Rain Before the Great Flood in Genesis
The biblical account of the Great Flood in Genesis describes a period of intense and sustained rainfall, stating, "It rained on the earth forty days and forty nights" [1]. This deluge was a key component of the flood, which also involved "the opening up of the fountains of the great deep" [7]. The waters prevailed upon the earth for 150 days [6, 10], a period that John Gill calculates from the beginning of the flood until the ark rested on the mountains of Ararat [10].
Before the Flood, the earth's atmospheric conditions may have differed significantly. Some interpretations suggest that rain, as we know it, did not fall on the earth immediately after creation [4]. This perspective is sometimes linked to the idea that the rainbow, which God established as a sign of His covenant after the Flood, might have appeared for the first time then, implying a different atmospheric constitution before the Flood [9].
The concept of rain itself is frequently mentioned in the Bible, often associated with God's provision and power. For instance, Joel 2:23 speaks of God causing "the former rain, and the latter rain" to come down [3]. These terms refer to the autumnal rains, which prepare the earth for sowing, and the spring rains, respectively [5, 8]. The "former rain" typically occurs from late October to December, while "latter rain" refers to spring rains [5]. The heavy winter rains are also noted in Genesis 7:12 [8].
The cessation of the Flood involved the stopping of both the deep's fountains and the sky's windows, restraining the rain from the sky [2]. Abraham Ibn Ezra suggests that while the initial forty days saw continuous rain, there might have been intermittent rain afterward, as indicated by the statement that "the rain from heaven was restrained" (Genesis 8:2), implying it was only partially restrained before this point [12]. The Flood was sent as a punishment for humanity's extreme wickedness [7], and its prolonged duration was seen by some as a manifestation of God's stern displeasure at sin [11].
Sources
- Genesis “It rained on the earth forty days and forty nights. -- Genesis 7:12”
- Genesis “The deep’s fountains and the sky’s windows were also stopped, and the rain from the sky was restrained. -- Genesis 8:2”
- King James Version “[KJV] Joel 2:23 — Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in the LORD your God: for he hath given you the former rain moderately, and he will cause to come down for you the rain, the former rain, and the latter rain in the first month.”
- Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Rain — Occasioned by the condensing of the clouds -- Job 36:27,28; Ps 77:17; Ec 11:3. God Made a decree for. -- Job 28:26. Prepares. -- Ps 147:8. Gives. -- Job 5:10. Causes, to come down. -- Joe 2:23. Exhibits goodness in giving. -- Ac 14:17. Exhibits greatness in giving. -- Job 36:26,27. Sends upon the evil and good. -- Mt 5:45. Should be praised for. -- Ps 147:7,8. Should be feared on account of. -- Jer 5:24. Impotence of idols exhibited in not being able to give -- Jer 14:22. Not sent upon the earth immediately after creation -- Ge 2:5. Rarely falls in Egypt -- De”
- Smith's Bible Dictionary “Smith's Bible Dictionary: Rain — In the Bible "early rain" signifies the rain of the autumn, (11:14) and "latter rain" the rain of spring. (Proverbs 16:1,5) For six months in the year, from May to October, no rain falls, the whole land becomes dry, parched and brown. The autumnal rains are eagerly looked for, to prepare the earth for the reception of the seed. These, the early rains, commence about the latter end of October continuing through November and December. January and February are the coldest months, and snow falls, sometimes to the depth of a foot or more, at Jerusalem, but it does n”
- Genesis “The waters flooded the earth one hundred fifty days. -- Genesis 7:24”
- Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Deluge, The — Sent as a punishment for the extreme wickedness of man -- Ge 6:5-7,11-13,17. Called the Flood. -- Ge 9:28. Waters of Noah. -- Isa 54:9. Noah forewarned of -- Ge 6:13; Heb 11:7. Long-suffering of God exhibited in deferring -- Ge 6:3; 1Pe 3:20. The wicked warned of -- 1Pe 3:19,20; 2Pe 2:5. Noah, &c, saved from -- Ge 6:18-22; 7:13,14. Date of its commencement -- Ge 7:11. Came suddenly and unexpectedly -- Mt 24:38,39. Produced by Forty days' incessant rain. -- Ge 7:4,12,17. Opening up of the fountains of the great deep. -- Ge 7:11. Increased gradually -- Ge”
- Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Rain — There are three Hebrew words used to denote the rains of different seasons, (1.) Yoreh (Hos. 6:3), or moreh (Joel 2:23), denoting the former or the early rain. (2.) Melqosh, the "latter rain" (Prov. 16:15). (3.) Geshem, the winter rain, "the rains." The heavy winter rain is mentioned in Gen. 7:12; Ezra 10:9; Cant. 2:11. The "early" or "former" rains commence in autumn in the latter part of October or beginning of November (Deut. 11:14; Joel 2:23; comp. Jer. 3:3), and continue to fall heavily for two months. Then the heavy "winter rains" fall from the middle of”
- Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Rainbow — Caused by the reflection and refraction of the rays of the sun shining on falling rain. It was appointed as a witness of the divine faithfulness (Gen. 9:12-17). It existed indeed before, but it was then constituted as a sign of the covenant. Others, however (as Delitzsch, Commentary on Pentateuch), think that it "appeared then for the first time in the vault and clouds of heaven." It is argued by those holding this opinion that the atmosphere was differently constituted before the Flood. It is referred to three other times in Scripture (Ezek. 1:27, 28; Rev.”
- Genesis (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Genesis 7:22: And the waters prevailed upon the earth one hundred and fifty days. Which is to be reckoned not from the end of the forty days' rain, but from the beginning of the flood; for from the seventeenth day of the second month, when the fountains of the deep were broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened, unto the seventeenth day of the seventh month, when the ark rested on the mountains of Ararat, and the waters decreased, were just five months, or one hundred and fifty days; until which time the waters increased yet more and more, even after the forty days' rain; s”
- Genesis (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Genesis 7:24: an hundred and fifty days--a period of five months. Though long before that every living creature must have been drowned, such a lengthened continuance of the flood was designed to manifest God's stern displeasure at sin and sinners. Think of Noah during such a crisis. We learn (Eze 14:14) that he was a man who lived and breathed habitually in an atmosphere of devotion; and having in the exercise of this high-toned faith made God his refuge, he did not fear "though the waters roared and were troubled; though the mountains shook with the swelling there”
- Sefaria (Jewish (Rationalist)) “Abraham Ibn Ezra on Genesis 7:24: AND THE WATERS PREVAILED UPON THE EARTH A HUNDRED AND FIFTY DAYS. This was so because the fountains were broken up (v. 11) and it rained for a day and stopped for a day for, and I will cause it to rain upon the earth forty days and forty nights (v. 4) means it will rain for a period of forty days and forty nights without letup. That it did in fact also rain after the first forty days were over is evident from and the rain from heaven was restrained (Gen. 8:2). 28 The rain was now fully restrained, which implies that prior to this it was only partially restrain”