And the waters prevailed upon the earth a hundred and fifty days.
Verse 24. And the waters prevailed upon the earth a hundred and fifty days.] The breaking up of the fountains of the great deep, and the raining forty days and nights, had raised the waters fifteen cubits above the highest mountains; after which forty days it appears to have continued at this height for one hundred and fifty days more. “So,” says Dr. Lightfoot, “these two sums are to be reckoned distinct, and not the forty days included in the one hundred and fifty; so that when the one hundred and fifty days were ended, there were six months and ten days of the flood past.”
For an improvement of this awful judgment, see the conclusion of the following chapter (Ge 8:22 note).
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
The waters prevailed, i.e. either grew higher and higher, or rather continued to prevail, and did not decrease.
An hundred and fifty days in all, whereof one part was the forty days mentioned Gen 7:17, as appears from Gen 8:4.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
24. an hundred and fifty daysaperiod of five months. Though long before that every living creaturemust have been drowned, such a lengthened continuance of the floodwas designed to manifest God’s stern displeasure at sin and sinners.Think of Noah during such a crisis. We learn (Eze14:14) that he was a man who lived and breathed habitually in anatmosphere of devotion; and having in the exercise of this high-tonedfaith made God his refuge, he did not fear “though the watersroared and were troubled; though the mountains shook with theswelling thereof” [Ps 46:3].
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And the waters prevailed upon the earth one hundred and fifty days. Which is to be reckoned not from the end of the forty days’ rain, but from the beginning of the flood; for from the seventeenth day of the second month, when the fountains of the deep were broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened, unto the seventeenth day of the seventh month, when the ark rested on the mountains of Ararat, and the waters decreased, were just five months, or one hundred and fifty days; until which time the waters increased yet more and more, even after the forty days’ rain; so that it seems there was a continual rain afterwards, as Aben Ezra observes, though not so vehement; or otherwise it is not so easy to account for the increase of the waters.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(24) prevailed.Heb., were strong, as in Gen. 7:18. The rains lasted forty days; for one hundred and ten more days they still bore up the ark, and then it grounded. But though still mighty, they had by this time abated (see Gen. 8:3), inasmuch as, instead of covering the hills to the depth of nearly four fathoms, the ark now had touched dry land. Again, then, the narrative seems to give the personal experiences of some one in the ark.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
24. A hundred and fifty days Five months elapsed from the time Noah entered the ark until it rested on the mountains of Ararat. He entered in on the seventeenth day of the second month, (Gen 7:11,) and the ark rested on the seventeenth day of the seventh month. Gen 8:4.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
‘And the waters prevailed on the earth (land) one hundred and fifty days.’
For five moon cycles there was no let up. The rain may now not be quite so severe and continuous, the tidal waves may now sweep in in lesser measure, but the waters did not begin to decrease. The new moon came and went, and came again, but the Flood continued in its intensity. How carefully they must have watched the moon through its cycle again and again, until it must have seemed that the cataclysm would never end, for there was no lowering of the level of the water. And then God’s time came.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
REFLECTIONS.
WHAT a precious consideration is it to the faithful, that amidst all the judgments of God, upon the wicked, the Lord is never inattentive to the interests and safety of his people. Before the flood sweeps away the sinner, an ark sha11 be provided for the saint. Before that the wicked shall be driven, with everlasting destruction, from the presence of the Lord, Jesus will make up his jewels, and be glorified in them that believe. In that decisive hour, Lord, may it be my portion to be found in Thee. Reader! pause over this wonderful deliverance, in the instance of Noah and his family, and consider, whether in the ark, you do not behold a type of the Lord Jesus, preserving his church and people.
Doth not his Godhead appear in the fulness and all-sufficiency of his salvation? Is not the almightiness of his merits and death demonstrated, in bearing up the whole weight of redemption, when the wrath of God, like the torrents and tempests descending upon the ark, destroyed everything but this place of safety? And who doth not see, that in the blood and righteousness, the doing and suffering, of Christ Jesus, the eternal safety of the believer alone is found, O! for an ardent faith, to believe the record which God hath given of His Son.
Let us not dismiss the contemplation of this interesting subject, until that we have taken another and another view of the ark of safety. While God, as a kind Father, foreseeing the storm approaching, doth not think it enough to call his children from the field, but takes them by the hand, to bring them home into the house; so, the same mercy, which provides the shelter of the Saviour, provides help to the sinner, to embrace it. The call of grace, is not, to Noah, Go thou into the ark, but come; evidently teaching, that while God the Father hath so loved the world, as to give his only begotten Son, for salvation, he gives also his Holy Spirit, to render that salvation effectual. Holy and Eternal Spirit! while thou kindly enablest me to hear the voice of entreaty, calling me to enter into the ark Christ Jesus; and while thou, as graciously, art pointing to Him, as the Way, the Truth, and the Life; Oh! add another blessing to the undeserved favour, and make me willing, in the day of thy power; work in me, both to will and to do, of thy good pleasure.
One word more, before we close the Chapter. As all are not Israel, which are of Israel; so, let it be remembered, that all who went into the ark, were not like faithful Noah. Men, by virtue of the profession of religion, may mingle with the people of God, may be found at ordinances, and, from their connection with them, may receive many temporal deliverances. Hence, we find Ham, among the household of Noah, in the ark; and Judas among the disciples of Christ. But all this is widely distinguished from the possession of the divine life. Tares may, and will spring up with the good seed. And we know who it is that hath said, Let both grow together until the harvest. But the hour is hastening, when a perfect discrimination shall take place, and then an everlasting separation will follow, between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God, and him that serveth him not. My soul! be it thy earnest prayer to God, never to rest in a name to live, while virtually dead before him. Grant, dearest Lord! that, while fleeing to the Lord Jesus, as the Ark, for refuge, Christ may be formed in my heart, the hope of glory.
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Gen 7:24 And the waters prevailed upon the earth an hundred and fifty days.
Ver. 24. A hundred and fifty days. ] Reckoning from the first day of the falling of the rain Gen 7:11 unto the end of the sixth month: well might the poet say –
O , .
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Gen 8:3, Gen 8:4, compare with Gen 7:11, of this chapter, The breaking up of the fountains of the great deep, and the raining forty days and nights, had raised the waters fifteen cubits, or twenty-two feet and a half, above the highest mountain; after which forty days, it appears to have continued at this height one hundred and fifty days more.
Reciprocal: Mat 24:37 – General