Lenten Season · First Sunday in Lent · Year B
Genesis 9:8-17
God’s Covenant with Noah
February 14, 2027
Overview & Insights
“I have set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant.” (Genesis 9:13)
After the great deluge God gives to Noah and his sons the same blessing he gave to humans at their creation (1:28), empowering them to prosper and to replenish the earth. Further, we learn that humans continue to bear the image of God; each person possesses intrinsic value.Yet God introduces three drastic changes. First, God grants humans permission to eat meat. Second, dread of humans henceforth characterizes the way animals respond to humans. Third, God also establishes a covenant with Noah and his offspring, guaranteeing never again to destroy the earth by a flood. This covenant gives humans confidence to build communities without fearing another catastrophe of total devastation.
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Take it further: Genesis 9:8-17
Commentary
Genesis 9:8-17Gn 9:8-17 Working Preacher
Reads God's unconditional covenant and the disarmed bow set in the clouds.
Genesis 9Gn 9 Enduring Word · David Guzik
Evangelical verse-by-verse treatment of the rainbow covenant with Noah and all flesh.
Classic commentaries on Genesis 9Classic commentaries on Gn 9 BibleHub
Compiles multiple classic commentaries on the covenant passage side by side.
Genesis 9 resourcesGn 9 resources Precept Austin
A deep evangelical resource page linking many sermons and word studies on Genesis 9.
Background & Word Study
God's Covenant with Noah (Genesis 9:1-19)God's Covenant with Noah (Gn 9:1-19) Theology of Work
Examines the covenant's meaning for creation care and human vocation.
Genesis 9:8-17: God Takes a New Way with the WorldGn 9:8-17: God Takes a New Way with the World Enter the Bible
A scholarly passage overview on God's post-flood self-limitation and promise.
Genesis 9 in Hebrew, with Jewish commentaryGn 9 in Hebrew, with Jewish commentary Sefaria
The Hebrew text linked to Rashi and classical Jewish interpreters of the covenant.
The Church Fathers
Questions preachers ask
What is God's covenant with Noah?
After the flood God binds himself never again to destroy the earth by water, setting the rainbow in the cloud as the sign of his everlasting covenant with all flesh.
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