How many days passed before the Flood began after Noah entered the Ark?

Seven days passed before the Flood began after Noah entered the Ark.

Genesis 7:10 says that after Noah, his family, and the animals entered the Ark, the floodwaters came upon the earth seven days later. The timing appears alongside the statement that Noah was 600 years old when the Flood began.

This seven-day interval is separate from the 40 days and 40 nights of rain. In the narrative’s sequence, Noah receives instructions, enters the Ark, waits seven days, and then the rain begins. That distinction helps explain why the two numbers are both prominent in summaries of the story.

Genesis also gives later time markers for the recession of the waters and the drying of the ground. The seven-day waiting period should therefore not be treated as the Flood’s duration or as the time needed to build the Ark.