15. And thou shalt make it thus: the length of the ark is three hundred cubits; And the breadth thereof is fifty cubits, and the height thereof thirty cubits.

"The length of the ark is three hundred cubits; its breadth..." We still cannot get an accurate idea of the size and capacity of the ark from these testimonies, mainly because the cubit, as a measure of length, was not a stable metric value and its size allowed for strong fluctuations, as can be seen from the Holy Scriptures themselves (Num XXXV:4-5; 1 Kings VII:15 [412]; 2 Peter III:15 (???); Ezekiel XL:5 [413]; XLIII:13 [414]). In the opinion of Metrop. Philaret, the longitude of the ark inside it was about 500 feet, the width was 80 feet. and the height is 50 feet, with which the calculations of a French scientist are quite agreed, determining the length of the ark at 156 meters, the width at 26 meters, and the height at 16 meters. The capacity of such a structure, according to the calculations of specialists (e.g., Vice-Admiral Thevenar), was quite sufficient for its purpose, i.e., to accommodate Noah's family and a minimum number of all animal genera with a supply of annual food necessary for all.

16. And thou shalt make a hole in the ark, and bring it together at the top of the cubit, and make the door of the ark at its side; arrange in it the lower, second, and third (dwelling).

"And thou shalt make a hole in the ark... arrange in it the lower, second and third dwellings." The details of the construction of the ark further convince us that it was not at all like our modern ships, but rather resembled a large chest, or box, or huge houseboat, which had an almost flat roof (descending from the top only one foot) and was lit by a single, more or less significant window at the top of it. In 1609, a Dutch Mennonite, a certain Peter Jansen, built a special vessel on the type of an ark, only on a reduced scale, from which he was convinced by experience that, although such a ship was poorly adapted for navigation, it was much more spacious than any other ship (almost a full third) of another type with the same cubic volume.

17. And behold, I will bring a flood of water upon the earth, to destroy all flesh that has the spirit of life under the heavens; everything that is on earth will lose its life.

"And behold, I will bring a flood of water upon the earth..." These words are for the first time definitely called the means or instrument of divine punishment over the primitive, corrupt world, which was the universal flood (Isaiah LIV:9 [415]).

"Everything that is on earth will lose its life..." Since the whole earth has become corrupt and filled with iniquities of those who dwell in it, all those who are guilty of its defilement perish in it, headed by the first and foremost of them, the people. However, this universal flood cannot be regarded as something like personal revenge on the part of God on man: no, it was a necessary consequence of the spiritual death of primitive, morally degenerate mankind. This humanity was an exceptional "flesh," as if it had lost its soul forever and represented a decaying corpse, the further preservation of which would not only be useless, but also positively harmful to the spiritual and moral atmosphere of the world. And so, the first world perishes in the waves of the flood in order to wash away the filth lying on it and begin to live on new (regenerated) principles.

18. But I will make my covenant with you, and you will enter into the ark, and your sons, and your wife, and your sons' wives with you.

"But with thee I will make my covenant..." The union of God with man is here for the first time called by its special term "covenant" (berit). Confirming the existence of the covenant that God made in the first promise of the seed of the woman (Genesis III:15), the Lord thereby clearly testifies that although He destroys almost all mankind, He does not destroy His eternal covenants (Sir XVIII:10 [416]); only the evil seed of the serpent will perish, but the seed of the woman in the person of Noah will triumph in its victory (Wis X:4 [417]).

"And thou shalt come in, and thy sons, and thy wife, and thy sons' wives with thee..." Here is a complete list of all the members of Noah's family who alone were saved from the flood, as the Apostle Peter confirms in his two epistles (1 Peter III:20 [392]; 2 Peter III:6 [418]).

19. Bring also into the ark (of all cattle, and of all creeping things, and) of all living creatures, and of all flesh, two by two, that they may live with you; male and female, let them be. 20. Of all the birds after their kind, and of the cattle after their kind, and of all the creeping things of the earth after their kind, of all they will come in to you in two, that they may live.

"Bring also into the ark... of all animals... of all of them will come to you in two, so that they may live..." For the preservation and subsequent rebirth of animal life as well, God commands Noah to take with him into the ark one pair of each of their main kinds. Based on the words of verse 20, we can think that these animals, driven by instinct because of the approaching storm of the flood, themselves approached the ark and sought salvation in it, which greatly facilitated Noah's task. As for the expression how such a number of animals could fit in one ark, it should be noted that, firstly, Noah, in order to save space and fodder, could choose only the youngest animals, and secondly, the number of the main clan groups formed by the time of the flood was not yet so great as to create any insurmountable obstacle for Noah to place them in the ark.

21. Take for yourselves all the food that they eat, and gather it to you; and it shall be food for thee and for them. 22. And Noah did all things: as God commanded him, so he did.

"And Noah did all things... and so he did..." In these words the best praise of Noah is given, as the Apostle Paul makes it clear, saying: "By faith Noah, having received a revelation of things that were not yet seen, reverently prepared an ark for the salvation of his house; by it he condemned the world, and became heir of righteousness according to faith" (Hebrews XI:7 [409]).