Noah was six hundred years old translates the Hebrew idiom “Noah was a son of six hundred years.” This is the first time in Genesis that a person’s age is given in relation to a particular event. Six hundred may be understood as “Noah was in his six hundredth year” (ordinal numeral) or “was six hundred years old” (cardinal numeral).

When the flood of waters came upon the earth is a time clause that may have to be placed at the beginning of the verse. Flood of waters refers to the “floodwaters” (New International Version) or “waters of the deluge” (Moffatt). See comments on flood at 6.17. Came upon the earth translates the Hebrew “was on the earth”; however, the verb indicates not a state but an action that happened at a particular time in Noah’s life and which in English is best translated as “came” or “flooded the earth.”

Quoted with permission from Reyburn, William D. and Fry, Euan McG. A Handbook on Genesis. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1997. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .