Verse (Click for Chapter) New International Version Make a roof for it, leaving below the roof an opening one cubit high all around. Put a door in the side of the ark and make lower, middle and upper decks. New Living Translation Leave an 18-inch opening below the roof all the way around the boat. Put the door on the side, and build three decks inside the boat—lower, middle, and upper. English Standard Version Make a roof for the ark, and finish it to a cubit above, and set the door of the ark in its side. Make it with lower, second, and third decks. Berean Standard Bible You are to make a roof for the ark, finish its walls a cubit from the top, place a door in the side of the ark, and build lower, middle, and upper decks. Berean Literal Bible You shall make a window for the ark, and you shall finish it to a cubit from above, and you shall set the door of the ark in its side. With lower, second, and third decks you shall make it. King James Bible A window shalt thou make to the ark, and in a cubit shalt thou finish it above; and the door of the ark shalt thou set in the side thereof; with lower, second, and third stories shalt thou make it. New King James Version You shall make a window for the ark, and you shall finish it to a cubit from above; and set the door of the ark in its side. You shall make it with lower, second, and third decks. New American Standard Bible You shall make a window for the ark, and finish it to a cubit from the top; and put the door of the ark on the side; you shall make it with lower, second, and third decks. NASB 1995 “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. NASB 1977 “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. Legacy Standard Bible You shall make a window for the ark, and complete it to one 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. Amplified Bible You shall make a window [for light and ventilation] for the ark, and finish it to at least a cubit (eighteen inches) from the top—and set the [entry] door of the ark in its side; and you shall make it with lower, second and third decks. Berean Annotated Bible You are to make a roof (skylight) for the ark, finish its walls a cubit <18 in / 45.7 cm> from the top, place a door in the side of the ark, and build lower, middle, and upper decks. Christian Standard Bible You are to make a roof, finishing the sides of the ark to within eighteen inches of the roof. You are to put a door in the side of the ark. Make it with lower, middle, and upper decks. Holman Christian Standard Bible You are to make a roof, finishing the sides of the ark to within 18 inches of the roof. You are to put a door in the side of the ark. Make it with lower, middle, and upper decks.” American Standard Version A light shalt thou make to the ark, and to a cubit shalt thou finish it upward; and the door of the ark shalt thou set in the side thereof; with lower, second, and third stories shalt thou make it. Contemporary English Version Build a roof on the boat and leave a space of about 44 centimeters between the roof and the sides. Make the boat three stories high and put a door on one side. English Revised Version A light shalt thou make to the ark, and to a cubit shalt thou finish it upward; and the door of the ark shalt thou set in the side thereof; with lower, second, and third stories shalt thou make it. GOD'S WORD® Translation Make a roof for the ship, and leave an 18-inch-high opening at the top. Put a door in the side of the ship. Build the ship with lower, middle, and upper decks. Good News Translation Make a roof for the boat and leave a space of 18 inches between the roof and the sides. Build it with three decks and put a door in the side. International Standard Version Make a roof for the ark, and finish the walls to within one cubit from the top. Place the entrance in the side of the ark, and build a lower, a middle, and an upper deck. NET Bible Make a roof for the ark and finish it, leaving 18 inches from the top. Put a door in the side of the ark, and make lower, middle, and upper decks. New Heart English Bible And you are to make a roof in the vessel, and you are to finish it twenty-one inches above. And you are to set the door of the vessel in its side. You are to make it with lower, second, and third levels. Webster's Bible Translation A window shalt thou make to the ark, and in a cubit shalt thou finish it above; and the door of the ark shalt thou set in its side: with lower, second, and third stories shalt thou make it. Majority Text Translations Majority Standard BibleYou are to make a roof for the ark, finish its walls a cubit from the top, place a door in the side of the ark, and build lower, middle, and upper decks. World English Bible You shall make a roof in the ship, and you shall finish it to a cubit upward. You shall set the door of the ship in its side. You shall make it with lower, second, and third levels. Literal Translations Literal Standard Versionyou make a window for the Ark, and you finish it to a cubit from above; and you put the opening of the Ark in its side; you make it [with] lower, second, and third [stories]. Berean Literal Bible You shall make a window for the ark, and you shall finish it to a cubit from above, and you shall set the door of the ark in its side. With lower, second, and third decks you shall make it. Young's Literal Translation a window dost thou make for the ark, and unto a cubit thou dost restrain it from above; and the opening of the ark thou dost put in its side, -- lower, second, and third stories dost thou make it. Smith's Literal Translation Light shall thou make to the ark, and to a cubit shalt thou complete it from the ascent; and the entrance of the ark thou shalt set in its side; the lower parts the two and the three shalt thou make. Catholic Translations Douay-Rheims BibleThou shalt make a window in the ark, and in a cubit shalt thou finish the top of it: and the door of the ark thou shalt set in the side: with lower, middle chambers, and third stories shalt thou make it. Catholic Public Domain Version You shall make a window in the ark, and you shall complete it within a cubit of the top. Then you shall set the door of the ark at its side. You shall make in it: a lower part, upper rooms, and a third level. New American Bible Make an opening for daylight and finish the ark a cubit above it. Put the ark’s entrance on its side; you will make it with bottom, second and third decks. New Revised Standard Version Make a roof for the ark, and finish it to a cubit above; and put the door of the ark in its side; make it with lower, second, and third decks. Translations from Aramaic Lamsa BibleAnd you shall make a window in the ark, and to the width of a cubit shall you finish it above; and the door of the ark you shall make in its side; with lower, second, and third decks you shall make it. Peshitta Holy Bible Translated And make a window for the ark and a cubit above; finish it from above, and the door of the ark in its side; make a story below and make it a second and a third. OT Translations JPS Tanakh 1917A light shalt thou make to the ark, and to a cubit shalt thou finish it upward; and the door of the ark shalt thou set in the side thereof; with lower, second, and third stories shalt thou make it. Brenton Septuagint Translation Thou shalt narrow the ark in making it, and in a cubit above thou shalt finish it, and the door of the ark thou shalt make on the side; with lower, second, and third stories thou shalt make it. Additional Translations ... Audio Bible Context Noah Builds the Ark…15And this is how you are to build it: The ark is to be 300 cubits long, 50 cubits wide, and 30 cubits high. 16You are to make a roof for the ark, finish its walls a cubit from the top, place a door in the side of the ark, and build lower, middle, and upper decks. 17And behold, I will bring floodwaters upon the earth to destroy every creature under the heavens that has the breath of life. Everything on the earth will perish.… Cross References You are to make a roof for the ark, Exodus 26:14 Also make a covering for the tent out of ram skins dyed red, and over that a covering of fine leather. Isaiah 4:5 Then the LORD will create over all of Mount Zion and over her assemblies a cloud of smoke by day and a glowing flame of fire by night. For over all the glory there will be a canopy, Deuteronomy 22:8 If you build a new house, you are to construct a railing around your roof, so that you do not bring bloodguilt on your house if someone falls from it. finish its walls a cubit from the top, Exodus 26:13 And the tent curtains will be a cubit longer on either side, and the excess will hang over the sides of the tabernacle to cover it. Ezekiel 40:5 And I saw a wall surrounding the temple area. Now the length of the measuring rod in the man’s hand was six long cubits (each measuring a cubit and a handbreadth), and he measured the wall to be one rod thick and one rod high. 1 Kings 6:2 The house that King Solomon built for the LORD was sixty cubits long, twenty cubits wide, and thirty cubits high. place a door in the side of the ark, Ezekiel 41:11 The side rooms opened into this area, with one entrance on the north and another on the south. The open area was five cubits wide all around. 1 Kings 6:31-32 For the entrance to the inner sanctuary, Solomon constructed doors of olive wood with five-sided doorposts. / The double doors were made of olive wood, and he carved into them cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers and overlaid the cherubim and palm trees with hammered gold. Exodus 26:36 For the entrance to the tent, you are to make a curtain embroidered with blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and finely spun linen. and build lower, middle, and upper decks. 1 Kings 6:6 The bottom floor was five cubits wide, the middle floor six cubits, and the third floor seven cubits. He also placed offset ledges around the outside of the temple, so that nothing would be inserted into its walls. 1 Kings 6:8 The entrance to the bottom floor was on the south side of the temple. A stairway led up to the middle level, and from there to the third floor. Ezekiel 41:6 The side rooms were arranged one above another in three levels of thirty rooms each. There were ledges all around the wall of the temple to serve as supports for the side rooms, so that the supports would not be fastened into the wall of the temple itself. Exodus 25:8-9 And they are to make a sanctuary for Me, so that I may dwell among them. / You must make the tabernacle and design all its furnishings according to the pattern I show you. Exodus 26:33 And hang the veil from the clasps and place the ark of the Testimony behind the veil. So the veil will separate the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place. 1 Kings 6:16 He partitioned off the twenty cubits at the rear of the temple with cedar boards from floor to ceiling to form within the temple an inner sanctuary, the Most Holy Place. Ezekiel 41:16 as well as the thresholds and the beveled windows and the galleries all around with their three levels opposite the threshold, were overlaid with wood on all sides. They were paneled from the ground to the windows, and the windows were covered. Treasury of Scripture A window shall you make to the ark, and in a cubit shall you finish it above; and the door of the ark shall you set in the side thereof; with lower, second, and third stories shall you make it. window. Genesis 8:6 And it came to pass at the end of forty days, that Noah opened the window of the ark which he had made: 2 Samuel 6:16 And as the ark of the LORD came into the city of David, Michal Saul's daughter looked through a window, and saw king David leaping and dancing before the LORD; and she despised him in her heart. 2 Kings 9:30 And when Jehu was come to Jezreel, Jezebel heard of it; and she painted her face, and tired her head, and looked out at a window. the door. Genesis 7:16 And they that went in, went in male and female of all flesh, as God had commanded him: and the LORD shut him in. Luke 13:25 When once the master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door, and ye begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us; and he shall answer and say unto you, I know you not whence ye are: with. Ezekiel 41:16 The door posts, and the narrow windows, and the galleries round about on their three stories, over against the door, cieled with wood round about, and from the ground up to the windows, and the windows were covered; Ezekiel 42:3 Over against the twenty cubits which were for the inner court, and over against the pavement which was for the utter court, was gallery against gallery in three stories. Jump to Previous Ark Cubit Decks Door Finish Floors High Lower Middle Restrain Roof Second Ship Side Stories Story Thereof Third Top Upper Upward Window WithinJump to Next Ark Cubit Decks Door Finish Floors High Lower Middle Restrain Roof Second Ship Side Stories Story Thereof Third Top Upper Upward Window WithinGenesis 6 1. The wickedness of the world, which provoked God's wrath.8. Noah finds grace. 9. His family line 14. The order, form, dimensions, and building of the ark. You are to make a roof for the ark The instruction to make a roof for the ark indicates the necessity of protection from the elements, particularly the rain that would soon flood the earth. The roof symbolizes God's provision and care, ensuring the safety of Noah and his family. In biblical typology, the ark can be seen as a type of Christ, providing refuge and salvation from judgment. The roof, therefore, represents the covering and protection found in Christ. Finish its walls a cubit from the top Place a door in the side of the ark And build lower, middle, and upper decks Persons / Places / Events 1. NoahA righteous man chosen by God to build the ark and preserve life during the flood. 2. The Ark A large vessel constructed by Noah under God's instructions to save his family and pairs of every living creature from the flood. 3. The Flood A divine judgment sent by God to cleanse the earth of its widespread wickedness. 4. God The Creator who communicates with Noah, providing specific instructions for the ark's construction. 5. The Earth The setting of the account, which is filled with corruption and violence, prompting God's decision to send the flood. Teaching Points Obedience to God's InstructionsNoah's precise adherence to God's detailed instructions for the ark's construction demonstrates the importance of obedience in our walk with God. Divine Provision and Protection The ark symbolizes God's provision and protection for those who are faithful, reminding us of His care in times of judgment. Faith in Action Noah's actions exemplify faith in action, encouraging believers to trust and act upon God's word even when the outcome is unseen. Preparedness for Judgment Just as Noah prepared for the flood, believers are called to be spiritually prepared for Christ's return. Community and Family Salvation Noah's family was saved through his obedience, highlighting the impact of one person's faithfulness on their community and family. Bible Study Questions and Answers 1. What is the meaning of Genesis 6:16?2. How does Genesis 6:16's ark design reflect God's attention to detail and order? 3. What spiritual significance can be drawn from the "roof" and "door" mentioned? 4. How does the ark's construction in Genesis 6:16 foreshadow Christ's role as Savior? 5. In what ways can we apply the ark's design principles to our spiritual lives? 6. How does Genesis 6:16 encourage trust in God's specific instructions for our lives? 7. How did Noah construct a window in the ark as described in Genesis 6:16? 8. What is the significance of the window in Genesis 6:16 for the ark's design? 9. Why does Genesis 6:16 specify a window and door for the ark's construction? 10. What are the top 10 Lessons from Genesis 6? 11. What are the Biblical weights and measures? 12. What are the key details of Noah's Ark story? 13. How could Noah’s Ark have housed and sustained all animal species for a year? 14. In Genesis 6:14-16, how was such a massive ark built under ancient conditions without modern technology? What Does Genesis 6:16 Mean You are to make a roof for the ark“Make a roof for the ark” (Genesis 6:16) • The roof literally sheltered Noah, his family, and every living creature from a year of torrential rain (Genesis 7:12). • Its protective purpose echoes earlier instructions: “coat it with pitch inside and out” (Genesis 6:14). Both roof and pitch picture full security in God. Compare Psalm 91:1-4 (“He will cover you with His feathers…His faithfulness will be your shield”). • Peter later links that safety to our salvation: “In the ark a few people…were saved through water” (1 Peter 3:20). As the ark kept judgment out, Christ keeps believers secure (John 10:28-29). • The roof also reminds us that refuge comes from above. Isaiah 4:6 calls the LORD “a canopy for shade by day and a refuge and hiding place from storm and rain.” finish its walls a cubit from the top “Finish its walls a cubit from the top” (Genesis 6:16) • A one-cubit (about 18-inch) gap just under the roof likely formed a continuous opening—what Genesis 8:6 terms “the window of the ark.” • Practically, that aperture provided light and ventilation, preserving life within during months afloat. • Spiritually, light shining inward can picture divine revelation. Psalm 119:105 calls God’s word “a lamp to my feet.” Jesus says, “I am the light of the world” (John 8:12). • The opening also allowed the release of birds (Genesis 8:7-12), symbolizing hope after judgment. Malachi 3:10 uses similar language: God “will open the windows of heaven.” place a door in the side of the ark “Place a door in the side of the ark” (Genesis 6:16) • There was only one door. Genesis 7:16 notes, “Then the LORD shut him in,” underscoring that God both grants and guards access. • This single entrance foreshadows Christ. “I am the door; whoever enters through Me will be saved” (John 10:9). See also John 14:6 and Acts 4:12. • The door separated those who believed God’s warning (Hebrews 11:7) from a world that scoffed (2 Peter 3:3-6). Once shut, the opportunity was over, echoing Jesus’ words about the days of Noah in Matthew 24:37-39. build lower, middle, and upper decks “Build lower, middle, and upper decks” (Genesis 6:16) • Three levels multiplied capacity—ample space for “two of every kind” plus food (Genesis 6:19-21). God’s instructions match His provision. • The orderly layout models stewardship: animals, supplies, and people each had proper places, anticipating later divine blueprints like the tabernacle (Exodus 26). • The three decks can also remind us of God’s multidimensional grace. Paul prays to grasp “the width and length and height and depth” of Christ’s love (Ephesians 3:18). Jesus comforts, “In My Father’s house are many rooms” (John 14:2). summary Genesis 6:16 records precise, literal directions that ensured the ark would shelter life through worldwide judgment. The roof speaks of divine covering, the cubit-high opening of sustaining light, the single side door of exclusive yet gracious access, and the three decks of God’s abundant, orderly provision. Together they reveal a God who saves completely and points us to the perfect refuge in His Son. (16) A window.--Not the word so rendered in Genesis 7:11; Genesis 8:2, which means a lattice; nor that in. Genesis 8:6, which means an aperture; but "zohar," light, brightness. In the dual, double-light, it is the usual word for "midday," but it does not occur elsewhere in the singular. It was evidently a means, not merely of lighting the ark, but also of ventilating it; for as it was thickly covered within and without with bitumen--a point strongly insisted upon in the Chaldean Genesis--the two lower storeys would be so ill supplied with air as to be fit only for stores and. ballast, and the upper storey alone capable of being inhabited. If this zohar was an open space one cubit in height, running all round the ark, and formed by not boarding over the upright beams, it would have given a sufficient supply of air, and being protected by the overhanging eaves of the roof--for the ark had no deck--would not have admitted any serious amount. of rain. So in the Chaldean Genesis the ark has no deck, but a roof (p. 281).Above.--Or, upward. The word is one of those reduplicated forms by means of which the Hebrew language expresses so much within a little compass. Consisting of only six letters, it is nevertheless a compound of five particles, and signifies from to upward .ú that is, thou shalt finish it (the ark, as is shown by the gender) from beneath, working upwards till the last cubit, which is not to be finished, but left open for ventilation and light. The door, on which also much stress is laid in the Chaldean account as being essential for the protection of the inmates (p. 281), was to be at the side, and probably extended throughout the three storeys, two-thirds of which, however, might be closed as soon as the lower storeys had received their freightage of provisions. Besides this door, there must also have been apertures to admit of cleaning the cells in which the animals were confined and removing their litter, but of such lower arrangements no mention is made. It is not necessary to suppose that Noah and his three sons built this vast vessel with their own hands. He was probably a powerful chieftain, and many of the Sethites may have given him aid. Implements of iron had been invented by the Cainites, and on the intermarriage of the two lines would be brought into general use. It is difficult, however, to understand now four men could feed, clean, and give water to a very large collection of animals for so many months. Without scrupulous attention to such matters, a murrain would have broken out, and as only two of many species were taken into the ark, the loss of any one of these animals would have been equivalent to the destruction of the race. The narrative, however, implies that the health of man and beast throughout the twelve months was perfect; and probably the number of the animals received into the ark was less than is commonly supposed. Verse 16. - A window - עֹהַר, from עָהַר, to shine, hence light (עָהֲרַיִם, double light, or light of midday - Genesis 43:16; Jeremiah 6:4). Not the window which Noah afterwards opened to let out the dove, which is called הַלּון (Genesis 8:6), but obviously a lighting apparatus, which may have been a series of windows (Gesenius), scarcely one (Theodotion, θύραν; Symmachus, διαφανές; Vulgate, fenestram; Kimchi, Luther, Calvin); or an opening running along the top of the sides of the ark, occupied by some translucent substance, and sheltered by the eaves of the roof (Knobel); or, what appears more probable, a light opening in the upper deck, stretching along the entire length, and continued down through the different stories (Baumgarten, Lange); or, if the roof sloped, as is most likely, an aperture along the ridge, which would admit the clear light of heaven (tsohar), and serve as a meridional line enabling Noah and the inmates of the ark to ascertain the hour of noon (Taylor Lewis). Keil and Murphy think we can form no proper conception of the light arrangement of the ark. The conjecture of Schultens, which is followed by Dathius, Michaelis, Rosenmüller, and others, that the tsohar meant the covering (tectum, dorsum), "quo sane hoc aedificium carere non potuit, propter pluviam tot diernm continuam," is obviously incorrect - shalt thou make to the ark, and in a cubit - to a cubit, i.e. all but a cubit (T. Lewis); into a cubit, i.e. to the extent of a cubit (Ainsworth); by the cubit, i.e. by a just measure (Kalisch) - shalt thou finish it - not the window (Gesenins, Ewald, Tueh), the feminine suffix agreeing with tebah, which is feminine, and not with tsohar, which is masculine; but the ark - above. Literally, from above to above; i.e., according to the above interpretations of the preposition, either the roof, after the construction of the windows, should be regularly finished "by the just measure" (Kalisch); or the roof should be arched but a cubit, that it might be almost flat (Ainsworth); or from the eaves up toward the ridge it should be completed, leaving a cubit open or unfinished (T. Lewis). And the door of the ark - the opening which should admit its inmates - shalt thou set in the side thereof; with lower, second, and third stories. The word stories is not in the original, but some such word must be supplied. Lunge thinks that each fiat or story had an entrance or door in the side.Parallel Commentaries ... Hebrew You are to makeתַּֽעֲשֶׂ֣ה (ta·‘ă·śeh) Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular Strong's 6213: To do, make a roof צֹ֣הַר ׀ (ṣō·har) Noun - feminine singular Strong's 6672: A light, double light, noon for the ark, לַתֵּבָ֗ה (lat·tê·ḇāh) Preposition-l, Article | Noun - feminine singular Strong's 8392: A box, chest finish [its walls] תְּכַלֶ֣נָּה (tə·ḵa·len·nāh) Verb - Piel - Imperfect - second person masculine singular | third person feminine singular Strong's 3615: To be complete, at an end, finished, accomplished, or spent a cubit אַמָּה֙ (’am·māh) Noun - feminine singular Strong's 520: A mother, a cubit, a door-base from the top, מִלְמַ֔עְלָה (mil·ma‘·lāh) Preposition-m, Preposition-l | Adverb | third person feminine singular Strong's 4605: The upper part, with prefix upward, above, overhead, from the top place תָּשִׂ֑ים (tā·śîm) Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular Strong's 7760: Put -- to put, place, set a door וּפֶ֥תַח (ū·p̄e·ṯaḥ) Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct Strong's 6607: An opening, door, entrance way in the side בְּצִדָּ֣הּ (bə·ṣid·dāh) Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person feminine singular Strong's 6654: A side, an adversary of the ark, הַתֵּבָ֖ה (hat·tê·ḇāh) Article | Noun - feminine singular Strong's 8392: A box, chest and build תַּֽעֲשֶֽׂהָ׃ (ta·‘ă·śe·hā) Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular | third person feminine singular Strong's 6213: To do, make lower, תַּחְתִּיִּ֛ם (taḥ·tî·yim) Adjective - masculine plural Strong's 8482: Lowermost, the depths middle, שְׁנִיִּ֥ם (šə·nî·yim) Number - ordinal masculine plural Strong's 8145: Second (an ordinal number) and upper {decks}. וּשְׁלִשִׁ֖ים (ū·šə·li·šîm) Conjunctive waw | Number - ordinal masculine plural Strong's 7992: Third, feminine a, third, a third, a third-story cell) Links Genesis 6:16 NIVGenesis 6:16 NLT Genesis 6:16 ESV Genesis 6:16 NASB Genesis 6:16 KJV Genesis 6:16 BibleApps.com Genesis 6:16 Biblia Paralela Genesis 6:16 Chinese Bible Genesis 6:16 French Bible Genesis 6:16 Catholic Bible OT Law: Genesis 6:16 You shall make a roof (Gen. 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