Genesis 8 · Verse 7

Genesis 8:7

And he sent forth a raven, which went forth to and fro, until the waters were dried up from off the earth.

Genesis 8:7, King James Version

Genesis 8:7 in other translations

BSB	and sent out a raven. It kept flying back and forth until the waters had dried up from the earth.
WEB	and he sent out a raven. It went back and forth, until the waters were dried up from the earth.
ASV	and he sent forth a raven, and it went forth to and fro, until the waters were dried up from off the earth.
YLT	and he sendeth forth the raven, and it goeth out, going out and turning back till the drying of the waters from off the earth.
DARBY	And he sent out the raven, which went forth going to and fro, until the waters were dried from the earth.
BBE	Noah sent out a raven, which went this way and that till the waters were gone from the earth.
Webster	And he sent forth a raven, which went forth to and fro, till the waters were dried from off the earth.

What does Genesis 8:7 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

7. And he sent forth a raven--The smell of carrion would allure it to remain if the earth were in a habitable state. But it kept hovering about the spot, and, being a solitary bird, probably perched on the covering.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Verse 7 He sent forth a raven, which went forth to and fro - It is generally supposed that the raven flew off, and was seen no more, but this meaning the Hebrew text will not bear; ויצא יצוא ושוב vaiyetse yatso vashob, and it went forth, going forth and returning. From which it is evident that she did return, but was not taken into the ark. She made frequent excursions, and continued on the wing as long as she could, having picked up such aliment as she found floating on the waters; and then, to rest herself, regained the ark, where she might perch, though she was not admitted. Indeed this must be allowed, as it is impossible she could have continued twenty one days upon the wing, which she must have done had she not returned. But the text itself is sufficiently determinate.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Genesis 8:4-12

The ark rested upon a mountain, whither it was directed by the wise and gracious providence of God, that might rest the sooner. God has times and places of rest for his people after their tossing; and many times he provides for their seasonable and comfortable settlement, without their own contrivance, and quite beyond their own foresight. God had told Noah when the flood would come, yet he did not give him an…

Read the full comment on Genesis 8:4-12 →

Genesis 8:7 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וַיְשַׁלַּ֖חvay.sha.Lachand he sent outH7971

אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853

הָֽעֹרֵ֑בha.'o.Revthe ravenH6158

וַיֵּצֵ֤אvai.ye.Tze'and it went outH3318

יָצוֹא֙ya.tzO'continuously <to go out>H3318

וָשׁ֔וֹבva.Shovand returnedH7725

עַד\־'ad-untilH5704

יְבֹ֥שֶׁתye.Vo.shetdried upH3001

הַמַּ֖יִםha.Ma.yimthe watersH4325

מֵעַ֥לme.'Alfrom onH5921

הָאָֽרֶץ\׃ha.'A.retzthe earthH776

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Genesis 8:7

1 Kings 17:4
And it shall be, that thou shalt drink of the brook; and I have commanded the ravens to feed thee there.
Job 38:41
Who provideth for the raven his food? when his young ones cry unto God, they wander for lack of meat.
Psalms 147:9
He giveth to the beast his food, and to the young ravens which cry.
1 Kings 17:6
And the ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning, and bread and flesh in the evening; and he drank of the brook.
Leviticus 11:15
Every raven after his kind;

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

a raven.
Le 11:15; 1Ki 17:4,6; Job 38:41; Ps 147:9
went forth to and fro. Heb. in going forth and returning.

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

Genesis 8:6
And it came to pass at the end of forty days, that Noah opened the window of the ark which he had made:
Genesis 8:7
And he sent forth a raven, which went forth to and fro, until the waters were dried up from off the earth.
Genesis 8:8
Also he sent forth a dove from him, to see if the waters were abated from off the face of the ground;

Read all of Genesis 8

Genesis 8:7 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	Y envió al cuervo, el cual salió, y estuvo yendo y tornando hasta que las aguas se secaron de sobre la tierra.
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	et il lâcha le corbeau, qui sortit, allant et revenant jusqu’à ce que les eaux aient séché de dessus la terre.
German Elberfelder 1871	und der flog hin und wieder, bis die Wasser von der Erde vertrocknet waren.
Latin Clementine Vulgate	qui egrediebatur, et non revertebatur, donec siccarentur aquæ super terram.