Then he waited another seven days longer, and sent out the dove; but it did not return to him again.
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.
- BSB And Noah waited seven more days and sent out the dove again, but this time she did not return to him.
- NKJV So he waited yet another seven days and sent out the dove, which did not return again to him anymore.
- 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 8:10He waited yet another seven days; and again he sent the dove out of the ship.
- Isa 26:8Yes, in the way of your judgments, Yahweh, have we waited for you. Your name and your renown are the desire of our soul.
- Isa 30:18Therefore Yahweh will wait, that he may be gracious to you; and therefore he will be exalted, that he may have mercy on you, for Yahweh is a God of justice. Blessed are all those who wait for him.
- Isa 25:9It shall be said in that day, “Behold, this is our God! We have waited for him, and he will save us! This is Yahweh! We have waited for him. We will be glad and rejoice in his salvation!”
- Jas 5:7–8Be patient therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. Behold, the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient over it, until it receives the early and late rain.
- Isa 8:17I will wait for Yahweh, who hides his face from the house of Jacob, and I will look for him.
- Ps 130:5–6I wait for Yahweh. My soul waits. I hope in his word.
- Gen 2:2–3On the seventh day God finished his work which he had done; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had done.
- Ps 27:14Wait for Yahweh. Be strong, and let your heart take courage. Yes, wait for Yahweh.
- Hab 2:3For the vision is yet for the appointed time, and it hurries toward the end, and won’t prove false. Though it takes time, wait for it; because it will surely come. It won’t 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.