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Selected Verse: Genesis 8:1 - Strong Concordance

Verse	Translation	Text
Ge 8:1	Strong Concordance	And God [0430] remembered [02142] Noah [05146], and every living thing [02416], and all the cattle [0929] that was with him in the ark [08392]: and God [0430] made [05674] a wind [07307] to pass [05674] over [05921] the earth [0776], and the waters [04325] asswaged [07918];
	King James	And 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;

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A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882]
ASSUAGING OF THE WATERS. (Gen 8:1-14) And God remembered Noah--The divine purpose in this awful dispensation had been accomplished, and the world had undergone those changes necessary to fit it for becoming the residence of man under a new economy of Providence. and every living thing . . . in the ark--a beautiful illustration of Mat 10:29. and God made a wind to pass over the earth--Though the divine will could have dried up the liquid mass in an instant, the agency of a wind was employed (Psa 104:4) --probably a hot wind, which, by rapid evaporation, would again absorb one portion of the waters into the atmosphere; and by which, the other would be gradually drained off by outlets beneath.

A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882]

ASSUAGING OF THE WATERS. (Gen 8:1-14)

And God remembered Noah--The divine purpose in this awful dispensation had been accomplished, and the world had undergone those changes necessary to fit it for becoming the residence of man under a new economy of Providence.

and every living thing . . . in the ark--a beautiful illustration of Mat 10:29.

and God made a wind to pass over the earth--Though the divine will could have dried up the liquid mass in an instant, the agency of a wind was employed (Psa 104:4) --probably a hot wind, which, by rapid evaporation, would again absorb one portion of the waters into the atmosphere; and by which, the other would be gradually drained off by outlets beneath.

Notes on the Bible, by Albert Barnes, [1834]
- The Land Was Dried 1. שׁכך shākak "stoop, assuage." 3. חסר chāsar "want, fail, be abated." 4. אררט 'ărārāṭ, "Ararat," a land forming part of Armenia. It is mentioned in Kg2 19:37, and Isa 37:38, as the retreat of Adrammelek and Sharezer after the murder of their father; and in Jer 51:27 as a kingdom. 8. קלל qālal, "be light, lightened, lightly esteemed, swift." 10. חוּל chûl, "twist, turn, dance, writhe, tremble, be strong, wait." יהל yāchal "remain, wait, hope." 13. חרב chāreb, "be drained, desolated, amazed." Gen 8:1-3 The waters commence their retreat. "And God remembered Noah." He is said to remember him when he takes any step to deliver him from the waters. The several steps to this end are enumerated. A wind. - This would promote evaporation, and otherwise aid the retreat of the waters. "The fountains of the deep and the windows of the skies were shut." The incessant and violent showers had continued for six weeks. It is probable the weather remained turbid and moist for some time longer. In the sixth month, however, the rain probably ceased altogether. Some time before this, the depressing of the ground had reached its lowest point, and the upheaving had set in. This is the main cause of the reflux of the waters. All this is described, as we perceive, according to appearance. It is probable that the former configuration of the surface was not exactly restored. At all events it is not necessary, as the ark may have drifted a considerable space in a hundred and fifty days. Some of the old ground on which primeval man had trodden may have become a permanent water bed, and a like amount of new land may have risen to the light in another place. Hence, it is vain to seek for a spot retaining the precise conditions of the primitive Eden. The Euphrates and Tigris may substantially remain, but the Pishon and Gihon may have considerably changed. The Black Sea, the Caspian, the lakes Van and Urumiah may cover portions of the Adamic land. At the end of the hundred and fifty days the prevalence of the waters begins to turn into a positive retreat. Gen 8:4-5 The ark rested. - It is stranded on some hill in Ararat. This country forms part of Armenia. As the drying wind most probably came from the east or north, it is likely that the ark was drifted toward Asia Minor, and caught land on some hill in the reaches of the Euphrates. It cannot be supposed that it rested on either of the peaks now called Ararat, as Ararat was a country, not a mountain, and these peaks do not seem suitable for the purpose. The seventh month began usually with the new moon nearest the vernal equinox, or the 21st of March. "The tenth month." The waters ceased to prevail on the first of the ninth month. The ark, though grounded six weeks before, was still deep in the waters. The tops of the hills began to appear a month after. The subsiding of the waters seems to have been very slow. Gen 8:6-12 The raven and the dove are sent out to bring tidings of the external world. "Forty days." Before Noah made any experiment he seems to have allowed the lapse of forty days to undo the remaining effect of the forty days' rain. "The window." He seems to have been unable to take any definite observations through the aperture here called a window. The raven found carrion in abundance, floated probably on the waters, and did not need to return. This was such a token of the state of things as Noah might expect from such a messenger. He next sends the dove, who returns to him. "Yet other seven days." This intimates that he stayed seven days also after the raven was sent out. The olive leaf plucked off was a sign of returning safety to the land. It is said by Theophrastus (Hist. Plant. 4, 7) and Pliny (H. N. 13, 50) that the olive strikes leaves even under water. From this event, the olive branch became the symbol of peace, and the dove the emblem of the Comforter, the messenger of peace. After seven other days, the dove being despatched, returns no more. The number seven figures very conspicuously in this narrative. Seven days before the showers commence the command to enter the ark is given; and at intervals of seven days the winged messengers are sent out. These intervals point evidently to the period of seven days, determined by the six days of creation and the seventh day of rest. The clean beasts also and the birds are admitted into the ark by seven pairs. This points to the sacredness associated with the number arising from the hallowed character of the seventh day. The number forty also, the product of four, the number of the world or universe, and ten the number of completeness, begins here to be employed for a complete period in which a process will have run its course. Gen 8:13-14 Noah delays apparently another month, and, on the first day of the new year, ventures to remove the covering of the ark and look around. The date of the complete drying of the land is then given. The interval from the entrance to the exit consists of the following periods: Rain continued 40 days Waters prevailed 150 days Waters subside 99 days Noah delays 40 days Sending of the raven and the dove 20 days Another month 29 days Interval until the 27th of the 2nd month 57 days Sum-total of days 365 days Hence, it appears that the interval was a lunar year of three hundred and fifty-six days nearly, and ten days; that is, as nearly as possible, a solar year. This passage is important on account of the divisions of time which it brings out at this early epoch. The week of seven days is plainly intimated. The lunar month and year are evidently known. It is remarkable that the ten additional days bring up the lunar year in whole numbers to the solar. It seems a tacit agreement with the real order of nature. According to the Hebrew text, the deluge commenced in the 1656th year of the race of man. According to all texts it occurred in the time of Noah, the ninth in descent from Adam.

Notes on the Bible, by Albert Barnes, [1834]

- The Land Was Dried

1. שׁכך shākak "stoop, assuage."

3. חסר chāsar "want, fail, be abated."

4. אררט 'ărārāṭ, "Ararat," a land forming part of Armenia. It is mentioned in Kg2 19:37, and Isa 37:38, as the retreat of Adrammelek and Sharezer after the murder of their father; and in Jer 51:27 as a kingdom.

8. קלל qālal, "be light, lightened, lightly esteemed, swift."

10. חוּל chûl, "twist, turn, dance, writhe, tremble, be strong, wait." יהל yāchal "remain, wait, hope."

13. חרב chāreb, "be drained, desolated, amazed."

Gen 8:1-3

The waters commence their retreat. "And God remembered Noah." He is said to remember him when he takes any step to deliver him from the waters. The several steps to this end are enumerated.

A wind. - This would promote evaporation, and otherwise aid the retreat of the waters. "The fountains of the deep and the windows of the skies were shut." The incessant and violent showers had continued for six weeks. It is probable the weather remained turbid and moist for some time longer. In the sixth month, however, the rain probably ceased altogether. Some time before this, the depressing of the ground had reached its lowest point, and the upheaving had set in. This is the main cause of the reflux of the waters. All this is described, as we perceive, according to appearance. It is probable that the former configuration of the surface was not exactly restored. At all events it is not necessary, as the ark may have drifted a considerable space in a hundred and fifty days. Some of the old ground on which primeval man had trodden may have become a permanent water bed, and a like amount of new land may have risen to the light in another place. Hence, it is vain to seek for a spot retaining the precise conditions of the primitive Eden. The Euphrates and Tigris may substantially remain, but the Pishon and Gihon may have considerably changed. The Black Sea, the Caspian, the lakes Van and Urumiah may cover portions of the Adamic land. At the end of the hundred and fifty days the prevalence of the waters begins to turn into a positive retreat.

Gen 8:4-5

The ark rested. - It is stranded on some hill in Ararat. This country forms part of Armenia. As the drying wind most probably came from the east or north, it is likely that the ark was drifted toward Asia Minor, and caught land on some hill in the reaches of the Euphrates. It cannot be supposed that it rested on either of the peaks now called Ararat, as Ararat was a country, not a mountain, and these peaks do not seem suitable for the purpose. The seventh month began usually with the new moon nearest the vernal equinox, or the 21st of March. "The tenth month." The waters ceased to prevail on the first of the ninth month. The ark, though grounded six weeks before, was still deep in the waters. The tops of the hills began to appear a month after. The subsiding of the waters seems to have been very slow.

Gen 8:6-12

The raven and the dove are sent out to bring tidings of the external world. "Forty days." Before Noah made any experiment he seems to have allowed the lapse of forty days to undo the remaining effect of the forty days' rain. "The window." He seems to have been unable to take any definite observations through the aperture here called a window. The raven found carrion in abundance, floated probably on the waters, and did not need to return. This was such a token of the state of things as Noah might expect from such a messenger. He next sends the dove, who returns to him. "Yet other seven days." This intimates that he stayed seven days also after the raven was sent out. The olive leaf plucked off was a sign of returning safety to the land. It is said by Theophrastus (Hist. Plant. 4, 7) and Pliny (H. N. 13, 50) that the olive strikes leaves even under water. From this event, the olive branch became the symbol of peace, and the dove the emblem of the Comforter, the messenger of peace. After seven other days, the dove being despatched, returns no more. The number seven figures very conspicuously in this narrative. Seven days before the showers commence the command to enter the ark is given; and at intervals of seven days the winged messengers are sent out. These intervals point evidently to the period of seven days, determined by the six days of creation and the seventh day of rest. The clean beasts also and the birds are admitted into the ark by seven pairs. This points to the sacredness associated with the number arising from the hallowed character of the seventh day. The number forty also, the product of four, the number of the world or universe, and ten the number of completeness, begins here to be employed for a complete period in which a process will have run its course.

Gen 8:13-14

Noah delays apparently another month, and, on the first day of the new year, ventures to remove the covering of the ark and look around. The date of the complete drying of the land is then given. The interval from the entrance to the exit consists of the following periods:

Rain continued 40 days Waters prevailed 150 days Waters subside 99 days Noah delays 40 days Sending of the raven and the dove 20 days Another month 29 days Interval until the 27th of the 2nd month 57 days Sum-total of days 365 days

Hence, it appears that the interval was a lunar year of three hundred and fifty-six days nearly, and ten days; that is, as nearly as possible, a solar year. This passage is important on account of the divisions of time which it brings out at this early epoch. The week of seven days is plainly intimated. The lunar month and year are evidently known. It is remarkable that the ten additional days bring up the lunar year in whole numbers to the solar. It seems a tacit agreement with the real order of nature. According to the Hebrew text, the deluge commenced in the 1656th year of the race of man. According to all texts it occurred in the time of Noah, the ninth in descent from Adam.

Commentary on the Old Testament, by Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch [1857-78]
With the words, "then God remembered Noah and all the animals...in the ark," the narrative turns to the description of the gradual decrease of the water until the ground was perfectly dry. The fall of the water is described in the same pictorial style as its rapid rise. God's "remembering" was a manifestation of Himself, an effective restraint of the force of the raging element. He caused a wind to blow over the earth, so that the waters sank, and shut up the fountains of the deep, and the sluices of heaven, so that the rain from heaven was restrained. "Then the waters turned (ישׁבוּ i.e., flowed off) from the earth, flowing continuously (the inf. absol. ושׁוב הלוך expresses continuation), and decreased at the end of 150 days." The decrease first became perceptible when the ark rested upon the mountains of Ararat on the 17th day of the seventh month; i.e.,, reckoning 30 days to a month, exactly 150 days after the flood commenced. From that time forth it continued without intermission, so that on the first day of the tenth month, probably 73 days after the resting of the ark, the tops of the mountains were seen, viz., the tops of the Armenian highlands, by which the ark was surrounded. Ararat was the name of a province (Kg2 19:37), which is mentioned along with Minni (Armenia) as a kingdom in Jer 51:27, probably the central province of the country of Armenia, which Moses v. Chorene calls Arairad, Araratia. The mountains of Ararat are, no doubt, the group of mountains which rise from the plain of the Araxes in two lofty peaks, the greater and lesser Ararat, the former 16,254 feet above the level of the sea, the latter about 12,000. This landing-place of the ark is extremely interesting in connection with the development of the human race as renewed after the flood. Armenia, the source of the rivers of paradise, has been called "a cool, airy, well-watered mountain-island in the midst of the old continent;" but Mount Ararat especially is situated almost in the middle, not only of the great desert route of Africa and Asia, but also of the range of inland waters from Gibraltar to the Baikal Sea-in the centre, too, of the longest line that can be drawn through the settlements of the Caucasian race and the Indo-Germanic tribes; and, as the central point of the longest land-line of the ancient world, from the Cape of Good Hope to the Behring Straits, it was the most suitable spot in the world, for the tribes and nations that sprang from the sons of Noah to descend from its heights and spread into every land (vid., K. v. Raumer, Palst. pp. 456ff.).

Explanatory Notes on the Whole Bible, by John Wesley [1754-65]
And God remembered Noah and every living thing - This is an expression after the manner of men, for not any of his creatures, much less any of his people are forgotten of God. But the whole race of mankind, except Noah and his family, was now extinguished, and gone into the land of forgetfulness, so that God's remembering Noah was the return of his mercy to mankind, of whom he would not make a full end. Noah himself, tho' one that had found grace in the eyes of the Lord, yet seemed to be forgotten in the ark; but at length God returned in mercy to him, and that is expressed by his remembering him.

Adam Clarke Commentary on the Whole Bible - Published 1810-1826
And God made a wind to pass over the earth - Such a wind as produced a strong and sudden evaporation. The effects of these winds, which are frequent in the east, are truly astonishing. A friend of mine, who had been bathing in the Tigris, not far from the ancient city of Ctesiphon, and within five days' journey of Bagdad, having on a pair of Turkish drawers, one of these hot winds, called by the natives samiel, passing rapidly across the river just as he had got out of the water, so effectually dried him in a moment, that not one particle of moisture was left either on his body or in his bathing dress! With such an electrified wind as this, how soon could God dry the whole of the earth's surface! An operation something similar to the conversion of water into its two constituent airs, oxygen and hydrogen, by means of the galvanic fluid, as these airs themselves may be reconverted into water by means of the electric spark. See the note Gen 7:11. And probably this was the agent that restored to the atmosphere the quantity of water which it had contributed to this vast inundation. The other portion of waters, which had proceeded from the breaking up of the fountains of the great deep, would of course subside more slowly, as openings were made for them to run off from the higher lands, and form seas. By the first cause, the hot wind, the waters were assuaged, and the atmosphere having its due proportion of vapours restored, the quantity below must be greatly lessened. By the second, the earth was gradually dried, the waters, as they found passage, lessening by degrees till the seas and gulfs were formed, and the earth completely drained. This appears to be what is intended in the third and fifth verses by the waters decreasing continually, or, according to the margin, they were in going and decreasing, Gen 8:5.

Top

⁴ Who maketh [06213] his angels [04397] spirits [07307]; his ministers [08334] a flaming [03857] fire [0784]:

²⁹ Are [4453] not [3780] two [1417] sparrows [4765] sold [4453] for a farthing [787]? and [2532] one [1520] of [1537] them [846] shall [4098] not [3756] fall [4098] on [1909] the ground [1093] without [427] your [5216] Father [3962].

¹ And God [0430] remembered [02142] Noah [05146], and every living thing [02416], and all the cattle [0929] that was with him in the ark [08392]: and God [0430] made [05674] a wind [07307] to pass [05674] over [05921] the earth [0776], and the waters [04325] asswaged [07918];
² The fountains [04599] also of the deep [08415] and the windows [0699] of heaven [08064] were stopped [05534], and the rain [01653] from heaven [08064] was restrained [03607];
³ And the waters [04325] returned [07725] from off the earth [0776] continually [01980] [07725]: and after the end [07097] of the hundred [03967] and fifty [02572] days [03117] the waters [04325] were abated [02637].
⁴ And the ark [08392] rested [05117] in the seventh [07637] month [02320], on the seventeenth [06240] [07651] day [03117] of the month [02320], upon the mountains [02022] of Ararat [0780].
⁵ And the waters [04325] decreased [02637] continually [01980] until [05704] the tenth [06224] month [02320]: in the tenth [06224] month, on the first [0259] day of the month [02320], were the tops [07218] of the mountains [02022] seen [07200].
⁶ And it came to pass at the end [07093] of forty [0705] days [03117], that Noah [05146] opened [06605] the window [02474] of the ark [08392] which he had made [06213]:
⁷ And he sent forth [07971] a raven [06158], which went forth [03318] to [03318] and fro [07725], until the waters [04325] were dried up [03001] from off the earth [0776].
⁸ Also he sent forth [07971] a dove [03123] from him, to see [07200] if the waters [04325] were abated [07043] from off the face [06440] of the ground [0127];
⁹ But the dove [03123] found [04672] no rest [04494] for the sole [03709] of her foot [07272], and she returned [07725] unto him into the ark [08392], for the waters [04325] were on the face [06440] of the whole earth [0776]: then he put forth [07971] his hand [03027], and took her [03947], and pulled her in [0935] unto him into the ark [08392].
¹⁰ And he stayed [02342] yet other [0312] seven [07651] days [03117]; and again [03254] he sent forth [07971] the dove [03123] out of the ark [08392];
¹¹ And the dove [03123] came in [0935] to him in the evening [06256] [06153]; and, lo, in her mouth [06310] was an olive [02132] leaf [05929] pluckt off [02965]: so Noah [05146] knew [03045] that the waters [04325] were abated [07043] from off the earth [0776].
¹² And he stayed [03176] yet other [0312] seven [07651] days [03117]; and sent forth [07971] the dove [03123]; which returned [07725] not again [03254] unto him any more [05750].
¹³ And it came to pass in the six [08337] hundredth [03967] and first year [08141], in the first [07223] month, the first [0259] day of the month [02320], the waters [04325] were dried up [02717] from off the earth [0776]: and Noah [05146] removed [05493] the covering [04372] of the ark [08392], and looked [07200], and, behold, the face [06440] of the ground [0127] was dry [02717].
¹⁴ And in the second [08145] month [02320], on the seven [07651] and twentieth [06242] day [03117] of the month [02320], was the earth [0776] dried [03001].

¹³ And it came to pass in the six [08337] hundredth [03967] and first year [08141], in the first [07223] month, the first [0259] day of the month [02320], the waters [04325] were dried up [02717] from off the earth [0776]: and Noah [05146] removed [05493] the covering [04372] of the ark [08392], and looked [07200], and, behold, the face [06440] of the ground [0127] was dry [02717].
¹⁴ And in the second [08145] month [02320], on the seven [07651] and twentieth [06242] day [03117] of the month [02320], was the earth [0776] dried [03001].

⁶ And it came to pass at the end [07093] of forty [0705] days [03117], that Noah [05146] opened [06605] the window [02474] of the ark [08392] which he had made [06213]:
⁷ And he sent forth [07971] a raven [06158], which went forth [03318] to [03318] and fro [07725], until the waters [04325] were dried up [03001] from off the earth [0776].
⁸ Also he sent forth [07971] a dove [03123] from him, to see [07200] if the waters [04325] were abated [07043] from off the face [06440] of the ground [0127];
⁹ But the dove [03123] found [04672] no rest [04494] for the sole [03709] of her foot [07272], and she returned [07725] unto him into the ark [08392], for the waters [04325] were on the face [06440] of the whole earth [0776]: then he put forth [07971] his hand [03027], and took her [03947], and pulled her in [0935] unto him into the ark [08392].
¹⁰ And he stayed [02342] yet other [0312] seven [07651] days [03117]; and again [03254] he sent forth [07971] the dove [03123] out of the ark [08392];
¹¹ And the dove [03123] came in [0935] to him in the evening [06256] [06153]; and, lo, in her mouth [06310] was an olive [02132] leaf [05929] pluckt off [02965]: so Noah [05146] knew [03045] that the waters [04325] were abated [07043] from off the earth [0776].
¹² And he stayed [03176] yet other [0312] seven [07651] days [03117]; and sent forth [07971] the dove [03123]; which returned [07725] not again [03254] unto him any more [05750].

⁴ And the ark [08392] rested [05117] in the seventh [07637] month [02320], on the seventeenth [06240] [07651] day [03117] of the month [02320], upon the mountains [02022] of Ararat [0780].
⁵ And the waters [04325] decreased [02637] continually [01980] until [05704] the tenth [06224] month [02320]: in the tenth [06224] month, on the first [0259] day of the month [02320], were the tops [07218] of the mountains [02022] seen [07200].

²⁷ Set ye up [05375] a standard [05251] in the land [0776], blow [08628] the trumpet [07782] among the nations [01471], prepare [06942] the nations [01471] against her, call together [08085] against her the kingdoms [04467] of Ararat [0780], Minni [04508], and Ashchenaz [0813]; appoint [06485] a captain [02951] against her; cause the horses [05483] to come up [05927] as the rough [05569] caterpillers [03218].

³⁸ And it came to pass, as he was worshipping [07812] in the house [01004] of Nisroch [05268] his god [0430], that Adrammelech [0152] and Sharezer [08272] his sons [01121] smote [05221] him with the sword [02719]; and they escaped [04422] into the land [0776] of Armenia [0780]: and Esarhaddon [0634] his son [01121] reigned [04427] in his stead.

³⁷ And it came to pass, as he was worshipping [07812] in the house [01004] of Nisroch [05268] his god [0430], that Adrammelech [0152] and Sharezer [08272] his sons [01121] smote [05221] him with the sword [02719]: and they escaped [04422] into the land [0776] of Armenia [0780]. And Esarhaddon [0634] his son [01121] reigned [04427] in his stead.

⁵ And the waters [04325] decreased [02637] continually [01980] until [05704] the tenth [06224] month [02320]: in the tenth [06224] month, on the first [0259] day of the month [02320], were the tops [07218] of the mountains [02022] seen [07200].

¹¹ In [08141] the six [08337] hundredth [03967] year [08141] of Noah's [05146] life [02416], in the second [08145] month [02320], the seventeenth [07651] [06240] day [03117] of the month [02320], the same [02088] day [03117] were all the fountains [04599] of the great [07227] deep [08415] broken up [01234], and the windows [0699] of heaven [08064] were opened [06605].