81 And God remembereth Noah, and every living thing, and all the cattle which 'are' with him in the ark, and God causeth a wind to pass over the earth, and the waters subside, 2 and closed are the fountains of the deep and the net-work of the heavens, and restrained is the shower from the heavens. 3 And turn back do the waters from off the earth, going on and returning; and the waters are lacking at the end of a hundred and fifty days.
4 And the ark resteth, in the seventh month, in the seventeenth day of the month, on mountains of Ararat; 5 and the waters have been going and becoming lacking till the tenth month; in the tenth 'month', on the first of the month, appeared the heads of the mountains.
6 And it cometh to pass, at the end of forty days, that Noah openeth the window of the ark which he made, 7 and he sendeth forth the raven, and it goeth out, going out and turning back till the drying of the waters from off the earth. 8 And he sendeth forth the dove from him to see whether the waters have been lightened from off the face of the ground, 9 and the dove hath not found rest for the sole of her foot, and she turneth back unto him, unto the ark, for waters 'are' on the face of all the earth, and he putteth out his hand, and taketh her, and bringeth her in unto him, unto the ark. 10 And he stayeth yet other seven days, and addeth to send forth the dove from the ark; 11 and the dove cometh in unto him at even-time, and lo, an olive leaf torn off in her mouth; and Noah knoweth that the waters have been lightened from off the earth. 12 And he stayeth yet other seven days, and sendeth forth the dove, and it added not to turn back unto him any more.
13 And it cometh to pass in the six hundredth and first year, in the first 'month', in the first of the month, the waters have been dried from off the earth; and Noah turneth aside the covering of the ark, and looketh, and lo, the face of the ground hath been dried. 14 And in the second month, in the seven and twentieth day of the month, the earth hath become dry.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Genesis 8:1-14
Commentary on Genesis 8:1-3
(Read Genesis 8:1-3)
The whole race of mankind, except Noah and his family, were now dead, so that God's remembering Noah, was the return of his mercy to mankind, of whom he would not make a full end. The demands of Divine justice had been answered by the ruin of sinners. God sent his wind to dry the earth, and seal up his waters. The same hand that brings the desolation, must bring the deliverance; to that hand, therefore, we must ever look. When afflictions have done the work for which they are sent, whether killing work or curing work, they will be taken away. As the earth was not drowned in a day, so it was not dried in a day. God usually works deliverance for his people gradually, that the day of small things may not be despised, nor the day of great things despaired of.
Commentary on Genesis 8:4-12
(Read Genesis 8:4-12)
The ark rested upon a mountain, whither it was directed by the wise and gracious providence of God, that might rest the sooner. God has times and places of rest for his people after their tossing; and many times he provides for their seasonable and comfortable settlement, without their own contrivance, and quite beyond their own foresight. God had told Noah when the flood would come, yet he did not give him an account by revelation, at what times and by what steps it should go away. The knowledge of the former was necessary to his preparing the ark; but the knowledge of the latter would serve only to gratify curiosity; and concealing it from him would exercise his faith and patience. Noah sent forth a raven from the ark, which went flying about, and feeding on the carcasses that floated. Noah then sent forth a dove, which returned the first time without good news; but the second time, she brought an olive leaf in her bill, plucked off, plainly showing that trees, fruit trees, began to appear above water. Noah sent forth the dove the second time, seven days after the first, and the third time was after seven days also; probably on the sabbath day. Having kept the sabbath with his little church, he expected especial blessings from Heaven, and inquired concerning them. The dove is an emblem of a gracious soul, that, finding no solid peace of satisfaction in this deluged, defiling world, returns to Christ as to its ark, as to its Noah, its rest. The defiling world, returns to Christ as to its ark, as to its Noah, its rest. The carnal heart, like the raven, takes up with the world, and feeds on the carrion it finds there; but return thou to my rest, O my soul; to thy Noah, so the word is, Psalm 116:7. And as Noah put forth his hand, and took the dove, and pulled her to him, into the ark, so Christ will save, and help, and welcome those that flee to him for rest.
Commentary on Genesis 8:13-19
(Read Genesis 8:13-19)
God consults our benefit, rather than our desires; he knows what is good for us better than we do for ourselves, and how long it is fit our restraints should continue, and desired mercies should be delayed. We would go out of the ark before the ground is dried; and perhaps, if the door, is shut, are ready to thrust off the covering, and to climb up some other way; but God's time of showing mercy is the best time. As Noah had a command to go into the ark, so, how tedious soever his confinement there was, he would wait for a command to go out of it again. We must in all our ways acknowledge God, and set him before us in all our removals. Those only go under God's protection, who follow God's direction, and submit to him.