According to Genesis, how many days did rain fall during the Flood?

According to Genesis, rain fell during the Flood for forty days and forty nights.

In the Genesis flood narrative, Noah is told that rain will fall for forty days and forty nights, and the waters rise over the earth. The story later describes the waters remaining for a much longer period before they recede. Thus, forty days refers specifically to the period of rain, not the entire duration of the Flood.

This distinction causes a frequent mix-up. Genesis gives several time markers: rain falls for forty days and nights, the waters prevail for 150 days, and Noah’s family remains in the ark until the ground dries. Different passages count stages of the event rather than assigning one total duration.

The number forty has an important literary role in the Bible. It also appears in stories involving Moses, Israel’s wilderness journey, and Jesus’ fast in the New Testament. In Genesis, however, the clearly stated figure connected with the rain is forty days and forty nights.