13 In the six-hundred-first year of Noah's life, on the first day of the first month, the flood had dried up. Noah opened the hatch of the ship and saw dry ground. 14 By the twenty-seventh day of the second month, the Earth was completely dry.
15 God spoke to Noah: 16 "Leave the ship, you and your wife and your sons and your sons' wives. 17 And take all the animals with you, the whole menagerie of birds and mammals and crawling creatures, all that brimming prodigality of life, so they can reproduce and flourish on the Earth." 18 Noah disembarked with his sons and wife and his sons' wives. 19 Then all the animals, crawling creatures, birds - every creature on the face of the Earth - left the ship family by family.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Genesis 8:13-19
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.