Genesis 8:20 · Bible study
Genesis 8:20 Commentary: Noah’s First Act
Hebrew · 11 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Why did Noah build an altar and offer burnt offerings the moment he left the ark? A study on gratitude, sacrifice, and the dawn of a new creation.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Noah’s first act on the cleansed earth is to build an altar and offer burnt offerings, a gesture of thanksgiving, homage, and faith that invites God’s covenant promise.
- Key words: mizbeach (altar, place of slaughter); ‘olah (burnt offering, “that which ascends”); tahor (clean, pure, ceremonially fit for sacrifice).
- Main debate: Whether this is the first altar ever built (earlier sacrifices likely required altars) and whether the burnt offering primarily expresses thanksgiving (Calvin) or propitiation (Gill).
- Theological theme: Worship precedes provision; the renewed creation begins with sacrifice; God accepts humble, obedient offerings and responds with grace.
- Best use: Sermons on gratitude, priorities in the Christian life, the meaning of sacrifice, and the link between worship and covenant.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
Then Noah built an altar to the LORD. And taking from every kind of clean animal and clean bird, he offered burnt offerings on the altar.
WEB World English Bible 2000
Noah built an altar to Yahweh, and took of every clean animal, and of every clean bird, and offered burnt offerings on the altar.
KJV King James Version 1769
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.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
And Noah builded an altar unto Jehovah, and took of every clean beast, and of every clean bird, and offered burnt-offerings on the altar.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
And Noah buildeth an altar to Jehovah, and taketh of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and causeth burnt-offerings to ascend on the altar;
Darby Darby Bible 1890
And Noah built an altar to Jehovah; and took of every clean animal, and of all clean fowl, and offered up burnt-offerings on the altar.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
And Noe built an altar unto the Lord: and taking of all cattle and fowls that were clean, offered holocausts upon the altar.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Y edificó Noé un altar á Jehová, y tomó de todo animal limpio y de toda ave limpia, y ofreció holocausto en el altar.
E edificou Noé um altar ao SENHOR e tomou de todo animal limpo e de toda ave limpa, e ofereceu holocausto no altar.
Noé bâtit un autel à l’ Éternel; il prit de toutes les bêtes pures et de tous les oiseaux purs, et il offrit des holocaustes sur l’ autel.
Noah aber baute dem HERRN einen Altar und nahm von allerlei reinem Vieh und von allerlei reinem Geflügel und opferte Brandopfer auf dem Altar.
En Noach bouwde den HEERE een altaar; en hij nam van al het reine vee, en van al het rein gevogelte, en offerde brandofferen op dat altaar.
E Noè edificò un altare all’Eterno; prese d’ogni specie d’animali puri e d’ogni specie d’uccelli puri, e offrì olocausti sull’altare.
Zatem zbudował Noe ołtarz Panu, i wziął z każdego bydła czystego, i z każdego ptastwa czystego, i ofiarował całopalenia na ołtarzu onym.
И устроил Ной жертвенник Господу; и взял из всякого скота чистого и из всех птиц чистых и принес во всесожжение на жертвеннике.
挪亞 為耶和華 築了 一座壇，拿 各類 潔淨的 牲畜、 飛鳥 獻 在壇上 為燔祭。
And Noah made an altar to the Lord, and from every clean beast and bird he made burned offerings on the altar.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Genesis 8:20
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree that Noah’s first act after leaving the ark was to build an altar and offer sacrifice, an act of thanksgiving and worship before providing for himself. Matthew Henry calls it a “thankful acknowledgment of God’s favour.” Calvin sees it as the proper response: after many proofs of obedience, Noah now “presents an example of gratitude.” The sacrifice uses only clean animals (the seventh pair taken into the ark, per Gen 7:2), indicating that worship must follow God’s appointed order. The burnt offering (עֹלָה, ‘olah) is the whole victim consumed by fire, “a propitiatory offering” (Cambridge Bible) that symbolises complete devotion. Keil and Delitzsch observe that the flood swept away paradise; now heaven is God’s throne, so sacrifices must ascend upward, hence the name ‘olah, “the ascending.” This verse marks the first recorded altar, though earlier altars likely existed (Adam, Cain, Abel). The consensus is clear: Noah restores worship on the cleansed earth, and God accepts the offering, leading to the covenant promise of Gen 8:21, 22.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Thanksgiving sacrifice: Calvin and Matthew Henry emphasize that Noah’s offering is primarily an act of gratitude for deliverance, not a sin offering. The context of salvation from judgment supports this.
- Propitiation and typology of Christ: Gill, Clarke, and others point to the burnt offering as a propitiatory sacrifice that looks forward to Christ’s atonement. The phrase ‘burnt offering’ and the connection to Abraham’s near-sacrifice of Isaac (Gen 22) reinforce this.
- Restoration of worship after judgment: Keil and Delitzsch, along with Lange, see the altar as necessary because God’s dwelling has shifted to heaven; the sacrifice ascends symbolically. This view emphasizes the new era after the flood.
What is clear: Noah built an altar and offered sacrifices from clean animals as an act of worship to the Lord immediately after leaving the ark.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| First mention of an altar vs. first actual altar | This is the first time the word 'altar' appears in the Bible. | Some commentators (e.g., Gill, Cambridge Bible) believe earlier sacrifices (Cain, Abel) imply altars existed already, so this is just the first recorded. Others (e.g., Keil) argue the altar was not needed before the flood because God’s presence was still on earth in paradise. |
| The primary meaning of the burnt offering (עֹלָה) | The burnt offering was wholly consumed by fire, symbolizing complete dedication to God. | Calvin sees it as a thanksgiving offering (similar to peace offerings). Gill and Matthew Henry emphasize its propitiatory and typical character (pointing to Christ’s atonement). The Cambridge Bible notes it is distinct from the grain offering of Cain. |
| Location of the altar | Noah built the altar on one of the mountains of Ararat, where the ark landed. | Jewish tradition (Targum Jonathan, Pirke Eliezer) holds it was the same site where Adam sacrificed and where Abraham would later offer Isaac. Many modern commentators consider this speculative; the text gives no precise location. |
| Did Noah need divine instruction to build the altar? | Noah acted without a recorded command; sacrifice was already an established practice. | Matthew Henry and Wesley praise Noah’s initiative as free-will devotion. Others note that the act follows God’s earlier commands about clean animals (Gen 7:2) and therefore is not entirely without guidance. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Genesis 8:20 sits at a hinge in the flood story. Noah, his family, and all the animals have just emerged from the ark after over a year inside. God’s command to leave is given (8:15, 17), and Noah’s first response is not to build a house but an altar. The Hebrew word for altar, מִזְבֵּחַ (mizbeach), comes from the root zabach, “to slay.” It is a place for slaughter and offering. Though this is the first altar mentioned in scripture, the sacrifices of Cain and Abel (Gen 4:3, 4) imply earlier altars. The text uses the verb va/yiven, he built, suggesting intentional construction.
Why an altar now? Keil and Delitzsch argue that before the flood, God was present on earth in the garden of Eden. The flood swept paradise away, and God took his throne in heaven. From now on, worship must ascend upward. The burnt offering (עֹלָה, ‘olah) literally means “that which goes up”; the whole animal was consumed in fire, its smoke rising as a symbol of the offerer’s heart ascending to God. Clean animals (those fit for sacrifice and food) were taken in sevens (Gen 7:2), leaving one of each for this very purpose.
Jewish tradition, recorded in the Targum of Jonathan and Pirke Eliezer, claimed this altar was built on the same spot where Adam sacrificed after leaving Eden and where Abraham would later offer Isaac. Whether or not that is factual, the gesture is clear: Noah reconnects humanity with God through blood sacrifice, acknowledging both God’s justice (judgment by flood) and mercy (deliverance). The act echoes ancient Near Eastern flood stories, the Babylonian account also describes sacrifices after the flood, but here it is directed to Yahweh, the covenant God, establishing a pattern for the patriarchs who follow: Abram builds altars (Gen 12:7, 8; 13:4, 18).
Textual Notes
The supplied sources note no significant textual variants for Genesis 8:20. The verse is stable across manuscript traditions. The only variation among English translations is whether to render the Tetragrammaton as “LORD” or “Jehovah” (see KJV, ASV, WEB, YLT). The Hebrew text is consistent: va/yiven Noach mizbeach la/Yahweh.
Reception History
Early church fathers such as Justin Martyr and Irenaeus saw Noah’s sacrifice as a type of Christ’s offering, the just surviving the flood and offering a pleasing aroma to God. The medieval Glossa Ordinaria linked the altar to the cross and the clean animals to the virtues of believers. Reformation commentators like Calvin focused on Noah’s gratitude as the model for true worship, while Lutheran and Reformed traditions emphasized the covenant promise that followed. In the modern era, interpreters (e.g., Keil, Delitzsch) have highlighted the shift in divine presence from the garden to heaven, making the altar a bridge between earth and the ascended Lord. Across traditions, the verse has been read as the foundation of worship: gratitude expressed through sacrifice that God receives and answers.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- Gratitude takes priority. Before building shelter, Noah built an altar. His first act was worship, acknowledging that every breath, every animal, every fruit of the new earth is a gift from God.
- Sacrifice is costly. Noah offered from every clean animal and bird, the very species he would need for food. Worship that costs nothing is not the biblical pattern.
- God meets sincere worship. The Lord “smelled the pleasant aroma” and made an eternal covenant. Our offerings of praise and gratitude do not go unnoticed; they move the heart of God.
Five-point outline
- First things first. In a world turned upside-down, Noah’s first priority was God. (Matthew Henry: “He that begins with God begins well.”)
- Thanksgiving through tangible acts. Words alone were not enough, sacrifice gave physical form to gratitude. We too need embodied worship.
- Respecting God’s order. Only clean animals were used. Worship is not a free-for-all; we approach God on His terms.
- Whole-hearted devotion. The burnt offering was entirely consumed, nothing held back. This pictures the total surrender God desires.
- A new beginning with an old promise. Noah’s sacrifice leads directly to God’s covenant (8:21, 22). Worship is not an end in itself; it opens the door to deeper relationship.
Illustration hooks
- The first act after a disaster. When a family emerges from a shelter after a hurricane or war, what do they do first, check their belongings or pray together? Noah’s instinct was to worship.
- A meal with the best ingredients. Imagine having only a few precious ingredients left, and choosing to offer them to God before eating yourself. That is the costliness of Noah’s sacrifice.
- Starting a new year with a prayer. Many people adopt the habit of praying on New Year’s Day before planning anything else. Noah’s altar is the first “New Year” of creation.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Do I need a “special experience” to prompt me to worship God, or does everyday mercy move me to gratitude?
- What does it mean to offer God the “first and best” of my time, talents, and resources today?
- How can I lead my family to prioritize worship, especially when we are starting something new?
Leading a Discussion
Noah had just stepped onto dry ground after a year of isolation. The world was dead, the future uncertain. His first action was not to survey the damage or plan for survival, it was to build an altar. This small group session explores why worship is the most urgent human activity.
Discussion questions
- Read Genesis 8:20. Why do you think Noah built an altar immediately, without waiting for a command? (Consider that God had already given specific commands for entering and leaving the ark.)
- Noah offered “every clean animal and clean bird.” What does it mean to give God something that is clean, set apart, fitting, and costly?
- Compare this verse with Genesis 4:3, 4 (Abel’s offering). What similarities and differences do you see?
- After the sacrifice, God made a covenant never to destroy the earth again by flood (Gen 8:21, 22). How does our worship today connect with God’s promises?
- In what ways might our church be tempted to “build a house” (focus on programs, buildings, survival) before building an altar (prioritizing prayer, worship, thanksgiving)?
- How can you personally make gratitude to God the first item on your agenda, especially in transition or crisis?
- Noah used clean animals that could have been food for his family. What might you be holding back that you could offer in worship?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Genesis 4:4 | Abel also brought some of the firstborn of his flock and of its fat. Yahweh respected Abel and his offering, |
| Genesis 7:2 | You shall take seven pairs of every clean animal with you, the male and his female. Of the animals that are not clean, take two, the male and his female. |
| Genesis 12:7 | Yahweh appeared to Abram and said, “I will give this land to your offspring.” He built an altar there to Yahweh, who had appeared to him. |
| Genesis 12:8 | He left from there to go to the mountain on the east of Bethel and pitched his tent, having Bethel on the west, and Ai on the east. There he built an altar to Yahweh and called on Yahweh’s name. |
| Genesis 13:4 | to the place of the altar, which he had made there at the first. There Abram called on Yahweh’s name. |
| Genesis 13:18 | Abram moved his tent, and came and lived by the oaks of Mamre, which are in Hebron, and built an altar there to Yahweh. |
| Genesis 22:2 | He said, “Now take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go into the land of Moriah. Offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains which I will tell you of.” |
| Genesis 22:9 | They came to the place which God had told him of. Abraham built the altar there, and laid the wood in order, bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar, on the wood. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
11 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke notes that Noah's altar is the first one on record, though sacrifices were offered from the beginning. He sees sacrifice as the very heart of religion, designed to show that the sinner's life is forfeit and the soul deserves judgment. He also mentions a Jewish tradition that this same spot was where Adam and Abraham later offered their sacrifices.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes draws a sharp line between the reason for the flood judgment and the basis of the new promise. Noah's burnt offering is a substitutionary sacrifice that God accepts, and the pledge never to curse the ground again rests entirely on that sacrifice, not on any improvement in human nature. The evil heart explains why the judgment came, not why mercy follows.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin sees Noah's sacrifice as both an act of gratitude and a symbol pointing to the need for a mediator. The sacrifices trained the faithful in thanksgiving while reminding them they could only approach God through a promised mediator. Now that Christ has come, those shadows are gone, but we should still use the helps God gives us today.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The Cambridge Bible observes that for the Yahwist source, sacrifice is primitive, not merely Mosaic: Noah’s first act after the flood is building an altar and offering burnt offerings. The commentary also highlights that the “clean” animals were used for sacrifice, and the burnt offering (olah) was wholly consumed, a propitiatory gift ascending entirely to God.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva Notes highlight that Noah selected only clean animals for his sacrifice, showing deliberate obedience to God’s prior distinction between clean and unclean creatures. This act of worship was not automatic but required careful adherence to divine law. The commentator sees this as a model of reverent piety where believers offer the best they have in gratitude for deliverance.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill stresses that Noah's first act after the flood was not building a house for himself but an altar for God, showing his priority was the glory of God. The specific clean animals offered—bullock, sheep, goat, dove—each typified Christ's strength, patience, and meekness under the fiery wrath of God.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB highlights that Noah built his altar on a high place or mound of earth, and his very first concern after the flood was to give thanks. The patriarch offered clean animals as a special acknowledgment for the unparalleled deliverance he and his family had received.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil and Delitzsch argue that Noah’s burnt offering, or olah (the ascending sacrifice), served to direct prayers toward heaven now that God’s presence had withdrawn from earth. They interpret God’s promise not as a reaction to human evil, but as a response to Noah’s grateful heart seeking continued fellowship with Him.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange distinguishes the evil imagination of the human heart as presented before the flood from the same phrase after Noah's sacrifice. In Genesis 6:5 God judged it as conscious guilt deserving destruction; in 8:21, seen through the sacrificial offering, God treats it also as hereditary disease worthy of compassion, typologically weakened like hereditary sin in baptism.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Matthew Henry highlights that Noah built an altar before building himself a house, putting worship before his own shelter. Noah offered sacrifices freely, without waiting for a specific command, showing that mercy received should prompt willing, grateful praise.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley notes that Noah built the altar and offered sacrifices without waiting for a direct command because God had already instituted altar worship. He also clarifies that from the seventh pair of clean animals Noah sacrificed one, not the whole extra pair.