Almost every Christian, if not all, is aware of the story of the flood and Noah, as it is among the most popular stories in the book of Genesis, other than Adam and Eve. The book of Genesis accounts how the generation of Noah had gone against God’s will, and God decided to wipe the earth with floods. Noah was chosen to build the Ark as he was righteous and blameless before the eyes of God. However, what many Christians wonder is if he built the Ark alone or if he was helped. And if he was assisted, then who helped Noah build the Ark?
The scripture in the book of Genesis does not state whether Noah built the Ark alone or whether he was helped. However, some bible scholars and theologians speculate that Noah could have gotten some help from his three sons, Ham, Japheth, and Shem, as they were among the few people who survived the flood (the wives of Noah’s sons were the others in the Ark).
Does the Bible say who else build the Ark with Noah? Did Noah’s kids help him build the Ark? Did God instruct Noah to hire people to help build the Ark? Was Noah supposed to build the Ark on his own? Stick around to get the answers to these questions and more.
Does the Bible say who else build the Ark with Noah?
The Bible does not mention who else build the Ark with Noah. Theologians and Bible scholars speculate that Noah got some help from his three children, who survived the floods alongside their wives. When God was looking for someone to build the Ark, he chose Noah because he found Noah to be righteous and blameless.
Genesis 6:7-10 says, “So the Lord said, I will wipe from the face of the earth the human race I have created and with them the animals, the birds and the creatures that move along the ground, for I regret that I have made them. But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord. This is the account of Noah and his family. Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked faithfully with God. Noah had three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth.”
Unlike in the book of Exodus 31, when God told Moses that he had already chosen people and given them skills to help them build the Tabernacle, with Noah, God just gave him the instructions to build the Ark and how it should look like. Genesis 6:14, “Make yourself an ark of gopher wood. Make rooms in the Ark, and cover it inside out with pitch.” From then, the Bible does not say whether he did it alone or sourced help.
Did Noah’s kids help him build the Ark?
Though Noah’s kids were among the few people who survived the floods that wiped out the whole earth, it is not clear whether they helped their father build the Ark. The book of Genesis 9:18 says, “The sons of Noah who came out of the Ark were Shem, Ham, and Japheth (Ham was the father of Canaan). These were the three sons of Noah, and from them came the people scattered over the soil of the earth.”
When God instructed Noah to build the Ark, he did not mention if Noah was supposed to seek help or do it alone. Additionally, reading the scripture further from when Noah was given the instructions to when the floods happened, the Bible does not state that Noah received help from the kids. It is unclear how long it took him to build Ark. Therefore, whether Noah built the Ark alone or his sons helped him is still an open debate.
Did God instruct Noah to hire people to help build the Ark?
There is nowhere in the book of Genesis where God instructed Noah to hire people to help him build the Ark. What is clear is that the responsibility to build an ark was put on his hands, and God even instructed him on how the Ark should look like. Whether or not he was supposed to seek help building the Ark was entirely on him.
The book of Genesis 6:13-16 accounts for the instructions God gave to Noah. “So God said to Noah, “I am going to put an end to all people, for the earth is filled with violence because of them. I am surely going to destroy both them and the earth. So, make yourself an ark of cypress wood; make rooms in it and coat it with pitch inside out. This is how you are to build it: the Ark is to be three hundred cubits long, fifty cubits wide, and thirty cubits high. Make a roof for it, leaving below the roof an opening one cubit high all around. Put a door in the side of the Ark and make lower, middle, and upper decks.”
Was Noah supposed to build the Ark on his own?
The scripture is unclear whether God instructed Noah to build the Ark by himself or get some help. God told Noah in Genesis 6:14, “Make yourself an ark of gopher wood. Make rooms in the Ark, and cover it inside out with pitch.” God did not instruct Noah that he had to build the Ark by himself but just entrusted him with the responsibility of building the Ark. Theologians, therefore, argue that it was Noah’s decision as to whether he will source help or build the Ark alone.
The story of Noah is quite different from when God told Moses to build the Tabernacle in the book of Exodus 31:1-11. When God gave Moses instructions on how the Tabernacle should look, He instructed him that he had chosen Bezalel and Oholiab to help with the construction.
Exodus 31:1-6 says, “Then the Lord said to Moses, see, I have chosen Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledge and with all kind of skills to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver, and bronze, to cut and set stones, to work in wood, and to engage in all kinds of crafts. Moreover, I have appointed Oholiab, son of Ahisamak, of the tribe of Dan, to help him. Also, I have given all the skilled workers the ability to make everything I have commanded you.”
In verse 11 of this chapter, God told Moses, “They are to make them just as I commanded you.” Therefore, with Moses, God knew he did not have to build the Tabernacle alone as he had already chosen people to help him. However, with Noah, it is unclear whether he was supposed to do everything for himself, as the scripture does not mention anyone who was tasked with helping him.
References
What are some of the most common questions about Noah’s Ark? | GotQuestions.org
How Many People Built the Ark? | Answers in Genesis
Explore the Life of Noah (heroesbibletrivia.org)
Who helped Noah build the Ark? (askgramps.org)
Lesson 17: Genesis 6:13–9:29 (churchofjesuschrist.org)
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