Tyndale Open Study NotesGenesis 8

• God remembered: This key part of the great flood story does not mean God ever forgot Noah. It uses covenant language to show God's faithfulness to his promise to keep his covenant partner safe (see 6:18; 9:15–16; Exodus 2:24; Leviticus 26:42, 45).

• wind: The same Hebrew word is translated as “Spirit” in Genesis 1:2. This and other similarities suggest that restoring the earth after the great flood was like a new creation (see Genesis 9:1–2).

The springs of the deep and the floodgates of the heavens: See study note on 7:11–12.

The mountains of Ararat might be in the region of Ararat (Urartu), southeast of the Black Sea near Lake Van. This area borders parts of eastern Turkey, Armenia, and Iran. There is a Mount Ararat (Agri Dag) in Turkey, but this verse only identifies the region, not a specific mountain.

the waters continued to recede: This is another similarity to the creation week (see 1:9). This suggests that restoring the earth was like a new creation (see study note on 8:1).

The raven is the biggest bird in the crow family and in Noah's time the raven was considered ceremonially unclean (Leviticus 11:15; Deuteronomy 14:14). As a scavenger that eats dead animals, it could survive without returning to the boat.

Unlike the raven (8:7), the dove eats plants. Olive trees are short, so Noah knew the water was almost gone.

In Noah’s six hundred and first year, on the first day of the first month: This was two months after the mountain peaks first appeared (8:5).

the earth was fully dry: This word for dry land is often used with the sea to show God’s rule over both land and sea (see 1:9–10; Exodus 14:22, 29; Psalm 95:5; Jonah 1:9).

be fruitful and multiply: See 9:1.

• This first mention of an altar in the Bible shows how thankful Noah was for surviving the judgment.

• offered burnt offerings: The same wording is used for the whole burnt offering in Leviticus (Leviticus 1:3–9), but it can refer to any offering that is burned. Noah gave this offering to thank and worship God, who saved him and his family from the great flood.

• smelled the pleasing aroma: The narrator uses anthropomorphic language (he describes God’s activity in human terms) to show God’s acceptance of Noah’s offering (see also Exodus 29:18; Leviticus 1:9; Numbers 15:3). In the ancient Near East, people often believed that their gods ate the sacrifices offered to them. This idea is not found in the Bible.

• in his heart: This is the same phrase as in 6:6. In the same way, here every inclination of his heart echoes "every inclination of the thoughts of his heart" (6:5). God’s commitment to a new order replaced his grief over the old.

• Never again will I curse … destroy: The old curse remained (5:29), but God promised not to add to it. He set new limits for life in a chaotic world (compare Isaiah 54:9). The flood was meant to stop violence, not to change the human heart (the inner thoughts and desires that lead people to do wrong; Genesis 6:5). Human beings have a tendency toward evil, but this would be limited to some degree by a new law that holds people responsible for their actions (9:5–6).

God’s promise to sustain the rhythm of the seasons reaffirmed the created order (1:14; see also Jeremiah 33:20; Zechariah 14:7).