Genesis 7:4Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

The people during Noah's time, despite years of warning about impending disaster, persisted in their sinful ways. We, too, often remain complacent, slow to amend our conduct even when danger looms nearby; however, when calamity strikes, we become humble and display significant transformation in our hearts. This was the case for the Ninevites. Upon hearing that they had only forty days until Nineveh would be destroyed (Jonah 3:4), they did not despair. Instead, they were uplifted, turning resolutely from sin and demonstrating deep contrition so profound that even their animals were included in the act of repentance—not because the animals could confess, as they lack the ability to speak, but in hopes that this would garner the mercy of the compassionate Lord. The king declared a fast, commanding that not only the people but also the sheep, oxen, and all the voiceless creatures refrain from eating or drinking (Jonah 3:7). Thus, everyone, including the king himself, who sat on the throne, donned sackcloth and presented a heartfelt and sincere confession to God, uncertain whether they would be spared from punishment. "Who knows," they wondered, "if perhaps God might turn from His fierce anger and spare us from the doom He has declared upon us?" (Jonah 3:8, 10). Observe the kindness of these people from a foreign land! Notice how, despite the limited time, they remained resolute and did not succumb to hopelessness. In contrast, those in Noah's era, even after receiving the warning of "seven days until the flood," remained unrepentant, illustrating that our choices lead to all forms of evil. For behold, while they shared the same human nature, their wills were not alike. Therefore, their outcomes differed—some were saved from destruction because the gracious God in His compassion accepted their repentance, while others perished in the floodwaters. "For," it is decreed, "after seven days I will send rain upon the earth." Then, to heighten their fear, God adds, "for forty days and forty nights." What purpose does this serve? Could He not bring the rain all at once? Surely, He could accomplish this in a single day, or even in an instant if He chose to. Yet, He proceeds deliberately, wishing to both amplify their fear and provide an opportunity for escape, even as the threat drew near. "And I will bring destruction,” He declares, “upon all that exist which I have made from the face of the earth," from man to livestock. Observe how God reiterates His warnings, yet the people remain unmoved. He does this to demonstrate that He justly imposed this judgment upon them, preventing any from claiming that had He shown patience, they might have responded in repentance, refraining from sin and turning toward righteousness. This is why He specifies the number of years and instructs Noah to construct the ark. Furthermore, He foretells the seven days to silence the voices of those who might unwisely speak against His actions.

The people of Noah's time gathered to witness this remarkable event, not for the sake of repentance, but to marvel at the sight of lions entering the ark before their eyes, oxen rushing in without trepidation, seeking safety alongside them, and wolves and sheep, hawks and sparrows, eagles and doves entering in harmony.

When even this swift assembly of beasts into the ark, along with the peace that soon reigned among them, failed to move the people of Noah’s time to repentance, the Lord God spoke to Noah, ‘Seven more days will pass, and I will put an end to all flesh that I have created.’ God granted humanity a hundred years to turn from their ways while the ark was under construction, but they remained unyielding. He called forth creatures they had never encountered before, yet they would not seek repentance; He established harmony between the fierce and gentle animals, and they were no longer filled with fear. Even after Noah and all the animals had secured their places in the ark, God lingered for an additional seven days, leaving the door of the ark ajar. It is remarkable that neither the lions recalled their trees, nor did any other creatures or birds return to their homes, nor did the onlookers, witnessing all that transpired outside and within the ark, feel compelled to abandon their sinful ways.

Thus, were not the forty days at the onset of the flood also a final opportunity from God's patience for certain sinners who, like the thief on the cross, could recognize their guilt in light of their impending judgment and turn to God’s mercy (1 Pet. 4:6)?