What is gopher wood?

Answer

The Hebrew term “gopher” appears just once in the Bible when God instructed Noah to “construct an ark of gopher wood” «Make thee an ark of gopher wood; rooms shalt thou make in the ark, and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch. », (Genesis 6:14, ESV). Since the identity of “gopher wood” remains unknown today—although Noah was evidently aware—the King James Version, the New King James Version, New American Standard Bible, and English Standard Version simply transliterate the Hebrew term as “gopher wood.” The Septuagint (the Greek Old Testament) translates it as “squared beams,” while the Latin Vulgate suggests “planed wood.”

Many contemporary scholars propose that “gopher wood” refers to cypress due to its exceptional durability. Recent English translations of the Bible, such as the New International Version, the New Living Translation, and the New English Translation, interpret it as “cypress wood.” The Smith Bible Dictionary defines gopher as “any trees of the resinous kind, such as pine, fir, or cypress.” However, a drawback of the “cypress” interpretation is that the biblical Hebrew term for “cypress” or “fir” is berosh, not gopher.

Attempting to pinpoint a specific tree as the “gopher wood” mentioned in Genesis 6:14 presents several challenges:

• Firstly, any identification remains speculative. Besides cypress, other suggestions include cedar, pine, ebony, fir, wicker, juniper, acacia, bulrushes, and boxwood.

• It is highly probable that gopher wood is no longer in existence today. Numerous plant species have become extinct since Noah’s time. In reality, our knowledge about the types of wood accessible to Noah is extremely limited; no living person has witnessed the antediluvian world.

• Furthermore, the geography of the pre-flood era was undoubtedly significantly different from our present world, making it impossible to determine Noah’s exact location. Any assertions in this regard are purely speculative.Attempts to identify gopher wood as cypress or any other known tree, based on Noah’s supposed location, ignore the fact that the flood destroyed the entire face of the earth.

Some researchers believe the word gopher doesn’t refer to a species of wood at all; rather, it refers to a process utilized to prepare the wood in the ark’s construction. This is seen in the Septuagint’s translation, “squared beams.” Some archaeologists have suggested that gopher may have referred to a lamination process, made necessary by the enormous size of the ark (about 550 feet in length).

To add more speculation to the meaning of “gopher wood,” there is even disagreement as to the true spelling of the Hebrew word. Due to the similarity between a g and a k in the Hebrew alphabet (both letters resemble a backwards c), some scholars have proposed that the first letter in the word gopher was inadvertently switched by a scribe and that the word should actually be kopher—a Hebrew word meaning “pitch.” If this scribal-error theory is correct, Genesis 6:14 would read, “Make yourself an ark of pitched [waterproofed] wood; make rooms in the ark, and cover it inside and outside with pitch.”

God gave Noah specific instructions on how to construct the ark (Genesis 6:14-16). Whatever gopher wood was, it was obviously an incorruptible and sturdy wood, perfect for the salvation of Noah and his family. The plan of salvation in Noah’s day rested on the faithful Word of God. “Behold, I, even I am bringing the flood of water upon the earth . . . but I will establish My covenant with you; and you shall enter the ark” (Genesis 6:17-22;NAS). There was judgment coming, but God’s grace provided a way of escape. God pledged Himself to save all those who believed His Word. The plan of salvation today also involves a faithful response to God’s Word and a deliberate turning

to Christ (John 3:16-18). He is our “ark of salvation,” and deliverance from God’s judgment is available only in Him «Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. », (Acts 4:12). The ark of Noah’s day provided shelter from the storm and sustenance for all who were inside «And take thou unto thee of all food that is eaten, and thou shalt gather it to thee; and it shall be for food for thee, and for them. », (Genesis 6:21). God anticipated and met every need. Just so, today, Christ not only saves us from judgment « There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. », (Romans 8:1)—He also satisfies and meets our every spiritual need «The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. », (John 10:10).