Who Was Noah in the Bible?

Genesis 6:5 describes the world before the flood: 'The wickedness of man was great in the earth, and every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.' But 'Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD' (6:8). He was 'a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God' (6:9). God instructed Noah to build an ark of gopher wood — 300 cubits long, 50 wide, 30 high (6:15). Noah obeyed despite no precedent for such a flood and likely decades of ridicule. 'Thus did Noah; according to all that God commanded him, so did he' (6:22). He brought two of every kind (seven of clean animals) aboard. The flood came — 'the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened' (7:11). Rain fell 40 days, and waters prevailed 150 days. After the waters receded, Noah built an altar and offered sacrifice (8:20). God established a covenant never to destroy the earth by flood again, with the rainbow as its sign: 'I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth' (9:13). Jesus compared His return to Noah's day: 'As the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be' (Matthew 24:37). Peter called Noah 'a preacher of righteousness' (2 Peter 2:5). Hebrews 11:7 says Noah 'moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house.'