Noah’s Ark
Primeval HistoryMeaning: “Box / vessel”
Salvation through judgment — a refuge entered by faith.
The great wooden vessel God commanded Noah to build to save his family and the animals from the Flood.
What It Was
God told Noah to build an ark of gopher wood, three hundred cubits long, with rooms, pitch within and without, and a single door (Genesis 6:14–16). In it Noah, his family, and the animals were preserved through the Flood that destroyed the world (Genesis 7).
Biblical Significance & Symbolism
The ark is a great picture of salvation: one door, refuge from judgment, entered by faith (Hebrews 11:7). Peter likens the eight souls “saved by water” to baptism and to salvation in Christ (1 Peter 3:20–21); Jesus made the days of Noah a warning of his return (Matthew 24:38–39).
Timeline
Noah builds the ark at God’s command
The ark rests on the mountains of Ararat
Scripture References
28 versesGenesis23 verses
Genesis 6:14
Make thee an ark of gopher wood; rooms shalt thou make in the ark, and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch. rooms: Heb. nests
Genesis 6:15
And this is the fashion which thou shalt make it of: The length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits, the breadth of it fifty cubits, and the height of it thirty cubits.
Genesis 6:16
A window shalt thou make to the ark, and in a cubit shalt thou finish it above; and the door of the ark shalt thou set in the side thereof; with lower, second, and third stories shalt thou make it.
Genesis 6:18
But with thee will I establish my covenant; and thou shalt come into the ark, thou, and thy sons, and thy wife, and thy sons' wives with thee.
Genesis 6:19
And of every living thing of all flesh, two of every sort shalt thou bring into the ark, to keep them alive with thee; they shall be male and female.
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 7:7
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 7:9
There went in two and two unto Noah into the ark, the male and the female, as God had commanded Noah.
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 7:15
And they went in unto Noah into the ark, two and two of all flesh, wherein is the breath of life.
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 7:23
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 8:1
And God remembered Noah, and every living thing, and all the cattle that was with him in the ark: and God made a wind to pass over the earth, and the waters asswaged;
Genesis 8:4
And the ark rested in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, upon the mountains of Ararat.
Genesis 8:6
And it came to pass at the end of forty days, that Noah opened the window of the ark which he had made:
Genesis 8:9
But the dove found no rest for the sole of her foot, and she returned unto him into the ark, for the waters were on the face of the whole earth: then he put forth his hand, and took her, and pulled her in unto him into the ark. pulled: Heb. caused her to come
Genesis 8:10
And he stayed yet other seven days; and again he sent forth the dove out of the ark;
Genesis 8:13
And it came to pass in the six hundredth and first year, in the first month, the first day of the month, the waters were dried up from off the earth: and Noah removed the covering of the ark, and looked, and, behold, the face of the ground was dry.
Genesis 8:16
Go forth of the ark, thou, and thy wife, and thy sons, and thy sons' wives with thee.
Genesis 8:19
Every beast, every creeping thing, and every fowl, and whatsoever creepeth upon the earth, after their kinds, went forth out of the ark. kinds: Heb. families
Genesis 9:10
And with every living creature that is with you, of the fowl, of the cattle, and of every beast of the earth with you; from all that go out of the ark, to every beast of the earth.
Genesis 9:18
And the sons of Noah, that went forth of the ark, were Shem, and Ham, and Japheth: and Ham is the father of Canaan. Canaan: Heb. Chenaan
Matthew1 verse
Matthew 24:38
For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,
Luke1 verse
Luke 17:27
They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all.
Hebrews2 verses
Hebrews 9:4
Which had the golden censer, and the ark of the covenant overlaid round about with gold, wherein was the golden pot that had manna, and Aaron's rod that budded, and the tables of the covenant;
Hebrews 11:7
By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith. moved: or, being wary
1 Peter1 verse
1 Peter 3:20
Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.
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Frequently asked about Noah’s Ark
What was Noah’s Ark in the Bible?
The great wooden vessel God commanded Noah to build to save his family and the animals from the Flood.
What does Noah’s Ark symbolize?
Salvation through judgment — a refuge entered by faith.
What does the name Noah’s Ark mean?
The name Noah’s Ark means “Box / vessel”.
What was Noah’s Ark made of?
Noah’s Ark was made of gopher wood, sealed with pitch, measuring 300 × 50 × 30 cubits.
Who made Noah’s Ark?
Noah’s Ark was made by Noah.
Where is Noah’s Ark first mentioned in the Bible?
Noah’s Ark is first mentioned in Genesis 6:14.
How often is Noah’s Ark mentioned in the Bible?
Noah’s Ark is mentioned in 28 verses across 5 books: Genesis, Matthew, Luke, Hebrews, 1 Peter.
How big was Noah’s ark?
About 300 cubits long, 50 wide and 30 high (Genesis 6:15) — roughly 140 metres, a vast barge-like vessel.
What does Noah’s ark symbolize?
Salvation through God’s judgment: a single door, refuge entered by faith — the New Testament links it to baptism and salvation in Christ (1 Peter 3:20–21).
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