Noah

Noah is the righteous man chosen by God to survive the great flood — a judgment on human wickedness — by building an ark at God's command. After the flood, God established a covenant with Noah, promising never again to destroy the earth by flood, and sealed it with the rainbow (CCC 56–58).

The Flood and the Ark

As Genesis 6–9 recounts, God saw that the wickedness of humanity had become great and resolved to send a flood. Noah, "a righteous man, blameless in his generation" (Genesis 6:9), was commanded to build an ark and bring into it his family and representatives of every kind of animal. After forty days and forty nights of rain, the flood receded and God set the rainbow as a sign of his covenant (CCC 56–58).

The Noahic Covenant

The covenant with Noah is the first universal covenant — made not just with Israel but with all humanity and all living creatures. God promised: "Never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of a flood" (Genesis 9:11). This covenant remains in force "during the times of the Gentiles, until the universal proclamation of the Gospel" (CCC 58).

Noah as Type

The Church sees Noah and the Ark as types: Noah prefigures Christ (the righteous one who saves), and the Ark prefigures the Church (outside which there is no salvation) and also Baptism — as 1 Peter 3:20–21 explicitly states: the water of the flood, through which Noah was saved, corresponds to Baptism (CCC 1094, 1219).

Frequently Asked Questions

Was the flood global or local? The Church does not define the precise scope of the flood as a matter of dogma. What is essential is the theological truth of the narrative: God judges sin, preserves the righteous, and establishes a covenant of mercy with humanity (CCC 56–58).