Genesis Chapter 8: “God Remembered Noah”
1. God’s Memory: Mercy in Motion
“But God remembered Noah, and all the beasts and all the cattle that were with him in the ark.” (Genesis 8:1)
These words mark the turning point of the Flood narrative.
It is not that God ever forgot Noah — divine memory does not fade.
To “remember” in Scripture means to act in fidelity to a covenant.
St. Augustine explains:
“When Scripture says that God remembered, it means that His mercy began to work anew.” (City of God XV.27)
The Flood is not the end; it is the threshold.
God’s “remembering” is the return of grace — a foretaste of the resurrection, when He will remember His covenant with all flesh.
St. John Chrysostom notes:
“See how, after wrath, the Lord turns again to mercy. His remembering is His saving.” (Homilies on Genesis XXV.2)
2. The Wind Over the Waters: A New Creation
“And God made a wind blow over the earth, and the waters subsided.” (Genesis 8:1)
The Hebrew word for wind is ruach — the same word for Spirit.
This recalls Genesis 1:2: “The Spirit of God was moving over the face of the waters.”
Creation begins with the Spirit hovering; re-creation begins the same way.
St. Ephrem the Syrian says:
“The Spirit who once brooded over the waters of the first creation now stirs the flood to depart, bringing life once more from death.” (Commentary on Genesis VIII.2)
This is divine renewal: judgment gives way to mercy, chaos gives way to peace.
The Flood was not final destruction but purification — and now the Spirit breathes again.
3. The Ark Comes to Rest
“At the end of a hundred and fifty days the waters had abated; and in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day, the ark came to rest upon the mountains of Ararat.” (Genesis 8:3–4)
The Fathers saw deep symbolism here.
The ark “rested” — just as God rested on the seventh day, and as Christ rested in the tomb.
St. Ambrose writes:
“The ark’s rest prefigures the rest of Christ after His Passion. The world’s tempest ceases; salvation stands firm upon the mountain.” (Noah and the Ark 4.9)
Ararat becomes a sign of the Church — firm, elevated, and visible above the waters of sin.
From this resting place, a new humanity will emerge, just as from the sepulchre of Christ a new creation will arise.
4. The Gradual Recession of the Waters
“The waters continued to abate until the tenth month; in the tenth month, on the first day of the month, the tops of the mountains were seen.” (Genesis 8:5)
God’s deliverance unfolds gradually.
He who could dry the earth in an instant chooses instead to act through time — teaching Noah patience and trust.
St. Augustine comments:
“God could have restored the earth at once, but He willed to exercise Noah’s faith. Patience is the proof of the righteous.” (City of God XV.27)
So too in the spiritual life: the flood of sorrow or sin often recedes slowly, and faith must wait for the peaks of hope to reappear.
5. The Raven and the Dove
“Then he sent forth a raven… it went to and fro until the waters were dried up.” (Genesis 8:7)
“Then he sent forth a dove… but the dove found no place to set her foot.” (Genesis 8:8–9)
These two birds became rich symbols in the Fathers’ preaching.
The raven, a bird of carrion, represents the restless soul — unclean, wandering, seeking its own sustenance among corruption.
The dove, pure and gentle, represents the soul that longs for peace, the figure of the Holy Spirit and of the Church.
St. Ambrose writes:
“The raven is the image of sin; the dove, of grace. One feeds on death, the other brings life.” (Noah and the Ark 4.10)
When Noah sends the dove again, it returns “with a freshly plucked olive leaf” (Genesis 8:11) — the sign of reconciliation.
St. Augustine proclaims:
“The dove with the olive branch is the Spirit bringing peace after the flood — as the Spirit came upon Christ at His Baptism.” (Tractates on John VI.10)
Thus, the dove becomes the universal symbol of peace, grace, and the Spirit descending upon the renewed world.
6. The New Earth Appears
“In the six hundred and first year, in the first month, the waters were dried from off the earth.” (Genesis 8:13)
The new world emerges like a resurrection morning.
The earth, cleansed and reborn, awaits its renewed inhabitants.
St. John Chrysostom reflects:
“When Noah opened the covering of the ark and saw the earth dry, he saw a new creation — the earth baptized.” (Homilies on Genesis XXV.5)
The Church Fathers thus saw in the drying of the earth a symbol of the baptized soul, freed from the waters of sin, now ready to live anew in holiness.
7. God’s Command: “Go Forth from the Ark”
“Then God said to Noah, ‘Go forth from the ark, you and your wife, and your sons and your sons’ wives with you.’” (Genesis 8:15–16)
The command to “enter” (Genesis 7:1) is now replaced by the command to “go forth.”
Obedience began salvation; obedience now completes it.
St. Ambrose remarks:
“As Noah entered at God’s word, so he leaves at God’s word, for the righteous act only at the command of the Lord.” (Noah and the Ark 4.12)
God who sealed Noah in the ark now sends him forth to restore the world.
This is the rhythm of grace: protection, purification, and mission.
8. The First Act of Worship in the New World
“Then Noah built an altar to the Lord, and took of every clean animal and of every clean bird, and offered burnt offerings on the altar.” (Genesis 8:20)
The first act of the new humanity is worship.
As sin once began with disobedience, renewal begins with sacrifice and thanksgiving.
St. Irenaeus observes:
“The first creation fell through ingratitude; the new creation begins with thanksgiving.” (Against Heresies IV.18.1)
The sweet odor of the sacrifice rises as a symbol of restored harmony.
This offering anticipates the Eucharist — the perfect sacrifice of praise offered by Christ, the true priest.
St. Augustine writes:
“Noah’s sacrifice prefigured the one Victim in whom the Father is well pleased — Christ who offered Himself for the world.” (City of God XVI.2)
9. The Divine Promise: “Never Again”
“And when the Lord smelled the pleasing odor, the Lord said in His heart, ‘I will never again curse the ground because of man… while the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease.’” (Genesis 8:21–22)
This is one of the most tender revelations of divine mercy.
Though man’s heart is still inclined to sin, God resolves to sustain creation with patience.
St. John Chrysostom says:
“See the Lord’s compassion! Though He foresees future sin, He promises stability — not because men have changed, but because He is merciful.” (Homilies on Genesis XXVI.2)
This is the covenant of preservation, preceding the covenant of salvation.
God vows never again to destroy the world by flood — an assurance that mercy is His final word.
In Christian reading, this anticipates the new covenant in Christ’s Blood, which will secure not only temporal stability but eternal redemption.
10. The Theology of Genesis 8
| Theme | Revelation |
| God “remembered” | Divine fidelity; mercy reawakens. |
| Wind over the waters | The Spirit renewing creation. |
| Ark’s rest on Ararat | The peace of Christ after His Passion. |
| Raven and dove | Sin and grace; law and Spirit; unrest and peace. |
| Altar of Noah | Worship as thanksgiving and foreshadowing of the Cross. |
| God’s promise | The stability of creation until the final renewal. |
The Fathers saw in this chapter the Easter pattern:
Judgment → Mercy
Death → Resurrection
Chaos → Order
Flood → Baptism
Sacrifice → Thanksgiving
11. Christ the True Noah
Christ is the New Noah who leads His people through the waters of death to the peace of the new creation.
St. Augustine says:
“In Noah we see the figure of Him who was to come; through one righteous man the world was saved, as through one righteous Man the world is redeemed.” (City of God XV.27)
Noah’s ark rested on a mountain; Christ’s ark, the Church, stands upon the Rock.
The dove returned with the olive branch; the Spirit descends with the sign of peace.
The altar of Noah prefigures the altar of the Cross.
The rainbow (in the next chapter) will become the sign of the covenant; the Cross is its fulfillment.
12. The Moral and Spiritual Application
Trust that God remembers you. His silence is not absence; His memory is mercy.
Let the Spirit’s wind dry the waters. Allow grace to dispel the flood of sin.
Build the altar of thanksgiving. Gratitude is the heart’s response to salvation.
Walk forth when God commands. Obedience is both the ark and the doorway of renewal.
Live under God’s promise. The world may tremble, but His covenant endures.
13. The Church’s Typology
In the Church’s ancient catechesis, Genesis 8 is read as a baptismal mystery:
The Ark: the Church
The Waters: Baptism
The Dove: the Holy Spirit
The Olive Branch: the peace of reconciliation
The Altar: the Eucharist
Thus, the journey of Noah is the journey of every Christian soul:
called, cleansed, saved, renewed, and sent forth to worship and serve.
14. Closing Prayer
God of mercy and new beginnings,
You remembered Noah amid the flood and renewed the face of the earth.
Send again Your Spirit over the waters of our hearts.
Bring to rest the storms of sin and sorrow,
and make us, like Noah, faithful stewards of Your grace.
May our lives be an altar of thanksgiving,
and our hearts a dwelling place for Your peace,
through Jesus Christ, the New Noah and Lord of the New Creation. Amen.
St. Mary's, St. John Bosco and St. Edward's 