Genesis 8 Bible Commentary

John Wesley’s Explanatory Notes

(Read all of Genesis 8)

Verse 1

[1] 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;

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.

Verse 3

[3] And the waters returned from off the earth continually: and after the end of the hundred and fifty days the waters were abated.

The waters returned from off the earth continually — Heb. they were going and returning; a gradual departure. The heat of the sun exhaled much, and perhaps the subterraneous caverns soaked in more.

Verse 4

[4] And the ark rested in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, upon the mountains of Ararat.

And the ark rested — upon the mountains of Ararat - Or, Armenia, whether it was directed, not by Noah's prudence, but the wise providence of God.

Verse 5

[5] And 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.

The tops of the mountains were seen — Like little islands appearing above water. They felt ground above forty days before they saw it, according to Dr. Lightfoots's computation, whence he infers that if the waters decreased proportionably, the ark drew eleven cubits in water.

Verse 7

[7] And he sent forth a raven, which went forth to and fro, until the waters were dried up from off the earth.

Noah sent forth a raven through the window of the ark, which went forth, as the Hebrew phrase is, going forth and returning, that is, flying about, but returning to the ark for rest; probably not in it, but upon it. This gave Noah little satisfaction: therefore,

Verse 8

[8] Also he sent forth a dove from him, to see if the waters were abated from off the face of the ground;

He sent forth a dove — Which returned the first time with no good news, but probably wet and dirty; but the second time she brought an olive leaf in her bill, which appeared to be fresh plucked off; a plain indication that now the trees began to appear above water. Note here, that Noah set forth the dove the second time, seven days after the first time, and the third time was after seven days too: and probably the first sending of her out was seven days after the sending forth of the raven. The olive branch is an emblem of peace.

Verse 13

[13] And 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.

Noah removed the covering of the ark — Not the whole covering, but so much as would suffice to give him a prospect of the earth about it: and behold the face of the ground was dry.

Verse 14

[14] And in the second month, on the seven and twentieth day of the month, was the earth dried.

The earth was dried — So as to be a fit habitation for Noah.

Verse 20

[20] And 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.

And Noah builded an altar — Hitherto he had done nothing without particular instructions and commands from God but altars and sacrifices being already of Divine institution, he did not stay for a particular command thus to express his thankfulness.

And he offered on the altar, of every clean beast and of every clean fowl — One, the odd seventh that we read of, Genesis 7:2,3.

Verse 21

[21] And 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.

And God smelled a sweet savour — Or a savour of rest from it, as it is in the Hebrew. He was well pleased with Noah's pious zeal, and these hopeful beginnings of the new world, as men are with fragrant and agreeable smells. I will not again curse the ground, Heb.

I will not add to curse the ground any more — God had cursed the ground upon the first entrance of sin, Genesis 3:17, when he drowned it he added to that curse: but now he determines not to add to it any more.

Neither will I again smite any more every living thing — That is, it was determined that whatever ruin God might bring upon particular persons, families or countries, he would never again destroy the whole world, 'till the day when time shall be no more. But the reason of this resolve is surprising; for it seems the same with the reason given for the destruction of the world, Jeremiah 33:20. We see God's promises to the creatures made good, and thence may infer that his promises to believers shall be so.