Genesis 9:28 — Word Study
WLCוַֽיְחִי־ נֹ֖חַ אַחַ֣ר הַמַּבּ֑וּל שְׁלֹ֤שׁ מֵאוֹת֙ שָׁנָ֔ה וַֽחֲמִשִּׁ֖ים שָׁנָֽה׃
BSAAfterʼachar [following, subsequent to] the floodmabbûwl [deluge, great flow of waters] NoahNôach [the patriarch, righteous one] livedchâyâh▸ [to have life, be quickened, three hundred and fifty, a multitude of] 350shâlôwsh yearsshâneh [periods of time, seasons]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| וַֽיְחִי־ | and he lived | Verb, Qal, sequential imperfect third person masculine singular |
| נֹ֖חַ | Noah | Noun proper masculine |
| אַחַ֣ר | after | Prep |
| הַמַּבּ֑וּל | the flood | Particle, noun common masculine singular absolute |
| שְׁלֹ֤שׁ | three | Adj |
| מֵאוֹת֙ | hundred | |
| שָׁנָ֔ה | year[s] | Noun common, feminine singular absolute |
| וַֽחֲמִשִּׁ֖ים | and fifty | Conjunction |
| שָׁנָֽה׃ | year[s] | Noun common, feminine singular absolute |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | After the flood, Noah lived 350 years. |
| KJV | ¶ And Noah lived after the flood three hundred and fifty years. |
| ASV | And Noah lived after the flood three hundred and fifty years. |
| YLT | And Noah liveth after the deluge three hundred and fifty years; |
| WEB | Noah lived three hundred fifty years after the flood. |
| BBE | And Noah went on living three hundred and fifty years after the great flow of waters; |
Where they part company is in the rendering of וַֽיְחִי־ — see How Translations Differ.
The structure centers around the main action of Noah living, with additional phrases providing context on the timing and duration of his life.
4 commentators on this verse
Gill, Poole, Trapp, Whedon & more — read them ›
clause
subjectנֹחַ
verbחָיָה
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Genesis 9:28
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — The Life of Noah After the Floodgenerated
Genesis 9:28 recounts the years Noah lived following the flood, emphasizing the longevity of his life after such a significant event. This period is part of the larger narrative of Noah's family and the covenant established by God after the flood, which is crucial in understanding the biblical history of humanity.
Cross References
The Key Word — וַֽיְחִי־, vay.chi-generated
The verb חָיָה (chayah) means to live or have life, encompassing both literal and figurative senses. It indicates not just existence but also the idea of revival or being quickened, which reflects God's sustaining power over life.
In this verse, it is used in the sequential imperfect form, indicating an ongoing action in the past: Noah lived for a defined period after the flood, marking a significant chapter in his life and the history of humanity.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
All translations agree on the basic meaning of the verse, stating that Noah lived for 350 years after the flood.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The main verb וַֽיְחִי־ governs the sentence, indicating Noah's action of living. It is followed by a prepositional phrase that sets the temporal context: after the flood, and then a noun phrase detailing the subject Noah.
The sentence structure emphasizes the action of living as the focal point, with the time reference providing clarity on when this living occurred.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates וַֽיְחִי־ as ἔζησεν (ezēsen), which means 'he lived.' This choice aligns closely with the Hebrew meaning but is more direct in its expression of existence.
The translation reflects a straightforward rendering of the action of living, without additional nuances present in the Hebrew.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Genesis 9:28 tells us that Noah lived for 350 years after the flood. This verse highlights the significant time Noah continued to live following the great deluge, marking an important part of his life and the biblical narrative.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
It indicates that Noah had a long life following the flood, during which he likely continued to fulfill God's purposes.
Noah lived a total of 950 years, as stated later in the chapter.
The flood represents a pivotal moment in biblical history, marking God's judgment and the beginning of a new covenant with humanity.
Noah's continued life serves as a reminder of God's faithfulness and the importance of living according to His guidance.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- What does Noah's long life after the flood teach us about resilience and faithfulness?
- How can we apply the lessons from Noah's life to our own lives today?
- In what ways can we honor the legacy of those who came before us, like Noah?
- How does understanding the context of the flood enhance our comprehension of God's promises?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
Bede comments on Noah's life span, noting the significance of his years lived after the flood and the total of 950 years.
But Noah lived three hundred and fifty years after the flood, and all the days of his life were nine hundred and fifty years, and he died.Early Church Fathers on Genesis 9 →
Commentators on this verse — 4 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Genesis 9:28 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleAnd Noah lived after the flood three hundred and fifty years.
Read John Gill on Genesis 9 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleWhich reacheth to the fifty-eighth year of Abraham’ s age, as the Jews note. And so we have a manifest account of the propagation of religion, from the beginning of the world to this day. Noah received it from his parents, who had the account of it from their first father Adam’ s own mouth, and transmitted it to Abraham; and its descent from him to the Jews, and by the Jews to others, is sufficiently known. Within this time also Noah saw the building of Babel’ s tower, the horrid wickedness and idolatry of his children, and the bloody wars which even then arose between some of them.
Read Matthew Poole on Genesis 9 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsGenesis 9:28 And Noah lived after the flood three hundred and fifty years.Ver. 28, 29. And Noah lived after the flood, &c.] This man, if ever any that was born of a woman, had a long life, and full of misery. He saw the tenth generation after him before his death. But, oh, how oft was he occasioned to get under the juniper-tree with Elias, and desire to die! Before the flood, what a deal of wickedness and disorder beheld he in family, Church, and commonwealth; and all this punished by the deluge, to his unspeakable heart-break! Soon after he was mocked by his own son, and despised by almost all the rest of his posterity; whose unheard-of hardiness in building the tower of Babel, he was…
Read John Trapp on Genesis 9 →Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible28. Noah lived after the flood — The narrative up to this verse may have been composed during the life of Noah, and in all probability the details of the deluge, the covenant, and these wondrous
Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Genesis 9 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
After the flood, Noah lived 350 years.
Noah lived three hundred fifty years after the flood.
After the flood, Noah lived 350 years.
After the flood Noah lived 350 years.
Tyndale line
¶ And Noah lived after the flood three hundred and fifty years.
And Noah lived after the flood three hundred and fifty years.
And Noah lived after the flood three hundred and fifty years.
And Noah lived after the flood three hundred and fifty years.
And Noah liued after the flood three hundreth and fiftie yeeres.
Strictly literal
And Noah lived after the flood three hundred and fifty years.
And Noah liveth after the deluge three hundred and fifty years;
And Noah lives after the flood three hundred and fifty years;
And Noah lived after the flood three hundred and fifty years.
After the flood, Noah lived three hundred fifty years.
From the Latin
And Noe lived after the flood three hundred and fifty years:
Simplified
Noah lived for another 350 years after the flood.
And Noah went on living three hundred and fifty years after the great flow of waters;
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text states: וַֽיְחִי־ נֹ֖חַ אַחַ֣ר הַמַּבּ֑וּל שְׁלֹ֤שׁ מֵאוֹת֙ שָׁנָ֔ה וַֽחֲמִשִּׁ֖ים שָׁנָֽה׃. The Septuagint matches 6 of the 9 words but presents them in a different order. The Samaritan Pentateuch differs by using אחרי instead of אַחַר, but overall the witnesses agree on the essential content.
וַֽיְחִי־ נֹ֖חַ אַחַ֣ר הַמַּבּ֑וּל שְׁלֹ֤שׁ מֵאוֹת֙ שָׁנָ֔ה וַֽחֲמִשִּׁ֖ים שָׁנָֽה׃
6 of the 9 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
ויחי נח אחרי המבול שׁלשׁ מאות שׁנה וחמשׁים שׁנה
1 word differs from the Masoretic Text: אחרי (after)
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Genesis 9:28
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
חָיָה (chayah) is a Hebrew verb meaning to live or have life, encompassing both literal and figurative senses. It includes various nuances such as reviving, preserving life, and restoring health. The entries detail its use in different stems, with Qal focusing on living and being quickened, while Piel and Hiphil emphasize giving life and reviving. No specific verse references are provided.
חָיָה 283 vb. live
Qal 203
live
be quickened, revive
Pi.
preserve alive, let live
give life
quicken, revive, refresh
Hiph.
preserve alive, let live
quicken, revive
base
H2421 חָיָה live .. live
. be quickened, revive
. . preserve alive, let live
. give life
. quicken, revive, refresh
. . preserve alive, let live
. quicken, revive
2421 chayah khaw-yaw'
a primitive root (compare 2331, 2421); to live, whether
literally or figuratively; causatively, to revive:--keep
(leave, make) alive, X certainly, give (promise) life, (let,
suffer to) live, nourish up, preserve (alive), quicken,
recover, repair, restore (to life), revive, (X God) save
(alive, life, lives), X surely, be whole.
see HEBREW for 02331
see HEBREW for 02421
חָיָה (cha.yah) — to live.
1) to live, have life, remain alive, sustain life, live prosperously, live for ever, be quickened, be alive, be restored to life or health
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to live
1a1a) to have life
1a1b) to continue in life, remain alive
1a1c) to sustain life, to live on or upon
1a1d) to live (prosperously)
1a2) to revive, be quickened
1a2a) from sickness
1a2b) from discouragement
1a2c) from faintness
1a2d) from death
1b) (Piel)
1b1) to preserve alive, let live
1b2) to give life
1b3) to quicken, revive, refresh
1b3a) to restore to life
1b3b) to cause to grow
1b3c) to restore
1b3d) to revive
1c) (Hiphil)
1c1) to preserve alive, let live
1c2) to quicken, revive
1c2a) to restore (to health)
1c2b) to revive
1c2c) to restore to life
Conj | V-Qal-ConsecImperf-3ms — Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person masculine singularHc/Vqw3ms
נֹחַ (Noach) refers to Noah, a significant biblical figure known for surviving the Flood. The name is associated with the concept of 'rest.' He is the son of Lamech and the father of Shem, Ham, and Japheth, and is first mentioned in Genesis 5:29. The entries consistently identify him as the patriarch who built the ark.
נֹחַ 46 n.pr.m. Noah
base
H5146 נֹחַ Noah
5146 Noach no'-akh
the same as 5118; rest; Noach, the patriarch of the
flood:--Noah.
see HEBREW for 05118
נֹחַ (no.ach) — Noah.
A man living at the time before the Flood, first mentioned at Gen.5.29;
son of: Lamech (H3929H);
father of: Shem (H8035), Ham (H2526) and Japheth (H3315)
Also named: Nōe (Νῶε "Noah" G3575)
§ Noah = "rest"
son of Lamech, father of Shem, Ham, and Japheth; builder of the ark which saved his family from the destruction of the world which God sent on the world by the flood; became the new seminal head of mankind because his family were the only survivors of the flood
N-proper — Noun proper masculineHNpm
Noah
Rest, (Heb. Noah) the grandson of Methuselah (Gen. 5:25-29), who was for two hundred and fifty years contemporary with Adam, and the son of Lamech, who was about fifty years old at the time of Adam’s death. This patriarch is rightly regarded as the connecting link between the old and the new world. He is the second great progenitor of the human family.
The words of his father Lamech at his birth (Gen. 5:29) have been regarded as in a sense prophetical, designating Noah as a type of Him who is the true “rest and comfort” of men under the burden of life (Matt.11:28).
He lived five hundred years, and then there were born unto him three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth (Gen.…
(motion), one of the five daughters of Zelophehad. (Numbers 26:33; 27:1; 36:11; Joshua 17:3) (B.C. 1450.)
Rest, comfort, the name of celebrated patriarch who was preserved by Jehovah with his family, by means of the ark, through the deluge, and thus became the second founder of the human race. The history of Noah and the deluge is contained in Ge 5:1-9:29. He was the son of Lamech, and grandson of Methuselah lived six hundred years before the deluge, and three hundred and fifty after it, dying two years before Abram was born. His name may have been given to him by his parents in the hope that he would be the promised "seed of the woman" that should "bruise the serpent’s head." He was in the line of the patriarchs who feared God, and was himself a just man, Eze 14:14,20, and a "preacher of righteousness," 1Pe 3:19,20
that quavers or totters (Zelophehad's daughter)
The Hebrew word אַחַר (*achar*) primarily denotes the concept of 'after' or 'behind' in both spatial and temporal contexts. It functions as a substantive, adverb, preposition, and conjunction, indicating a following part or time. The related form אַחֲרַי (*acharai*) refers to a person who turns backwards. There is a reference to Proverbs 28:23 in relation to the latter.
אַחַר prop. subst. the hinder or following part
adv.
of place, behind
of time, afterwards
prep.
of place, behind, after
of time, after
conj. after that.
H310a אַחַר prop. subst. the hinder or following part . adv. . of place, behind
. of time, afterwards
. prep. . of place, behind, after
. of time, after
. conj. after that.
H310b אַחֲרַי a man that turneth backwards.
310 'achar akh-ar'
from 309; properly, the hind part; generally used as an
adverb or conjunction, after (in various senses):--after
(that, -ward), again, at, away from, back (from, -side),
behind, beside, by, follow (after, -ing), forasmuch, from,
hereafter, hinder end, + out (over) live, + persecute,
posterity, pursuing, remnant, seeing, since, thence(-forth),
when, with.
see HEBREW for 0309
אַחַר (a.char) — after.
1) after the following part, behind (of place), hinder, afterwards (of time)
1a) as an adverb
1a1) behind (of place)
1a2) afterwards (of time)
1b) as a preposition
1b1) behind, after (of place)
1b2) after (of time)
1b3) besides
1c) as a conjunction
1c) after that
1d) as a substantive
1d1) hinder part
1e) with other prepositions
1e1) from behind
1e2) from following after
אַחֲרַי (a.cha.ray) — backwards.
backwards (of a man that turns backwards)
Prep — PrepHAcmsc
מַבּוּל (mabbuwl) refers to a flood or deluge, specifically the one during Noah's time that covered the earth for about a year. The word is derived from a root meaning 'flowing,' emphasizing the idea of a significant inundation.
מַבּוּל n.m. flood in time of Noah
base
H3999 מַבּוּל flood in time of Noah
3999 mabbuwl mab-bool'
from 2986 in the sense of flowing; a deluge: -flood.
see HEBREW for 02986
מַבּוּל (mab.bul) — flood.
1) flood, deluge.
1a) Noah's flood that submerged the entire planet earth under water for about a year
Art | N-ms — Particle · noun common masculine singular absoluteHTd/Ncmsa
flud:
In the King James Version not less than 13 words are rendered "flood," though in the Revised Version (British and American) we find in some passages "river," "stream," "tempest," etc. The word is used for: the deluge of Noah, mabbul (Ge 6:17 ff); kataklusmos (Mt 24:38,39; Lu 17:27); the waters of the Red Sea, nazal (Ex 15:8); the Euphrates, nahar, "Your fathers dwelt of old time on the other side of the flood". (the Revised Version (British and American) "beyond the River" Jos 24:2): the Nile, ye'or, "the flood (the Revised Version (British and American) "River") of Egypt" (
Flood
An event recorded in Gen. 7 and 8. (See DELUGE.) In Josh. 24:2, 3, 14, 15, the word “flood” (R.V., “river”) means the river Euphrates. In Ps. 66:6, this word refers to the river Jordan.
[NOAH]
See DELUGE.
The Hebrew word שָׁלֹשׁ (*shalosh*) means 'three' or 'triad.' It can also refer to the ordinal 'third' and is used in various contexts, including multiplication as 'thrice.' The entries consistently define it as a primitive number without significant disagreement.
שָׁלֹשׁ, שָׁלוֹשׁ, שְׁלֹשָׁה 430 n.m. et f. a three, triad
base
H7969 שָׁלֹשׁ, שָׁלוֹשׁ, שְׁלֹשָׁה a three, triad
7969 shalowsh shaw-loshe'
or shalosh {shaw-loshe'}; masculine shlowshah {shel-o-shaw'};
or shloshah {shel-o-shaw'}; a primitive number; three;
occasionally (ordinal) third, or (multipl.) thrice:--+ fork,
+ often(-times), third, thir(-teen, -teenth), three, + thrice.
Compare 7991.
see HEBREW for 07991
שָׁלֹשׁ (sha.losh) — three.
1) three, triad
1a) 3, 300, third
Aramaic equivalent: te.lat (תְּלָת "three" H8532)
Adj — AdjHAcbsc
(shalosh; treis).
See NUMBER.
The phrase "three days and three nights," Mt 12:40, was equivalent in Hebrew to the English "three days;" the Jews employing the expression "a day and a night" to denote our "day" of twentyfour hours. Nor did "three days," 1Sa 30:13, literally "this third day," according to their usage, necessarily include the whole of three days, but a part of three days, a continuous period including one whole day of twenty-four hours, and a portion of the day preceding it and the day following it. Compare Ge 7:12,17 1Sa 30:12-13.
מֵאָה (me'ah) means 'hundred' in Hebrew. It can refer to a simple number, a component of a larger number, or a fraction representing one one-hundredth. The entries consistently describe its use as a numeral without significant disagreement.
מֵאָה 583 n.f. hundred
as simple number
as part of larger number
a hundredth part
base
H3967 מֵאָה hundred . as simple number
. as part of larger number
. a hundredth part
3967 me'ah may-aw'
or metyah {may-yaw'}; properly, a primitive numeral; a
hundred; also as a multiplicative and a
fraction:--hundred((-fold), -th), + sixscore.
מֵאָה (me.ah) — hundred.
1) hundred
1a) as simple number
1b) as part of larger number
1c) as a fraction-one one-hundredth (1/100)
Aramaic equivalent: me.ah (מְאָה "hundred" H3969)
HAcfpa — HAcfpa
hun'-dred (me'-ah; hekaton).
See NUMBER.
שָׁנָה (shaneh) means 'year' and is derived from the root meaning to change or revolve. It encompasses various aspects of time, including divisions of time, measures of age, and even a lifetime. The Aramaic equivalent is שְׁנָה (she.nah), also meaning 'year'.
שָׁנָה 877 n.f. year (etym. v. √[v.ek.aa])
base
H8141 שָׁנָה year (etym. v. √[8138a])
8141 shaneh shaw-neh'
(in plura or (feminine) shanah {shaw-naw'}; from 8138; a year
(as a revolution of time):--+ whole age, X long, + old,
year(X -ly).
see HEBREW for 08138
שָׁנָה (sha.neh) — year.
1) year
1a) as division of time
1b) as measure of time
1c) as indication of age
1d) a lifetime (of years of life)
Aramaic equivalent: she.nah (שְׁנָה "year" H8140)
N-fs — Noun common · feminine singular absoluteHNcfsa
חֲמִשִּׁים (chamishshiym) means 'fifty' and is a cardinal number. It can also refer to a multiple of fifty or the ordinal number 'fiftieth.' The entries consistently define it as a numerical term without significant variation.
חֲמִשִּׁים 164 n.pl. (a) fifty
base
H2572 חֲמִשִּׁים (a) fifty
2572 chamishshiym kham-ish-sheem'
multiple of 2568; fifty:--fifty.
see HEBREW for 02568
חֲמִשִּׁים (cha.mish.shim) — fifty.
1) fifty
1a) fifty (cardinal number)
1b) a multiple of fifty (with other numbers)
1c) fiftieth (ordinal number)
HC/Acmpa — ConjunctionHC/Acmpa
שָׁנָה (shaneh) means 'year' and is derived from the root meaning to change or revolve. It encompasses various aspects of time, including divisions of time, measures of age, and even a lifetime. The Aramaic equivalent is שְׁנָה (she.nah), also meaning 'year'.
שָׁנָה 877 n.f. year (etym. v. √[v.ek.aa])
base
H8141 שָׁנָה year (etym. v. √[8138a])
8141 shaneh shaw-neh'
(in plura or (feminine) shanah {shaw-naw'}; from 8138; a year
(as a revolution of time):--+ whole age, X long, + old,
year(X -ly).
see HEBREW for 08138
שָׁנָה (sha.neh) — year.
1) year
1a) as division of time
1b) as measure of time
1c) as indication of age
1d) a lifetime (of years of life)
Aramaic equivalent: she.nah (שְׁנָה "year" H8140)
HNcfsa — Noun common · feminine singular absoluteHNcfsa