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 (KJV)
I don’t normally quote the KJV, but it’s one of the few translations that follow the Hebrew’s weird phrasing of “pitch it… with pitch.” You might think that is odd, but the Hebrew language has some meaning buried in it that is extremely important.
This word “pitch” is used firstly as a verb and then as a noun here, and while that doesn’t seem to make much difference, look closely at the Hebrew meanings of these words.
to cover, purge, make an atonement, make reconciliation, cover over with pitch
H3722: כָּפַר (kāp̄ar)price of a life, ransom, bribe
H3724: כֹּפֶר (kōp̄er)
These are theological words.
The imagery we see is God’s destructive flood that covers the earth, but the boat, inside and out, is going to be covered with PITCH.
With atonement.
With reconciliation.
With the price of a life.
With a ransom.
Everything we hold dear in our faith lives inside Genesis.