Bible Studies In The Word of God

GENESIS 8

 

Verse 1. Remembered. God never forgets anything In the sense of let¬ting it slip his mind as Is the case with man. BuL one word in the defini¬tion of the original here is to "recog¬nize.” It means that God now took notice and was not going to leave Noah and his group In the ark as in a prison. He was now ready to dispel the water as it has accomplished Its purpose on the wickedness of the earth so that Noah could again occupy the land. Asswaged. This is the same meaning as "abated” in verses 3, 8.

Verse 2. See comments at chapter 1:7.

Verse 3. Returned and continually. Both these are from the same original and the central word in the definition is "retreat” without any specific des-ignation as to where the retreat reached. But the context in chapter 1: 7; 7: 11 and verse 2 here would tell us they retreated to their former places, namely, the deep or sea, and heaven.

Verse 4. Ararat. This original word is also rendered Armenia In the A. V. Notice the statement is that the ark rested on the mountains. Since it would not rest twice nor in two places at once we should not refer to the resting place of the ark as on any particular mountain as is popularly expressed. The principal thought Is that It was In that country and also that it rested on a mountain. ThiB ac¬counts for the fact that the ark ceased floating a number of months before they left it. The ground generally must become dry before Noah could leave the ark.

Verse 5. The waters continued to abate after the ark rested on a mountain and by the first day of tenth month the mountain tops were seen.  This is from RAAH and defined by Strong "a primitive root; to see, literally or figuratively.”  From verses 7, 11 it indicates that Noah had not yet seen the ground. Therefore we would be left with the figurative part of the definition of the word and would read it as if it said the tops of the mountains were visible without regard to whether any human actually saw them.

Verse 6. Opened the window. See comments at chapter 6:16. If the window was made as there described it would be clear as to how Noah would open this place. It would be on the side of the window which would he the natural place to make an outlet.

Verse 7. To and fro. The last of these words is from shcwb and thus defined by Strong: "a primitive root; to turn back (hence, away) transitively or intransitively, literally or figuratively, (not necessarily with the idea of return to the starting point): generally to retreat" Since the word does not necessarily mean that the returning was to the place of starting we would not get the idea the raven returned to the ark. This would be a strange conduct for Noah to have the raven leaving the ark and then returning to it, and keeping this up till the waters had dried up. In that case no occasion would have been present for sending the dove on this reconnaissance mission. But the raven, being tireless on the wing, continued its flight until the waters were abated. This made it necessary for Noah to send out the other bird.

 

Verses 8, 9. The raven not having reappeared Noah makes another inquiry by the use of the dove. The statements in this paragraph do not contradict that of verse 5. The tops of the mountains would not necessarily be in many places and thus not close enough to the ark to provide a resting place for the dove. Therefore, not being such a hardy bird, would be compelled to return to the ark.

Verses 10-12. The olive leaf in the mouth of the dove would not mean that the earth was entirely dried, only abated. And the existence of the olive leaf indicates that vegetation was not to be destroyed by the flood. See comments on this point at 7:23. The failure of the dove to return after the third flight showed that the earth was practically clear of the flood.

 

Verse 13. Covering. This is from MIKCEH and Strong defines it “a covering, i. e., weather-boarding." The nearest we can safely come to the meaning of this statement Is that at some place accessible for Noah a part used for protection against the weather was so constructed that it could be removed. It could not have been the same as the window, for, had it been so, he could have looked to see the “face of the ground" at the time he sent the birds out. So, recalling that God shut him in before the wa¬ters began to come (see 7:16), it Is a necessary inference that he would not be privileged to open any part of the exterior of the ark until God so directed him. That was done here.

Verse 14. The earth was dry In the year 601 of Noah’s life, second month, twenty-sevnth day. In year 600, sec-ond month, 17th day of his life the flood started according to 7:11, and according to 7:4, 10 Noah entered the ark seven days before the rain satrted. Then he entered the ark the 10th day of second month of 600th year of his life and left the ark 27th day of second month of 601st year. Therefore he was in the ark a year and 17 days.

Verses 15-19. Nothing new in this paragraph but it is well to note again that only things with flesh or that crept are mentioned which again reminds ua that vegetation was not all to be destroyed by the flood.

Verse 20. This is the first time that an altar is mentioned by name al¬though we know that one was used by Abel since he offered an acceptable sacrifice. Note also that the clean creatures were the ones offered which shows us the propriety of his having taken a greater number of the clean than the unclean into the ark.

Verse 21. From his youth. Attention Is called to the point in human life that evil is charged against individuals. This opposes the doctrine of fatalists who teach that mankind is depraved from birth.

Verse 22. A popular speculation of prophecy is that the time is to be when we can not tell difference between summer and winter. This verse declares that the usual seasons will continue as long as the earth stands. The existence of the famine in Egypt and other places does not contradict this verse. It does not say that no famine will ever come. It only says that the seasons and the planting and reaping times will always recur. That was true in spite of those local famines. Furthermore, while it was said that the famine in the days of Joseph affected the whole earth, that was a miraculous famine and provision was made for it by an overproduction through the seven previous years.