Genesis 8:14-19 · Bible study
Genesis 8:14-19 Commentary: God's Timing and the Full Drying of the Earth
Hebrew · 11 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Why two dates for the earth becoming dry? This passage shows Noah's obedience and the renewal of creation through God's precise timing.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Noah and the animals leave the ark only after God commands, marking the full restoration of dry land and the renewal of the creation blessing.
- Key words: Yabesh (dry, H3001), mishpachah (family, H4940), tevah (ark, H8392), shara'ts (swarm/teem, H8317).
- Main debate: Whether the 365-day duration was a solar or lunar year; but all agree the delay between verses 13 and 14 (57 days) shows progressive preparation.
- Theological theme: Obedience to divine timing; the flood as a new creation; God's faithfulness to the original blessing of fruitfulness.
- Best use: Preaching on patience, second chances, and discerning when to close one chapter and begin another.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
14By the twenty-seventh day of the second month, the earth was fully dry.
15Then God said to Noah,
16“Come out of the ark, you and your wife, along with your sons and their wives.
17Bring out all the living creatures that are with you—birds, livestock, and everything that crawls upon the ground—so that they can spread out over the earth and be fruitful and multiply upon it.”
18So Noah came out, along with his sons and his wife and his sons’ wives.
19Every living creature, every creeping thing, and every bird—everything that moves upon the earth—came out of the ark, kind by kind.
WEB World English Bible 2000
14In the second month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month, the earth was dry.
15God spoke to Noah, saying,
16“Go out of the ship, you, your wife, your sons, and your sons’ wives with you.
17Bring out with you every living thing that is with you of all flesh, including birds, livestock, and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth, that they may breed abundantly in the earth, and be fruitful, and multiply on the earth.”
18Noah went out, with his sons, his wife, and his sons’ wives with him.
19Every animal, every creeping thing, and every bird, whatever moves on the earth, after their families, went out of the ship.
KJV King James Version 1769
14And in the second month, on the seven and twentieth day of the month, was the earth dried.
15And God spake unto Noah, saying,
16Go forth of the ark, thou, and thy wife, and thy sons, and thy sons’ wives with thee.
17Bring forth with thee every living thing that is with thee, of all flesh, both of fowl, and of cattle, and of every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth; that they may breed abundantly in the earth, and be fruitful, and multiply upon the earth.
18And Noah went forth, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons’ wives with him:
19Every beast, every creeping thing, and every fowl, and whatsoever creepeth upon the earth, after their kinds, went forth out of the ark.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
14And in the second month, on the seven and twentieth day of the month, was the earth dry.
15And God spake unto Noah, saying,
16Go forth from the ark, thou, and thy wife, and thy sons, and thy sons’ wives with thee.
17Bring forth with thee every living thing that is with thee of all flesh, both birds, and cattle, and every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth; that they may breed abundantly in the earth, and be fruitful, and multiply upon the earth.
18And Noah went forth, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons’ wives with him:
19every beast, every creeping thing, and every bird, whatsoever moveth upon the earth, after their families, went forth out of the ark.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
14And in the second month, in the seven and twentieth day of the month, the earth hath become dry.
15And God speaketh unto Noah, saying, `Go out from the ark, thou, and thy wife, and thy sons, and thy sons' wives with thee;
16every living thing that is with thee, of all flesh, among fowl, and among cattle, and among every creeping thing which is creeping on the earth, bring out with thee;
17and they have teemed in the earth, and been fruitful, and have multiplied on the earth.'
18And Noah goeth out, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons' wives with him;
19every beast, every creeping thing, and every fowl; every creeping thing on the earth, after their families, have gone out from the ark.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
14And in the second month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month, the earth was dry.
15And God spoke to Noah, saying,
16Go out of the ark, thou, and thy wife, and thy sons, and thy sons' wives with thee.
17Bring forth with thee every animal which is with thee, of all flesh, fowl as well as cattle, and all the creeping things which creep on the earth, that they may swarm on the earth, and may be fruitful and multiply on the earth.
18And Noah went out, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons' wives with him.
19All the animals, all the creeping things, and all the fowl — everything that moves on the earth, after their kinds, went out of the ark.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
14In the second month, the seven and twentieth day of the month, the earth was dried.
15And God spoke to Noe, saying:
16Go out of the ark, thou and thy wife, thy sons and the wives of thy sons with thee.
17All living things that are with thee of all flesh, as well in fowls as in beasts, and all creeping things that creep upon the earth, bring out with thee, and go ye upon the earth: increase and multiply upon it.
18So Noe went out, he and his sons: his wife, and the wives of his sons with him.
19And all living things, and cattle, and creeping things that creep upon the earth, according to their kinds went out of the ark.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Genesis 8:14
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
The commentators are agreed on the central point: the second date in verse 14 marks the moment the earth was fully dry and habitable, in contrast to verse 13 where the ground was merely exposed. Why the delay? Noah did not leave until God gave a direct command. Calvin highlights Noah's "hallowed timidity", he would not move ahead even when the earth looked ready. Gill notes Noah waited for orders as he had when entering. The Cambridge Bible observes that the wording of the command to "be fruitful and multiply" deliberately echoes the creation blessing of Genesis 1, marking this exit as the start of a new era. Barnes adds that the animals exit "after their families", a phrase characteristic of the Priestly source, implying they had already begun to increase within the ark. Across traditions, the passage is read as a model of patient obedience: God's preparation often outlasts our perception of readiness.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: That the two drying dates are intentional, showing a progressive preparation of the earth, and that Noah's obedience in waiting for God's command is the central lesson of the passage.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| The two dates for dry land | Both dates show a progression: verse 13 marks the waters receding, verse 14 the earth being fully dry and habitable. | Some commentators (Clarke, Keil-Delitzsch) emphasize the chronological precision as part of the flood's historicity; others (Cambridge Bible) treat it as a literary convention of the Priestly source. |
| Why the 57-day gap? | The delay allowed the earth to become completely ready for habitation, and Noah waited for God's command before leaving. | Calvin sees the wait as a lesson in holy obedience; some Jewish traditions note the practical need for the ground to dry sufficiently for farming and travel. |
| Renewal of the creation blessing | God's words in verse 17 deliberately recall Genesis 1:22, 28, showing the flood as a reset of creation. | Difference of emphasis: Barnes and Cambridge highlight the orderliness of the exit as reflecting creation; Calvin focuses on the blessing as a comfort to Noah amid the desolation. |
| "After their families" (v. 19) | This phrase indicates structured, orderly departure, not chaos. | Some see it as evidence of breeding within the ark (Jamieson-Fausset-Brown); others as a mark of the Priestly source's concern with genealogical order (Cambridge Bible). |
Historical & Cultural Context
The flood chronology in these verses is precise. Noah entered the ark on the 17th day of the 2nd month of his 600th year (Genesis 7:11). He left on the 27th day of the 2nd month of his 601st year, a total of 365 days, as Adam Clarke calculates, a full solar year. The 57 days between verse 13 (first month, first day) and verse 14 (second month, 27th day) allowed the ground to dry completely. The Hebrew verb in verse 14, yabesh (H3001), means "become dry" and is the same root used for the "dry land" of creation in Genesis 1:9-10, reinforcing the new-creation theme.
Culturally, ancient Near Eastern flood stories (like the Epic of Gilgamesh) also end with a sacrifice and divine blessing, but with a key difference: Noah does not act on his own. He waits for a spoken word from God. The phrase "after their families" (v. 19, mishpachah, H4940) is more than a biological note, it signals social order. The Cambridge Bible identifies this as characteristic of the Priestly source, which shows a concern for structure and genealogy. The ark exit reverses the entry: humans first, then animals, each "kind by kind" (BSB). The reissuing of the creation mandate to swarm, be fruitful, and multiply (v. 17) restores humanity's original commission, now on an earth washed clean.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants in these verses. Minor differences exist across translations in phrasing (e.g., "ship" vs "ark", "dry" vs "fully dry"), but these reflect translation choices rather than manuscript divergence.
Reception History
In Christian tradition, the exit from the ark has been widely read as a type of resurrection and new creation. The early church saw Noah's emergence as a picture of baptism (1 Peter 3:20-21), passing through judgment into new life. Augustine in the City of God interpreted the ark as a symbol of the Church, with the flood representing judgment on the world and the survivors as those saved by grace. Jewish tradition closely studied the chronology of these verses, with rabbinic sources (such as the Talmud) discussing the significance of the full year in the ark and the precise timing of the new era. Medieval commentators often connected the ark's dimensions (given earlier) with the body of Christ. Across traditions, the passage has been used to teach patience, trust in divine timing, and the hope of restoration after judgment.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- God sets the pace. The two drying dates remind us that readiness is not the same as completion. Noah saw dry ground but waited 57 days for God's word. The one who gave the command to enter also gives the command to exit.
- Exiting is also an act of faith. Leaving the ark required as much trust as entering. What had been a floating refuge became a new starting point. Noah stepped onto an empty world, trusting God's promise of new life.
- The creation mandate is renewed. God's first words to humanity (Genesis 1:28) are spoken again here. The flood did not cancel the original plan, it reset it. God's purposes for fruitfulness and stewardship remain.
Five-point outline
- Waiting on God's word after the crisis (v. 14).
- The command to leave: a new exodus (vv. 15-16).
- Bringing everything out: stewardship lives on (v. 17a).
- The renewed blessing: be fruitful and multiply (v. 17b).
- Order in the new beginning: "after their families" (vv. 18-19).
Illustration hooks
- A house after floodwaters recede: the floors look dry, but the walls are still soaked inside. A wise family waits for the structure to fully dry before moving furniture in. Noah waited until the earth could sustain life.
- Planting a garden too early: the soil looks ready on the surface but is still cold and wet beneath. The best farmers wait for the right conditions. God's timing was for the earth to be fully ready.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Why does God sometimes delay after a trial seems over?
- How do I know when to move forward after a long season of waiting?
- What does it mean to be faithful in both entering and exiting a situation?
Leading a Discussion
This passage marks the end of the flood story, but it doesn't race to the finish. The earth was dry weeks before God gave the command to leave. Noah's patience teaches us something about the rhythm of faith: obedience sometimes means staying still after the danger has passed, until God speaks again. As you discuss, consider where you are waiting for direction right now.
Discussion questions
- Read verse 13 and verse 14. What differences do you notice between the two statements about the earth being dry?
- Why do you think God did not tell Noah to leave as soon as the ground appeared? What might have been happening in those 57 days?
- How does Noah's response (vv. 18-19) mirror his entry into the ark? What does this consistency tell you about his character?
- God repeats the command to "be fruitful and multiply." Where else in Genesis do you see this command? What does it suggest about God's intentions after the flood?
- In verse 17, God says the animals are to "breed abundantly" and "multiply on the earth." Why is it important that the animals share in this blessing, not just the humans?
- When have you felt ready to move on from a hard situation, but sensed you should wait longer? How did you discern God's timing?
- What one thing from this passage encourages you most about God's character or care for creation?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Genesis 7:11 | In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on that day all the fountains of the great deep burst open, and the sky’s windows opened. |
| Genesis 7:13 | In the same day Noah, and Shem, Ham, and Japheth—the sons of Noah—and Noah’s wife and the three wives of his sons with them, entered into the ship— |
| Genesis 7:14 | they, and every animal after its kind, all the livestock after their kind, every creeping thing that creeps on the earth after its kind, and every bird after its kind, every bird of every sort. |
| Genesis 7:1 | Yahweh said to Noah, “Come with all of your household into the ship, for I have seen your righteousness before me in this generation. |
| Genesis 7:7 | Noah went into the ship with his sons, his wife, and his sons’ wives, because of the floodwaters. |
| Joshua 3:17 | The priests who bore the ark of Yahweh’s covenant stood firm on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan; and all Israel crossed over on dry ground, until all the nation had passed completely over the Jordan. |
| Joshua 4:10 | For the priests who bore the ark stood in the middle of the Jordan until everything was finished that Yahweh commanded Joshua to speak to the people, according to all that Moses commanded Joshua; and the people hurried and passed over. |
| Joshua 4:16 | “Command the priests who bear the ark of the covenant, that they come up out of the Jordan.” |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
11 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke calculates that Noah spent exactly a full solar year of 365 days in the ark, from the 17th day of the second month to the 27th day of the same month the following year. He works through the Hebrew lunar months, showing that the extra eleven days beyond a lunar year bring the total to a complete solar revolution.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes sees Noah’s altar as a crucial act of faith that secures God’s promise never to destroy the earth with water again. He argues this covenant rests not on human goodness, but on divine mercy accepting a substitute for sin. The stable cycle of seasons then becomes a tangible sign of God’s enduring commitment to sustain life despite persistent human evil.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin highlights Noah's remarkable patience in refusing to leave the ark until God gave the command, even though the earth was visibly ready. He calls this a holy restraint born of faith, not timidity, and uses it to teach that believers should attempt nothing without a clear conscience before God.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The Cambridge Bible notes that the command for Noah to leave the ark repeats the creation command to be fruitful and multiply, marking the start of a new era. The animals depart "after their families," a detail characteristic of the Priestly writer's emphasis on order and method.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The notes highlight the precise timing of the earth’s drying in the second month as a sign of God’s careful provision. They emphasize that Noah and his family were commanded to leave the ark only after the ground was fully dry, ensuring their safety. This sequence underscores the importance of waiting on divine instruction before beginning a new chapter on land.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill notes the precise duration of Noah's stay in the ark was exactly one full solar year, from the seventeenth day of the second month to the twenty-seventh day of the same month twelve months later. He emphasizes that even when the ground was dry, Noah did not leave until God directly commanded him to exit, showing patient obedience.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB draws attention to the orderly departure from the ark: humans came out first, then each animal species by its own family group. This arrangement, described as "after their kinds," implies that the animals had multiplied during their time in the ark, so they left in organized family units rather than individually.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil and Delitzsch carefully calculate the flood's exact duration as a year and ten days, noting Noah removed the ark's covering 57 days before the ground fully dried. They highlight the uncertainty about whether a solar or lunar calendar was used, favoring solar but admitting the question cannot be settled.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange emphasizes that God’s remembrance of Noah marks a decisive shift from judgment to compassion, extending even to the animals in the ark. He interprets the grounding on Ararat as strategically central for humanity’s renewal, noting its geographic position at the heart of the Old World continents.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry highlights that Noah did not leave the ark until God explicitly commanded him, even after the ground was dry. This delay teaches that God consults our benefit over our desires. He also notes the shift from "Come into the ark" to "Go forth," implying God's presence remained with Noah.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley observes that the drying of the earth after the flood was not merely a natural result but a deliberate act to prepare a safe, habitable home for Noah and his family. His point highlights God's direct care in making the world ready again for human life after judgment.