Genesis 6 begins the account of Noah’s Ark and the coming flood.
Genesis 6 introduces Noah as a righteous man in a violent and corrupt world. God tells Noah of the coming destruction, gives instructions for constructing the Ark, and specifies that Noah’s family and representatives of living creatures will enter it. The chapter is therefore the narrative’s starting point.
Genesis 7 continues with Noah entering the Ark and the flood beginning. Genesis 8 describes the recession of the waters and the Ark’s resting place, while Genesis 9 presents the covenant marked by the rainbow. Reading the chapters together prevents details from later scenes being mistaken for the opening instructions.
The broader Book of Genesis contains many other major stories, including creation, Abraham’s family, and Joseph. Genesis 6 is specifically the chapter where the Ark and flood narrative begins, not the book’s opening chapter.