What Hebrew word does Genesis use for Noah's Ark?

Genesis uses the Hebrew word “tebah” for Noah’s Ark.

The Hebrew term tebah appears in the flood narrative for the vessel Noah builds. It is commonly translated into English as “ark,” a word that comes through Latin arca and can mean a chest or container.

The same Hebrew noun is also used in the story of the infant Moses, whose mother places him in a basket and sets him among the reeds. That shared vocabulary is notable because tebah is rare in the Hebrew Bible and is associated with protective containers in both narratives.

Tebah is different from Hebrew terms used for later sanctuary objects or the covenant chest. In particular, the Ark of the Covenant is called an aron, not a tebah, so the two English uses of “ark” can obscure an important distinction in the original language.