Verse Lens · Expanded explanation
Genesis 8:20 Explained in Context
Use this verse as a doorway into the larger passage—not as an isolated saying.
Verse 20. 20And 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.
King James Version — public domain in the United States · Bible text and permissions
Quick Meaning
Noah builds an altar to the LORD and offers from every kind of clean animal and clean bird. His first recorded act after leaving is worshipful gratitude and surrender, made possible by the extra clean creatures preserved earlier.
Read It With
- Genesis 8:13–22
Read verse 20 with Genesis 7:2–3 and 8:21–22. The larger clean-animal provision anticipates sacrifice; the LORD receives the offering; and the divine promise that follows is mercy, not a transaction Noah controls.
Why This Verse Appears Here
Once the whole ark community is safely out, Noah responds to preservation with worship from the extra clean creatures already provided.
Read Genesis 8:20–22 together
Why these verses belong together: Noah's offering, the LORD's acceptance and moral realism, and the promise of continuing earth rhythms form one response movement.
Verse 20. 20 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.
Verse 21. 21 And the LORD smelled a sweet savour; and the LORD said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man’s sake; for the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done.
Verse 22. 22 While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.
Follow the Context
- Noah removes the ark covering and sees a drying surface, but the narrative waits until a later date when the earth is fully dry (8:13–14).
- God commands Noah, his family, and every creature to leave so animal life may swarm, be fruitful, and multiply on the earth (8:15–17).
- Noah, his family, and the categorized creature community leave the ark in obedience (8:18–19).
- Noah builds an altar and offers from the extra clean animals and birds preserved for this purpose (8:20).
- The LORD receives the soothing aroma and commits not to repeat the ground-cursing, all-life destruction, grounding restraint in mercy despite humanity's enduring evil inclination (8:21).
- The unit closes by promising that planting and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, and day and night will continue throughout earth's days (8:22).
Phrase-by-Phrase Explanation
“builded an altar”
In plain language: Noah constructs a place for offering to the LORD.
Worship is his first narrated response on renewed land.
Why it matters: The altar follows rescue rather than causing it.
How certain? very strong“every clean beast, and every clean fowl”
In plain language: Noah selects offerings from the clean kinds preserved in greater number.
Genesis 7's quantities now receive a narrative purpose.
Why it matters: The offering does not eliminate the kinds meant to multiply.
How certain? strong“burnt offerings”
In plain language: Offerings wholly made to ascend on the altar.
Noah acknowledges God through sacrificial worship after deliverance.
Why it matters: The act expresses gratitude and surrender, not payment for salvation.
How certain? strongWhat This Verse Is Not Saying
Noah's offering does not purchase his rescue; he has already been delivered before he builds the altar.
The sacrifice does not force God to make a promise or imply that God needs animal food.
The verse does not provide the complete later law of burnt offerings or authorize uncontrolled sacrifice today.
What Remains True
Deliverance rightly calls forth grateful, self-giving worship rather than entitlement.
How It Can Shape Life
- After receiving help through danger, express gratitude through worship and concrete generosity without using the gift as leverage over God or other people.
Teach It Back
Explain Genesis 8:20's contribution to Genesis 8:13–22. Include why the nearby verses are required, what the verse clearly says, and one conclusion it does not justify.
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Continue in Context
The full thought-unit study remains the final contextual authority for this Verse Lens.
Read Genesis 8:13–22 — Noah Leaves the Ark, Worships, and Receives God's PromiseSources used for this Verse Lens
How certain is this explanation? strong
These are the sources used directly for this lens. Language, grammar, disagreements, and the complete source shelf remain attached to the full thought-unit research record.
Biblical text
King James (Authorized) Version — eng-kjv2006
eBible.org and CrossWire Bible Society
USFM archive eng-kjv2006_usfm.zip; source files dated 2026-08-19; downloaded 2026-08-24; archive SHA-256 aec1b3b26c622fd3d963d2bbac963016b9513246ffbfa20da00bb100372ea007; normalized corpus SHA-256 09aef51d90488aa7b9722b3fd9a93f4b25f6bf2064c5fd798fb39673c300ddf2.
Supports: Displayed wording, verse order, dry-ground sequence, exit, offering, promise, and seasonal pairs.
Exact location: Genesis 8:13–22 in the pinned standardized 1769 KJV corpus
Open source ↗hebrew text morphology and lemma data
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible — Genesis
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible Project
Open Scriptures, Version 2.2 released 2021; repository inspected 2026
Supports: Drying terms, bring-out syntax, swarming and fruitfulness, offering, soothing aroma, inclination, youth, and ceasing.
Exact location: Genesis 8:13–22 forms, lemmas, syntax, and verse structure in Gen.xml
Open source ↗Translation and textual notes
NET Bible — Genesis with translators' notes
Biblical Studies Press
Biblical Studies Press, Digital edition accessed 2026
Supports: Ground and earth distinction, exit command syntax, soothing-aroma anthropomorphism, concessive ki, heart inclination, youth, and earth-duration wording.
Exact location: Genesis 8:13–22 translator notes
Open NET Genesis 8 ↗modern open whole book commentary
Genesis
T. Desmond Alexander
The Gospel Coalition Bible Commentary, 2023
Supports: Final-form movement, re-creation, worship, moral realism, earth rhythms, and canonical transition.
Exact location: Genesis commentary, flood exit, Noah's sacrifice, divine promise, and Genesis 9 transition
Open source ↗