Genesis 8:1-12

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Genesis 8:1-3

Here is, I. An act of God's grace: God remembered Noah and every living thing. This is an expression after the manner of men; for not any of his creatures (Luke 12:6), much less any of his people, are forgotten of God, Isa. 49:15, 16. But, 1. The whole race of mankind, except Noah and his family, was now extinguished, and driven into the land of forgetfulness, to be remembered no more; so that God's remembering Noah was the return of his mercy to mankind, of whom he would not make a full end.... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Genesis 8:4-5

Here we have the effects and evidences of the ebbing of the waters. 1. The ark rested. This was some satisfaction to Noah, to feel the house he was in upon firm ground, and no longer movable. It rested upon a mountain, whither it was directed, not by Noah's prudence (he did not steer it), but by the wise and gracious providence of God, that it might rest the sooner. Note, God has times and places of rest for his people after their tossings; and many a time he provides for their seasonable and... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Genesis 8:6-12

We have here an account of the spies which Noah sent forth to bring him intelligence from abroad, a raven and a dove. Observe here, I. That though God had told Noah particularly when the flood would come, even to a day (Gen. 7:4), yet he did not give him a particular account by revelation at what times, and by what steps, it should go away, 1. Because the knowledge of the former was necessary to his preparing the ark, and settling himself in it; but the knowledge of the latter would serve only... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 8:1

And God remembered Noah, and every living thing, and all the cattle that was with him in the ark ,.... Not that God had forgotten Noah, for he does not, and cannot forget his creatures, properly speaking; but this is said after the manner of men, and as it might have seemed to Noah, who having heard nothing of him for five months, and having been perhaps longer in the ark than he expected, might begin to think that he was forgotten of God; but God remembered him, and his covenant with him,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 8:2

The fountains also of the deep, and the windows of heaven, were stopped ,.... The passages which let out the subterraneous waters in great quantity upon the earth, and the clouds of heaven, which poured down water upon it like spouts, were stopped from sending forth any more, as they had from the first of the flood unto one hundred and fifty days from thence: Jarchi observes, that it is not said that "all" the fountains of the deep, as when they were broken up, Genesis 7:11 because some of... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 8:3

And the waters returned from off the earth continually ,.... Or "going and returning" F19 הלוך ושוב , "eundo et redeundo", Pagninus, Montanus. ; they went off from the earth, and returned to their proper places appointed for them; some were dried up by the wind, and exhaled by the sun into the air: and others returned to their channels and cavities in the earth, or soaked into it: and after the end of the hundred and fifty days, the waters were abated ; or began to abate, as... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 8:4

And the ark rested in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month ,.... That is, five months after the flood began, and when the waters began to decrease; for this is not the seventh month of the flood, but of the year, which being reckoned from Tisri, or the autumnal equinox, must be the month Nisan, which answers to part of our March, and part of April; and so the Targum of Jonathan explains it,"this is the month Nisan;'but Jarchi makes it to be the month Sivan, which answers to... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 8:5

And the waters decreased continually until the tenth month ,.... That is, from the seventeenth of the seventh month, to the first of the tenth month, a space of two months and thirteen days, and being summer time, through the heat of the sun, they decreased apace: in the tenth month , on the first day of the month, were the tops of the mountains seen ; not the tenth month of the flood, but of the year; the month Tammuz, as the Targum of Jonathan, and answers to part of June, and part... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 8:6

And it came to pass at the end of forty days ,.... From the appearance of the mountains, that is, from the first day of the tenth month, to forty days after; and being ended, this must be the eleventh day of the eleventh month, the month Ab, which answers to July and August; and according to Bishop Usher F11 Ut supra. (Annales Vet. Test. p. 4.) it was Friday the twenty eighth of August: that Noah opened the window of the ark which he had made ; of which See Gill on Genesis 6:16 . read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 8:7

And he sent forth a raven ,.... That by it he might make his observation, how high or low the waters were upon the earth; and the rather he sent out the raven, a bird of prey, which feeds on carrion, that if the earth had been dry, the smell of the dead carcasses would have invited it to go far off from the ark, and not return; but if not, he would see it again: which went forth to and fro, until the waters were dried up from the earth ; or, "and it went forth, going forth and returning"... read more

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