Genesis 8:11
in Genesis 8And behold, the dove returned to him in the evening with a freshly plucked olive leaf in her beak. So Noah knew that the waters had receded from the earth.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
and the dove came in to him at eventide; and, lo, in her mouth an olive-leaf plucked off: so Noah knew that the waters were abated from off the earth.
KJV
And the dove came in to him in the evening; and, lo, in her mouth was an olive leaf pluckt off: so Noah knew that the waters were abated from off the earth.
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This verse in Genesis 8
Commentary
8 notes on this verseThis site's exposition
Noah waited seven more days
on Genesis 8:10-12
Noah waits in sevens, the same count as the seven days of warning at 7:4 and the seven pairs of clean animals at 7:2. The dove comes back that evening with an olive leaf freshly plucked, which means something is growing on the drained ground. On the third sending she does not return. That silence is the answer.
This site's exposition
a freshly plucked olive leaf
Adam Clarke reads the olive leaf as a token of peace restored between God and the earth, and from it the olive became the emblem of peace among the nations. The olive grows on low ground. A freshly plucked leaf meant the lower slopes stood clear of water.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers3 voices
The secular powers often and for a long time spare the wicked from corporal punishment and relieve some of them from their harassments, but the hearts of holy men never have any respite until the end of the world from the sinful conduct of men. It is thus we have the fulfillment of what the apostle said, as I cited it, that "all who will live godly in Christ suffer persecution." Their suffering is more bitter in proportion to its inwardness. This is so until a man passes over the deluge where the ark shelters the raven and the dove.
Christ is a dove because he commands his holy ones to be as doves when he says, "Be simple as doves." But the prophet speaks of what Christ the dove is when, in his person, he describes his return to heaven after his suffering: "Who …
It is not difficult to see why everlasting peace is signified by the olive branch that the dove, returning, brought back to the ark. For we know that the smooth surface of oil is not readily hindered by a different liquid. And the olive tree itself is forever in leaf.
The Medieval Church2 voices
But after waiting another seven days, he again sent the dove out of the ark; and it came back to him in the evening, carrying a fresh olive branch in its mouth.
A commentator
BedeHomilies on the Gospels, HOMILY XI. ON THE FEAST DAY OF THEOPHANY · Written before 735.
proposed
After [the raven] he sent a dove, and it came to him in the evening, carrying in its mouth an olive branch with green leaves. You are paying attention, I believe, and with your intellect you anticipate me as I speak.
1 more voice on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
And the dove came in to him in the evening,....
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
‘TARAPH’ (PLUCKED) IN HER MOUTH. Rashi wrote: “I am of the opinion that the dove was a male and that therefore Scripture sometimes speaks of it as masculine. It is indicated by taraph (he plucked) rather than tarpha (she plucked). and sometimes as feminine.
2 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
[AND HE STAYED.] Va-yachel (and he stayed) is, I believe, derived from the word techillah (beginning). 18 From the root chet, lamed, lamed. Cf.
Va-yiyyachel (and he stayed) is a nifal and is penultimately accented. Because of the vav conversive (Weiser).
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 3 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
17 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַתָּבֹ֨א | vatavo' | and it came | H935 → | 2568 times |
| אֵלָ֤יו | ʾelav | to him | H413 → | 5510 times |
| הַיּוֹנָה֙ | haiyonah | the dove | H3123 → | 31 times |
| לְעֵ֣ת | leet | to [the] time of | H6256 → | 296 times |
| עֶ֔רֶב | ʾerev | evening | H6153 → | 134 times |
| וְהִנֵּ֥ה | vehineh | and there! | H2009 → | 843 times |
| עֲלֵה־ | ʾaleh- | a leaf of | H5929 → | |
| זַ֖יִת | zayit | olive | H2132 → | |
| טָרָ֣ף | taraf | freshly plucked | H2965 → | |
| בְּפִ֑יהָ | befiha | [was] in mouth its | H6310 → | 498 times |
| וַיֵּ֣דַע | vaiyeda' | and he knew | H3045 → | 945 times |
| נֹ֔חַ | noach | Noah | H5146 → | 46 times |
| כִּי־ | ki- | that | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| קַ֥לּוּ | kalu | they were abated | H7043 → | 82 times |
| הַמַּ֖יִם | hamayim | the waters | H4325 → | 581 times |
| מֵעַ֥ל | meal | from on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| הָאָֽרֶץ׃ | haaretz | the earth | H776 → | 2504 times |
וַתָּבֹ֨אand it came
vatavo'H935 →2568 times
אֵלָ֤יוto him
ʾelavH413 →5510 times
הַיּוֹנָה֙the dove
haiyonahH3123 →31 times
לְעֵ֣תto [the] time of
leetH6256 →296 times
עֶ֔רֶבevening
ʾerevH6153 →134 times
וְהִנֵּ֥הand there!
vehinehH2009 →843 times
עֲלֵה־a leaf of
ʾaleh-H5929 →
זַ֖יִתolive
zayitH2132 →
טָרָ֣ףfreshly plucked
tarafH2965 →
בְּפִ֑יהָ[was] in mouth its
befihaH6310 →498 times
וַיֵּ֣דַעand he knew
vaiyeda'H3045 →945 times
נֹ֔חַNoah
noachH5146 →46 times
כִּי־that
ki-H3588 →4482 times
קַ֥לּוּthey were abated
kaluH7043 →82 times
הַמַּ֖יִםthe waters
hamayimH4325 →581 times
מֵעַ֥לfrom on
mealH5921 →5755 times
הָאָֽרֶץ׃the earth
haaretzH776 →2504 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Romans 10:15And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”
it leads to
- Isaiah 52:7
How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, “Your God reigns!”
- Nahum 1:15
Look to the mountains—the feet of one who brings good news, who proclaims peace! Celebrate your feasts, O Judah; fulfill your vows. For the wicked will never again march through you; they will be…
- Ephesians 2:17
He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near.
- Matthew 28:18–20
Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me.
- Ephesians 6:15
and with your feet fitted with the readiness of the gospel of peace.
- Isaiah 52:7
Through
Nehemiah 8:15So they proclaimed this message and spread it throughout their towns and in Jerusalem, saying, “Go out to the hill country and bring back branches of olive, wild olive, myrtle, palm, and other leafy…
it leads to
- Leviticus 23:40
On the first day you are to gather the fruit of majestic trees, the branches of palm trees, and the boughs of leafy trees and of willows of the brook. And you are to…
- Deuteronomy 16:16
Three times a year all your men are to appear before the LORD your God in the place He will choose: at the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Weeks, and the Feast…
- Leviticus 23:4
These are the LORD’s appointed feasts, the sacred assemblies you are to proclaim at their appointed times.
- Leviticus 23:40
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Genesis
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Augustine of Hippo, LETTERS 248; Augustine of Hippo, CHRISTIAN INSTRUCTION 2.16.24; Bede, Commentary on Genesis (Hexaemeron); Bede, Homilies on the Gospels, HOMILY XI. ON THE FEAST DAY OF THEOPHANY; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Maximus of Turin, SERMONS 64.2.