And God said,This phrase emphasizes the divine authority and initiative. Throughout Scripture, when God speaks, it signifies the importance and certainty of His words. It reflects the creative power of God, as seen in
Genesis 1, where God speaks creation into existence.
This is the sign of the covenant
A covenant in biblical terms is a solemn agreement or promise, often accompanied by a sign. Here, the sign is the rainbow, symbolizing God's promise. Covenants are central to biblical theology, with other examples including the Abrahamic, Mosaic, and New Covenants. Each covenant has a sign, such as circumcision for Abraham and the Sabbath for Moses.
I am making between Me and you
This indicates a personal relationship between God and humanity, represented by Noah. It reflects the relational nature of God, who desires to establish a bond with His creation. This personal aspect is seen in other covenants, such as God's promises to Abraham and David.
and every living creature with you,
The covenant extends beyond humanity to include all living creatures, highlighting God's care for all creation. This universal scope is unique and underscores the comprehensive nature of God's promise. It reflects the original creation mandate where humans and animals coexist under God's provision.
a covenant for all generations to come:
This phrase emphasizes the perpetual nature of the covenant. It is not limited to Noah's time but extends to all future generations. This enduring promise is a theme throughout Scripture, seen in God's everlasting covenant with Abraham and the eternal nature of the New Covenant through Christ.
Persons / Places / Events
1.
GodThe Creator and Sustainer of the universe, who establishes a covenant with Noah and all living creatures.
2.
NoahThe righteous man chosen by God to survive the flood and repopulate the earth.
3.
CovenantA divine promise or agreement, in this context, between God and all living creatures.
4.
Living CreaturesAll animals and humans that survived the flood and are included in God's covenant.
5.
Generations to ComeRefers to all future descendants of Noah and the living creatures, indicating the perpetual nature of the covenant.
Teaching Points
The Nature of God's CovenantsGod's covenants are initiated by Him and are based on His faithfulness, not human merit.
The Universality of God's PromiseThe covenant includes all living creatures, highlighting God's care for all creation.
The Perpetual Nature of God's PromisesThe covenant is for "all generations to come," emphasizing its eternal aspect.
The Significance of SignsGod uses physical signs (like the rainbow) to remind us of His promises and faithfulness.
Trust in God's FaithfulnessJust as God kept His promise to Noah, we can trust Him to keep His promises to us today.
Bible Study Questions and Answers
1.What is the meaning of Genesis 9:12?
2.How does Genesis 9:12 demonstrate God's covenant with all living creatures?
3.What is the significance of the "sign of the covenant" in Genesis 9:12?
4.How does Genesis 9:12 connect to God's promises in other Bible passages?
5.How can we apply the concept of God's covenant in our daily lives?
6.In what ways does Genesis 9:12 encourage trust in God's faithfulness today?
7.What is the significance of the covenant in Genesis 9:12 for humanity today?
8.How does Genesis 9:12 relate to God's promises in the rest of the Bible?
9.Why did God choose a rainbow as the sign of His covenant in Genesis 9:12?
10.What are the top 10 Lessons from Genesis 9?
11.What are the key events in the Book of Genesis?
12.What is the significance of the emerald rainbow?
13.If God vowed never again to flood the whole Earth, why do devastating floods still occur (Genesis 9:11)?
14.How should parents guide their children biblically?What Does Genesis 9:12 Mean
And God saidGod Himself initiates the conversation. That simple phrase reminds us:
• The living God speaks into real time and space (cf.Genesis 1:3;Hebrews 1:1-2).
• His spoken word carries absolute authority; what He declares is settled reality (Psalm 33:9).
• Because Scripture records His words accurately, we can read the passage as a literal, historical moment following the Flood.
This is the signA “sign” points beyond itself to something greater. Here, God prepares to unveil the rainbow (v. 13-17). Signs in Scripture consistently function to:
• Confirm divine promises (Exodus 12:13;Romans 4:11).
• Stir remembrance and faith in every generation (Joshua 4:6-7).
• Mark boundaries God will not cross—much like the blood on Israel’s doorposts or the Sabbath as a sign between God and Israel (Exodus 31:13).
So, when we see a rainbow, we’re meant to look past the colors to the covenant-keeping God who set it in the sky.
of the covenant“Covenant” signals a solemn, binding commitment—not a casual agreement. The Almighty swears that He will never again destroy all flesh with a flood (Genesis 9:11). Note:
• God alone authors this covenant; Noah offers no terms (cf.Genesis 15:18 where God likewise acts alone with Abram).
• The promise is rooted in grace. Judgment has passed; now mercy reigns (Isaiah 54:9-10).
• A covenant from God is unbreakable because His character is unchanging (Malachi 3:6).
I am making between Me and youThe Creator personally binds Himself to Noah’s family:
• Relationship lies at the heart of every divine covenant (Jeremiah 31:33).
• God stoops to reassure finite, fragile humans who just witnessed cataclysmic judgment.
• By saying “I am making,” He underscores immediacy; this isn’t future tense—it’s enacted on the spot (Genesis 9:17).
and every living creature with youA remarkable inclusion: animals are beneficiaries too. This highlights:
• God’s care for all creation (Psalm 145:9).
• Humanity’s stewardship role; our fate is linked with the creatures entrusted to us (Genesis 1:28;Romans 8:21-22).
• The comprehensive scope of the promise—nothing on earth is outside His faithful protection from another global flood.
a covenant for all generations to comeThe rainbow pledge isn’t limited to Noah’s era; it extends into our own and beyond:
• “All generations” means perpetual validity until the present heavens and earth pass away (2 Peter 3:7).
• Every post-Flood culture can trace reassurance back to this moment; God’s patience is still on display (2 Peter 3:9).
• The wording mirrors later everlasting covenants, pointing forward to the unending nature of redemption in Christ (Hebrews 13:20).
summaryGenesis 9:12 captures God’s gracious declaration that the rainbow will stand as a visible banner of His unbreakable promise never again to flood-destroy all life. Spoken by the Lord Himself, the covenant is unconditional, universal—embracing people and animals—and perpetual, spanning every generation. Each time the rainbow arcs across the sky, it calls us to remember the faithfulness, mercy, and authority of the God who still keeps His word today.
(12)
This is the token of the covenant.--The word rendered "token" really means
sign,and is a term that has met with very unfortunate treatment in our Version, especially in the New Testament, where--as, for instance, in St. John's Gospel--it is too frequently translated
miracle.Its meaning will be best seen by examining some of the places where it occurs:
e.g.,Genesis 17:11;
Exodus 3:12;
Exodus 12:13;
Exodus 13:16;
Numbers 17:10;
Joshua 2:12;
Job 21:29;
Psalm 65:8;
Psalm 86:17;
Psalm 135:9;
Isaiah 44:25. In the majority of these places the sign, or token, is some natural occurrence, but in its higher meaning it is a proof or indication of God's immediate working. On proper occasions, therefore, it will be supernatural, because the proof of God's direct agency will most fitly be some act such as God alone can accomplish. More frequently it is something natural. Thus the sign to the shepherds of the birth of a Saviour, who was "the anointed Jehovah" (
Luke 2:11), was their finding in a manger a babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, a thing of the most simple and ordinary kind. We may dismiss, then, all such curious speculations as that no rain fell before the flood, or that some condition was wanting necessary for producing this glorious symbol. What Noah needed was a guarantee and a memorial which, as often as rain occurred, would bring back to his thoughts the Divine promise; and such a memorial was best taken from the natural accompaniments of rain. We may further notice with Maimonides that the words are not, as in our version, "I do set," but
my how I have set in the cloud:that is, the bow which God set in the cloud on that day of creation in which He imposed upon air and water those laws which produce this phenomenon, is now to become the sign of a solemn compact made with man by God, whereby He gives man the assurance that neither himself nor his works shall ever again be swept away by a flood. . . .
Verse 12. -
And God said, This is the token-אות (
vide Genesis 1:14; 4:15) -
of the covenant which I make - literally,
am giving (cf.
Genesis 17:2) -
between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations.
Le'doroth (
vide Genesis 6:9);
olam (from
alam, to hide, to conceal), pr.
that which is hidden; hence, specially, time of which either the beginning or the end is uncertain or undefined, the duration being usually determined by the nature of the case (
vide Gesenius, 'Hebrews Lex.,' sub
voce). Here the meaning is, that so long as there were circuits or generations of men upon the earth, so long would this covenant endure.
Parallel Commentaries ...
Hebrew
And Godאֱלֹהִ֗ים(’ĕ·lō·hîm)Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 430:gods -- the supreme God, magistrates, a superlativesaid,וַיֹּ֣אמֶר(way·yō·mer)Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 559:To utter, say“Thisזֹ֤את(zōṯ)Pronoun - feminine singular
Strong's 2063:Hereby in it, likewise, the one other, same, she, so much, such deed, that,is the signאֽוֹת־(’ō·wṯ-)Noun - common singular construct
Strong's 226:A signal, as a, flag, beacon, monument, omen, prodigy, evidenceof the covenantהַבְּרִית֙(hab·bə·rîṯ)Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 1285:A covenantIאֲנִ֣י(’ă·nî)Pronoun - first person common singular
Strong's 589:Iam makingנֹתֵ֗ן(nō·ṯên)Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 5414:To give, put, setbetween Me and youבֵּינִי֙(bê·nî)Preposition | first person common singular
Strong's 996:An interval, space betweenand everyכָּל־(kāl-)Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605:The whole, all, any, everylivingחַיָּ֖ה(ḥay·yāh)Adjective - feminine singular
Strong's 2416:Alive, raw, fresh, strong, lifecreatureנֶ֥פֶשׁ(ne·p̄eš)Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 5315:A soul, living being, life, self, person, desire, passion, appetite, emotionwith you,אִתְּכֶ֑ם(’it·tə·ḵem)Preposition | second person masculine plural
Strong's 854:Nearness, near, with, by, at, among[a covenant] for all generationsלְדֹרֹ֖ת(lə·ḏō·rōṯ)Preposition-l | Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 1755:A revolution of time, an age, generation, a dwellingto come:עוֹלָֽם׃(‘ō·w·lām)Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 5769:Concealed, eternity, frequentatively, always
Links
Genesis 9:12 NIVGenesis 9:12 NLTGenesis 9:12 ESVGenesis 9:12 NASBGenesis 9:12 KJV
Genesis 9:12 BibleApps.comGenesis 9:12 Biblia ParalelaGenesis 9:12 Chinese BibleGenesis 9:12 French BibleGenesis 9:12 Catholic Bible
OT Law: Genesis 9:12 God said This is the token (Gen. Ge Gn) 
