Noah

NO'AH (rest), an eminent patriarch, and the ninth in descent from Adam. Gen 6:8. He is described as a "just and perfect" man who "walked with God," Gen 6:9, as a "preacher of righteousness," 2 Pet 2:5, and has a place in the catalogues of those who were eminent for their faith. Heb 11:7. Noah is the second father of the human race, all the families of the earth being in a direct line of descent from him. The life of this patriarch was cast in times of such unusual violence and wickedness that the Almighty determined to destroy the agents in order thereby to purify the world. Gen 6:13. This he accomplished by visiting the earth with a deluge, which submerged in its waters all the human family, Gen 9:11, except eight persons. God revealed his design to Noah a full century before its execution, and commanded him to construct an ark. See Ark. This preacher of righteousness during this period warned his contemporaries and exhorted them to repent. At the end of this time Noah went into the ark with his wife and his three sons and their wives. By commandment of God he also took with him of the clean and unclean animals of the earth. These alone were saved. All the rest in "whose nostrils was the breath of life, of all that was in the dry land died." The waters prevailed upon the earth one hundred and fifty days, Gen 7:24, at the end of which time a wind from God dried them up, and the ark rested upon the " mountains " of Ararat. See Ararat. The first thing Noah did upon leaving the ark was to offer up on an altar which he built a sacrifice that proved to be well-pleasing to God. Gen 8:20. He thereupon received the promise that no more should such a widespread destruction of the human race occur, and as a pledge of this covenant God appointed the rainbow. Its appearance was thereafter to remind men of the divine promise. Two commandments were also given to Noah. The one referred to the meat of strangled animals or animals dying a natural death: this he was forbidden to eat. The other referred to murder, which was to be punished by the death of the murderer. Gen 9:1-7. The last incident narrated of this eminent man betrays his weakness. He had planted a vineyard, and, drinking to excess, he on one occasion exposed his shame. Ham, seeing his father's nakedness, informed his brothers, who, however, with becoming modesty, refused to look upon their father in this condition. On arousing from his debauch the father uttered a curse upon the head of Canaan, Ham's son, and uttered a special blessing upon Japheth. Gen 9:20-27. Noah was 950 years old at the time of his death. Our Lord illustrates the suddenness of his second coming and the wickedness of the world by the circumstances prior to the Flood. Matt 24:32, Acts 7:38.

NO'AH (motion), one of the five daughters of Zelophehad. Num 26:33; Deut 27:1; Isa 36:11; Josh 17:3.