There is so much more happening in the flood story than most readers ever realize — so what questions should we actually be asking about Noah’s flood?

In this wrap-up Q&A episode, Dr. Mark Chavalas wrestles with the difficult questions left in the flood narrative — the ones most people avoid. Was the flood global or local? Who were the Nephilim, and why are they before and after the flood? Did God really “start over” with the flood? And if so… why does evil show up again the moment Noah steps off the ark? Why is Noah called “righteous” if he fails immediately in Genesis 9? And what on earth is going on with Noah’s nakedness and the curse of Canaan?

Dr. Chavalas warns us:“Read your Bible and don’t be intimidated by it. There’s a lot that is poetic and not literal. Strap on your big-boy pants and learn to interpret faithfully without fear." This episode wrestles honestly with ambiguity, ancient Near Eastern context, and the theological beauty that emerges from both.

In This Episode:

➡️ Why the biblical flood story is nothing like Mesopotamian flood myths

➡️ The real meaning behind God's “repentance” and emotional grief

➡️ Noah’s righteousness: character or divine grace?

➡️ Why evil survives the flood — and what Genesis wants us to see

➡️ The Nephilim problem: before and after the flood

➡️ Was the flood global, local, or literary? Dr. Chavalas explains ancient language

➡️ The shocking honor-shame meaning of Noah’s nakedness

➡️ Why Canaan is cursed even though Ham sinned

➡️ The flood as a reset echoing Genesis 1

➡️ How reading like an ancient changes everything

The story of Noah isn’t a children’s tale — it’s a theological masterpiece. Understanding how ancient Israelites thought, wrote, and interpreted the world unlocks the depth of God’s character, His justice, His mercy, and His astonishing patience with humanity.

💬 Let’s Talk in the Comments:What question from the flood narrative has always bothered you?

Drop it below — your question might shape a future episode.📧 (buriedbiblepodcast@gmail.com)

🎥 Like, Subscribe & Share:If this conversation challenged you, stretched your thinking, or deepened your love for Scripture, make sure to like the video, subscribe, and share it with someone who loves the

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What does it mean when Genesis says God “repented” for making humanity? Did God change His mind? Is this an anthropomorphism? A metaphor? A translation issue? Or something far deeper — about divine emotion, justice, and mercy?

Today, Dr. Mark Chavalas takes a bunny trail in the Flood narrative by diving into one of the most difficult and most misunderstood verses in the entire Old Testament: God “repenting” in Genesis 6:6.From ancient Hebrew linguistics to emotional language for God, this episode explores the true meaning of the word nāḥam, how ancient translators struggled with it, and why this word gives us a fuller, richer picture of God’s character — not a contradiction.

This conversation goes deep into theology, the ancient Near East, how anthropomorphism works in Scripture, and how the Flood story reveals God’s justice and His mercy.

📖 In This Episode:

➡️ What the Hebrew word nāḥam really means — and why it doesn’t translate cleanly into English

➡️ Why Genesis 6:6 says God “repented” or “regretted” creating mankind

➡️ How ancient translators in the Septuagint struggled to capture this word

➡️ The difference between God “changing His mind” and God expressing divine compassion

➡️ How anthropomorphic language helps us understand God without limiting Him

➡️ What the Flood narrative teaches about divine justice, mercy, and emotional language

➡️ Why Noah’s name (“rest/comfort”) ties directly into the theological meaning of the Flood

➡️ Why this matters for prayer, judgment, blessing, and understanding God’s character

💬 Let’s Talk in the Comments:How have you understood the idea of God “repenting”? Does this change the way you read the Flood story?

🎥 Like, Subscribe & Share#BuriedBiblePodcast

#BibleHistory #Genesis6 #AncientNearEast #OldTestament #BibleStudy #BiblicalContext #HebrewBible #Theology #ChristianPodcast #BiblicalHebrew #FloodStory #GodsCharacter

Are the “contradictions” in the flood story proof that Genesis is sloppy—or are they actually clues to a hidden literary design?In today’s episode of the Buried Bible Podcast, Keagan Walz and Dr. Mark Chavalas explore one of the most controversial claims about the Bible: that the Genesis Flood narrative is inconsistent, repetitive, or stitched together from conflicting sources.But what if the Flood story is far more brilliant, intentional, and literary than modern readers imagine?Join us as Dr. Chavalas walks through the surprising chiastic structure woven through Genesis 6–9, showing how the numbers, repetitions, and narrative “tensions” actually form a carefully crafted design, not a broken account. We explore ancient Near Eastern writing, oral tradition, how ancient authors used pattern and symmetry, and why the Flood story functions as a theological masterpiece—not a scientific puzzle.🔥 In This Episode:➡️ Why Genesis 6–9 looks contradictory to modern readers➡️ The 31-part chiastic structure hidden inside the Flood narrative➡️ Why “God remembered Noah” is the center of the entire narrative➡️ How ancient literary design shapes the story’s numbers and repetitions➡️ Whether recognizing literary design weakens inerrancy—or actually deepens our trust in Scripture➡️ Parallels with Genesis 1’s structure and why both creation and flood are answering different questions than modern science asks➡️ Why the Flood story isn’t broken…but brilliantly crafted💬 Let’s Talk in the CommentsDo you think the Flood story is contradictory?Did the chiastic structure surprise you?Drop your questions, thoughts, and disagreements—we love hearing from you.📜 Email : buriedbiblepodcast@gmail.com