Genesis 9:10 · Bible study
Genesis 9:10 Commentary: Covenant with All Living Creatures
Hebrew · 8 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Learn why Genesis 9:10 includes animals in God's covenant with Noah, and what this reveals about God's care for all creation.
Research Summary
- Meaning: God’s covenant with Noah includes every living creature, promising preservation from another worldwide flood.
- Key words: nephesh (living creature), berit (covenant), tevah (ark), kol (all).
- Main debate: Whether animals are covenant partners or only beneficiaries; most agree they are beneficiaries included for humanity’s sake.
- Theological theme: God’s universal care for all creation and the stability of the created order.
- Best use: Preaching on creation care, God’s faithfulness, and the scope of salvation.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
and with every living creature that was with you—the birds, the livestock, and every beast of the earth—every living thing that came out of the ark.
WEB World English Bible 2000
and with every living creature that is with you: the birds, the livestock, and every animal of the earth with you, of all that go out of the ship, even every animal of the earth.
KJV King James Version 1769
And with every living creature that is with you, of the fowl, of the cattle, and of every beast of the earth with you; from all that go out of the ark, to every beast of the earth.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
and with every living creature that is with you, the birds, the cattle, and every beast of the earth with you; of all that go out of the ark, even every beast of the earth.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
and with every living creature which is with you, among fowl, among cattle, and among every beast of the earth with you, from all who are going out of the ark--to every beast of the earth.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
and with every living soul which is with you, fowl as well as cattle, and all the animals of the earth with you, of all that has gone out of the ark — every animal of the earth.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
And with every living soul that is with you, as well in all birds, as in cattle and beasts of the earth, that are come forth out of the ark, and in all the beasts of the earth.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Y con toda alma viviente que está con vosotros, de aves, de animales, y de toda bestia de la tierra que está con vosotros; desde todos los que salieron del arca hasta todo animal de la tierra.
E com toda alma vivente que está convosco, de aves, de animais, e de toda fera da terra que está convosco; desde todos os que saíram da arca até todo animal da terra.
avec tous les êtres vivants qui sont avec vous, tant les oiseaux que le bétail et tous les animaux de la terre, soit avec tous ceux qui sont sortis de l’ arche, soit avec tous les animaux de la terre.
und mit allem lebendigen Getier bei euch, an Vögeln, an Vieh und an allen Tieren auf Erden bei euch, von allem, was aus dem Kasten gegangen ist, was für Tiere es sind auf Erden.
En met alle levende ziel, die met u is, van het gevogelte, van het vee, en van alle gedierte der aarde met u; van allen, die uit de ark gegaan zijn, tot al het gedierte der aarde toe.
e con tutti gli esseri viventi che sono con voi: uccelli, bestiame, e tutti gli animali della terra con voi; da tutti quelli che sono usciti dall’arca, a tutti quanti gli animali della terra.
I z każdą duszą żywiącą, która jest z wami: w ptastwie, w bydle, i w każdem zwierzęciu ziemi, które są z wami, ze wszystkich, co wyszły z korabia, aż do każdego zwierzęcia na ziemi.
и со всякою душею живою, которая с вами, с птицами и со скотами, и со всеми зверями земными, которые у вас, со всеми вышедшими из ковчега, со всеми животными земными;
並與 你們這裡 的 一切 活 物─就是飛鳥、牲畜、 走獸， 凡從 方舟 裡出來的 活物─立約。
And with every living thing with you, all birds and cattle and every beast of the earth which comes out of the ark with you.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Genesis 9:10
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree that this verse expands the covenant beyond humanity to include every animal that came out of the ark. Calvin notes that while God directs his word only to men, “the favor which the Lord promises extends also to animals.” The animals share in the benefit of preservation from another flood, though they do not understand it. Cambridge Bible adds that the inclusion suggests “the interdependence between the animal world and the human race.” Gill emphasizes that this covenant is one “of conservation, since it is made with irrational as well as rational creatures.” Barnes and Keil-Delitzsch both note the careful accumulation of prepositions in the Hebrew, with, among, from, sweeping in every living thing. The consensus is clear: God’s covenant is not only about human salvation, but about the whole creation’s security in God’s care.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: God’s covenant with Noah includes every living creature that came out of the ark in the promise that there will never again be a worldwide flood.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Scope of the covenant | The covenant includes every living creature that came out of the ark, guaranteeing no future flood will destroy the earth. | Some (e.g., Calvin) emphasize the covenant is made only with humans, with animals as indirect beneficiaries; others (e.g., Cambridge Bible) see animals as direct objects of the covenant, suggesting interdependence between humans and animals. |
| Nature of the covenant | The covenant is a gracious, unconditional promise from God, not based on human merit. | Some commentators (e.g., Gill) describe this as a covenant of conservation rather than grace, since it does not address sin but only temporal preservation. Others see it as an extension of the covenant of grace to all creation. |
| Inclusion of animals | Animals are included because they share in the benefit of preservation from the flood. | Debate persists whether this implies moral consideration for animals beyond their utility to humans (a contemporary eco-theological reading) or is merely a symbolic inclusion pointing to God’s sovereignty over all creation. |
| Covenant sign (rainbow) | The rainbow is the appointed sign of this covenant, given for God to remember and for humans to see. | Whether the rainbow existed before the flood or was newly instituted is debated; Keil & Delitzsch argue it appeared for the first time due to a change in the atmosphere after the flood. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Genesis 9:10 stands at a hinge in the biblical story. The flood had undone creation, wiping out nearly every living thing. Noah and his family step onto a cleansed but empty earth. God speaks, and what emerges is not a new law but a covenant, an unbreakable promise. Right after Noah’s sacrifice, God had “said in his heart” never again to curse the ground (Genesis 8:21). Now that inner resolve takes formal shape.
The language echoes the creation account. The Hebrew word for “creature” here is nephesh, the same used in Genesis 1:20 for the swarming life of the seas and the teeming birds. God is picking up where creation began. The ark (tevah) is the same word used for Moses’ basket, a vessel of salvation carved out of peril.
Barnes notes that the animals are mentioned “because they partake in the special benefit of preservation from a flood.” They do not understand the promise, but they receive its protection. The covenant is made with Noah and his sons; the animals are included “on account of” them, as Calvin puts it. Yet the repeated phrase “every living creature” deliberately mirrors the comprehensive destruction of the flood. The God who judged also preserves. In an ancient world where flood stories depicted capricious gods saving only a favored human, this covenant breaks the pattern: God binds himself to all flesh, without condition.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for this verse. The Hebrew text is stable across surviving manuscripts.
Reception History
This verse has been a key text for understanding God’s relationship with the nonhuman world. Calvin used it to argue that covenant benefits extend to those who cannot personally consent, an important point in the Reformed defense of infant baptism. Matthew Henry saw in it a sign of God’s gracious condescension. In the modern era, Genesis 9:10 has become a cornerstone for Christian environmental ethics, emphasizing that creation is not merely a stage for human history but an object of God’s care. The verse is also read in the Catholic tradition as part of the “covenant with all creation” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1218). Eastern Orthodox theology highlights the cosmic scope of redemption reflected here.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The covenant scope is wider than humanity. God includes birds, livestock, and wild animals. This is not a mistake or an afterthought. The covenant reaches beyond human history into the whole creation.
- The covenant basis is God’s grace. God says “I, behold, I establish.” He does not wait for Noah to ask. The initiative is all from God.
- The covenant guarantee is stability. The promise is simple: no more flood to destroy the earth. This gives every generation of creatures a reliable world to live in.
Five-point outline
- God initiates, “I establish my covenant.” The covenant is God’s free act.
- God includes all life, every creature that came out of the ark.
- God promises permanence, the covenant extends “for perpetual generations.”
- God links covenant to sign, the rainbow appears later (v.13). The sign is for both God and humanity.
- God protects relationship, the covenant is not a legal contract but a bond. Creation is not discarded but kept.
Illustration hooks
- A farmer’s livelihood depends on his livestock. When God makes a covenant with the cattle, it speaks to the real interdependence of human life and animal life.
- A pet in a crisis, a family evacuating with their dog. The instinct to save the animal mirrors God’s own care.
- An ecosystem under threat, the covenant promises that the earth will not be destroyed by flood again. It does not promise we will not damage it, but God’s commitment to the planet remains.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Does God really care about animals, or are they just part of the backdrop for humans?
- If God makes a covenant with creation, does that change how we treat the environment?
- Why does God need to promise something he already decided? Who is the covenant for, us or him?
Leading a Discussion
This verse reveals that God’s care reaches beyond the human family to every living creature. It asks us to consider whether our faith has room for the whole creation.
Discussion questions
- Read Genesis 9:8, 10. What types of creatures are specifically named? Why do you think God spells them out so carefully?
- In what ways does the inclusion of animals expand your understanding of a “covenant”?
- What does this verse tell us about God’s character, especially after the judgment of the flood?
- How does Genesis 8:1 (“God remembered Noah, all the animals…”) connect with this covenant? What does God’s remembering mean?
- If animals are included in God’s covenant, does that give them moral standing? How should this shape our treatment of animals and the earth?
- This covenant is made with humans but extends to animals. How does that change the way you think about responsibility toward creation?
- What comfort do you take from the promise that God will not destroy the earth again?
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 8:1 | God remembered Noah, all the animals, and all the livestock that were with him in the ship; and God made a wind to pass over the earth. The waters subsided. |
| Genesis 9:15 | I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh, and the waters will no more become a flood to destroy all flesh. |
| Genesis 9:16 | The rainbow will be in the cloud. I will look at it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.” |
| Job 38:1 | Then Yahweh answered Job out of the whirlwind, |
| Job 38:41 | Who provides for the raven his prey, when his young ones cry to God, and wander for lack of food? |
| Job 41:1 | “Can you draw out Leviathan with a fish hook, or press down his tongue with a cord? |
| Job 41:34 | He sees everything that is high. He is king over all the sons of pride.” |
| Psalms 36:5 | Your loving kindness, Yahweh, is in the heavens. Your faithfulness reaches to the skies. |
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
8 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes highlights that God looks at the rainbow to remember His promise, showing that divine memory is an act of free will rather than a need. He sees the bow as a natural index proving the storm is passing, serving as a visible sign of mercy that reassures humanity no universal flood will ever return.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin highlights that God makes this covenant directly with humans, not animals, because only people can receive it by faith. He then draws three layers: the promise to Noah, its transmission to all future generations through parents, and its extension to animals for preservation only. This supports his argument that infants share in the covenant through their believing parents, opposing those who require personal faith first.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
Cambridge Bible Schools notes that the covenant extends to every living creature, using the Hebrew word nephesh, which signifies a living soul. This highlights a mutual bond between the animal world and humanity, so that kindness toward people brings blessing on animals too. Love, they conclude, fills all creation.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva note stresses that the covenant explicitly includes every kind of animal that came out of the ark—fowl, cattle, and beasts of the earth. No creature is left out of God's promise.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill argues that this covenant's inclusion of every animal, not just humans, proves it is a covenant of preservation, not salvation. He stresses that God made this promise to all creatures that left the ark, extending it to every future generation of animals until the end of the world.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch stresses that God's covenant with Noah was not a formal contract but a promise given as a guarantee, confirmed by the rainbow. This sign holds real power not only for human memory but also before God Himself, who looks at it and remembers His everlasting covenant.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange interprets the rainbow not as a new creation but as an existing natural phenomenon repurposed by God as a token of His covenant. He emphasizes that this sign symbolizes constancy, appearing reliably after storms to remind both God and humanity of His promise never to destroy the earth again. This mutual remembrance reflects a tender divine commitment rather than a supernatural alteration of nature.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry highlights that this covenant is entirely God's own initiative, marked by the emphatic "I, behold, I." He stresses its unshakeable stability and its remarkable scope—it extends even to every living creature, including animals that cannot consent. For Henry, this shows God's condescending favor and the security of his promise against future floods.