Gopher Wood

CherubRam

New member
Gopher wood

(Gopher wood is hewn wood)

Gopher wood is hewn wood that can be laminated together to form a type of plywood. Pitch was used to form the bond, and steam was used to (bend or form) the plywood.

Genesis 6:14
Make thee an ark of Gopher wood; rooms shalt thou make in the ark, and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch.

Genesis 6:14 states that Noah was to build the Ark of גפר, (Gofer / Goper), more commonly Gopher wood

Different cultures from around the world call "Gopher wood" different kinds of trees hewn for building a box or boat. That being so would mean any tree suitable for being hewn for the task of building a boat. Therefore "Gopher wood" is not a particular tree, but a hewn wood.

Gopher
The word (Gopher) is used to express the activities of the Gopher hewing the ground.

Hew
To chop or cut (something, especially wood) with an ax, pick, or other tool.

The Hebrew word "Goper" is translated into English as "Gopher." Assuming the ancients knew what a Gopher was, then the translation is correct.

Horned Gopher Rodent, Extinct Rodent, Gopher, from Wikipedia, Prehistoric Mammals, Gopher. From fossil specimens dating to the Pleistocene period and found in Europe. Since the days of the great flood demographics have changed for many species.
 
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LoneStar

New member
Gopher wood

(Gopher wood is hewn wood)

Gopher wood is hewn wood that can be laminated together to form a type of plywood. Pitch was used to form the bond, and steam was used to (bend or form) the plywood.

Genesis 6:14
Make thee an ark of gopher wood; rooms shalt thou make in the ark, and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch.

Gopher
The word (gopher) is used to express the activities of the gopher hewing the ground.

Hew
To chop or cut (something, especially wood) with an ax, pick, or other tool.
Is the 'pitch' like a tar substance?
 

Jonahdog

BANNED
Banned
To cover something as large as the ark both inside and out with tar would greatly increase the weight of the ark, making it stronger. Also waterproofs. What other benefits can you think of?

Perhaps it would stick the animals in one place, make it that much easier for Noah and his family to efficiently run everything.
 

gcthomas

New member
Gopher wood

(Gopher wood is hewn wood)
...
Gopher
The word (gopher) is used to express the activities of the gopher hewing the ground.

The word 'gopher' was an American English neologism, probably derived in the 19th C from the French for honeycomb in reference to the burrows of the rodent.

If a similar word appeared in the bible then it has to have meant something else (the Bible wasn't written in English, after all), so it was probably just a term for a type of wood whose meaning has been lost, as the context suggests.
 

chair

Well-known member
The word 'gopher' was an American English neologism, probably derived in the 19th C from the French for honeycomb in reference to the burrows of the rodent.

If a similar word appeared in the bible then it has to have meant something else (the Bible wasn't written in English, after all), so it was probably just a term for a type of wood whose meaning has been lost, as the context suggests.

Thanks for pointing this out. The OP was not exactly serious scholarship.
 

CherubRam

New member
The word 'gopher' was an American English neologism, probably derived in the 19th C from the French for honeycomb in reference to the burrows of the rodent.

If a similar word appeared in the bible then it has to have meant something else (the Bible wasn't written in English, after all), so it was probably just a term for a type of wood whose meaning has been lost, as the context suggests.
The Hebrew word "Goper" is translated into English as "Gopher." Assuming the ancients knew what a Gopher was, then the translation is correct.
 

gcthomas

New member
The Hebrew word "Goper" is translated into English as "Gopher." Assuming the ancients knew what a Gopher was, then the translation is correct.

That is just writing out the sounds using English letters. Gophers are only found in the Americas and the word as applied to the animal was only coined in the nineteenth century. There is no way that the ancients could have used this word to mean an American rodent.

Most likely it meant cypress wood.
 

CherubRam

New member
That is just writing out the sounds using English letters. Gophers are only found in the Americas and the word as applied to the animal was only coined in the nineteenth century. There is no way that the ancients could have used this word to mean an American rodent.

Most likely it meant cypress wood.
The Hebrew word Goper comes from the NIV Exhaustive Concordance. Here is the Modern Hebrew letters ( גופר )

Horned Gopher Rodent, Extinct Rodent, Gopher, from Wikipedia, Prehistoric Mammals, Gopher. From fossil specimens dating to the Pleistocene period and found in Europe. Since the days of the great flood demographics have changed for many species.
 

CherubRam

New member
That is just writing out the sounds using English letters. Gophers are only found in the Americas and the word as applied to the animal was only coined in the nineteenth century. There is no way that the ancients could have used this word to mean an American rodent.

Most likely it meant cypress wood.

I have no problem with anyone who does not want to believe ancient peoples did not know what a Gopher is. As anyone can see the English word "Gopher" comes from the Hebrew word "Goper," which most likely came from another language. Even so, there is no reason to believe that the creature is not correctly identified.
 

gcthomas

New member
Etymology online :

Gopher (n.)*burrowing squirrel, 1812, American English, perhaps an Englishing of Louisiana Frenchgaufre gaufre "honeycomb, waffle," said to have been used by French settlers in reference to small mammals on analogy of the structure of their burrows, from Old French*gaufre,walfre*(12c.), which is from Frankish or some other Germanic source. The rodent was the nickname of people from Arkansas (1845) and later Minnesota (1872)
 

LoneStar

New member
Perhaps it would stick the animals in one place, make it that much easier for Noah and his family to efficiently run everything.
When tar is cooled, it hardens and is not sticky (at least on the surface). Makes you wonder what the weather was like while tarring the ark. It would need to be warm while tarring, but need to be cool for it to set before the animals entered.

The time of the flood suggests that it was during our time of October-November.

Genesis 7:9-11 KJV
(9) There went in two and two unto Noah into the ark, the male and the female, as God had commanded Noah.
(10) And it came to pass after seven days, that the waters of the flood were upon the earth.
(11) In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened.

Tisri >>> 1st month (our September-October)
Marchesvan >>> 2nd month (our October-November)
 

CherubRam

New member
Different cultures from around the world call "Gopher wood" different kinds of trees hewn for building a box or boat. That being so would mean any tree suitable for being hewn for the task of building a boat. Therefore "Gopher wood" is not a particular tree, but a hewn wood.
 

CherubRam

New member
When tar is cooled, it hardens and is not sticky (at least on the surface). Makes you wonder what the weather was like while tarring the ark. It would need to be warm while tarring, but need to be cool for it to set before the animals entered.

The time of the flood suggests that it was during our time of October-November.

Genesis 7:9-11 KJV
(9) There went in two and two unto Noah into the ark, the male and the female, as God had commanded Noah.
(10) And it came to pass after seven days, that the waters of the flood were upon the earth.
(11) In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened.

Tisri >>> 1st month (our September-October)
Marchesvan >>> 2nd month (our October-November)


Genesis 6:14
14 Make yourself an ark of gopherwood; make rooms in the ark, and cover it inside and outside with pitch.
 

CherubRam

New member
Gopher wood

(Gopher wood is hewn wood)

Gopher wood is hewn wood that can be laminated together to form a type of plywood. Pitch was used to form the bond, and steam was used to (bend or form) the plywood.

Genesis 6:14
Make thee an ark of Gopher wood; rooms shalt thou make in the ark, and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch.

Genesis 6:14 states that Noah was to build the Ark of גפר, (Gofer / Goper), more commonly Gopher wood

Different cultures from around the world call "Gopher wood" different kinds of trees hewn for building a box or boat. That being so would mean any tree suitable for being hewn for the task of building a boat. Therefore "Gopher wood" is not a particular tree, but a hewn wood.

Gopher
The word (Gopher) is used to express the activities of the Gopher hewing the ground.

Hew
To chop or cut (something, especially wood) with an ax, pick, or other tool.

The Hebrew word "Goper" is translated into English as "Gopher." Assuming the ancients knew what a Gopher was, then the translation is correct.

Horned Gopher Rodent, Extinct Rodent, Gopher, from Wikipedia, Prehistoric Mammals, Gopher. From fossil specimens dating to the Pleistocene period and found in Europe. Since the days of the great flood demographics have changed for many species.
 

gcthomas

New member
I've supplied a reference to show the origin of the word, but you are continuing as if nothing was said. Do you have anything beyond unsupported assertion?
 

chair

Well-known member
I've supplied a reference to show the origin of the word, but you are continuing as if nothing was said. Do you have anything beyond unsupported assertion?

There seems to be a correlation between ignorance and incapability of admitting error.
 
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