Genesis 7:19: A Worldwide Flood?

How widespread was this flood geographically? If it covered all the high mountains under the entire heavens, then it must, on present-day topographies, have amounted to some six miles of water clinging to all sides of the globe for the better part of a year. Is this possible without some real permanent effects such as observable disturbances in the realm of astrophysics and the pollution of the freshwater systems around the world?

If, however, the final judgment of the whole earth with fire is likened to the Noachian flood in 2 Peter 3:3-7, is that not final proof that Noah's flood was also universal in its geographical extent? The flood was extensive enough to wipe all living humans on earth except the eight persons who were on board the ark (Gen 7:23; 1 Pet 3:20). That is the main point of the biblical narrative and the one nonnegotiable argument in the whole discussion. Scripture is adamant on this point. Genesis 6:17 clearly says that the flood destroyed all life under the heavens--except, of course, the fish and the eight who were on the ark. Moreover, it lasted 371 days, something a whole lot worse than some local flood!

It is clear that we must proceed carefully in order to give due weight to all the evidence from all sides. All of that cannot be listed here, for some have taken full volumes to do it--with much still left unsaid. Nevertheless, here are some of the salient facts that help place this question into perspective.

First, the word translated "earth" is also rendered equally well at times as "land" or "country." The common word for "world," tebel, does not occur anywhere in the flood narrative. Elsewhere in Genesis, even the word "earth" (Hebrew 'eres) has the same ambiguity, for "the famine was severe in all the world ['eres] "(Gen 41:57), but it is not necessary to conclude that this was a seven-year global famine. This manner of speaking is similar to Luke 2:1, where "all the world" (Gk) went to be taxed, when it meant only the Roman world (see NIV), or Colossians 1:23, where Paul rejoices that the gospel "has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven." Thus it is possible that some of the phrases used in the flood account may be conscious exaggerations, that is, hyperboles, in order to make the point that indeed this was no ordinary flood, for it wiped out all human life except for the eight persons on board the ark.

But if the flood may not have reached geographically around the entire globe, how then were all persons except eight wiped out by the flood? The answer to that question depends on how far mortals had migrated at that time and what was the exact date for the flood. Both of these questions are unknowns. However, one may legitimately posit one of the pluvial phases (melting periods) from the glaciers, which would have had the effect of driving those on the Euro-African-Asian continents down into the Mediterranean climes and south. But when it comes to answering the question about those from the Americas or from Australia and related areas, we simply do not know enough to state anything with any confidence.

The fact that the waters rose above all the high mountains to a depth of at least twenty feet (Gen 7:19-20) is probably taken from the draft or the waterline that was seen on the ark by those who emerged and saw it after the waters had receded. And the fact that the ark had drifted perhaps some five hundred miles from the place where it had been built (as judged from parallel accounts of the flood in the ancient Near East) and that it had landed high up on the side of Mount Ararat legitimately gave rise to this way of presenting the enormity of this flood.

Our conclusion is that the jury is still out on this question. The strongest arguments for a worldwide flood ("all" life destroyed, 6:17; waters rise to over twenty feet above the high mountains, 7:19-20; flood lasts 371 days; and the fiery final judgment affecting all the earth just as Noah's flood did, 2 Pet 3:3-7) can all be met with (1) comparison with other similar biblical expressions and (2) the fact that this judgment of God did involve all mortals except the eight on the ark. But the fact that all these expressions can be explained this way does not necessitate that the writer of this text meant to use them in a hyperbolic way.

Similar questions can be raised for those who hold to a local flood. If the flood was merely a local phenomenon, why did the ark land somewhere on Mount Ararat (Gen 8:4)? Why was it necessary to bring a pair from each of the unclean animals on board the ark and seven of each of the clean animals (for use in sacrifices) if they could have been obtained by going just beyond the confines of the flood after they emerged from the ark?

Some believe that the flood was spread over the whole earth, while others insist that it was limited to the Mesopotamian basin or some other defined geographical area in the Near East. The point is that Scripture is anxious only to teach that it was God's judgment on all mortals living on earth except the eight on the ark. On the other matters we must await more information.