Original Word: מַבּוּל
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: mabbuwl
Pronunciation: mah-bool'
Phonetic Spelling: (mab-bool')
KJV: flood
NASB: flood
Word Origin: [from H2986 (יָבַל - bring) in the sense of flowing]

1. a deluge

a deluge

From yabal in the sense of flowing; a deluge:

see HEBREW yabal

Word Origin
of uncertain derivation
Definition
a flood
NASB Translation
flood (13).

מַבּוּל noun masculine^{Genesis 7:6} flood in time of Noah (Late Hebrew id.; Jewish-Aramaic מַבּוּלָא; Syriac ; derivation dubious; Thes and others √ יבל, but improbable, see Dl^{Prol. 122 f.}; possibly old Assyrian (Babylonian) loan-word (yet form unkn. in Assyrian ), or from √ נבל = Assyrian nabâlu, destroy Dl^{HWB 443 f.}; compare Dl^{Par. 156; Prol. 122} Che^{Psalm 29:10 critical note, Hebraica. iii. 3, 175 f.}, O. Whitehouse^{COT ii. 293}); — ׳מ only Genesis and Psalm 29:10; always absolute and always with article except Genesis 9:11,15; — ׳וַיְהִי הַמּ Genesis 17:7; ׳לֹא יִהְיֶה עוֺד מ Genesis 9:11; following by מַיִם as appositive) Genesis 6:17; Genesis 7:6; ׳מֵי הַמּ Genesis 7:7,10; Genesis 9:11; לֹאיִֿהְיֶה ׳עוֺד הַמַּיִם לְמ Genesis 9:15; as epoch, in phrase ׳אַחַר הַמּ Genesis 9:28; Genesis 10:1,32; Genesis 11:10 (strike out as gloss Bu Di); יָשָׁ֑ב ׳לַמּ ׳י Psalm 29:10 ׳י at the flood sat enthroned (so most; Che^{see critical note} ' at the storm ' (destruction = destructive storm Id^{Hebraica. 1.c}.), but ׳הַמּ seems in all the other passages to be almost = proper name of the flood; compare also מֵי נֹחַ Isaiah 54:9 (twice in verse)).

Definition and Scope

מַבּוּל (mabbul) designates the unique, world-engulfing Deluge of Noah’s day. Scripture reserves the word for that singular cataclysm, distinguishing it from ordinary floods described by other Hebrew terms.

Occurrences and Narrative Context

1. Pronouncement of judgment – Genesis 6:17
2. Chronological markers of Noah’s age and the event – Genesis 7:6, 7:7, 7:10, 7:17
3. Covenant promise – Genesis 9:11 (twice), 9:15
4. Post-flood lifespan and genealogical links – Genesis 9:28; 10:1; 10:32; 11:10
5. Poetic reflection on divine kingship – Psalm 29:10

Representative Texts

Genesis 6:17 – “And behold, I will bring floodwaters upon the earth to destroy every creature under the heavens that has the breath of life. Everything on the earth will perish.”

Genesis 9:11 – “Never again will all life be cut off by the waters of a flood; never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth.”

Psalm 29:10 – “The LORD sits enthroned over the flood; the LORD is enthroned as King forever.”

Historical Setting

The mabbul confronts the violence and corruption of antediluvian humanity (Genesis 6:5-13). By divine decree waters from above and below burst forth, covering even the highest mountains. An ark of gopher wood preserves righteous Noah, his family, and representatives of every kind of air-breathing creature, enabling a fresh beginning for a cleansed earth.

Theological Themes

• Judgment and Mercy – While the mabbul executes comprehensive judgment, the provision of the ark embodies grace and anticipates salvation through faith and obedience.
• New Creation – The drying of the waters, Noah’s emergence, and God’s renewed blessing (Genesis 9:1-7) recall Genesis 1, portraying the flood as a cosmic reboot.
• Sovereignty – Psalm 29:10 uses the flood to illustrate Yahweh’s unrivaled dominion over chaotic forces, reinforcing His perpetual throne.
• Covenant Faithfulness – The rainbow pledge binds God to spare the earth from another mabbul, guaranteeing stability for seasons (Genesis 8:22).

Covenantal Significance

The Noahic Covenant is the Bible’s first explicit covenant. By vowing never again to unleash a mabbul, God secures the stage for redemptive history and underscores that future judgments will unfold by different means. The rainbow, an ever-present sign, offers assurance that divine wrath is never arbitrary but always tempered by covenant mercy.

Genealogical Landmark

References to life spans “after the flood” (Genesis 9:28; 10:1, 32; 11:10) divide history into two distinct epochs: antediluvian and post-diluvian. This division highlights the mabbul’s decisive role in shaping humanity’s lineage and dispersion.

Psalm 29:10 and Cosmic Kingship

In a thunderstorm psalm echoing Canaanite storm-god motifs, David proclaims the LORD, not Baal, as sovereign “over the flood.” The verse evokes the Deluge to magnify God’s supremacy over both primordial chaos and present natural forces.

Typology and Eschatological Echoes

The New Testament alludes to the flood (Greek kataklysmos) as a type:
• Matthew 24:38-39 compares Noah’s days to the unanticipated return of the Son of Man.
• 1 Peter 3:20-21 links salvation “through water” to baptism.
• 2 Peter 3:6-7 parallels the ancient mabbul with an impending fiery judgment, underscoring continuity in divine justice.

Ministry Application

• Preaching – The flood underscores the seriousness of sin and the necessity of repentance.
• Pastoral counseling – The rainbow assures believers of God’s unwavering promises amid trials.
• Evangelism – The ark foreshadows Christ as the sole refuge from coming judgment, inviting hearers to enter by faith.
• Discipleship – The post-flood mandate to “be fruitful and multiply” (Genesis 9:1) affirms human vocation to steward creation.

Summary

מַבּוּל stands as a monumental reminder of God’s righteous judgment, persistent grace, and unassailable rule. From Genesis to the Psalms and echoed in the New Testament, the word anchors foundational truths: sin invites wrath, faith secures rescue, and God’s covenant love endures forever.

הַמַּבּ֑וּל הַמַּבּ֔וּל הַמַּבּ֛וּל הַמַּבּ֥וּל הַמַּבּֽוּל׃ המבול המבול׃ וְהַמַּבּ֣וּל והמבול לְמַבּ֔וּל לַמַּבּ֣וּל למבול מַבּ֖וּל מבול ham·mab·būl hammabBul hammabbūl lam·mab·būl lammabBul lammabbūl lə·mab·būl lemabBul ləmabbūl mab·būl mabBul mabbūl vehammabBul wə·ham·mab·būl wəhammabbūlInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts