Genesis 9:17
in Genesis 9So God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the covenant that I have established between Me and every creature on the earth.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And God said unto Noah, This is the token of the covenant which I have established between me and all flesh that is upon the earth.
KJV
And God said unto Noah, This is the token of the covenant, which I have established between me and all flesh that is upon the earth.
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This verse in Genesis 9
Commentary
4 notes on this verseThis is the token - אות oth, The Divine sign or portent: The bow shall be in the cloud. For the reasons above specified it must be there, when the circumstances already mentioned occur; if therefore it cannot fail because of the reasons before assigned, no more shall my promise; and the bow shall be the proof of its perpetuity. Both the Greeks and Latins, as well as the Hebrews, have ever considered the rainbow as a Divine token or portent; and both of these nations have even deified it, and made it a messenger of the gods.
This site's exposition
Whenever I form clouds over the earth
on Genesis 9:14-17
God says twice that He will see the rainbow and remember the covenant, at verse 15 and verse 16. The keeping of it rests on the one who made it. The sign is set to appear when the clouds gather, which is the hour the old fear would come back.
This site's exposition
the sign of the covenant
The Hebrew for sign is oth, the word used for the mark the LORD placed on Cain at 4:15. It returns for circumcision, the sign of the covenant with Abraham at 17:11. God names the bow a sign three times in six verses.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
And God said to Noah, this is the token of the covenant,....
The words behind it
16 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיֹּ֥אמֶר | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| אֱלֹהִ֖ים | ʾelohim | God | H430 → | 2601 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| נֹ֑חַ | noach | Noah | H5146 → | 46 times |
| זֹ֤את | zot | this | H2063 → | 603 times |
| אֽוֹת־ | ʾot- | [is] [the] sign of | H226 → | 80 times |
| הַבְּרִית֙ | haberit | the covenant | H1285 → | 284 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֣ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| הֲקִמֹ֔תִי | hakimoti | I have established | H6965 → | 628 times |
| בֵּינִ֕י | beini | between me | H996 → | 407 times |
| וּבֵ֥ין | uvein | and between | H996 → | 407 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| בָּשָׂ֖ר | basar | flesh | H1320 → | 270 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֥ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | [is] on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| הָאָֽרֶץ׃ פ | haaretz | the earth | H776 → | 2504 times |
וַיֹּ֥אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
אֱלֹהִ֖יםGod
ʾelohimH430 →2601 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
נֹ֑חַNoah
noachH5146 →46 times
זֹ֤אתthis
zotH2063 →603 times
אֽוֹת־[is] [the] sign of
ʾot-H226 →80 times
הַבְּרִית֙the covenant
haberitH1285 →284 times
אֲשֶׁ֣רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
הֲקִמֹ֔תִיI have established
hakimotiH6965 →628 times
בֵּינִ֕יbetween me
beiniH996 →407 times
וּבֵ֥יןand between
uveinH996 →407 times
כָּל־all
kol-H3605 →5413 times
בָּשָׂ֖רflesh
basarH1320 →270 times
אֲשֶׁ֥רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
עַל־[is] on
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
הָאָֽרֶץ׃ פthe earth
haaretzH776 →2504 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies19
On this verse
On this chapter
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; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.