On the seventeenth day of the seventh monthThis specific date marks a significant moment in the biblical narrative of the Flood. The precision of the date underscores the historical nature of the event. In the Hebrew calendar, the seventh month is Tishri, which later became associated with the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah. The seventeenth day of this month is noteworthy because it is believed by some scholars to coincide with the resurrection of Jesus Christ, drawing a typological parallel between the new beginning for humanity after the Flood and the new beginning for believers through Christ's resurrection.
the ark came to rest
The phrase "came to rest" signifies the end of the Flood's destructive power and the beginning of a new era for Noah and his family. This rest can be seen as a type of the rest that believers find in Christ, who offers salvation and peace. The ark, as a vessel of salvation, prefigures Christ as the means by which humanity is saved from judgment.
on the mountains of Ararat
The "mountains of Ararat" refer to a region rather than a specific peak. Ararat is traditionally associated with a mountainous area in present-day eastern Turkey. Archaeological and geographical studies have sought to locate the precise resting place of the ark, though no definitive evidence has been found. Theologically, the location signifies a new beginning in a high place, symbolizing elevation and a fresh start for humanity. The mountains of Ararat are also mentioned in2 Kings 19:37 andIsaiah 37:38, indicating their historical and geographical significance in the ancient Near East.
Persons / Places / Events
1.
NoahThe righteous man chosen by God to survive the flood and repopulate the earth. He is a central figure in the account of the flood.
2.
The ArkThe large vessel built by Noah according to God's instructions to save his family and pairs of every kind of animal from the flood.
3.
Mountains of AraratThe location where the ark came to rest after the floodwaters receded. This region is traditionally associated with a range of mountains in present-day Turkey.
4.
The FloodA cataclysmic event sent by God to cleanse the earth of its widespread wickedness, sparing only Noah, his family, and the animals aboard the ark.
5.
GodThe sovereign Creator who judges the earth with the flood and shows mercy by preserving Noah and his family.
Teaching Points
God's Sovereignty and TimingThe precise timing of the ark's resting place on the mountains of Ararat demonstrates God's control over the events of history. Believers can trust in God's perfect timing in their own lives.
Rest and New BeginningsThe ark coming to rest signifies a new beginning for Noah and his family. In our lives, God provides moments of rest and renewal, inviting us to start afresh in His grace.
Faith and ObedienceNoah's journey in the ark is a testament to his faith and obedience. We are called to trust and obey God, even when the path is uncertain.
Judgment and MercyThe flood represents God's judgment on sin, but the preservation of Noah's family highlights His mercy. This duality reminds us of the seriousness of sin and the availability of God's grace.
Bible Study Questions and Answers
1.What is the meaning of Genesis 8:4?
2.How does Genesis 8:4 demonstrate God's faithfulness in fulfilling His promises?
3.What significance does the "seventh month" have in the context of Genesis 8:4?
4.How does the ark resting on Ararat relate to God's covenant with Noah?
5.In what ways can we trust God's timing as seen in Genesis 8:4?
6.How does Genesis 8:4 encourage patience during life's storms and waiting periods?
7.How does Genesis 8:4 align with historical and archaeological evidence of the Flood?
8.Why is the specific date in Genesis 8:4 significant in biblical chronology?
9.What is the theological importance of the Ark resting on the mountains of Ararat?
10.What are the top 10 Lessons from Genesis 8?
11.In Genesis 8:4, what evidence supports the ark’s reported resting place on Mount Ararat, and why is there no definitive archaeological trace?
12.What was the duration of Noah's time on the ark?
13.In Genesis 8:17–19, how did all animals disperse worldwide from a single landing site, and why do we see no traces of this mass migration?
14.How does Göbekli Tepe challenge the biblical timeline?What Does Genesis 8:4 Mean
On the seventeenth day• “On the seventeenth day…” (Genesis 8:4) pins the moment to an exact date, underscoring that these events occurred in real history, not in myth or parable.
•Genesis 7:11 records the flood beginning on “the seventeenth day of the second month,” so exactly five months (150 days,Genesis 7:24) have passed—matching God’s earlier time marker and displaying His perfect timing.
• Precise dating lets us trace God’s faithfulness through the calendar, much as later believers marked the exact day Israel crossed the Jordan (Joshua 4:19).
of the seventh month• At the time of Noah, this was the civil seventh month. After the Exodus, God re-set Israel’s religious calendar so that this same month became the first (Exodus 12:2), placing the Flood’s landing on what would later be 17 Nisan.
• That date would eventually carry rich salvation echoes:
– 14 Nisan: Passover lamb slain (Exodus 12:6).
– 17 Nisan: Israel crosses the Red Sea (Exodus 14:21-31) and, centuries later, Jesus rises from the dead (Mark 16:6).
• The ark’s resting on 17 Nisan foreshadows final deliverance after judgment—pointing ahead to Christ’s victory over sin and death.
the ark came to rest• The verb highlights that the violent tossing of judgment is over; God Himself brings the vessel to a gentle standstill (Psalm 46:10).
• “Rest” echoes the name Noah (“rest,”Genesis 5:29) and anticipates the believer’s ultimate rest in Christ (Hebrews 4:9-10).
• Safety is not found in human effort but in the refuge God provides—whether an ark for Noah or the cross for us (John 3:16).
on the mountains of Ararat• “Mountains of Ararat” refers to a range in the region of modern-day eastern Türkiye and Armenia. The plural “mountains” shows the Bible is not forcing a single peak but a real range where the ark settled.
• Ararat later became synonymous with the kingdom of Urartu (2 Kings 19:37;Isaiah 37:38), confirming its historical reality.
• Landing on high ground signifies that waters are truly receding (Genesis 8:5), assuring Noah that judgment has passed and new life will soon flourish.
summary•Genesis 8:4 anchors God’s salvation in an exact date, showing His sovereign control over history.
• The seventeenth day of the seventh month later becomes 17 Nisan, weaving the Flood narrative into the fabric of redemption culminating in Jesus’ resurrection.
• The ark’s restful landing proves God’s promises are reliable; He carries His people safely through judgment to a place of peace.
(4)
The seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month.--As the months had each thirty days (see Note on
Genesis 8:14), this makes exactly 150 days (see
Genesis 7:11). The seventh civil month would be Abib; and the
Speaker's Commentarynotices the following remarkable coincidences:--"On the 17th day of Abib the ark rested on Mount Ararat; on the 17th day of Abib the Israelites passed over the Red Sea; on the 17th day of Abib, Christ, our Lord, rose again from the dead."
Ararat.--If inGenesis 11:2 the Authorised Version is right in saying that the descendants of Noah travelled "from the east" to Shinar, this could not be the Ararat of Armenia. Moreover, we are told that the word in, Assyrian means "highland," and thus may signify any hilly country. In theChaldean Genesisthe ark rests upon Nizir, a region to the east of Assyria, the highest peak of which, now named Elwend, is called in the cuneiform texts "the mountain of the world" (Chaldean Genesis,p. 307). The rendering, however, "from the east," is by no means certain, and many translate "eastward," and even the Authorised Version renders the wordeast,that is, eastward, inGenesis 13:11. In2Kings 19:37"Ararat" is translated Armenia; but it is more correctly described inJeremiah 51:27 as a country near Minni, that is, near Armenia. There are in this region two mountains of great altitude, the Aghri-Dagh and the Kara-Dagh, the highest of which is 17,260 feet above the sea-level; and naturally legend chooses this as the place where the ark settled. But the inspired narrative says that it rested "upon the mountains of Ararat," upon some chain of hills there, and seventy-three days afterwards Noah found himself surrounded by an amphitheatre of mountains, the word used inGenesis 8:5 being emphatic, and signifying "the tops of the mountains became distinctly visible," and not that they had just begun to emerge. For, doubtless, after so vast a flood, mists and vapours would for a long time prevail, and shut out the surrounding world from Noah's view. . . .
Verse 4. -
And the ark rested. Not stopped sailing or floating, got becalmed, and remained suspended over (Kitto's 'Cyclop.,' art. Ararat), but actually grounded and settled on (Tayler Lewis) the place indicated by
עַל (cf. ver. 9; also
Exodus 10:14;
Numbers 10:36;
Numbers 11:25, 26;
Isaiah 11:2).
In the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month.I.e. exactly 150 days from the commencement of the forty days' rain, reckoning thirty days to a month, which seems to confirm the opinion expressed (
Genesis 7:24) that the forty days were included in the 150. Supposing the Flood to have begun in Marchesvan, the second month of the civil year (about the beginning of November), "we have then the remarkable coincidences that on the 17th day of Abib (about the beginning of April) the ark rested on Mount Ararat, the Israelites passed over the Red Sea, and our Lord rose again from the dead" ('Speaker's Commentary').
Upon the mountains.
I.e. one of the mountains. "Pluralis numerus pro singulari ponitur" (cf.
Genesis 21:7;
Genesis 46:7;
Judges 12:7; vide Glass., 'Philoh Seer. Tract.,' 1. cap. 14. p. 866).
Of Ararat.
1. It is agreed by all that the termArarat describes a region.
2. This region has been supposed to be the island of Ceylon (Samaritan), Aryavarta, the sacred land to the north of India (Van Bohlen, arguing fromGenesis 11:2); but "it is evident that these and such like theories have been framed in forgetfulness of what the Bible has recorded respecting the locality" (Kitto's 'Cyclopedia,' art. Ararat).
3. The locality which appears to have the countenance of Scripture is the region of Armenia (cf.2 Kings 19:37;Isaiah 37:38;Jeremiah 51:27; Aquila, Symmachus, Theodotion, Vulgate). . . .
Parallel Commentaries ...
Hebrew
On the seventeenthבְּשִׁבְעָה־(bə·šiḇ·‘āh-)Preposition-b | Number - masculine singular
Strong's 7651:Seven, seven times, a week, an indefinite numberdayי֖וֹם(yō·wm)Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3117:A dayof the seventhהַשְּׁבִיעִ֔י(haš·šə·ḇî·‘î)Article | Number - ordinal masculine singular
Strong's 7637:Seventh (an ordinal number)month,בַּחֹ֣דֶשׁ(ba·ḥō·ḏeš)Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 2320:The new moon, a monththe arkהַתֵּבָה֙(hat·tê·ḇāh)Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 8392:A box, chestcame to restוַתָּ֤נַח(wat·tā·naḥ)Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 5117:To rest, settle downonעַ֖ל(‘al)Preposition
Strong's 5921:Above, over, upon, againstthe mountainsהָרֵ֥י(hā·rê)Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 2022:Mountain, hill, hill countryof Ararat.אֲרָרָֽט׃(’ă·rā·rāṭ)Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 780:Ararat -- a district in eastern Armenia
Links
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OT Law: Genesis 8:4 The ship rested in the seventh month (Gen. Ge Gn) 
