The second part of the report opens again with a reference to time: At the end of forty days. The narrator of 7.4 refers to the rain as lasting for a period of forty days. The forty days in verse 6 may refer to forty days after the tops of the mountains were seen. But forty days here probably means forty days after the boat came to rest in the Ararat mountain range; so some translations say “After forty more days….”

Noah opened the window of the ark: window, by the term used here, was not mentioned in the instructions in chapter 6 for the building of the boat, unless the reference is to the opening beneath the roof. See comments on 6.16. The word translated window is found also in Pro 7.6. The reference in our verse is to an opening closed with wood or some other material to keep out the rain. New English Bible translates “trap door,” Revised English Bible and others “hatch.” In some languages a word such as “opening” or a descriptive phrase such as “place to see out” or “place where light entered” may have to be used. Which he had made may refer to the window (so New International Version, Revised English Bible, New Jerusalem Bible), but it can refer to the ark.

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 .