Genesis 8:20

Genesis 8:20 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And Noah builded an altar unto the Lord; and took of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt offerings on the altar.
• New International Version (NIV)Then Noah built an altar to the Lord and, taking some of all the clean animals and clean birds, he sacrificed burnt offerings on it.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Then Noah built an altar to the Lord and took some of every clean animal and some of every clean bird and offered burnt offerings on the altar.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Then Noah built an altar to the Lord, and took of every clean animal and of every clean bird, and offered burnt offerings on the altar.

Context of Genesis 8:20

18Noah went out along with his sons, his wife, and his sons’ wives. 19Every living creature, every creeping thing, every bird, and everything that moves on the earth went out of the ark in their groups. Noah built an altar to the Lord. He then took some of every kind of clean animal and clean bird and offered burnt offerings on the altar. 21And the Lord smelled the soothing aroma and said to himself, “I will never again curse the ground because of humankind, even though the inclination of their minds is evil from childhood on. I will never again destroy everything that lives, as I have just done. 22“While the earth continues to exist, planting time and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, and day and night will not cease.”

Genesis 8:20 word by word

וַיִּ֥בֶן נֹ֛חַ מִזְבֵּ֖חַ לַֽיהוָ֑ה וַיִּקַּ֞ח מִכֹּ֣ל׀ הַבְּהֵמָ֣ה הַטְּהוֹרָ֗ה וּמִכֹּל֙ הָע֣וֹף הַטָּהֹ֔ר וַיַּ֥עַל עֹלֹ֖ת בַּמִּזְבֵּֽחַ׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And Noahנֹחַnôach · NoahH5146
• buildedבָּנָהbânâh · to buildH1129
• an altarמִזְבֵּחַmizbêach · altarH4196
• unto the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• and tookלָקַחlâqach · to take: takeH3947
• of every cleanטָהוֹרţâhôr ţâhôr · pureH2889
• beastבְּהֵמָהbehêmâh · animalH929
• fowlעוֹף‛ôph · birdH5775
• and offeredעָלָה‛âlâh · to ascend: offer upH5927
• burnt offeringsעֹלָה‛ôlâh ‛ôlâh · burnt offeringH5930

Cross-references for Genesis 8:20

• Genesis 4:4But Abel brought some of the firstborn of his flock – even the fattest of them. And the Lord was pleased with Abel and his offering,
• Genesis 12:7The Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your descendants I will give this land.” So Abram built an altar there to the Lord, who had appeared to him.
• Genesis 13:4This was the place where he had first built the altar, and there Abram worshiped the Lord.
• Genesis 22:9When they came to the place God had told him about, Abraham built the altar there and arranged the wood on it. Next he tied up his son Isaac and placed him on the altar on top of the wood.
• Genesis 26:25Then Isaac built an altar there and worshiped the Lord. He pitched his tent there, and his servants dug a well.
• Genesis 33:20There he set up an altar and called it “The God of Israel is God.”
• Genesis 35:1Then God said to Jacob, “Go up at once to Bethel and live there. Make an altar there to God, who appeared to you when you fled from your brother Esau.”
• Exodus 20:24‘You must make for me an altar made of earth, and you will sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and your peace offerings, your sheep and your cattle. In every place where I cause my name to be honored I will come to you and I will bless you.
• Exodus 24:4and Moses wrote down all the words of the Lord. Early in the morning he built an altar at the foot of the mountain and arranged twelve standing stones – according to the twelve tribes of Israel.
• Romans 12:1Therefore I exhort you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a sacrifice – alive, holy, and pleasing to God – which is your reasonable service.
• Hebrews 13:10We have an altar that those who serve in the tabernacle have no right to eat from.
• 1 Peter 2:5you yourselves, as living stones, are built up as a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood and to offer spiritual sacrifices that are acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
• Genesis 7:2You must take with you seven of every kind of clean animal, the male and its mate, two of every kind of unclean animal, the male and its mate,
• Leviticus 11:1The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying to them,
• Leviticus 1:1Then the Lord called to Moses and spoke to him from the Meeting Tent:

Commentaries on Genesis 8:20

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 20Noah builded an altar - As we have already seen that Adam, Cain, and Abel, offered sacrifices, there can be no doubt that they had altars on which they offered them; but this, builded by Noah, is certainly the first on record. It is worthy of remark that, as the old world began with sacrifice, so also did the new. Religion or the proper mode of worshipping the Divine Being, is the invention or institution of God himself; and sacrifice, in the act and…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 15-22Verses 15-22 - XXVII. The Ark Was Evacuated 19. משׁפחה mı̂shpāchah “kind, clan, family.” שׁפחה shı̂pchâh “maid-servant; related: spread.” 20. מזבח mı̂zbēach “altar; related: slay animals, sacrifice.” 21. עלה 'olâh “whole burnt-offering.” That which goes up. “Step; related: go up.” Genesis 8:15-19 The command to leave the ark is given and obeyed. As Noah did not enter, so neither does he leave the ark, without divine direction. “The fowl, the cattle…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 20-22Verses 20-22 Noah was now gone out into a desolate world, where, one might have thought, his first care would have been to build a house for himself, but he begins with an alter for God. He begins well, that begins with God. Though Noah's stock of cattle was small, and that saved at great care and pains, yet he did not grudge to serve God out of it. Serving God with our little is the way to make it more; we must never think that is wasted with which God…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 20This first mention of an altar in the Bible shows how thankful Noah was for surviving the judgment. offered burnt offerings: The same wording is used for the whole burnt offering in Leviticus (Leviticus 1:3–9), but it can refer to any offering that is burned. Noah gave this offering to thank and worship God, who saved him and his family from the great flood.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2020. Noah builded an altar--literally, "a high place"--probably a mound of earth, on which a sacrifice was offered. There is something exceedingly beautiful and interesting to know that the first care of this devout patriarch was to return thanks for the signal instance of mercy and goodness which he and his family had experienced. took of every clean beast ... fowl--For so unparalleled a deliverance, a special acknowledgment was due.Read the comment

Topics related to Genesis 8:20

• Animals
• Covenant
• Flood
• Noah
• Sheep
• Thankfulness

In the dictionaries

• Noah
• Altar
• Burnt offering
• Clean
• Covering
• Deluge
• Earth
• Fire
• Flood
• High place

Commentaries on Genesis 8

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings