Gopher wood is mentioned only once in the Bible, in Genesis 6, as the material God instructed Noah to use to build the ark. The exact identity of gopher wood is unknown. However, some possibilities have been suggested by Bible scholars:
1. Cypress – The Hebrew word for gopher wood is “gopher” which sounds similar to “cypress.” Cypress trees were plentiful in the Middle East and their wood is durable and resistant to rot, making it a good choice for shipbuilding. The Greek Septuagint translation of the Old Testament translates gopher wood as cypress.
2. Cedar – The cedar tree was also common in the Middle East and was prized for its aromatic, decay-resistant wood. Some Bible translations use cedar instead of gopher wood. The strength and longevity of cedar make it a plausible option.
3. Pine – Pine trees would have grown well at higher altitudes near where Noah lived. Pine is a resinous wood that seals out water, which would have helped protect the ark. Some modern Bible versions translate gopher wood as pine.
4. Wood laminate – Some scholars believe gopher doesn’t refer to a single wood but a lamination of different woods, bitumen and other materials that formed a protective coating impervious to water. Laminating different woods produces strength and water resistance.
5. Other extinct wood – Since gopher wood is not definitively known today, some speculate it may refer to a wood that is now extinct. This could have been a very durable wood that existed in Noah’s time and region but is unknown today.
The Bible gives no further details about gopher wood. However, it must have possessed great strength, durability and water resistance for God to endorse its use in constructing the giant ark. The ark needed to withstand torrential rain, massive flooding and the tossing waves of a global deluge. Gopher wood was clearly an ideal material for such a vessel.
Beyond material clues, the deeper symbolism of the ark must also be considered. The ark represents salvation and refuge. Just as the ark shielded Noah and his family through judgment, Jesus Christ delivers believers safely through God’s final judgment against sin. The sturdy gopher wood hints at the powerful salvation offered in Christ.
Noah showed great faith in following God’s blueprint and using obscure gopher wood. Similarly, we can have confidence in God’s design for salvation, even when facing life’s storms. The components of the ark – its materials, dimensions and design – weren’t arbitrary but specially chosen by the Creator for this sacred mission to preserve life on earth.
Gopher wood was central to God’s providence and protection over Noah. This mysterious wood ultimately points to the trustworthiness of God’s plans, both in the Old Testament and for today. Even if details like gopher wood remain unclear, by faith we can embrace God’s purposes and take refuge in Christ. Just as Noah’s obedience saved his family, our faith in doing what God asks of us leads to salvation and new beginnings.
Genesis 6:14 ESV
Make yourself an ark of gopher wood. Make rooms in the ark, and cover it inside and out with pitch.
Overall, gopher wood remains an elusive term. We don’t know for certain what specific wood Noah used or where he obtained it from. But no matter the exact properties of gopher wood, it underscores a larger lesson. God equips those He calls. He provided Noah the right materials, plans and help to build the massive, resilient ark. When God gives us a work to do, He makes provision for it to be accomplished. As with Noah, God promises to supply the resources, strength and insight we need. We can have confidence that if God calls us to something, He has already prepared and equipped us for the task.
Genesis 6 gives only scant information about gopher wood itself. But it teaches volumes about Noah’s steadfast obedience and God’s certain faithfulness. Noah trusted God thoroughly, even to the detail of constructing the whole ark from an unknown substance. God honored that trust by safely shepherding Noah and his family through the greatest cataclysm in history. As in Noah’s time, we may not understand all of God’s ways. But we can rest assured that when God commands, He also enables. He will grant us whatever we need to follow Him faithfully.
Though the identity of gopher wood remains unclear, this ancient, durable wood was no accident. It was specially selected by God to secure Noah’s deliverance and become a refuge. The gopher wood ark manifests God’s amazing grace and care. It gives us a picture of the great lengths God will go to redeem those who put their trust in Him. Just as God secured Noah amidst judgment, He offers us salvation through Christ from the coming judgment for sin.
Noah’s obedience to God’s call and detailed instructions parallels the response God seeks from us today. God longs for us to trust in His word and walk closely with Him, just as Noah did. Noah believed God and demonstrated his faith through meticulous obedience, down to using the particular wood God prescribed. This challenges us to examine if there are areas where we pick and choose which instructions from God we will follow. Our faith is evidenced through listening to God’s word and doing what He says, even when it’s difficult or doesn’t make complete sense to us at the time.
The gopher wood account highlights how God honors obedience. Noah’s choice to use this perplexing wood, though not understanding its nature, resulted in the deliverance of his family and animals. As we step out in faith to obey God’s commands, even if some details don’t make sense, we can trust that He will bless our obedience and reveal His faithfulness. Though challenges will come, God promises to partner with us and see us through to fulfill His purposes, just as He did so powerfully through Noah’s unwavering obedience.
Genesis 6:22 ESV
Noah did this; he did all that God commanded him.
The mention of gopher wood in Genesis poses many questions we cannot definitively answer today. We wish we knew precisely what tree it came from, where Noah obtained it and how he worked with such a little-known material. But the absence of those details is also reassuring. It shows that our faith in God does not depend on knowing all the answers. We don’t need to have mastery of ancient Hebrew or advanced biblical history to embrace God’s truth and walk faithfully with Him.
As with gopher wood, there are many other details lost to history about Noah’s life and times. We have limited information to reconstruct his exact world. Yet we still have enough to understand Noah’s profound faith and close walk with God. The gopher wood illustrates that God does not burden us with trivial details irrelevant to our salvation. The specifics of gopher wood are unimportant. The crux is that Noah acted on what God commanded, despite gaps in understanding.
Similarly for us today, our relationship with God does not hinge on solving a laundry list of obscure questions. Our faith centers instead on understanding the salvation and new life offered through Christ and seeking Him wholeheartedly. We can have vibrant faith without figuring out every nuance along the way. The mystery of gopher wood reminds us it’s alright to admit “I don’t know” to certain perplexities in the Bible. What matters most is progressing in our personal knowledge of God Himself.
Noah modeled trusting God amidst unknowns. He relied entirely on divine guidance to construct an elaborate, seaworthy vessel from an unproven resource. Noah acted on the light God gave Him, without demanding explanations for each detail. As we grow in faith, we can have the same posture as Noah. Rather than obsessing over esoteric trivia, we can focus on applying what God has already revealed to us through Scripture. We can have confidence in God’s word and walk in faithful obedience each day, without having to clear up every technicality first.
Just like Noah, we serve a God who is unafraid of our questions but focused on nurturing our faith. God welcomes our sincere questions as we seek to understand His nature and ways more deeply. But He also understands that knowledge alone is inadequate to save us. Even with full comprehension, we still need the transformed life only He can give. As Noah modeled, true faith means progressing with God one step at a time. It means acting on the present light we’ve been given, without demanding to know the full picture before stepping out.
The cryptic reference to gopher wood does not undermine the truth and authority of Scripture. Rather, it displays God’s grace in not weighing us down with trivial details unrelated to redemption. As the gopher wood illustrates, our relationship with God does not depend on solving a complex puzzle in order to earn salvation. Instead it centers on the person and work of Jesus Christ and walking in faith through His power. We can trust God and follow Him completely, even while some intriguing details like gopher wood remain unknown for now. Our faith and obedience are not conditional on having all the answers first.
Noah’s example encourages us to stay focused on what matters most – pursuing Christ Himself. We don’t need to master ancient Hebrew linguistics or memorize comprehensive lists of obscure Bible trivia. As Noah modeled with the foreign gopher wood, even gaps in knowledge need not hinder our faithfulness. What we know is sufficient for lives of purpose and meaning. God promises to reveal anything else we need along the journey of faith. Just as He guided Noah’s hands in working the unfamiliar gopher wood, God will supply wisdom for the uncertainties we face when we rely on Him.
Genesis 6:14 ESV
Make yourself an ark of gopher wood. Make rooms in the ark, and cover it inside and out with pitch.
In summary, the exact identity of gopher wood remains a mystery lost to antiquity. It was perhaps a type of wood specially selected by God for its resilience and water-resistant properties. Though the details are uncertain, the bigger lesson is clear. Noah’s remarkable faith and obedience to meticulously build the ark from this unspecified wood resulted in deliverance for his family when the floods came.
Just as with gopher wood, there are many other details lost to history about Noah’s life and times. But we still have enough preserved in Scripture to learn from Noah’s admirable example of close fellowship with God, amidst questions and uncertainty. The account of Noah and the ark displays God’s mercy in providing salvation and new beginnings to all who faithfully trust in Him.
Though the precise nature of gopher wood is elusive, its mention still speaks powerfully today. It highlights principles of trusting God completely, obeying His commands with excellence and finding security in His refuge and salvation. As we stay centered on those timeless truths, we can have vibrant faith without having all the answers. The mystery of gopher wood reminds us it’s alright to admit “I don’t know” to certain perplexities in the Bible. As we seek Christ and live out the light we’ve been given, we can trust God to reveal anything else we need for the journey.
