The Meaning of Genesis 7:23 Explained

Genesis 7:23

KJV: And every living substance was destroyed which was upon the face of the ground, both man, and cattle, and the creeping things, and the fowl of the heaven; and they were destroyed from the earth: and Noah only remained alive, and they that were with him in the ark.

YLT: And wiped away is all the substance that is on the face of the ground, from man unto beast, unto creeping thing, and unto fowl of the heavens; yea, they are wiped away from the earth, and only Noah is left, and those who are with him in the ark;

Darby: And every living being was destroyed that was on the ground, both man, and cattle, and creeping things, and fowl of the heavens; and they were destroyed from the earth. And Noah alone remained, and what was with him in the ark.

ASV: And every living thing was destroyed that was upon the face of the ground, both man, and cattle, and creeping things, and birds of the heavens; and they were destroyed from the earth: and Noah only was left, and they that were with him in the ark.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And every living substance  was destroyed  which was upon the face  of the ground,  both man,  and cattle,  and the creeping things,  and the fowl  of the heaven;  and they were destroyed  from the earth:  and Noah  only  remained  [alive], and they that  [were] with him in the ark. 

What does Genesis 7:23 Mean?

Context Summary

Genesis 7:1-24 - The Great Flood
What anguish! They climbed the highest story of their towers, then to the hills, but the greedy waters followed them, till the last crag was covered, and all living things in the first homes of human life had perished. Equally sudden and unexpected shall be the days of the Son of Man. See Luke 17:26; 2 Peter 3:7. But what drowns other men only lifts the child of God nearer his home. The waters bear up the ark. When the loftiest refuges of lies and pride are submerged, and the whole landscape is covered with a monotonous waste of trouble, God says to the soul, "Come into the ark." It is as though He is inside and wants us to enter into close fellowship with Himself. See Psalms 27:5. When God shuts the door behind us, no power can force, no skeleton key can unlock, and no wedge can pry the door. For the extent of the Deluge it is appropriate to consider Luke 2:1-3. [source]

Chapter Summary: Genesis 7

1  Noah, his family and the living creatures enter the ark
6  The flood begins
17  The increase of the flood for forty days
21  All flesh is destroyed by it
24  Its duration of 150 days

What do the individual words in Genesis 7:23 mean?

So He destroyed - all living things which were on the face of the ground from man and livestock creeping thing to the bird of the air and they were destroyed from the earth and remained only Noah and those who with him in the ark
וַיִּ֜מַח אֶֽת־ כָּל־ הַיְק֣וּם ׀ אֲשֶׁ֣ר ׀ עַל־ פְּנֵ֣י הָֽאֲדָמָ֗ה מֵאָדָ֤ם עַד־ בְּהֵמָה֙ רֶ֙מֶשׂ֙ וְעַד־ ע֣וֹף הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם וַיִּמָּח֖וּ מִן־ הָאָ֑רֶץ וַיִשָּׁ֧אֶר‪‬ אַךְ־ נֹ֛חַ וַֽאֲשֶׁ֥ר אִתּ֖וֹ בַּתֵּבָֽה

וַיִּ֜מַח  So  He  destroyed 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: מָחָא 
Sense: to wipe, wipe out.
אֶֽת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
הַיְק֣וּם ׀  living  things 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: יְקוּם  
Sense: living substance, that which stands or exists, existence, substance.
אֲשֶׁ֣ר ׀  which  were 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
פְּנֵ֣י  the  face 
Parse: Noun, common plural construct
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
הָֽאֲדָמָ֗ה  of  the  ground 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֲדָמָה 
Sense: ground, land.
מֵאָדָ֤ם  from  man 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular
Root: אָדָם 
Sense: man, mankind.
בְּהֵמָה֙  livestock 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: בְּהֵמָה  
Sense: beast, cattle, animal.
רֶ֙מֶשׂ֙  creeping  thing 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: רֶמֶשׂ  
Sense: creeping things, moving things, creeping organism.
ע֣וֹף  the  bird 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: עֹוף  
Sense: flying creatures, fowl, insects, birds.
הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם  of  the  air 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: שָׁמַיִם  
Sense: heaven, heavens, sky.
וַיִּמָּח֖וּ  and  they  were  destroyed 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Nifal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: מָחָא 
Sense: to wipe, wipe out.
הָאָ֑רֶץ  the  earth 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
וַיִשָּׁ֧אֶר‪‬  and  remained 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Nifal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׁאַר  
Sense: to remain, be left over, be left behind.
אַךְ־  only 
Parse: Adverb
Root: אַךְ  
Sense: indeed, surely (emphatic).
נֹ֛חַ  Noah 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: נׄחַ  
Sense: 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 the human race because his family were the only survivors of the flood.
וַֽאֲשֶׁ֥ר  and  those  who 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
אִתּ֖וֹ  with  him 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
Root: אֵת 
Sense: with, near, together with.
בַּתֵּבָֽה  in  the  ark 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: תֵּבָה  
Sense: ark.