And Noah waited seven more days and sent out the dove again, but this time she did not return to him.
Parallel translations
- WEB He waited yet another seven days, and sent out the dove; and she didn’t return to him anymore.
- KJV And he stayed yet other seven days; and sent forth the dove; which returned not again unto him any more.
- NKJV So he waited yet another seven days and sent out the dove, which did not return again to him anymore.
- NASB Then he waited another seven days longer, and sent out the dove; but it did not return to him again.
- NLT He waited another seven days and then released the dove again. This time it did not come back.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Noah waited another seven days and sent the dove, which did not return. The earth is now ready to be inhabited.
Overview
The dove's failure to return shows that it found a home on the dried land, signaling that the flood has fully passed. Noah's continued patience again models trust in God's timing. The renewed, habitable earth sets the stage for Noah's family to begin life anew under God's blessing.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 10
- Gen 8:10Noah waited seven more days and again sent out the dove from the ark.
- Isa 26:8Yes, we wait for You, O LORD; we walk in the path of Your judgments. Your name and renown are the desire of our souls.
- Isa 30:18Therefore the LORD longs to be gracious to you; therefore He rises to show you compassion, for the LORD is a just God. Blessed are all who wait for Him.
- Isa 25:9And in that day it will be said, “Surely this is our God; we have waited for Him, and He has saved us. This is the LORD for whom we have waited. Let us rejoice and be glad in His salvation.”
- Jas 5:7–8Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer awaits the precious fruit of the soil—how patient he is for the fall and spring rains.
- Isa 8:17I will wait for the LORD, who is hiding His face from the house of Jacob. I will put my trust in Him.
- Ps 130:5–6I wait for the LORD; my soul does wait, and in His word I put my hope.
- Gen 2:2–3And by the seventh day God had finished the work He had been doing; so on that day He rested from all His work.
- Ps 27:14Wait patiently for the LORD; be strong and courageous. Wait patiently for the LORD!
- Hab 2:3For the vision awaits an appointed time; it testifies of the end and does not lie. Though it lingers, wait for it, since it will surely come and will not delay.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
From the first promise that the seed of the woman would crush the serpent (3:15), through Abraham's blessing to all nations and Judah's coming ruler, Genesis sows every seed that flowers in Christ — the true offspring, the better Adam, the ram caught for Isaac.
How Genesis 8:12 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.