mebol
מבול
'mebol' is generally translated as “flood”. However, there is a certain amount of doubt to this assumption.
The word occurs only 12 times in the entirety of the ancient Hebrew corpus. 11 of these instances occur withing the story of Noah's Ark as either part of the narrative as the event is taking place, or immediately following the narrative in reference to how much time elapsed after the event.
The event itself is assumed to be a flood due to the concurrence of several words (to be addressed momentarily) which are typically interpreted to mean “water”. These two words form a self-fulfilling loop of interdependent interpretation. Because there is water involved, the event is seen as a flood, and because it is a flood then the medium must be water. Neither of these assumptions are necessarily backed up by consistent evidence in the broader context of the corpus.
'mebol' occurs in only one other location - Psalms 29:10. The verse is typically rendered “Yahweh at the Flood sat and sits Yahweh as King forever”, but a more consistent translation would be all speak vehicle Jehovah 'mebol' abides, abides Jehovah king of beyond.
'mebol' here appears to be equated to the kebed, which might be some type of aircraft. However, the Noah story explicitly links the 'mebol' to the destruction of life on earth. If the 'mebol' is both an aircraft of some kind and also causes global destruction, might it be some kind of warship?
Let us turn examine the flood narrative in more detail, paying particular attention to the proximity with which 'mebol' occurs with other thematically important words, particularly mim, hiim, shemim
Genesis 6:17 - I indeed arrived with 'mebol' Mayim on Arex destroy whole flesh who roh Living Ones in the place The Legendary Ones whole who territory died genesis6:17 - אני הנ בא את מבול מימ על ארצ שהית כל בשר אשר רוה היימ תהת שמימ כל אשר ארצ גוע genesis6:17 - ani hen ba at mebol mim yel aretz shehit kel besher asher roh hiim tehet shemim kel asher aretz goy
genesis7:6 - נה בנ שש מאה שנה מבול אהיה מימ על ארצ genesis7:6 - neh ben shesh mah sheneh mebol ahih mim yel aretz genesis7:6 - And Noah [was] old six hundred years when the flood came of water upon the earth genesis7:6 - Noah son six sixties time period a warship are The Mayim on territory
genesis7:7 - בא נה בנ אש אש בנ את אל _ פנ מי מבול genesis7:7 - ba neh ben ash ash ben at al _ pen mi mebol genesis7:7 - So went Noah and his sons and his wife and the wives of his sons with him into the ark because of the waters of the flood genesis7:7 - arrived Noah son other other son with to _ edge water a warship
genesis7:10 - אהיה שבע יומימ מי מבול אהיה על ארצ genesis7:10 - ahih sheby iomim mi mebol ahih yel aretz genesis7:10 - And it came to pass after seven days that the waters of the flood were upon the earth genesis7:10 - are seven Cycling Ones water a warship are on territory
genesis7:17 - אהיה מבול _ יומ על ארצ רבה מימ שא את _ _ על ארצ genesis7:17 - ahih mebol _ iom yel aretz rebeh mim sha at _ _ yel aretz genesis7:17 - And was the flood forty days on the earth and increased the waters and lifted up - the ark and it rose high above the earth genesis7:17 - are a warship _ cycle on territory flourish The Mayim rise with _ _ on territory
genesis9:11 - קמ את ברית את לא כרת כל בשר עוד מי מבול לא אהיה עוד מבול שהית ארצ genesis9:11 - qem at berit at la kret kel besher yod mi mebol la ahih yod mebol shehit aretz genesis9:11 - Thus I establish - My covenant with you and Never shall be cut off all flesh again by the waters of the flood and never shall there be again a flood to destroy the earth genesis9:11 - stood with contract with not cut whole flesh again water a warship not are again a warship destroy territory
genesis9:15 - זכר את ברית אשר בינ בינ בינ כל נפש הי כל בשר לא אהיה עוד מימ מבול שהית כל בשר genesis9:15 - zeker at berit asher bin bin bin kel nepesh hi kel besher la ahih yod mim mebol shehit kel besher genesis9:15 - and I will remember - My covenant which [is] between Me and you and every creature living of all flesh and never shall become again the waters a flood to destroy all flesh genesis9:15 - story with contract who sons sons sons whole souls life whole flesh not are again The Mayim a warship destroy whole flesh
genesis9:28 - הי נה אהר מבול שלש מאה שנה _ שנה genesis9:28 - hi neh aher mebol shelesh mah sheneh _ sheneh genesis9:28 - And lived Noah after the flood three hundred years and fifty years genesis9:28 - live Noah after a warship three sixties time period _ time period
genesis10:1 - אלה תולדות בנ נה _ _ _ ילד _ אהר מבול genesis10:1 - alah toldot ben neh _ _ _ iled _ aher mebol genesis10:1 - And these [are] the generations the sons of Noah Shem Ham and Japheth And were born sons after the flood genesis10:1 - tree accounting son Noah _ _ _ birthed _ after a warship
genesis10:32 - אלה משפה בנ נה תולדות גוי אלה פרד גוי ארצ אהר מבול genesis10:32 - alah meshepeh ben neh toldot goi alah pered goi aretz aher mebol genesis10:32 - These [were] the families of the sons of Noah according to their generations in their nations and from these were divided the nations on the earth after the flood genesis10:32 - tree family son Noah accounting nation tree separate nation territory after a warship
genesis11:10 - אלה תולדות _ _ בנ מאה שנה ילד את _ שנה אהר מבול genesis11:10 - alah toldot _ _ ben mah sheneh iled at _ sheneh aher mebol genesis11:10 - These [are] the generations [of] Shem Shem [was] old a hundred years and he begat - Arphaxad two years after the flood genesis11:10 - tree accounting _ _ son sixties time period birthed with _ time period after a warship
psalms29:10 - יהוה מבול שב שב יהוה מלכ עולמ psalms29:10 - ihoh mebol sheb sheb ihoh melek yolem psalms29:10 - Yahweh at the Flood sat [enthroned] and sits Yahweh as King forever psalms29:10 - Jehovah a warship abide abide Jehovah king beyond
LexID 3999