Genesis Chapter 8

Updated: September 14, 2025

The Ark Rests on Ararat

(Genesis 19:1-11)

1And God remembered Noah, and every living thing, and all the cattle that was with him in the ark: and God made a wind to pass over the earth, and the waters asswaged; 2The fountains also of the deep and the windows of heaven were stopped, and the rain from heaven was restrained; 3And the waters returned from off the earth continually: and after the end of the hundred and fifty days the waters were abated. 4And the ark rested in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, upon the mountains of Ararat. 5And the waters decreased continually until the tenth month: in the tenth month, on the first day of the month, were the tops of the mountains seen.

Noah Sends a Raven and a Dove

6And it came to pass at the end of forty days, that Noah opened the window of the ark which he had made: 7And he sent forth a raven, which went forth to and fro, until the waters were dried up from off the earth. 8Also he sent forth a dove from him, to see if the waters were abated from off the face of the ground; 9But the dove found no rest for the sole of her foot, and she returned unto him into the ark, for the waters were on the face of the whole earth: then he put forth his hand, and took her, and pulled her in unto him into the ark. 10And he stayed yet other seven days; and again he sent forth the dove out of the ark; 11And the dove came in to him in the evening; and, lo, in her mouth was an olive leaf pluckt off: so Noah knew that the waters were abated from off the earth. 12And he stayed yet other seven days; and sent forth the dove; which returned not again unto him any more.

Exiting the Ark

13And it came to pass in the six hundredth and first year, in the first month, the first day of the month, the waters were dried up from off the earth: and Noah removed the covering of the ark, and looked, and, behold, the face of the ground was dry. 14And in the second month, on the seven and twentieth day of the month, was the earth dried. 15And God spake unto Noah, saying, 16Go forth of the ark, thou, and thy wife, and thy sons, and thy sons' wives with thee. 17Bring forth with thee every living thing that is with thee, of all flesh, both of fowl, and of cattle, and of every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth; that they may breed abundantly in the earth, and be fruitful, and multiply upon the earth. 18And Noah went forth, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons' wives with him: 19Every beast, every creeping thing, and every fowl, and whatsoever creepeth upon the earth, after their kinds, went forth out of the ark.

Noah Builds an Altar

20And Noah builded an altar unto the LORD; and took of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt offerings on the altar. 21And the LORD smelled a sweet savour; and the LORD said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man's sake; for the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done.

22While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.

The Ark Rests on Ararat

1 God remembered Noah, all the animals, and all the livestock that were with him in the ship; and God made a wind to pass over the earth. The waters subsided. 2 The deep’s fountains and the sky’s windows were also stopped, and the rain from the sky was restrained. 3 The waters receded from the earth continually. After the end of one hundred fifty days the waters decreased. 4 The ship rested in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on Ararat’s mountains. 5 The waters receded continually until the tenth month. In the tenth month, on the first day of the month, the tops of the mountains were seen.

Noah Sends a Raven and a Dove

6 It happened at the end of forty days, that Noah opened the window of the ship which he had made, 7 and he sent out a raven. It went back and forth, until the waters were dried up from the earth. 8 He sent out a dove from him, to see if the waters were abated from the surface of the ground, 9 but the dove found no place to rest her foot, and she returned to him into the ship; for the waters were on the surface of the whole earth. He put out his hand, and took her, and brought her to him into the ship. 10 He stayed yet another seven days; and again he sent the dove out of the ship. 11 The dove came back to him at evening, and, behold, in her mouth was an olive leaf plucked off. So Noah knew that the waters were abated from the earth. 12 He stayed yet another seven days, and sent out the dove; and she didn’t return to him any more.

Exiting the Ark

13 It happened in the six hundred first year, in the first month, the first day of the month, the waters were dried up from the earth. Noah removed the covering of the ship, and looked. He saw that the surface of the ground was dried. 14 In the second month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month, the earth was dry. 15 God spoke to Noah, saying, 16 “Go out of the ship, you, and your wife, and your sons, and your sons’ wives with you. 17 Bring out with you every living thing that is with you of all flesh, including birds, livestock, and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth, that they may breed abundantly in the earth, and be fruitful, and multiply on the earth.” 18 Noah went out, with his sons, his wife, and his sons’ wives with him. 19 Every animal, every creeping thing, and every bird, whatever moves on the earth, after their families, went out of the ship.

Noah Builds an Altar

20 Noah built an altar to Yahweh, and took of every clean animal, and of every clean bird, and offered burnt offerings on the altar. 21 Yahweh smelled the pleasant aroma. Yahweh said in his heart, “I will not again curse the ground any more for man’s sake, because the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth; neither will I ever again strike everything living, as I have done.

22 While the earth remains, seed time and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.”

The Ark Rests on Ararat

1 But God remembered Noah and all the animals and livestock that were with him in the ark. And God sent a wind over the earth, and the waters began to subside. 2 The springs of the deep and the floodgates of the heavens were closed, and the rain from the sky was restrained. 3 The waters receded steadily from the earth, and after 150 days the waters had gone down.

4 On the seventeenth day of the seventh month, the ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat. 5 And the waters continued to recede until the tenth month, and on the first day of the tenth month the tops of the mountains became visible.

Noah Sends a Raven and a Dove

6 After forty days Noah opened the window he had made in the ark 7 and sent out a raven. It kept flying back and forth until the waters had dried up from the earth.

8 Then Noah sent out a a dove to see if the waters had receded from the surface of the ground. 9 But the dove found no place to rest her foot, and she returned to him in the ark, because the waters were still covering the surface of all the earth. So he reached out his hand and brought her back inside the ark.

10 Noah waited seven more days and again sent out the dove from the ark. 11 And behold, the dove returned to him in the evening with a freshly plucked olive leaf in her beak. So Noah knew that the waters had receded from the earth.

12 And Noah waited seven more days and sent out the dove again, but this time she did not return to him.

Exiting the Ark

13 In Noah’s six hundred and first year, on the first day of the first month, the waters had dried up from the earth. So Noah removed the covering from the ark and saw that the surface of the ground was dry. 14 By the twenty-seventh day of the second month, the earth was fully dry.

15 Then God said to Noah, 16 “Come out of the ark, you and your wife, along with your sons and their wives. 17 Bring out all the living creatures that are with you—birds, livestock, and everything that crawls upon the ground—so that they can spread out over the earth and be fruitful and multiply upon it.”

18 So Noah came out, along with his sons and his wife and his sons’ wives. 19 Every living creature, every creeping thing, and every bird—everything that moves upon the earth—came out of the ark, kind by kind.

Noah Builds an Altar

20 Then Noah built an altar to the LORD. And taking from every kind of clean animal and clean bird, he offered burnt offerings on the altar. 21 When the LORD smelled the pleasing aroma, He said in His heart, “Never again will I curse the ground because of man, even though every inclination of his heart is evil from his youth. And never again will I destroy all living creatures as I have done.

22 As long as the earth endures,

seedtime and harvest,

cold and heat,

summer and winter,

day and night

shall never cease.”

Footnotes:

8 a Literally sent out from him  or sent out from it

The Ark Rests on Ararat

(Genesis 19:1-11)

1And God remembereth Noah, and every living thing, and all the cattle which are with him in the ark, and God causeth a wind to pass over the earth, and the waters subside, 2and closed are the fountains of the deep and the net-work of the heavens, and restrained is the shower from the heavens. 3And turn back do the waters from off the earth, going on and returning; and the waters are lacking at the end of a hundred and fifty days. 4And the ark resteth, in the seventh month, in the seventeenth day of the month, on mountains of Ararat; 5and the waters have been going and becoming lacking till the tenth month; in the tenth month, on the first of the month, appeared the heads of the mountains.

Noah Sends a Raven and a Dove

6And it cometh to pass, at the end of forty days, that Noah openeth the window of the ark which he made, 7and he sendeth forth the raven, and it goeth out, going out and turning back till the drying of the waters from off the earth. 8And he sendeth forth the dove from him to see whether the waters have been lightened from off the face of the ground, 9and the dove hath not found rest for the sole of her foot, and she turneth back unto him, unto the ark, for waters are on the face of all the earth, and he putteth out his hand, and taketh her, and bringeth her in unto him, unto the ark. 10And he stayeth yet other seven days, and addeth to send forth the dove from the ark; 11and the dove cometh in unto him at even-time, and lo, an olive leaf torn off in her mouth; and Noah knoweth that the waters have been lightened from off the earth. 12And he stayeth yet other seven days, and sendeth forth the dove, and it added not to turn back unto him any more.

Exiting the Ark

13And it cometh to pass in the six hundredth and first year, in the first month, in the first of the month, the waters have been dried from off the earth; and Noah turneth aside the covering of the ark, and looketh, and lo, the face of the ground hath been dried. 14And in the second month, in the seven and twentieth day of the month, the earth hath become dry. 15And God speaketh unto Noah, saying, 'Go out from the ark, thou, and thy wife, and thy sons, and thy sons' wives with thee; 16every living thing that is with thee, of all flesh, among fowl, and among cattle, and among every creeping thing which is creeping on the earth, bring out with thee; 17and they have teemed in the earth, and been fruitful, and have multiplied on the earth.' 18And Noah goeth out, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons' wives with him; 19every beast, every creeping thing, and every fowl; every creeping thing on the earth, after their families, have gone out from the ark.

Noah Builds an Altar

20And Noah buildeth an altar to Jehovah, and taketh of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and causeth burnt-offerings to ascend on the altar; 21and Jehovah smelleth the sweet fragrance, and Jehovah saith unto His heart, 'I continue not to disesteem any more the ground because of man, though the imagination of the heart of man is evil from his youth; and I continue not to smite any more all living, as I have done;

22during all days of the earth, seed-time and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night, do not cease.'

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The F.O.G Commentary

Genesis 8 – When God Remembers: The Day the Waters Finally Went Down

What’s this chapter about?

After a year floating in chaos, Noah finally feels solid ground beneath his feet again. This isn’t just about flood waters receding – it’s about God’s memory, the first altar, and a promise that changes everything about how we understand divine judgment and mercy.

The Full Context

Picture this: you’ve been cooped up in a floating zoo for over a year with your family and every animal species on earth. The smell alone would drive you crazy, but more than that – you have no idea what’s happening outside. No weather app, no news updates, just the sound of water and animal noises. Genesis 8 opens with the most beautiful words Noah could have hoped to hear: “But God remembered Noah.”

This chapter serves as the turning point in the flood narrative that began in Genesis 6. After the devastating judgment of Genesis 7, we finally witness God’s grace in action. The flood isn’t just ending – it’s revealing something profound about God’s character. Noah’s emergence from the ark parallels humanity’s second chance, complete with the first recorded sacrifice and God’s first covenant promise about the regularity of seasons and the restraint of his judgment.

What the Ancient Words Tell Us

The Hebrew word zakhar (“remembered”) in Genesis 8:1 isn’t about God having a senior moment and suddenly thinking, “Oh right, Noah!” When Scripture says God “remembers,” it’s about divine action flowing from divine faithfulness. It’s the same word used when God “remembers” his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. This is God moving from judgment to salvation.

Grammar Geeks

The phrase “God made a wind to pass over the earth” uses the Hebrew word ruach, which can mean wind, breath, or spirit. It’s the same word from Genesis 1:2 when God’s Spirit hovered over the waters at creation. The flood isn’t just ending – it’s a new creation beginning.

The careful choreography of the waters receding reveals God as both judge and redeemer. The text tells us the “fountains of the great deep” were stopped and the “windows of heaven” were closed (Genesis 8:2). These aren’t just meteorological details – they’re theological statements. The same cosmic forces God unleashed for judgment are now restrained by his mercy.

What Would the Original Audience Have Heard?

Ancient Near Eastern flood stories were common currency in Moses’ day. The Mesopotamians had their Gilgamesh epic, complete with a flood survivor who sends out birds to test for dry land. But here’s where Israel’s story blazes its own trail: their God doesn’t flood the earth because the noise of humanity kept him awake (seriously, that’s the Mesopotamian version). Israel’s God acts because of moral corruption, and more importantly, he acts to preserve righteousness through Noah.

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Did You Know?

The Babylonian flood hero Utnapishtim also sent out birds, but the sequence was different. Noah’s dove-raven pattern became a symbol of hope testing the world’s readiness for new life. Ancient audiences would have heard this and thought, “Our God is both more just and more merciful than theirs.”

When Noah finally steps off the ark and builds an altar (Genesis 8:20), ancient readers would have gasped. This is the first altar mentioned in Scripture, and Noah’s doing it with clean animals – the very ones he only had seven pairs of. He’s making a costly sacrifice of gratitude, not obligation. No law required this. No priest instructed him. This is pure worship flowing from a grateful heart.

Wrestling with the Text

Here’s something that keeps me up at night: why does God say “the intention of man’s heart is evil from his youth” (Genesis 8:21) right after promising never to curse the ground again because of humanity? Shouldn’t it be the opposite logic?

Wait, That’s Strange…

God promises restraint precisely because human nature hasn’t changed. It’s not “I won’t destroy again because people are now good.” It’s “I won’t destroy again even though people are still broken.” This is grace, not earned favor.

This divine logic flip changes everything about how we understand God’s relationship with human sinfulness. The flood didn’t fix the human heart problem – it revealed God’s heart solution. He’s not waiting for us to get better before he shows mercy. He’s showing mercy knowing we won’t get better on our own.

The timing details in this chapter also wrestle with us. Noah sends out birds, waits seven days, sends again, waits another seven days. This isn’t just ancient GPS – it’s teaching us something about patience, testing, and trusting God’s timing even when we’re desperate to move forward.

How This Changes Everything

The promise that closes this chapter – that seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease (Genesis 8:22) – is the first glimpse of what theologians call “common grace.” God commits to sustaining the world’s natural order not because we deserve it, but because he’s gracious.

This fundamentally changes how we view both judgment and blessing. Divine judgment isn’t God’s final word – it’s his preliminary word designed to lead to restoration. The rainbow covenant that follows in Genesis 9 makes this explicit, but it’s already implicit here in God’s promise of seasonal regularity.

“When God remembers, hope returns to a world that thought it was forgotten.”

Noah’s altar also establishes a pattern that echoes through all of Scripture: salvation leads to worship, which leads to divine promise. It’s not worship to earn God’s favor – it’s worship in response to favor already received. The same pattern shows up with Abraham, Moses, David, and ultimately with Christ’s sacrifice.

Key Takeaway

When the floods of life seem overwhelming and you wonder if God has forgotten you, remember: divine memory isn’t about God’s cognitive abilities – it’s about his covenant faithfulness. He doesn’t remember because he forgot; he acts because he loves.

Genesis Chapter 8

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