Genesis 6:14 is God’s direct command to Noah to build a large boat, called an ark, from a durable wood and to seal it so water cannot get in. The verse shows Noah being given specific, practical instructions before a flood that God had announced. God speaks these words to Noah, a man described earlier in the chapter as righteous, in a moment when the wider world has grown corrupt and violent.
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 begins with “Make a ship of gopher wood.” The word translated ship is the Hebrew word for a large vessel or chest, and the text is not describing a sleek seagoing craft. Gopher wood is not identified with certainty today, but the point is that the material is sturdy and chosen on purpose. Noah is told to build something that can hold up in a storm of water that God is about to send.
Next, God says “You shall make rooms in the ship, and shall seal it inside and outside with pitch.” The rooms are compartments that would house people, animals, and food for a long period. The pitch, a sticky waterproofing substance, is applied both inside and outside so that the vessel stays dry and holds its shape. The verse is detailed about the work, which tells us that God gives the instructions and Noah carries them out with his own hands.
What the verse does not promise is that the building will be easy or that Noah will understand every reason behind it. It does not explain how the flood will unfold or how long the ark will float. It simply shows God making a plan and inviting a faithful person to take the first concrete step in it.
The Context of Genesis 6:14
Genesis is the first book of the Torah, the Law of Moses, and Jewish and Christian tradition has long attributed its composition to Moses, though many scholars today see it as shaped from earlier traditions over time. The book’s first audience was the people of Israel, who needed to understand where they came from, why God acts as he does, and how he relates to humanity. The story of Noah belongs to the early chapters of Genesis, which trace the human story from creation through the fall into sin.
Verse 14 sits in the middle of a passage, Genesis 6:11 to 17, that describes the earth as corrupt and full of violence. God looks at the world, sees its condition, and announces that he will bring an end to all flesh. Just before verse 14, God speaks to Noah about the coming judgment, and just after it, in verses 15 to 17, God gives the exact measurements of the ark and states that he will bring the flood. Read in that setting, the command to build the ship is not a random project. It is the means by which God preserves a righteous man and his household while judgment falls on a violent world.
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 the building of the ark and shows God calling Noah and his family into it. It completes the story that verse 14 begins, showing that the preparation had a purpose: to bring Noah’s household safely through the judgment into a new beginning.
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 names Noah as a model of faith, saying he built the ark in reverent obedience to a warning about things not yet seen. This connects the physical act of building in Genesis with a deeper trust in God’s word about the future.
A Short Prayer From Genesis 6:14
Lord, you give clear instructions to those who trust you, and you ask us to take the next faithful step even when we cannot see the whole picture. Help me to listen for what you are asking of me today, and to do the careful, practical work in front of me with patience and care. Where I feel afraid of what is coming, remind me that you are present in the preparation as well as the outcome. Give me the wisdom and steadiness of Noah, and let my obedience be an act of trust in your faithfulness. Amen.
