But God remembered NoahThis phrase signifies God's faithfulness and covenantal relationship with Noah. In biblical terms, "remembering" often implies action on behalf of someone. Here, it indicates God's intention to fulfill His promise to Noah. This is reminiscent of God's covenantal faithfulness seen throughout Scripture, such as His remembrance of the Israelites in Egypt (
Exodus 2:24). It underscores the theme of divine providence and care.
and all the animals and livestock that were with him in the ark.
This highlights God's concern for all creation, not just humanity. The inclusion of animals in God's remembrance reflects the Genesis mandate where humans are stewards of creation (Genesis 1:28). It also prefigures the eschatological vision where all creation is renewed (Romans 8:19-21). The ark serves as a microcosm of God's redemptive plan for the entire world.
And God sent a wind over the earth,
The sending of a wind is reminiscent of the Spirit of God hovering over the waters inGenesis 1:2. The Hebrew word for "wind" (ruach) can also mean "spirit," suggesting a divine act of re-creation. This parallels the new beginnings after the flood, akin to the original creation. It also foreshadows the Holy Spirit's role in regeneration and renewal in the New Testament (John 3:8).
and the waters began to subside.
The subsiding waters mark the transition from judgment to restoration. This mirrors the theme of salvation through judgment, a recurring motif in Scripture. The receding waters symbolize the end of God's wrath and the beginning of a new covenant with Noah, which is a type of the ultimate salvation through Christ. The flood narrative as a whole prefigures baptism, where believers pass from death to life (1 Peter 3:20-21).
Persons / Places / Events
1.
GodThe sovereign Creator who remembers Noah and initiates the process of restoration after the flood.
2.
NoahThe righteous man chosen by God to survive the flood and repopulate the earth.
3.
Animals and LivestockThe creatures preserved in the ark, representing God's care for all His creation.
4.
The ArkThe vessel of salvation that carried Noah, his family, and the animals through the flood.
5.
The WindThe instrument used by God to begin the recession of the floodwaters, symbolizing His control over nature.
Teaching Points
God's FaithfulnessGod remembers His promises and His people. Just as He remembered Noah, He remembers us in our times of need.
Divine TimingGod's timing is perfect. The floodwaters receded according to His plan, teaching us patience and trust in His timing.
New BeginningsThe subsiding waters symbolize a fresh start. In Christ, we are offered new beginnings and the opportunity to walk in newness of life.
God's Sovereignty Over CreationThe wind sent by God demonstrates His control over nature, reminding us of His power and authority in our lives.
Stewardship of CreationNoah's care for the animals reflects our responsibility to steward God's creation with care and respect.
Bible Study Questions and Answers
1.What is the meaning of Genesis 8:1?
2.How does Genesis 8:1 demonstrate God's faithfulness and remembrance of Noah?
3.What can we learn about God's timing from Genesis 8:1?
4.How does Genesis 8:1 connect to God's covenant promises in Genesis 9?
5.In what ways can we trust God during our personal "flood" experiences?
6.How does God's remembrance in Genesis 8:1 inspire us to remember His works?
7.How does Genesis 8:1 demonstrate God's remembrance and mercy towards Noah and creation?
8.What does God's remembrance in Genesis 8:1 imply about His nature and relationship with humanity?
9.How does Genesis 8:1 fit into the broader narrative of the Flood story?
10.What are the top 10 Lessons from Genesis 8?
11.What does "God remembered" signify in the Bible?
12.What do the birds symbolize in Noah's flood story?
13.What was the duration of Noah's time on the ark?
14.Do I remember you fondly every time?What Does Genesis 8:1 Mean
But God remembered Noah– “Remembered” does not imply that the Lord had forgotten; it speaks of His covenant faithfulness springing into action (Genesis 19:29;Exodus 2:24).
– God’s personal name, used throughout the flood narrative, highlights a relationship, not detached oversight (Psalm 136:23;Luke 23:42-43).
– The phrase signals a turning point from judgment to mercy, just as later redemptive acts begin with God “remembering” His people (1 Samuel 1:19-20;Jeremiah 31:20).
and all the animals and livestock that were with him in the ark– The Creator cares for every creature He has made (Psalm 36:6;Matthew 6:26).
– Preserving the animals fulfills His original mandate to “be fruitful and multiply” (Genesis 1:22, 28), ensuring life will repopulate the renewed earth.
– This inclusiveness anticipates the covenant God will soon establish “with every living creature” (Genesis 9:9-10), revealing that redemption encompasses the whole created order (Romans 8:19-21).
And God sent a wind over the earth– The same word for “wind” is used of the Spirit of God “hovering over the waters” in creation (Genesis 1:2), hinting at a fresh creative work.
– Throughout Scripture, God’s wind drives back chaotic waters and opens paths to deliverance (Exodus 14:21;Psalm 104:7;Jonah 1:4).
– The action underscores that salvation is entirely initiated by God, not Noah—paralleling later moments when divine breath brings life (Ezekiel 37:9-10;Acts 2:2).
and the waters began to subside– Judgment recedes precisely when God commands, proving His sovereignty over nature (Job 38:8-11;Mark 4:39).
– The gradual lowering of the floodwaters shows that deliverance can unfold in stages, nurturing patient trust (Psalm 40:1-2;James 5:7-8).
– As the waters withdraw, dry ground will appear, echoing the separation of land and sea inGenesis 1:9-10 and prefiguring the ultimate new earth where “there will be no more sea” of chaos (Revelation 21:1).
summaryGenesis 8:1 marks the pivotal shift from judgment to restoration. God, ever faithful to His covenant promises, actively turns toward Noah—and every living creature—with saving purpose. By sending a divine wind, He begins a new creation, steadily restraining the floodwaters and preparing a renewed world. The verse assures believers that the Lord remembers, cares, initiates rescue, and brings order out of chaos, inviting us to rest in His unwavering faithfulness.
VIII.
(1)God.--Elohim.On the Jehovistic theory, one would have expected Jehovah here. (SeeExcursus.)
Every living thing.--See Note onGenesis 7:14.
The waters asswaged.--Heb.,became still.It is plain from this that the "strength" of the waters, described inGenesis 7:24, has reference to the violent currents, which still existed up to the end of the one hundred and fiftieth day, after which they ceased.
A wind(comp. the creative wind inGenesis 1:2) began to blow as soon as the rains ceased, or even before, as must necessarily have been the case with so vast a disturbance of the atmosphere; but its special purpose of assuaging the waters only began when the downpour was over. This wind would affect the course of the ark, but scarcely so strongly as the currents of the water.
Verse 1. -
And God.
Elohim, i.e. God in his most universal relation to his creatures. The supposition of two different accounts or histories being intermingled in the narrative of the Flood (Bleek, Eichhorn, Hupfeld, Kalisch, Alford, Coleuso) is not required for a sufficient explanation of the varying use of the Divine names.
Remembered. From a root signifying to prick, pierce, or print, e.g., upon the memory; hence to remember. "Not that there is oblivion or forgetfulness with God, but then God is said to remember when he showeth by the effects that he hath taken care of man" (Willet). He remembers man's sins when he punishes them (
Psalm 25:7; cf.
1 Kings 17:20), and his people's needs when he supplies them (cf.
Nehemiah 5:19). The expression is an anthropopathism designed to indicate the Divine compassion as well as grace. Calvin thinks the remembrance of which Moses
speaks "ought to be referred not only to the external aspect of things (
i.e. the coming deliverance), but also to the inward feeling of the holy man," who, through grace, was privileged to enjoy "some sensible experience of the Divine presence" while immured in the ark.
Noah, - cf. the Divine remembrance of Abraham and Lot (
Genesis 19:29), the request of the Hebrew psalmist (
Psalm 132:1) -
and every living thing, - chayyah, or wild beast (
videGenesis 1:25;
Genesis 7:14) -
and all the cattle that was with him in the ark. A touching indication of the tenderness of God towards his creatures (cf.
Deuteronomy 25:4;
Isaiah 36:6; 145:9, 15, 16;
Jonah 4:11). As a proof that God remembered the lonely inmates of the ark, he at once takes steps to accomplish their deliverance, which steps are next enumerated.
And God made a wind - ruach. Not the Holy Ghost, as in
Genesis 1:2 (Theodoret, Ambrose, LXX. -
πνεῦμα), nor the heat of the sun (Rupertus); but a current of air (
ἄνεμος), which "would promote evaporation and aid the retreat of the waters" (Murphy): - the ordinary method of driving away rain and drying the ground (
videProverbs 25:23); the special instrumentality employed to divide the waters of the Red Sea (
Exodus 14:21) -
to pass over the earth, and the waters assuaged, or
began to grow calm, after a period of commotion (cf.
Esther 2:1;
Esther 7:10) - the first stage in the returning of the waters.
Καὶ εκόπασετὸ ὕδωρ, and the water grew tried (LXX.).
Cf.
ἐκόπασεν ὁ ἄνεμος,
Matthew 14:32;
Mark 4:39;
Mark 6:51.
Parallel Commentaries ...
Hebrew
Butאֶת־(’eṯ-)Direct object marker
Strong's 853:Untranslatable mark of the accusative caseGodאֱלֹהִים֙(’ĕ·lō·hîm)Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 430:gods -- the supreme God, magistrates, a superlativerememberedוַיִּזְכֹּ֤ר(way·yiz·kōr)Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 2142:To mark, to remember, to mention, to be maleNoahנֹ֔חַ(nō·aḥ)Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 5146:Noah -- 'rest', patriarch who survived the floodand allכָּל־(kāl-)Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605:The whole, all, any, everythe animalsהַֽחַיָּה֙(ha·ḥay·yāh)Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 2416:Alive, raw, fresh, strong, lifeandוְאֶת־(wə·’eṯ-)Conjunctive waw | Direct object marker
Strong's 853:Untranslatable mark of the accusative caselivestockהַבְּהֵמָ֔ה(hab·bə·hê·māh)Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 929:A dumb beast, any large quadruped, animalthatאֲשֶׁ֥ר(’ă·šer)Pronoun - relative
Strong's 834:Who, which, what, that, when, where, how, because, in order thatwere withאִתּ֖וֹ(’it·tōw)Preposition | third person masculine singular
Strong's 854:Nearness, near, with, by, at, amonghim in the ark.בַּתֵּבָ֑ה(bat·tê·ḇāh)Preposition-b, Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 8392:A box, chestAnd [He]אֱלֹהִ֥ים(’ĕ·lō·hîm)Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 430:gods -- the supreme God, magistrates, a superlativesent a windר֙וּחַ֙(rū·aḥ)Noun - common singular
Strong's 7307:Wind, breath, exhalation, life, anger, unsubstantiality, a region of the sky, spiritoverעַל־(‘al-)Preposition
Strong's 5921:Above, over, upon, againstthe earth,הָאָ֔רֶץ(hā·’ā·reṣ)Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 776:Earth, landand the watersהַמָּֽיִם׃(ham·mā·yim)Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 4325:Water, juice, urine, semenbegan to subside.וַיָּשֹׁ֖כּוּ(way·yā·šōk·kū)Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 7918:To weave, a trap, to allay
Links
Genesis 8:1 NIVGenesis 8:1 NLTGenesis 8:1 ESVGenesis 8:1 NASBGenesis 8:1 KJV
Genesis 8:1 BibleApps.comGenesis 8:1 Biblia ParalelaGenesis 8:1 Chinese BibleGenesis 8:1 French BibleGenesis 8:1 Catholic Bible
OT Law: Genesis 8:1 God remembered Noah all the animals (Gen. Ge Gn) 
