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40 Days and 40 Nights of Rain: The Significance of the Biblical Flood Narrative and Other Universal Flood Accounts From Around the World

Khalid Elhassan May 19, 2025 17 min

Flood - Noah's Ark during the Genesis flood — Noah's Ark during the Genesis flood. Live Science

19. The Genesis Flood’s Literary Structure

Fifteenth century depiction of Noah exiting the Ark. British Library

The Genesis flood narrative is carefully constructed with a symmetrical, or chiastic, literary structure. It involves mirrored elements that serve to emphasize theological points. There is the corruption of humanity in Genesis 6:1-8. Then come Noah’s instructions and preparations, 6:9-22. God issues the command to enter the ark, 7:1-10, and the flood begins, 7:11-16. The waters prevail, 7:17-24, then come the climax and turning, as God remembers Noah, 8:1.

The waters abate, 8:2-5, the earth dries out, 8:6-14, and God commands Noah to exit the ark, 8:15-22. We next have God’s covenant, 9:1-17, and finally, there are Noah’s sons and a new world, Genesis 9:18-29. That symmetrical arrangement highlights “God remembering Noah” as the narrative’s theological center, and highlights divine mercy amidst judgment.

Written by

Khalid Elhassan

A lifelong history buff, I developed a particular passion for WW2 history as a child, when I spent hours listening to my grandfather, enraptured, as he recounted his wartime experiences in the British East African Campaign and with the British 8th Army in North Africa.

I graduated with a history BA from George Mason University, then went on to get a JD from the University of Virginia School of Law. After lawyering for a decade, I moved to sunny Rio de Janeiro and a less demanding career, opening a tourism agency in Copacabana.

A big chunk of my free time is spent blogging (you can follow me on Quora https://www.quora.com/profile/Khalid-Elhassan ) or freelance writing, mostly about my favorite subject, history.