Καὶ ἐκάθισεν ἡ κιβωτὸς ἐν μηνὶ τῷ ἑβδόμῳ ἑβδόμῃ καὶ εἰκάδι τοῦ μηνός ἐπὶ τὰ ὄρη τὰ Αραρατ (Genesis 8:4 LXX)
Landing in Language: The Aorist of ἐκάθισεν
The verse begins with ἐκάθισεν — aorist active indicative, 3rd person singular of καθίζω, meaning “to sit,” “to rest,” or “to settle.”
– The aorist tense here emphasizes a completed historical event — the ark definitively came to rest.
– It marks a crucial turning point: no more wandering upon the waters.
This verb sets the tone for the passage — one of finality, divine control, and geographical rootedness.
A Precise Moment: 27th Day of the 7th Month
– ἐν μηνὶ τῷ ἑβδόμῳ = “in the seventh month” 17th
– ἑβδόμῃ καὶ εἰκάδι = literally “seventh and twenty,” that is, the twenty-seventh day
Clarification of the Numerical Error:
Earlier interpretations misread this as the seventeenth day due to a confusion with the Masoretic Hebrew text (which says בְּשִׁבְעָה־עָשָׂר = seventeenth). However, the Septuagint translators have rendered a different date — the 27th day — with the clear numeric construction ἑβδόμῃ (7) + εἰκάδι (20).
This difference may stem from:
– A variant Hebrew Vorlage (source text)
– An interpretive translation by the LXX translators
– Or a scribal slip in early textual transmission
Regardless, the LXX text plainly communicates the 27th day, not the 17th.
On the High Places: ἐπὶ τὰ ὄρη τὰ Αραρατ
– ἐπὶ with the accusative indicates position upon — emphasizing the ark’s landing atop a geographical elevation.
– τὰ ὄρη τὰ Αραρατ: “the mountains of Ararat”
– Plural ὄρη denotes a mountain range, not a solitary peak.
– This aligns with ancient references to the highlands of Urartu (modern eastern Turkey/Armenia region).
This is not only physical stability — it reflects a kind of symbolic summit: the first rest after judgment.
Structural Analysis
| Greek Word | Form | Function | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| ἐκάθισεν | Aorist Active Indicative (3rd sg.) | Main verb | “It came to rest” |
| ἡ κιβωτός | Nominative Singular Feminine | Subject | “The ark” |
| ἐν μηνὶ τῷ ἑβδόμῳ | Dative of time | Temporal phrase | “In the seventh month” |
| ἑβδόμῃ καὶ εἰκάδι | Dative numeral phrase | Exact day marker | “On the twenty-seventh [day]” |
| ἐπὶ τὰ ὄρη τὰ Αραρατ | Prepositional phrase (accusative) | Locative goal | “Upon the mountains of Ararat” |
Stability from the Storm: Reframed Theological Reflection
While the Hebrew text places the ark’s landing on the 17th day, the LXX presents a subtly different chronology: the 27th day. This ten-day shift may reflect a different textual tradition, but the theological import remains.
The ark’s resting point still marks:
– The cessation of divine judgment
– The beginning of divine restoration
– The moment when chaos yields to order, in sacred geography and sacred time
The Septuagint’s version teaches us that even when timelines differ, the grammar of grace still anchors the narrative — at the summit of Ararat, where mercy touches earth.
