Genesis 6:15Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Observe the incredible humility of God, His incomprehensible power, and His love that surpasses all understanding. In this demonstration, He expresses His concern for the righteous individual, instructing him to construct the ark, providing dimensions and a design for it. This act not only offers profound consolation to the builder, igniting within him a hopeful anticipation of salvation, but also aims to lead the unrepentant sinners to reflect on their actions. Through the process of building the ark, an ample opportunity for repentance was granted to them—sufficient for those who were not completely hardened in heart to seek restoration from their transgressions.

How was the ark constructed? It is noted that “The length of the ark is three hundred cubits; its breadth is fifty cubits, and its height thirty cubits. And thou shalt make an opening in the ark, and in a cubit shalt thou bring it upward” (Gen. 6:15-16). This arrangement signifies the mystery of Christ, albeit in a somewhat veiled manner, as made clear by the Apostle Paul, who prays continuously for those justified by faith: “were able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and depth and height, and to understand the love of Christ which surpasses understanding” (Eph. 3:18-19). What do the ark's measurements signify? They are a clear reference to the Holy and consubstantial Trinity and the One Godhead, which is complete and flawless in every aspect.

This was the tremendous task that God assigned to the righteous man, seeking to spare the sinners from the flood. Where would Noah source the timber? From whom could he obtain the pitch, metal, and charcoal? Who would assist him in this undertaking? Who would heed his warnings as humanity continued to decline? If Noah and his family had commenced constructing the ark, would anyone witnessing his efforts not have mocked him?

The dimensions of the ark were specified as three hundred cubits, among other measurements. Scholars have identified three types of the cubit: a standard cubit measuring about one and a half feet; a sacred cubit of three feet as referenced in Numbers 35:4, 5 and 2 Samuel 7:15, and a six-laden cubit, also known as the cubit of the elbow and hand, as mentioned in Ezekiel 40:5 and Ezekiel 43:13, which is at least twenty and a half inches of a Parisian foot. This last cubit is likely the original measurement used by the Jews prior to the adoption of the simpler, five-laden cubit that came about during their Babylonian exile.

If we refer to the six-sided lacotype, known as lactem, which the Jews employed prior to the Babylonian exile (Ezekiel 40:5), and which corresponds to our measurement of 10.5 cubits, we can determine that the length of the ark was 65 fathoms, 1 arshin, and 14 cubits; its breadth was 10 fathoms, 2 arshins, and 13 cubits; and its height was 6 fathoms, 1 arshin, and 11 cubits.