Noach: An Exegesis of Gen 6:9-11:32

By Richard Sison | 2016

Introduction

The name of Noah was mentioned 31 times in the Parsha of Noach. What is the significance of the number 31? Let us start with El, which is G-D in Hebrew, is spelled lamed, with a numerical value of 30, and aleph, 1, which totals 31. Rebekah, on the other hand, was mentioned 31 times in the Bible and Luke mentioned 31 Older Covenant materials, second highest in NT while king Josiah, the best king of Judah reigned at the age of 8 and ruled for 31 years.

Another thing that is worthy to take note is that the B’reishit, which the first parsha, has 11 generations from Adam to Shem while parsha Noach has 11 generations from Noah to Abraham. Parsha Noach also started with a righteous man Noah and ended up with another righteous man, Abraham.

The Parsha covers a span of around 400 years starting just shortly before the end of the first world and the beginning of the present world. There were 2 judgments in this parsha, the deluge (flooding) and confusion of language.
​
Covenant was first mentioned with Noah in this Parsha and it was repeated for a total of eight (8) times, 1 prior to flood (Gen 6:18) and 7 after the flood in chap 9 (verses 9, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16, 17). The word echad, which means One or “united” was first used in this parsha in Gen 11:6 "....the people is echad or one.” Echad was used in Deut 6:4 with the Shema declaring that the L-RD our G-D, the L-RD is One (echad - compound unity). The singular word for “one” in Hebrew is yachid while echad is plural.

Adonai said to Noach, “Come into the ark, you and all your household; for I have seen that you alone in this generation are righteous before me.

​Genesis 7:1