the Week of Christ the King / Proper 29 / Ordinary 34
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Genesis 8:7
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and sent forth a raven. It went to and fro until the waters were dried up from the earth.
and he sent forth a raven, and it went forth to and fro, until the waters were dried up from off the earth.
he sent out a raven. It flew here and there until the water had dried up from the earth.
and sent out a raven; it kept flying back and forth until the waters had dried up on the earth.
And he sent forth a raven, which went forth to and fro, till the waters were dried from off the earth.
and he sent forth a raven. It went back and forth, until the waters were dried up from off the earth.
which yede out, and turnede not ayen til the watris weren dried on erthe.
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.
and sent out a raven. It kept flying back and forth until the waters had dried up from the earth.
and he sent out a raven, which flew back and forth until the water had dried up from the earth.
and he sent forth a raven, and it went forth to and fro, until the waters were dried up from off the earth.
Noah sent out a raven, which went this way and that till the waters were gone from the earth.
And he sent foorth a Rauen, whiche went out, goyng foorth, and returnyng, vntyll the waters were dryed vp vpon the earth.
And he sent out the raven, which went forth going to and fro, until the waters were dried from the earth.
Then he sent out a raven. The raven flew from place to place until the ground was dry and the water was gone.
And he sent forth a raven, and it went forth to and fro, until the waters were dried up from off the earth.
And he sent forth a Rauen, which went foorth to and fro, vntill the waters were dried vp from off the earth.
And he sent forth a raven, which went forth to and fro, until the waters were dried up from off the earth.
Then he sent out a raven, and it flew here and there until the water was dried up from the earth.
and sent out the raven; and it went to and fro until the waters were dried up from the earth.
and sent forth a raven, - and it kept going forth and returning, until the drying up of the waters from off the earth.
And sent forth a rauen, which went out going forth and returning, vntill the waters were dried vp vpon the earth.
And he sent forth a raven which went to and fro, but did not return until the waters were dried up from the face of the earth.
and sent out a raven. It did not come back, but kept flying around until the water was completely gone.
Which went forth and did not return, till the waters were dried up upon the earth.
and sent forth a raven; and it went to and fro until the waters were dried up from the earth.
And he sent forth a raven; and it went forth and returned not until the water was dried from off the earth.
and he sent forth a raven, and it went forth to and fro, until the waters were dried up from off the earth.
and he sent out a raven. It went back and forth until the water had dried up from the earth.
and he sent forth a raven. It went back and forth, until the waters were dried up from off the eretz.
And he sent out a raven; it went to and fro until the waters were dried up from upon the earth.
And he sent out a raven, and it went out, going out and returning until the waters were dried up from off the earth.
& sent forth a rauen, which flew out, and came agayne, vntyll the waters were dryed vp vpo the earth.
He sent out a raven; it flew back and forth waiting for the floodwaters to dry up. Then he sent a dove to check on the flood conditions, but it couldn't even find a place to perch—water still covered the Earth. Noah reached out and caught it, brought it back into the ship.
and he sent out a raven, and it flew here and there until the water was dried up from the earth.
Then he sent out a raven, which kept going to and fro until the waters had dried up from the earth.
and released a raven. The bird flew back and forth until the floodwaters on the earth had dried up.
and he sent out a raven, and it flew here and there until the water was dried up from the earth.
and he sent out a raven, and it went out flying back and forth until the water was dried up from the earth.
Contextual Overview
Bible Verse Review
from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
a raven: Leviticus 11:15, 1 Kings 17:4, 1 Kings 17:6, Job 38:41, Psalms 147:9
went forth to and fro: Heb. in going forth and returning
Reciprocal: Genesis 47:27 - grew
Cross-References
every kind of raven,
"You shall drink from the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to sustain you there [with food]."
And the ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning, and bread and meat in the evening; and he would drink from the brook.
"Who provides prey for the raven When its young cry to God And wander about without food?
He gives to the beast its food, And to the young ravens that for which they cry.
Gill's Notes on the Bible
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" l; it went forth out of the ark, and returned, but might not go into it, but went forth again, and then returned; and thus it continued going backwards and forwards, until the waters were dried up, when it returned no more: the Septuagint version is, "and it returned not"; and so some Jewish writers m say, it found the carcass of a man on the top of the mountains, and sat upon it for food, and returned not: hence came the fable of Apollo's sending a raven to fetch water, while he was sacrificing, which lighting on a large corn field, yet green, and being willing to enjoy some grains of it, waited till it was ripe, and neglected its orders n; and hence is the proverb, "corvus nuntius". Some make this creature to be an emblem of the law, first sent forth, but brought no good tidings of the waters of God's wrath being assuaged, but worketh wrath, and is the ministration of condemnation and death: rather it is an emblem of unregenerate men, who are, like it, black through original sin and actual transgressions; are unclean and polluted in all the powers and faculties of their souls; are hateful, hating one another, and live in carnal and sensual lusts pleasures.
l ויצא יצוא ושוב "et exiit egrediende et redeundo", Pagninus, Montanus, Schmidt. m Pirke Eliezer, c. 23. n Aelian. Var. Hist. l. 1. c. 47.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible
- The Land Was Dried
1. שׁכך shākak “stoop, assuage.”
3. חסר chāsar “want, fail, be abated.”
4. אררט 'ărārāṭ, “Ararat,” a land forming part of Armenia. It is mentioned in 2 Kings 19:37, and Isaiah 37:38, as the retreat of Adrammelek and Sharezer after the murder of their father; and in Jeremiah 51:27 as a kingdom.
8. קלל qālal, “be light, lightened, lightly esteemed, swift.”
10. חוּל chûl, “twist, turn, dance, writhe, tremble, be strong, wait.” יהל yāchal “remain, wait, hope.”
13. חרב chāreb, “be drained, desolated, amazed.”
Genesis 8:1-3
The waters commence their retreat. “And God remembered Noah.” He is said to remember him when he takes any step to deliver him from the waters. The several steps to this end are enumerated.
A wind. - This would promote evaporation, and otherwise aid the retreat of the waters. “The fountains of the deep and the windows of the skies were shut.” The incessant and violent showers had continued for six weeks. It is probable the weather remained turbid and moist for some time longer. In the sixth month, however, the rain probably ceased altogether. Some time before this, the depressing of the ground had reached its lowest point, and the upheaving had set in. This is the main cause of the reflux of the waters. All this is described, as we perceive, according to appearance. It is probable that the former configuration of the surface was not exactly restored. At all events it is not necessary, as the ark may have drifted a considerable space in a hundred and fifty days. Some of the old ground on which primeval man had trodden may have become a permanent water bed, and a like amount of new land may have risen to the light in another place. Hence, it is vain to seek for a spot retaining the precise conditions of the primitive Eden. The Euphrates and Tigris may substantially remain, but the Pishon and Gihon may have considerably changed. The Black Sea, the Caspian, the lakes Van and Urumiah may cover portions of the Adamic land. At the end of the hundred and fifty days the prevalence of the waters begins to turn into a positive retreat.
Genesis 8:4-5
The ark rested. - It is stranded on some hill in Ararat. This country forms part of Armenia. As the drying wind most probably came from the east or north, it is likely that the ark was drifted toward Asia Minor, and caught land on some hill in the reaches of the Euphrates. It cannot be supposed that it rested on either of the peaks now called Ararat, as Ararat was a country, not a mountain, and these peaks do not seem suitable for the purpose. The seventh month began usually with the new moon nearest the vernal equinox, or the 21st of March. “The tenth month.” The waters ceased to prevail on the first of the ninth month. The ark, though grounded six weeks before, was still deep in the waters. The tops of the hills began to appear a month after. The subsiding of the waters seems to have been very slow.
Genesis 8:6-12
The raven and the dove are sent out to bring tidings of the external world. “Forty days.” Before Noah made any experiment he seems to have allowed the lapse of forty days to undo the remaining effect of the forty days’ rain. “The window.” He seems to have been unable to take any definite observations through the aperture here called a window. The raven found carrion in abundance, floated probably on the waters, and did not need to return. This was such a token of the state of things as Noah might expect from such a messenger. He next sends the dove, who returns to him. “Yet other seven days.” This intimates that he stayed seven days also after the raven was sent out. The olive leaf plucked off was a sign of returning safety to the land. It is said by Theophrastus (Hist. Plant. 4, 7) and Pliny (H. N. 13, 50) that the olive strikes leaves even under water. From this event, the olive branch became the symbol of peace, and the dove the emblem of the Comforter, the messenger of peace. After seven other days, the dove being despatched, returns no more. The number seven figures very conspicuously in this narrative. Seven days before the showers commence the command to enter the ark is given; and at intervals of seven days the winged messengers are sent out. These intervals point evidently to the period of seven days, determined by the six days of creation and the seventh day of rest. The clean beasts also and the birds are admitted into the ark by seven pairs. This points to the sacredness associated with the number arising from the hallowed character of the seventh day. The number forty also, the product of four, the number of the world or universe, and ten the number of completeness, begins here to be employed for a complete period in which a process will have run its course.
Genesis 8:13-14
Noah delays apparently another month, and, on the first day of the new year, ventures to remove the covering of the ark and look around. The date of the complete drying of the land is then given. The interval from the entrance to the exit consists of the following periods:
| Rain continued | 40 days |
| Waters prevailed | 150 days |
| Waters subside | 99 days |
| Noah delays | 40 days |
| Sending of the raven and the dove | 20 days |
| Another month | 29 days |
| Interval until the 27th of the 2nd month | 57 days |
| Sum-total of days | 365 days |
Hence, it appears that the interval was a lunar year of three hundred and fifty-six days nearly, and ten days; that is, as nearly as possible, a solar year. This passage is important on account of the divisions of time which it brings out at this early epoch. The week of seven days is plainly intimated. The lunar month and year are evidently known. It is remarkable that the ten additional days bring up the lunar year in whole numbers to the solar. It seems a tacit agreement with the real order of nature. According to the Hebrew text, the deluge commenced in the 1656th year of the race of man. According to all texts it occurred in the time of Noah, the ninth in descent from Adam.
Clarke's Notes on the Bible
Verse Genesis 8:7. He sent forth a raven, which went forth to and fro — It is generally supposed that the raven flew off, and was seen no more, but this meaning the Hebrew text will not bear; ויצא יצוא ושוב vaiyetse yatso vashob, and it went forth, going forth and returning. From which it is evident that she did return, but was not taken into the ark. She made frequent excursions, and continued on the wing as long as she could, having picked up such aliment as she found floating on the waters; and then, to rest herself, regained the ark, where she might perch, though she was not admitted. Indeed this must be allowed, as it is impossible she could have continued twenty one days upon the wing, which she must have done had she not returned. But the text itself is sufficiently determinate.
