Then God spoke to Noah and to his sons with him, saying,
Parallel translations
- WEB God spoke to Noah and to his sons with him, saying,
- KJV And God spake unto Noah, and to his sons with him, saying,
- BSB Then God said to Noah and his sons with him,
- NKJV Then God spoke to Noah and to his sons with him, saying:
- NLT Then God told Noah and his sons,
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
God speaks directly to Noah and his sons to establish His covenant. The Lord graciously initiates a binding relationship with humanity.
Overview
Before stating the terms, the text emphasizes that God Himself speaks and establishes the covenant, underscoring divine initiative. Noah and his sons are addressed together as recipients of God's gracious word. This pattern of God taking the first step toward His people runs through Scripture and culminates in the new covenant secured by Christ.
Cross-references & the web
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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 9:8 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
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