God’s First and Last "My Covenant With You"

There are two apparent observations involving two words that are common between the first and last divine addresses to Noah: mabbûl, which refers specifically to the Noahian Flood and covenant.

The Flood term, mabbûl, is used only 13 times in the Bible. In the first divine address to Noah, mabbûl is used once as God resolves to destroy life. In the last divine address to Noah, mabbûl is used three times as if God is emphasizing what He would never use again.

The term covenant is used in a similar fashion. In the first divine address as God resolves to destroy life with a flood, He mentions the term covenant once, in which He will save Noah, his family, and the animals. In the last divine address as God resolves never to destroy life with a flood, He describes the terms of the covenant more specifically and with repeated and apparent emphasis (7 times).



Genesis 6:11-20

11) Now the earth was corrupt in the sight of God, and the earth was filled with violence. 12) God looked on the earth, and behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted their way upon the earth. 13) Then God said to Noah, "The end of all flesh has come before Me; for the earth is filled with violence because of them; and behold, I am about to destroy them with the earth. 14) "Make for yourself an ark of gopher wood; you shall make the ark with rooms, and shall cover it inside and out with pitch. 15) "This is how you shall make it: the length of the ark three hundred cubits, its breadth fifty cubits, and its height thirty cubits. 16) "You shall make a window for the ark, and finish it to a cubit from the top; and set the door of the ark in the side of it; you shall make it with lower, second, and third decks. 17) "Behold, I, even I am bringing the flood of water upon the earth, to destroy all flesh in which is the breath of life, from under heaven; everything that is on the earth shall perish. 18) "But I will establish My covenant with you; and you shall enter the ark--you and your sons and your wife, and your sons' wives with you. 19) "And of every living thing of all flesh, you shall bring two of every kind into the ark, to keep them alive with you; they shall be male and female. 20) "Of the birds after their kind, and of the animals after their kind, of every creeping thing of the ground after its kind, two of every kind will come to you to keep them alive.


Genesis 9:8-17

8) Then God spoke to Noah and to his sons with him, saying, 9) "Now behold, I Myself do establish My covenant with you, and with your descendants after you; 10) and with every living creature that is with you, the birds, the cattle, and every beast of the earth with you; of all that comes out of the ark, even every beast of the earth. 11) "I establish My covenant with you; and all flesh shall never again be cut off by the water of the flood, neither shall there again be a flood to destroy the earth." 12) God said, "This is the sign of the covenant which I am making between Me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all successive generations; 13) I set My bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a sign of a covenant between Me and the earth. 14) "It shall come about, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow will be seen in the cloud, 15) and I will remember My covenant, which is between Me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and never again shall the water become a flood to destroy all flesh. 16) "When the bow is in the cloud, then I will look upon it, to remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth." 17) And God said to Noah, "This is the sign of the covenant which I have established between Me and all flesh that is on the earth."



References:

Cassuto U, A Commentary on the Book of Genesis, Jerusalem: Magnes (1961).

Shea W, "The Structure of the Genesis Flood Narrative and Its Implications", Origins 6 (1979): 8-29.


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