46 The Hebrew verb is an imperative. A motif of this section is that Noah did as the Lord commanded him—he was obedient. That obedience had to come from faith in the word of the Lord. So the theme of obedience to God’s word is prominent in this prologue to the law.
47 A transliteration of the Hebrew term yields “gopher (גֹּפֶר, gofer) wood” (so , , ). While the exact nature of the wood involved is uncertain (cf. “resinous wood”), many modern translations render the Hebrew term as “cypress” (so , , ).
48 The Hebrew term כָּפָר (kafar, “to cover, to smear” [= to caulk]) appears here in the Qal stem with its primary, nonmetaphorical meaning. The Piel form כִּפֶּר (kipper), which has the metaphorical meaning “to atone, to expiate, to pacify,” is used in Levitical texts (see כפר). Some authorities regard the form in v. 14 as a homonym of the much more common Levitical term (see 498 כָּפָר).

In other versions

Make yourself an ark of gopher wood. Make rooms in the ark, and cover it inside and out with pitch.

So make yourself an ark of cypress wood; make rooms in it and coat it with pitch inside and out.

“Make yourself an ark of gopher wood. Make rooms in the ark, and cover it with pitch inside and outside.

“Build a large boat from cypress wood and waterproof it with tar, inside and out. Then construct decks and stalls throughout its interior.

Make for yourself an ark of cypress wood; you must make the ark with rooms, then you must cover it with pitch, inside and outside.

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

Public Domain