Genesis 8:18

Study note

Setting — The narrator records this event immediately after God commands Noah to release the animals from the ark. Noah, his sons, his wife, and his sons’ wives physically exit the vessel as the floodwaters recede.

The words — The Hebrew verb יָצָא (yāṣāʾ) translates literally as “he went out” or “he came out.” It is paired with נֹחַ (Noach, “Noah”) to document the first human departure from the ark.

The thread — The motif of comings and goings appears in Psalms 121:8, which states the Lord watches over one’s comings and goings both now and forevermore.

Why it lands — The text explicitly records the family’s physical exit before establishing their role in repopulating the earth. It requires the reader to note the transition from divine preservation to human movement without adding theological commentary.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.