Genesis 9:8-18

8 God also said to Noah and his sons,

9 "I am going to make my promise to you, your descendants,

10 and every living being that is with you--birds, domestic animals, and all the wild animals, all those that came out of the ship--every living thing on earth.

11 I am making my promise to you. Never again will all life be killed by floodwaters. Never again will there be a flood that destroys the earth."

12 God said, "This is the sign of the promise I am giving to you and every living being that is with you for generations to come.

13 I will put my rainbow in the clouds to be a sign of my promise to the earth.

14 Whenever I form clouds over the earth, a rainbow will appear in the clouds.

15 Then I will remember my promise to you and every living animal. Never again will water become a flood to destroy all life.

16 Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember my everlasting promise to every living animal on earth."

17 So God said to Noah, "This is the sign of the promise I am making to all life on earth."

18 Noah's sons, who came out of the ship, were Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

Genesis 9:8-18 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO GENESIS 9

In this chapter we have an account of God's blessing Noah and his sons, being just come out of the ark, with a renewal of the blessing of propagating their species, and replenishing the earth, the dominion over the creatures, and a freedom from the fear of them; with liberty to eat flesh, only it must not be eaten with blood; with a providential care and preservation of their lives from men and beasts, by making a law that that man or beast should die that shed man's blood, Ge 9:1-6 and after repeating the blessing of procreation, Ge 9:7 mention is made of a covenant God made with Noah, his sons, and all the creatures, that he would drown the world no more, the token of which should be the rainbow in the cloud, Ge 9:8-17 the names of the sons of Noah are observed, by whom the earth was repeopled, Ge 9:18,19 and seem to be observed for the sake of an event after recorded; Noah having planted a vineyard, and drank too freely of the wine of it, lay down uncovered in his tent, which Ham seeing, told his two brothers of it, who in a very modest manner covered him, Ge 9:20-23 of all which Noah being sensible when he awoke, cursed Canaan the son of Ham, and blessed Shem and Japheth, Ge 9:24-27 and the chapter is concluded with the age and death of Noah, Ge 9:28,29.