And Noah: And is here often not represented in translation, but in some languages it may be necessary to begin verse 7 with a time phrase; for example, “At that time,” “It was then that,” or as a consequence of the coming of the flood, “So Noah,” “Therefore Noah….”

His sons and his wife and his sons’ wives with him is the same as in 6.18, except that here the narrator is speaking, and consequently we have the third person point of view.

Went into the ark: see discussion on 7.1.

To escape the waters of the flood is literally “from before the waters of the flood.” Revised Standard Version, Good News Translation, and many others supply to escape. It is also possible to make good sense without supplying a verb; for example, “Because of the flood water, Noah…” (Traduction oecuménique de la Bible), “Before the great flood burst out over the earth, Noah…” (Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch). In some languages it will be necessary or more natural to begin with the reason clause: “In order to escape the flood, Noah….” In some translations other verbs or expressions are supplied instead of escape; for example, “… so that they wouldn’t be hurt when the big tide came.”

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 .