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    Worship After Deliverance

    Genesis 8:20 Commentary

    In-depth meaning, historical context, and practical application

    Written by Bible Sundays Editorial TeamChecked by Bible Sundays Scripture DeskLast reviewed August 1, 2026Our editorial standards
    "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."
    — Genesis 8:20 (KJV)
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    Introduction

    Noah's first recorded act after stepping onto dry land is not to build a house — it is to build an altar. Survival had not made him casual; it had made him grateful.

    Historical Context

    This is the first explicit altar in Genesis. The clean animals saved 'by sevens' (Gen. 7:2) had been preserved precisely so that worship could begin on the other side of judgment.

    Original Language Insights

    'Burnt offerings' ('olah) — literally that which ascends. The entire animal was consumed, smoke rising; total devotion, nothing held back.

    Theological Significance

    Grace received bends a heart toward worship. Noah teaches the pattern: deliverance, then altar; rescue, then doxology.

    Practical Application

    When God brings you through a flood — illness, grief, financial crisis — let the next move be an altar. Even a quiet one. Especially a quiet one.

    Cross-References & Related Scriptures

    Genesis 8:21

    "And the LORD smelled a sweet savour..."

    God's response to the very altar v. 20 describes.

    Genesis 8:22

    "While the earth remaineth... shall not cease."

    The covenant promise that flows out of Noah's worship.

    Prayer Response

    Lord, after every rescue, may my first move be an altar. Receive my thanks as a sweet savor. Amen.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Did Noah know what 'clean' animals were before Sinai?

    Yes; God instructed him in 7:2. The categories predate Moses' codification, reflecting an older revealed sacrificial system.

    Read commentary on surrounding verses

    Continue studying Genesis 8 verse by verse:

    After · Genesis 8:21Exact verse

    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.

    Theme: God's Mercy Despite Human Sin

    After · Genesis 8:22Exact verse

    While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.

    Theme: God's Faithfulness

    Nearest commentary in Genesis

    Earlier · 2 ch back · Genesis 6:8Nearest chapter

    But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.

    Theme: Grace

    Earlier · 2 ch back · Genesis 6:9Nearest chapter

    These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God.

    Theme: Walking with God

    Later · 1 ch forward · Genesis 9:6Nearest chapter

    Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man.

    Theme: Sanctity of Life

    Later · 1 ch forward · Genesis 9:13Nearest chapter

    I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth.

    Theme: Covenant & Promise

    Read Genesis 7No commentary yet
    Read Genesis 8 (full)Nearest commentary: Genesis 8:21
    Read Genesis 9Commentary: Genesis 9:13
    Previous commentary: Genesis 6:9Next commentary: Genesis 8:21

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    Genesis 9:13 Commentary

    "I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between …"

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    Genesis 6:8 Commentary

    "But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.…"

    Grace

    Related Bible Questions

    Common questions people ask about this passage — answered with KJV scripture.

    What Does the Bible Say About Noah's Flood?

    Genesis 6-9 records a catastrophic global flood sent by God as judgment on human wickedness, from which only Noah and his family were saved in an ark.

    Read answer

    What Was Noah's Ark and the Great Flood?

    Noah's Ark was a massive vessel God commanded Noah to build to preserve his family and animal life during a worldwide flood that destroyed all other life on earth.

    Read answer

    What happened during Noah's flood?

    God sent a worldwide flood to judge humanity's wickedness, saving only Noah, his family, and pairs of every animal kind aboard an ark that Noah built by God's command.

    Read answer

    What Is the Lord's Prayer?

    The Lord's Prayer is the model prayer Jesus taught His disciples, covering worship, submission to God's will, daily provision, forgiveness, and deliverance from evil.

    Read answer

    Was Noah's Flood a Real Event?

    The Bible presents the flood as a historical global catastrophe that destroyed all land-dwelling life except Noah's family and the animals on the ark.

    Read answer

    How Does Noah's Flood Connect to Baptism?

    Peter explicitly connects the flood to baptism — just as Noah's family was saved through water, baptism now symbolizes salvation through Christ's resurrection.

    Read answer

    Quick Devotional

    For a shorter devotional reflection on related verses:

    Genesis 1:1 – Meaning & Devotional

    "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth."

    Genesis 50:20 – Meaning & Devotional

    "But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive."

    Genesis 1:1 – Meaning & Devotional

    "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth."

    Related Miracles

    Signs and wonders connected to this passage and its themes:

    Deliverance & Judgment
    Old Testament

    The Great Flood of Noah

    God sends a worldwide flood to judge the wicked, sparing Noah and his family in the ark.

    Read the miracle
    Signs & Wonders
    Old Testament

    The Confusion of Languages at Babel

    God confounds the language of mankind at Babel, scattering them across the face of the earth.

    Read the miracle
    Deliverance & Judgment
    Old Testament

    The Destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah

    The LORD rains fire and brimstone from heaven upon the cities of the plain, sparing only Lot.

    Read the miracle
    Signs & Wonders
    Old Testament

    Enoch Translated to Heaven

    Enoch walks with God and is taken without seeing death.

    Read the miracle

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    Word Meaning

    Altar (מִזְבֵּחַ (mizbeach))

    A place of sacrifice and encounter — where offerings are made and God meets His people.

    Strong's

    Strong's H4196 — Altar

    מִזְבֵּחַ (mizbeach) • A place of sacrifice and encounter — where offerings are made and God meets His people.

    Q&A

    What Was Noah's Ark and the Great Flood?

    History & Origins

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