flood

The Hebrew and Greek that is translated as “flood” in English is translated in the German Luther Bible as Sintflut and the influential Dutch Bibles Statenvertaling and Nieuwe Vertaling as zondvloed. Both terms originally mean “great / permanent flood” but have folk-etymologically been reinterpreted as “sin flood” (“sin” in Dutch is zonde and in German Sünde).

Today these terms are used in either language figuratively as well (“a lot of water” or “a lot”). (Source: Jost Zetzsche)

See also Translation commentary on Genesis 6:17.

complete verse (Genesis 7:7)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Genesis 7:7:

  • Kankanaey: “They who were a married-couple and their children Sem and Ham and Jafet and their spouses, they all entered so-that they would have a way to escape/evade the flood.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Noah, his wife, [and] his sons and daughters-in-law went into the ship to be saved from the flood.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “He went-into the ship with his wife, children, and (children)-in-laws so they would- not -die in the flood.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “Before it started to rain, Noah and his wife and his sons went into the boat to escape from the flood water.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Genesis 7:7

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 .