubits higher, and the mountains were covered.
The waters rose and covered the mountaintops to a depth of fifteen cubits.
The waters rose more than twenty feet above the mountains.
Tyndale line
Fifteen cubits upward did the waters prevail; and the mountains were covered.
Fifteen cubits upward did the waters prevail; and the mountains were covered.
Fifteen cubits upward did the waters prevail; and the mountains were covered.
Fifteen cubits upward did the waters prevail: and the mountains were covered.
Fifteene cubites vpwarde did the waters preuaile, when the mountaines were couered.
Strictly literal
Fifteen cubits upward the waters prevailed; and the mountains were covered.
fifteen cubits upwards have the waters become mighty, and the mountains are covered;
the waters prevailed from above the mountains, and cover [them] fifteen cubits;
Fifteen cubits above them did the waters prevail; and the mountains were [thus] covered.
The waters rose fifteen cubits above the tops of the mountains.
From the Latin
The water was fifteen cubits higher than the mountains which it covered.
Simplified
The water rose so much that it was higher than the mountains by fifteen cubits.
The waters went fifteen cubits higher, till all the mountains were covered.
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text and the Samaritan Pentateuch agree word for word on this verse, confirming the consistency of the Hebrew text across these traditions.
חֲמֵ֨שׁ עֶשְׂרֵ֤ה אַמָּה֙ מִלְמַ֔עְלָה גָּבְר֖וּ הַמָּ֑יִם וַיְכֻסּ֖וּ הֶהָרִֽים׃
8 of the 8 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
חמשׁ עשׂרה אמה מלמעלה גברו המים ויכסו ההרים
Agrees with the Masoretic Text here, word for word.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Genesis 7:20
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
חָמֵשׁ (chamesh) means 'five' in Hebrew. It serves as both a cardinal number and can indicate a multiple of five when combined with another number. The word also has an ordinal form, 'fifth.' The entries consistently define this numeral without any noted disagreement.
חָמֵשׁ, חֲמִשָּׁה 342 n.m. and f. five
base
H2568 חָמֵשׁ, חֲמִשָּׁה five
2568 chamesh khaw-maysh'
masculine chamishshah {kham-ish-shaw}; a primitive numeral;
five:--fif(-teen), fifth, five (X apiece).
חָמֵשׁ (cha.mesh) — five.
1) five
1a) five (cardinal number)
1b) a multiple of five (with another number)
1c) fifth (ordinal number)
Adj — AdjHAcbsc
עָשָׂר (asar) means 'ten' and is used exclusively in combination with other numbers to form the teen numbers (11-19), both as cardinal and ordinal forms. The entries indicate that it is derived from another Hebrew root, but do not elaborate on its etymology.
עָשָׂר, עֶשְׂרֵה ten, only after units to make num. 11-19, both cardinal and ordinal
base
H6240 עָשָׂר, עֶשְׂרֵה ten, only after units to make num. 11-19, both cardinal and ordinal
6240 `asar aw-sawr'
for 6235; ten (only in combination), i.e. -teen; also
(ordinal) -teenth:--(eigh-, fif-, four-, nine-, seven-,
six-, thir-)teen(-th), + eleven(-th), + sixscore thousand, +
twelve(-th).
see HEBREW for 06235
עָשָׂר (a.sar) — ten.
1) ten, -teen (in combination with other numbers)
1a) used only in combination to make the numbers 11-19
HAcbsc — HAcbsc
אַמָּה (ammah) primarily means 'cubit,' a unit of measure roughly equivalent to 18 inches or 0.5 meters, derived from the word for 'mother' or 'forearm.' It can also refer to a foundation or base, as noted in Isaiah 6:4. The lexicons mention different types of cubits used in the Old Testament, including the common cubit and the legal cubit.
אַמָּה 246 n.f. ell, cubit
cubit
† measure, full measure, limit
base
[אַמָּה] n.f. (etym. & mng. dub.; Thes foundation) only Is 6:4.
ref
H520a אַמָּה ell, cubit H520b אַמָּה
520 'ammah am-maw'
prolonged from 517; properly, a mother (i.e. unit of measure,
or the fore-arm (below the elbow), i.e. a cubit; also a
door-base (as a bond of the entrance):--cubit, + hundred (by
exchange for 3967), measure, post.
see HEBREW for 0517
see HEBREW for 03967
אַמָּה (am.mah) — cubit.
cubit-a measure of distance (the forearm), roughly 18 in (. 5m). There are several cubits used in the OT, the cubit of a man or common cubit (De 3:11), the legal cubit or cubit of the sanctuary (Eze 40:5) plus others. See a Bible Dictionary for a complete treatment.
Aramaic equivalent: am.mah (אַמָּה "cubit" H0521)
אַמָּה (am.mah) — foundation.
foundation
N-fs — Noun common · feminine singular absoluteHNcfsa
מַ֫עַל (ma'al) refers to the concept of being above or upward. It is primarily used as a noun meaning 'higher part' but appears adverbially and prepositionally in phrases indicating positions such as 'above' or 'on higher ground.' The word is built from a root meaning 'to go up' and is found in various contexts in the Old Testament.
מַ֫עַל 140 subst., higher part, only in adv. and prep. phrases, above, upward
base
H4605 מַ֫עַל subst., higher part, only in adv. and prep. phrases, above, upward
4605 ma`al mah'al
from 5927; properly, the upper part, used only adverbially
with prefix upward, above, overhead, from the top, etc.:--
above, exceeding(-ly), forward, on (X very) high, over,
up(-on, -ward), very.
see HEBREW for 05927
מַ֫עַל (ma.al) — above.
subst
1) higher part, upper part
adv
1a) above
prep
1b) on the top of, above, on higher ground than
with locative
1c) upwards, higher, above
Prep | Prep | Adv | Suff — Preposition · preposition · suffixHR/R/Acbsa/Sd
גָּבַר (gabar) is a Hebrew verb meaning to be strong or mighty, and it encompasses a range of related actions such as prevailing, strengthening, and confirming covenants. It can also imply acting insolently or proudly, particularly in relation to God. The word appears in various forms across different contexts, including Qal, Piel, Hiphil, and Hithpael.
גָּבַר vb. be strong, mighty
Qal
be strong, mighty
prevail
Pi. make strong, strengthen
Hiph. confirm a covenant
Hithp. shew himself a mighty one against; of wicked behave proudly toward
base
H1396 גָּבַר be strong, mighty .. be strong, mighty
. prevail
. make strong, strengthen
. confirm a covenant
. shew himself a mighty one against; of wicked behave proudly toward
1396 gabar gaw-bar'
a primitive root; to be strong; by implication, to prevail,
act insolently:--exceed, confirm, be great, be mighty,
prevail, put to more (strength), strengthen, be stronger, be
valiant.
גָּבַר (ga.var) — to prevail.
1) to prevail, have strength, be strong, be powerful, be mighty, be great
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to be strong, mighty
1a2) to prevail
1b) (Piel) to make strong, strengthen
1c) (Hiphil)
1c1) to confirm, give strength
1c2) to confirm (a covenant)
1d) (Hithpael)
1d1) to show oneself mighty
1d2) to act proudly (toward God)
V-Qal-Perf-3cp — Verb · Qal · perfect third person common pluralHVqp3cp
מַי (mayim) is a Hebrew word meaning 'water' and is used in the plural form. It encompasses various meanings, including literal water, urine, and metaphorical uses related to refreshment or danger. The entries indicate it is derived from a primitive noun and is primarily referenced in contexts involving water.
[מַי] 580 n.m. only pl. מַ֫יִם waters, water
base
H4325 מַי only pl. מַ֫יִם waters, water
4325 mayim mah'-yim
dual of a primitive noun (but used in a singular sense);
water; figuratively, juice; by euphemism, urine, semen:--+
piss, wasting, water(-ing, (-course, -flood, -spring)).
מַי (ma.yim) — water.
1) water, waters
1a) water
1b) water of the feet, urine
1c) of danger, violence, transitory things, refreshment (fig.)
מַי (ma.yim) — Water (Gate).
This name means water, refreshment
Art | N-mp — Particle · noun common masculine plural absoluteHTd/Ncmpa
wo'-terz (mayim, plural of may, "water"; in the New Testament hudor, "water"; kindunois potamon (2Co 11:26), the King James Version "perils of waters," is in the Revised Version (British and American) "perils of rivers"): In the New Testament there is frequent reference to the water of baptism. Pilate washes his hands with water to signify his guiltlessness. Jesus tells the Samaritan woman of the living water. The Lamb shall guide the redeemed unto fountains of waters of life.
The uses of mayim are well classified in BDB, especially the figurative references, as follows: a symbol of distress, "when thou passest through the waters" (Isa 43:2); of force, "like the breach of waters" (2Sa 5:20); of that which is overwhelming, "a…
The Hebrew word כָּסָה (*kacah*) primarily means to cover or conceal. It encompasses a range of meanings, including to clothe, hide, or overwhelm. The entries describe various forms of the verb, such as being covered or covering oneself, and its use in contexts like protection or sin. There is no significant disagreement among the lexicons.
[כָּסָה] vb. cover
Qal
conceal
pass. (cstr.) covered in respect of sin (by God, which he thus puts out of sight)
Niph. covered
Pi.
cover, clothe
cover, conceal blood
cover (with covering of protection)
cover, spread over
cover, overwhelm
cover over
Pual.
be covered
be clothed
Hithp. cover, clothe oneself
base
H3680 כָּסָה cover .. conceal
. pass. (cstr.) covered in respect of sin (by God, which he thus puts out of sight)
. covered
. . cover, clothe
. cover, conceal blood
. cover (with covering of protection)
. cover, spread over
. cover, overwhelm
. cover over
. . be covered
. be clothed
. cover, clothe oneself
3680 kacah kaw-saw'
a primitive root; properly, to plump, i.e. fill up hollows;
by implication, to cover (for clothing or secrecy):--clad
self, close, clothe, conceal, cover (self), (flee to) hide,
overwhelm. Compare 3780.
see HEBREW for 03780
כָּסָה (ka.sah) — to cover.
1) to cover, conceal, hide
1a) (Qal) conceal, covered (participle)
1b) (Niphal) to be covered
1c) (Piel)
1c1) to cover, clothe
1c2) to cover, conceal
1c3) to cover (for protection)
1c4) to cover over, spread over
1c5) to cover, overwhelm
1d) (Pual)
1d1) to be covered
1d2) to be clothed
1e) (Hithpael) to cover oneself, clothe oneself
Conj | V-Pual-ConsecImperf-3mp — Verb · Pual · sequential imperfect third person masculine pluralHc/VPw3mp
הַר (har) means 'mountain' or 'hill,' and can refer to a range of hills or hill-country. It is derived from a root that suggests elevation and can be used figuratively. The entries consistently highlight its geographical connotations without significant disagreement.
הַר 568 n.m. mountain, hill, hill-country
mountain, hill
hill-country, mountain-region
base
H2022 הַר mountain, hill, hill-country
2022 har har
a shortened form of 2042; a mountain or range of hills
(sometimes used figuratively):--hill (country), mount(-ain), X
promotion.
see HEBREW for 02042
הַר (har) — mountain: mount.
: mount/hill
hill, mountain, hill country, mount
הַר (har) — mountain: hill country.
: hill_country
hill, mountain, hill country, mount
A sub-meaning of har (הַר ": mount" H2022)
Art | N-mp — Particle · noun common masculine plural absoluteHTd/Ncmpa
Are among the most sublime and impressive of the Creator’s works on earth, and from the noblest and most enduring monuments of great events. Most of the mountains of Scripture thus stand as witnesses for God—every view of their lofty summits, and every recurrence to them in thought reminding us of the sacred facts and truths connected with them. Thus Mount Ararat is a standing memorial of the deluge of man’s sin, God’s justice, and God’s mercy. Mount Sinai asserts the terrors of the divine law. Mount Carmel summons us, like the prophet Elijah of old, not to "halt between two opinions;" but if Jehovah is God, to love and serve him. The mount of the Transfiguration still shines with the glory of the truths there taught, and Mounts Ebal and Gerizim still echo the curses and the blessings once so solemnly pronounced from them. So Mount Hor, Nebo, Lebanon, and Gilboa have been signalized by…
- The elevated parts of the earth
Ge 7:19,20
- GOD
. Formed
. Set fast
. Gives strength to
. Weighs, in a balance
. Waters, from his chambers