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

18So Noah, his wife, and his sons and their wives left the boat. 19And all of the large and small animals and birds came out of the boat, pair by pair. Then Noah built an altar to the Lord, and there he sacrificed as burnt offerings the animals and birds that had been approved for that purpose. 21And the Lord was pleased with the aroma of the sacrifice and said to himself, “I will never again curse the ground because of the human race, even though everything they think or imagine is bent toward evil from childhood. I will never again destroy all living things. 22As long as the earth remains, there will be planting and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night.”

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 4:4Abel also brought a gift—the best portions of the firstborn lambs from his flock. The Lord accepted Abel and his gift,
• Genesis 12:7Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said, “I will give this land to your descendants.” And Abram built an altar there and dedicated it to the Lord, who had appeared to him.
• Genesis 13:4This was the same place where Abram had built the altar, and there he worshiped the Lord again.
• Genesis 22:9When they arrived at the place where God had told him to go, Abraham built an altar and arranged the wood on it. Then he tied his son, Isaac, and laid him on the altar on top of the wood.
• Genesis 26:25Then Isaac built an altar there and worshiped the Lord. He set up his camp at that place, and his servants dug another well.
• Genesis 33:20And there he built an altar and named it El-Elohe-Israel.
• Genesis 35:1Then God said to Jacob, “Get ready and move to Bethel and settle there. Build an altar there to the God who appeared to you when you fled from your brother, Esau.”
• Exodus 20:24“Build for me an altar made of earth, and offer your sacrifices to me—your burnt offerings and peace offerings, your sheep and goats, and your cattle. Build my altar wherever I cause my name to be remembered, and I will come to you and bless you.
• Exodus 24:4Then Moses carefully wrote down all the Lord’s instructions. Early the next morning Moses got up and built an altar at the foot of the mountain. He also set up twelve pillars, one for each of the twelve tribes of Israel.
• Romans 12:1And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.
• Hebrews 13:10We have an altar from which the priests in the Tabernacle have no right to eat.
• 1 Peter 2:5And you are living stones that God is building into his spiritual temple. What’s more, you are his holy priests. Through the mediation of Jesus Christ, you offer spiritual sacrifices that please God.
• Genesis 7:2Take with you seven pairs—male and female—of each animal I have approved for eating and for sacrifice, and take one pair of each of the others.
• Leviticus 11:1Then the Lord said to Moses and Aaron,
• Leviticus 1:1The Lord called to Moses from the Tabernacle and said to him,

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