A. "After Noah was 500 years old, he became the father of Shem, Ham, and Japheth," 5:32.
B. Sexual impropriety of the sons of God with the daughters of men (banot ha'adam), 6:1-4.
C. God's intention to destroy all living creatures on earth, but finds favour in Noah, and promises to make a covenant with him, 6:5-22.
D. God commands Noah to enter the ark: "Yahweh said to Noah, 'Go into the ark . . ," 7:1-10.
E. The Flood: "The springs of the great deep burst forth and the floodgates of heaven open . . . the rain fell for forty days and nights . . . The water lifted the ark above the earth . . . over the mountains . . . the water flooded the earth for 150 days. . ," 7:11-24.
F. But God remembered Noah, 8:1.
E'. The Recess: "The springs of the great deep and the floodgates of heaven were closed . . . the water receded 150 days . . . the ark came to rest on the mountain of Ararat . . . After forty days, Noah opened the window . . ." 8:2-6.
D'. God commands Noah to leave the ark: "God said to Noah, 'Come out of the ark . . .' 8:15-20.
C'. God's promises never again to destroy all living creatures on earth, and makes a covenant with Noah, 8:21-9:17.
B'. Sexual impropriety of the son of Noah with his father: "Noah, a man of the soil ('ish ha'adam)" 9:18-27 (20).
A'. "After the flood Noah lived 350 years. Altogether, Noah lived 950 years, and then he died," 9:28-29.
In affirming the warning of God that disobedience will be followed by death, Chap 5 uses a standand formulat like this: "When M had lived x years, he became the father of N. After he became the father of N, M lived y years and had other sons and daughters. Altogether, M lived a total of z (x+y) years, and then he died." View against this formular, the entire Flood Narrative is merely a parenthesis within Noah's generation. Death—for the moment—will be the fate of all humans.
Low C. H.,©ALBERITH, 2010.