Introduction: Picking and Choosing in the Floodwaters of Interpretation
Few theological frameworks advocate for biblical literalism as strongly as Young Earth theology. Its proponents insist that Scripture must be read plainly and without compromise. Yet, when scientific realities make such interpretations untenable, a subtle but strategic game of hermeneutical hopscotch emerges—selective literalism deployed to validate predetermined conclusions.
A striking example of this occurs in Genesis 7:11:
“In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month, all the sources of the vast watery depths burst open, the floodgates of the sky were opened.”
Young Earth readings treat the first half of this verse as scientifically literal, using it to justify models of catastrophic flood geology and plate tectonics. However, the second half—“the floodgates of the sky were opened”—is quietly reinterpreted as metaphor, sidestepping its connection to ancient Near Eastern (ANE) cosmology. (1)
This inconsistent hermeneutic reveals three fundamental contradictions in Young Earth interpretation:
Scientific Inconsistency – Science is embraced when it supports Young Earth claims but rejected when it contradicts a strictly literal reading.
Rejection of ANE Context – ANE hermeneutics are dismissed when they conflict with Young Earth interpretations.
Selective Concordism – Scripture is filtered through modern scientific assumptions rather than read in its original linguistic and cultural context.
What is Concordism?
To fully understand the Young Earth interpretive inconsistencies, it is important to define concordism. Concordism is the attempt to align biblical descriptions with modern scientific discoveries, often at the expense of the original historical and literary context.
Young Earth theology often rejects scientific input in interpreting Scripture—except when it can be used to validate their predetermined conclusions. This selective use of science exposes deep inconsistencies in the way Young Earth advocates approach biblical interpretation.
As Dr. John Walton states:
“If we want to reach an understanding about how we should go about reading a particular passage in the Bible, we have to understand how we should go about reading the Bible more generally. In particular, we want to have a way to approach the biblical text that we are comfortable applying to any part of it, as opposed to selectively choosing an approach based on whether it produces the conclusions that we want.” (The Lost World of the Israelite Conquest, p.4)
By applying selective literalism only when convenient, Young Earth theology constructs a self-contradictory interpretative framework—one that cannot be sustained under scholarly scrutiny.
Selective Literalism and the Tactical Use of Science
A defining contradiction of Young Earth theology is its shifting relationship with science. When empirical data seems to affirm its claims, science is embraced as proof. However, when findings contradict a literal reading of Scripture, science is dismissed as secular bias.
Genesis 7:11 exposes this tension. The phrase “all the sources of the vast watery depths burst open” is treated literally, supporting catastrophic plate tectonics and hydroplate models. Since these concepts align with Young Earth geological interpretations, science is welcomed as affirmation.
However, the next phrase—“the floodgates of the sky were opened”—presents a problem. Ancient Israelites, like their Mesopotamian neighbors, understood the sky as a solid dome holding back cosmic waters. Accepting this as literal would require embracing an outdated cosmology incompatible with modern physics. Young Earth proponents redefine the phrase as metaphor, claiming it represents rainfall rather than a cosmic water barrier.
Thus, when science appears supportive, Young Earth readings insist on literalism. When science contradicts their expectations, interpretation shifts to metaphor, revealing a clear double standard. (A similar pattern appears in Genesis 3:14, where Young Earth proponents take "You will move on your belly" as implying that snakes once had legs but disregard "eat dust all the days of your life," since snakes do not actually consume dust. This selective application of literalism reinforces the broader inconsistency in interpretation.) Furthermore, this interpretation reads far more into the text than what is actually stated, assuming scientific details that are not explicitly mentioned. This undermines the YEC premise of taking Scripture at its plain meaning, demonstrating that interpretive expansion occurs when it supports their conclusions or scientific hypotheses.
Dismissing Ancient Near Eastern Hermeneutics When Inconvenient
Young Earth theology professes a commitment to biblical context, yet it consistently resists engagement with ancient Near Eastern thought when it challenges modern interpretations. This resistance to ANE literary and cosmological frameworks leads to misreadings that obscure the original meaning of Scripture.
For example, the concept of the sky as a solid dome—well-attested in ANE texts—appears throughout Scripture, such as in Genesis 1:6:
“Then God said, ‘Let there be an expanse between the waters, separating water from water.’”
The Hebrew word rāqîaʿ(רָקִיעַ), translated as “expanse,” was understood in ANE cosmology as a firm structure holding back cosmic waters. Likewise, Job 37:18 describes the sky’s solidity:
“Can you help God spread out the skies as hard as a cast metal mirror?”
The work of scholars such as Michael S. Heiser (The Unseen Realm) and Richard J. Clifford (The Cosmic Mountain in the Ancient Near East) confirm that biblical descriptions of the cosmos align with ANE thought rather than modern science.
Another prime example of this rejection comes from Answers in Genesis (AiG), which explicitly dismisses ANE hermeneutics in favor of what it calls the “plain meaning” of Scripture. In their article “Reading Genesis: ANE Hermeneutic vs. Plain Meaning,” AiG argues that scholars like John Walton distort the biblical text by incorporating ANE cultural insights. (2) AiG insists that Genesis 1–11 should be read as a straightforward historical account, rather than as a text shaped by the literary and cosmological conventions of the ancient world.
This rejection of ANE hermeneutics is problematic for several reasons:
The Bible Was Written in an ANE Context – The biblical authors lived in the Ancient Near East, and their writings reflect the cosmological, linguistic, and literary conventions of their time. Disregarding this context diminishes the depth of the text, forcing modern assumptions— “man's ideas”—onto Scripture from an external perspective, a practice explicitly condemned by AiG. (3, 4)
ANE Thought Helps Clarify Difficult Passages – Many biblical descriptions, such as the firmament (rāqîaʿ) in Genesis 1:6 or the floodgates of heaven in Genesis 7:11, make far more sense when understood within an ANE worldview. Scholars such as Michael S. Heiser (The Unseen Realm) and Richard J. Clifford (The Cosmic Mountain in the Ancient Near East) demonstrate that biblical cosmology aligns with ANE thought rather than modern scientific models.
Selective Use of ANE Context – While AiG openly rejects ANE hermeneutics, it paradoxically embraces ANE insights when they support Young Earth claims. For example, AiG frequently references ANE flood narratives (such as the Epic of Gilgamesh) to argue for a global flood, yet it dismisses ANE hermeneutics when they contradict its interpretative framework.
By rejecting ANE hermeneutics outright, AiG isolates Genesis from its historical and literary context, treating it as a modern scientific document rather than an ANE theological narrative. This approach distorts the meaning of Scripture, forcing it into post-Enlightenment categories rather than allowing it to speak within its original worldview.
Theological Implications of a Broken Hermeneutic
Beyond the inconsistencies in Young Earth interpretation, the theological consequences are substantial. If Young Earth theology engages in selective hermeneutics, it undermines the claim that its interpretive model is objectively superior to others.
Selective Interpretation Undermines Biblical Authority – Young Earth proponents acknowledge the existence of literary genres and metaphors in Scripture. However, they often assume that such literary conventions should be immediately obvious to modern readers, dismissing interpretative nuance unless metaphor is explicitly stated (e.g., the parables of Jesus) or inferred based on genre (e.g., Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs). Yet, if literalism is abandoned whenever inconvenient—even mid-sentence, as seen in Genesis 7:11—how can Young Earth theology consistently uphold its claim that Scripture must be read literally?
Weakening Apologetics Through Inconsistency – Critics of Young Earth theology argue that its hermeneutical inconsistencies weaken its apologetic credibility. If Young Earth readings apply literalism selectively, shifting between hyper-literal interpretations and metaphor whenever necessary, they risk undermining their own argument against competing theological perspectives.
Furthermore, Young Earth proponents often criticize other interpretive approaches—such as those embracing theistic evolution or Old Earth creationism—for allowing scientific findings to inform biblical interpretation. However, as seen in Genesis 7:11, Young Earth theology does the same when faced with an untenable literal reading. This double standard weakens its ability to defend a cohesive, biblically faithful worldview against skeptics or alternative Christian perspectives.
Reshaping Scripture to Fit Modern Assumptions – By filtering biblical interpretation through modern scientific presuppositions, Young Earth readings often reshape the text rather than honor its original intent. Instead of interpreting Scripture on its own terms, Young Earth theology frequently retrofits ancient descriptions into post-Enlightenment scientific categories, forcing harmony between biblical cosmology and modern physics. This concordist approach risks distorting the literary, theological, and historical integrity of the biblical text. Passages that clearly reflect ancient Near Eastern thought are redefined or ignored, not because of textual evidence, but because they do not fit modern scientific expectations. In doing so, Young Earth readings fail to represent the worldview of the biblical authors, privileging Western, post-Enlightenment perspectives over the historical-grammatical method they claim to uphold.
A consistent hermeneutic must apply the same interpretive standards across Scripture, rather than shifting between literalism and metaphor when convenient. Accurate interpretation requires understanding the full context—not only the meaning of the words or the passages before and after a verse, but also the literary genre, linguistic and literary conventions within the cultural setting, and the historical framework of the passage.
Conclusion: A Broken Hermeneutic on Unsteady Foundations
The flood account in Genesis 7:11 exposes the interpretative instability of Young Earth theology. By treating the first half of the verse as literal and the second half as metaphor, Young Earth readings reveal a pattern of selective interpretation, shifting between strict literalism and figurative reinterpretation as needed.
As Walton states, a coherent hermeneutic must be applied consistently across Scripture. Yet Young Earth theology employs an inconsistent approach, adjusting its interpretive methods to fit predetermined conclusions rather than historical context.
Faithful biblical interpretation requires recognizing the historical setting, honoring the literary intent, and resisting the impulse to reshape Scripture into modern scientific categories. Until Young Earth theology abandons its hermeneutical hopscotch and applies a stable interpretive framework, its theological foundation—much like the floodwaters it selectively interprets—will remain unstable.
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