GOD GAVE MEN A SIGN OF THE COVENANT
Key verse: 17
NIV
God’s Covenant With Noah
9 Then God blessed Noah and his sons, saying to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the earth.(A) 2 The fear and dread of you will fall on all the beasts of the earth, and on all the birds in the sky, on every creature that moves along the ground, and on all the fish in the sea; they are given into your hands.(B) 3 Everything that lives and moves about will be food for you.(C) Just as I gave you the green plants, I now give you everything.(D)
4 “But you must not eat meat that has its lifeblood still in it.(E) 5 And for your lifeblood I will surely demand an accounting.(F) I will demand an accounting from every animal.(G) And from each human being, too, I will demand an accounting for the life of another human being.(H)
6 “Whoever sheds human blood,
by humans shall their blood be shed;(I)
for in the image of God(J)
has God made mankind.
7 As for you, be fruitful and increase in number; multiply on the earth and increase upon it.”(K)
8 Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him: 9 “I now establish my covenant with you(L) and with your descendants after you 10 and with every living creature that was with you—the birds, the livestock and all the wild animals, all those that came out of the ark with you—every living creature on earth. 11 I establish my covenant(M) with you:(N) Never again will all life be destroyed by the waters of a flood; never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth.(O)”
12 And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant(P) I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come:(Q) 13 I have set my rainbow(R) in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. 14 Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow(S) appears in the clouds, 15 I will remember my covenant(T) between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life.(U) 16 Whenever the rainbow(V) appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant(W) between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth.”
17 So God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the covenant(X) I have established between me and all life on the earth.”
Cross references
- Genesis 9:1 : S Ge 1:22
- Genesis 9:2 : S Ge 1:26
- Genesis 9:3 : S Ge 1:29
- Genesis 9:3 : S Ac 10:15; Col 2:16
- Genesis 9:4 : Lev 3:17; 7:26; 17:10-14; 19:26; Dt 12:16, 23-25; 15:23; 1Sa 14:33; Eze 33:25; Ac 15:20, 29
- Genesis 9:5 : Ge 42:22; 50:15; 1Ki 2:32; 2Ch 24:22; Ps 9:12
- Genesis 9:5 : Ex 21:28-32
- Genesis 9:5 : Ge 4:10
- Genesis 9:6 : S Ge 4:14; S Jdg 9:24; S Mt 26:52
- Genesis 9:6 : S Ge 1:26
- Genesis 9:7 : S Ge 1:22
- Genesis 9:9 : ver 11; S Ge 6:18
- Genesis 9:11 : ver 16; Isa 24:5; 33:8; Hos 6:7
- Genesis 9:11 : S ver 9
- Genesis 9:11 : S Ge 8:21
- Genesis 9:12 : ver 17; Ge 17:11
- Genesis 9:12 : Ge 17:12; Ex 12:14; Lev 3:17; 6:18; 17:7; Nu 10:8
- Genesis 9:13 : ver 14; Eze 1:28; Rev 4:3; 10:1
- Genesis 9:14 : S ver 13
- Genesis 9:15 : S Ge 8:1; Ex 2:24; 6:5; 34:10; Lev 26:42, 45; Dt 7:9; Ps 89:34; 103:18; 105:8; 106:45; Eze 16:60
- Genesis 9:15 : S Ge 8:21
- Genesis 9:16 : ver 13
- Genesis 9:16 : S ver 11; Ge 17:7, 13, 19; 2Sa 7:13; 23:5; Ps 105:9-10; Isa 9:7; 54:10; 55:3; 59:21; 61:8; Jer 31:31-34; 32:40; 33:21; Eze 16:60; 37:26; S Heb 13:20
- Genesis 9:17 : S ver 12
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source: BibleGateway
ESV
9 And God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, (A)“Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth. 2 (B)The fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth and upon every bird of the heavens, upon everything that creeps on the ground and all the fish of the sea. Into your hand they are delivered. 3 (C)Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. And (D)as I gave you the green plants, I give you everything. 4 But you shall not eat flesh with its (E)life, that is, its blood. 5 And for your lifeblood I will require a reckoning: (F)from every beast I will require it and (G)from man. From his fellow man I will require a reckoning for the life of man.
6 (H)“Whoever sheds the blood of man,
by man shall his blood be shed,
(I)for God made man in his own image.
7 And you,[a] be fruitful and multiply, increase greatly on the earth and multiply in it.”
8 Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him, 9 “Behold, (J)I establish my covenant with you and your offspring after you, 10 and with every living creature that is with you, the birds, the livestock, and every beast of the earth with you, as many as came out of the ark; it is for every beast of the earth. 11 (K)I establish my covenant with you, that never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of the flood, and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.” 12 And God said, (L)“This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: 13 I have set (M)my bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. 14 When I bring clouds over the earth and the bow is seen in the clouds, 15 (N)I will remember my covenant that is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh. And the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh. 16 When the bow is in the clouds, I will see it and remember (O)the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.” 17 God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the covenant that I have established between me and all flesh that is on the earth.”
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Genesis 9:7 In Hebrew you is plural
Cross references
- Genesis 9:1 : ch. 1:22, 28; 8:17
- Genesis 9:2 : [Ps. 8:6-8; James 3:7]
- Genesis 9:3 : Deut. 12:15; 1 Tim. 4:3, 4
- Genesis 9:3 : ch. 1:29
- Genesis 9:4 : Lev. 17:10, 11, 14; Deut. 12:16, 23; 1 Sam. 14:33; Acts 15:20, 29
- Genesis 9:5 : Ex. 21:28
- Genesis 9:5 : ch. 4:10, 11
- Genesis 9:6 : Ex. 21:12, 14; Lev. 24:17; Num. 35:31, 33; [Matt. 26:52; Rev. 13:10]
- Genesis 9:6 : ch. 1:27; 5:1; James 3:9
- Genesis 9:9 : ch. 6:18; 8:20-22
- Genesis 9:11 : Isa. 54:9, 10
- Genesis 9:12 : ch. 17:11
- Genesis 9:13 : Ezek. 1:28; [Rev. 4:3; 10:1]
- Genesis 9:15 : [Lev. 26:42, 45; 1 Kgs. 8:23; Ezek. 16:60]
- Genesis 9:16 : ch. 17:7, 13, 19
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway
God's blessing to Noah and his sons appears to be the same one given to Adam in the beginning of creation (Gen 1:28-30). However, there are some changes. After the flood, the environment changed, and mankind needed to consume the meat of animals in addition to plants for food. God allowed them to eat meat for their physical needs but on one condition: they were not to consume the blood that represented life. Also, shedding human blood was prohibited because the image of God—life itself—in each person belongs to God.
Through the flood, God demonstrated his power and authority as the author of all lives and judge. God deserves our absolute respect and submission. Yet, he does not want to have a relationship based on fear. God also made a covenant with Noah, promising not to destroy the earth with a flood again, and gave the sign of the rainbow. God's covenant does not mean the world, as we know it, will last forever (2Co 4:18). Rather, the covenant is God's commitment to his creatures that he will endure, patiently guide, and be faithful to his words. It is God's grace to commit and hold to his promises. Do you also want to commit your life to God and follow his words?
Prayer: Father, you are gracious and faithful. I want to be faithful to you and obey your will. Would you be with me today to have the strength to be right with you?
One Word: God made a covenant
