For how many days and nights did rain fall in Noah’s flood story?

In Noah’s flood story, rain fell for 40 days and 40 nights. Genesis 7:12 uses this formula when describing the rainfall that covered the earth in the narrative.

The forty-day period is not the same as the entire duration of the flood. Genesis also says the waters prevailed for much longer and that Noah remained in the Ark until the ground became dry. The text therefore distinguishes the initial rain from the broader period of rising, prevailing, and receding waters.

The number 40 has a recurring role in biblical stories, where it can mark an extended period of testing or transition. Examples elsewhere in the Bible include Israel’s 40 years in the wilderness and Jesus’ 40 days of fasting in the Gospels.

Retellings sometimes shorten the story to “40 days,” but Genesis specifically uses the paired expression “forty days and forty nights” for the rainfall.