Genesis 6:14 is God’s direct instruction to Noah to build a large wooden boat, called an ark, using gopher wood and sealing it with pitch so that it can survive the flood God is about to send. In plain terms, the verse tells Noah how to prepare for the coming judgment: build a sturdy vessel with compartments and waterproof it inside and out. God speaks these words to Noah, a man described earlier in Genesis as righteous, before the great flood begins.
Make a ship of gopher wood. You shall make rooms in the ship, and shall seal it inside and outside with pitch.
Genesis 6:14 (WEB)
What Genesis 6:14 Means
The verse opens with a command: “Make a ship of gopher wood.” The word “ship” here translates a term that refers to a large floating container, not a sailing vessel in the modern sense. Gopher wood is a material the text does not identify with certainty, which is why many readers simply note its use without trying to name a specific species. The instruction is practical and direct, the kind of plan a craftsman would receive from a master.
The second part gives structure: “You shall make rooms in the ship, and shall seal it inside and outside with pitch.” The rooms, or compartments, would have organized the living space for the people and animals on board. Sealing with pitch, a tar-like substance, would have made the wood watertight, both to keep the water out and to protect the structure over the long time it was expected to float.
What the verse does not promise is a comfortable or easy voyage. It does not describe how long the flood will last or how Noah should feel about the task. It only tells Noah what to build and how to make it ready. The assurance comes later in the story, but in this verse the focus is on obedience to specific, costly instructions given before anything visible has happened.
The Context of Genesis 6:14
Genesis is the first book of the Torah, the opening section of the Hebrew Scriptures, traditionally attributed to Moses. Its opening chapters tell of creation, human sin, and God’s response to a world filled with violence. Chapter 6 begins with a picture of widespread corruption, and the verse sits in the middle of God’s explanation to Noah that he intends to end all flesh because of that violence. The audience is Noah, a single man receiving a personal command that will affect his whole family and the animal world.
Read just before the verse, in verses 11 through 13, the reason for the ark becomes clear: the earth is corrupt and full of violence, and God has decided to act. Read just after, in verses 15 through 17, God gives exact dimensions and announces that the flood is coming. This surrounding material shows that the ark is not a random project but part of a judgment and a rescue plan. The verse therefore reads less as a building manual and more as the first concrete step in God’s dealings with Noah.
Key Phrases in Genesis 6:14
Genesis 7:1
The LORD said to Noah, “Come with all of your household into the ship, for I have seen your righteousness before me in this generation.
(WEB)
This verse follows directly after the building instructions and shows Noah entering the ark after the work is complete. It completes the story begun in chapter 6, displaying the fruit of obedience and the moment when God brings Noah and his household into safety.
Hebrews 11:7
By faith, Noah, being warned about things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared a ship for the saving of his house, through which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.
(WEB)
The New Testament writer describes Noah as moved by reverent fear to prepare an ark, and presents his action as an example of faith. Reading it alongside Genesis 6:14 helps you see the building of the ark as a deliberate act of trust in God’s warning.
A Short Prayer From Genesis 6:14
Lord, you give clear instructions to those who trust you, and you ask them to act even when the full picture is hidden. Help me to listen for your direction in my own life and to take the next faithful step without needing to see the end. Give me patience for the long work, care in the details, and peace in knowing that you hold what I cannot. Amen.
