Make for yourself an ark of gopher wood;The command to "make for yourself" indicates a personal responsibility and divine directive given to Noah. The term "ark" is unique, used here and in the story of Moses' basket, symbolizing salvation and deliverance. "Gopher wood" is a term not found elsewhere in Scripture, leading to various interpretations, including cypress or cedar, known for durability. This wood choice emphasizes the ark's role as a vessel of preservation. The construction of the ark prefigures Christ as the ultimate means of salvation, providing refuge from judgment.
make rooms in the ark
The instruction to "make rooms" suggests organization and provision for all living creatures. This reflects God's orderliness and care in His plans. The Hebrew word for "rooms" can also mean "nests," indicating a place of safety and rest. This aspect of the ark can be seen as a type of the church, where believers find refuge and community. The detailed preparation mirrors the meticulous care God takes in His redemptive plan.
and coat it with pitch inside and out.
The use of "pitch" for sealing the ark is significant for its protective function, ensuring the ark's watertight integrity. The Hebrew word for "pitch" is similar to the word for "atonement," symbolizing covering and protection from judgment. This act of sealing can be seen as a type of Christ's atoning work, covering believers from the wrath of God. The dual application "inside and out" underscores the comprehensive nature of God's salvation, safeguarding both the internal and external aspects of life.
Persons / Places / Events
1.
NoahA righteous man chosen by God to build the ark and preserve life during the flood. His obedience and faith are central to this account.
2.
GodThe divine being who commands Noah to build the ark as a means of salvation from the impending flood.
3.
ArkA large vessel constructed by Noah according to God's specifications, serving as a means of preservation for Noah's family and the animal species.
4.
Gopher WoodThe specific type of wood instructed by God for the construction of the ark. The exact nature of "gopher wood" is unknown, but it signifies the importance of following God's precise instructions.
5.
PitchA substance used to waterproof the ark, symbolizing protection and security provided by God.
Teaching Points
Obedience to God's InstructionsNoah's meticulous adherence to God's command to build the ark demonstrates the importance of following divine guidance, even when it seems daunting or unclear.
Faith in ActionNoah's construction of the ark is a powerful example of faith manifested through action. Believers are called to act on their faith, trusting in God's promises and instructions.
Divine Protection and ProvisionThe ark, coated with pitch, symbolizes God's provision of safety and security. Believers can trust in God's protection in the midst of life's storms.
Preparation for JudgmentThe building of the ark serves as a reminder of the importance of spiritual preparedness for God's judgment, encouraging believers to live righteously.
Symbol of SalvationThe ark is a foreshadowing of Christ's salvation, offering a refuge from judgment. Believers find their ultimate safety and deliverance in Jesus.
Bible Study Questions and Answers
1.What is the meaning of Genesis 6:14?
2.How can we apply "make yourself an ark" to our spiritual preparedness today?
3.What does "gopher wood" symbolize in terms of obedience to God's specific instructions?
4.How does Genesis 6:14 foreshadow Christ as our ultimate refuge and salvation?
5.In what ways can building an "ark" strengthen our faith in God's promises?
6.How does Noah's obedience in Genesis 6:14 inspire us to trust God's plan?
7.How did Noah build an ark with ancient tools as described in Genesis 6:14?
8.What is gopher wood mentioned in Genesis 6:14, and does it still exist today?
9.How does Genesis 6:14 align with archaeological evidence of a global flood?
10.What are the top 10 Lessons from Genesis 6?
11.How did Noah fit all animals on the Ark?
12.How could Noah’s Ark have housed and sustained all animal species for a year?
13.Why do biblical miracles resemble myths from earlier cultures?
14.What type of wood is gopher wood?What Does Genesis 6:14 Mean
Make for yourself an ark“Make for yourself an ark” (Genesis 6:14) begins with a personal command.
• God addresses Noah directly, underscoring individual responsibility (Genesis 6:22).
• The call to action invites obedience before full explanation—faith responding to revelation (Hebrews 11:7).
• Salvation is provided by God but must be entered by willing hearts (Genesis 7:1;1 Peter 3:20).
• The ark prefigures God’s later invitations: “Come” (Isaiah 55:1;Matthew 11:28), showing that rescue is always personal.
of gopher woodGod specifies the material.
• Precision matters; divine details guide lasting safety (Exodus 25:40).
• Gopher wood, whatever its modern identification, was durable and available, reminding us that God equips using resources at hand (Philippians 4:19).
• The specification guards Noah from alternate plans; there is one God-given way of salvation, echoed later in Christ alone (Acts 4:12;John 14:6).
make rooms in the arkOrganization accompanies obedience.
• “Rooms” (lit. compartments) show God’s foresight for every creature’s need (Genesis 6:19-20).
• Provision was sufficient for family and animals, illustrating that God’s plans are comprehensive (Psalm 104:24).
• The ordered space foreshadows the prepared place Jesus promises: “In My Father’s house are many rooms” (John 14:2).
coat it with pitch inside and outProtection is total, not partial.
• Pitch seals the vessel against judgment waters, symbolizing covering and atonement (Leviticus 17:11;Psalm 32:1).
• The coating inside and out stresses complete security; no leak of condemnation reaches those sheltered by God (Romans 8:1).
• Just as the door was shut by the Lord (Genesis 7:16), the sealing prefigures believers “sealed with the promised Holy Spirit” (Ephesians 1:13).
summaryGenesis 6:14 reveals a God who saves through clear, detailed instruction. He calls personally, supplies precisely, organizes compassionately, and protects completely. Noah’s ark stands as a literal, historical vessel—and a timeless picture—assuring us that when we follow God’s Word exactly, we find perfect refuge from judgment and abundant provision for life.
(14)
Make thee an ark.--
Tebah,a word so archaic that scholars neither know its derivation, nor even to what language it belongs. It is certain, however, that it was an oblong box, not capable of sailing, but intended merely to float. In the Chaldean account of the deluge, the language everywhere is that of a maritime people: the history in Genesis is as plainly the work of a people living inland.
Of gopher wood.--Heb.,trees(or beams)of gopherThis is also a word which occurs nowhere else, but means the cypress (Cupressus sempervirens),a tall, upright evergreen tree, of great durability, and anciently much valued for shipbuilding.
Rooms.--Literally,nests,small cells or cabins, arranged in three tiers, so that the interlacing of the timbers might aid in holding the whole structure together.
Pitch.--That is,natural bitumen.The ark therefore must have been built in some country where this natural product is easily obtainable, as in Assyria.
Verse 14. -
Make thee an ark.
תֵּבַת, constr. of
תֵּבָה, etymology unknown (Gesenius); of Shemitic origin, from
תָּבָה, to be hollow (Furst); of Egyptian derivation, a boat being called
tept (Keil, Kalisch, Knobel); from the Sanskrit
pota, a pot or boat (Bohlen); "a peculiar archaic term for a very unusual thing, like
מַבּוּל, the term for the Flood itself" (T. Lewis); translated
κιβωτός θίβη (LXX.),
area (Vulgate),
λάρναξ (Nicolas Damaseenus),
πλοῖον (Berosus); not a ship in the ordinary acceptation of the word, but a box or chest (cf.
Exodus 2:3) capable of floating on the waters. "Similar vessels, generally, however, drawn by horses or men, were and are still used in some parts of Europe and
Asia" (Kalisch).
Of gopher wood. Literally, woods of gopher (
גֹפֶר:
ἅπαξ λεγ.., the root of which, like
כפר, seams to signify to cover (Kalisch);
ligna bituminata (Vulgate); pitch trees, resinous trees, such as are used in ship-building (Gesenius); most likely cypress,
κυπάρισσος (Bochart, Celsius, Keil), which was used "in some parts of Asia exclusively as the material for ships, in Athens for coffins, and in Egypt for mummy cases" (Kaliseh). "It is said too that the gates of St. Peter's Church at Rome (made of this wood), which lasted from the time of Constantine to that of Eugene IV., 1. a 1100 years, had in that period suffered no decay" (Bush).
Rooms -
kinnim, nests, applied metaphorically to the chambers of the ark -
shalt thou make in the ark, and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch.וְכָפַרְתָּ בַּכֹּפֶר: literally, shalt
cover it with a covering. The substance to be employed was probably bitumen or asphalt (
ἄσφαλτος, LXX.;
bitumen, Vulgate). The root (cf. English, cover) signifies also to pardon sin,
i.e. to cover them from God's sight (
Psalm 65:3;
Psalm 78:38;
2 Chronicles 30:18), and to make expiation for sin,
i.e. to obtain covering for them (
Genesis 32:20;
Daniel 9:24); whence
gopher is used for a ransom (
Exodus 21:30;
Exodus 30:12), and cap-
poreth, the covering of the ark (
Exodus 25:17), for the mercy-seat (
ἱλαστήριον, LXX.;
propitiatorium, Vulgate).
Parallel Commentaries ...
Hebrew
Makeעֲשֵׂ֤ה(‘ă·śêh)Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular
Strong's 6213:To do, makefor yourselfלְךָ֙(lə·ḵā)Preposition | second person masculine singular
Strong's Hebrewan arkתֵּבַ֣ת(tê·ḇaṯ)Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 8392:A box, chestof gopherגֹ֔פֶר(ḡō·p̄er)Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1613:A kind of tree, wood, the cypresswood;עֲצֵי־(‘ă·ṣê-)Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 6086:Tree, trees, woodmakeתַּֽעֲשֶׂ֣ה(ta·‘ă·śeh)Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 6213:To do, makeroomsקִנִּ֖ים(qin·nîm)Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 7064:A nest, the nestlings, a chamber, dwellinginאֶת־(’eṯ-)Preposition
Strong's 854:Nearness, near, with, by, at, amongthe arkהַתֵּבָ֑ה(hat·tê·ḇāh)Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 8392:A box, chestand coat it with pitchוְכָֽפַרְתָּ֥(wə·ḵā·p̄ar·tā)Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 3722:To cover, to expiate, condone, to placate, cancelinsideמִבַּ֥יִת(mib·ba·yiṯ)Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1004:A houseand out.וּמִח֖וּץ(ū·mi·ḥūṣ)Conjunctive waw, Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 2351:Separate by a, wall, outside, outdoors
Links
Genesis 6:14 NIVGenesis 6:14 NLTGenesis 6:14 ESVGenesis 6:14 NASBGenesis 6:14 KJV
Genesis 6:14 BibleApps.comGenesis 6:14 Biblia ParalelaGenesis 6:14 Chinese BibleGenesis 6:14 French BibleGenesis 6:14 Catholic Bible
OT Law: Genesis 6:14 Make a ship of gopher wood (Gen. Ge Gn) 
