And he stayed yet other seven days; and sent forth the dove; which returned not again unto him any more.
Genesis 8:12 belongs to the account of Noah testing whether the floodwaters had receded and the earth had become dry by waiting seven days longer after the dove's first return and then sending the dove again, and this time the dove did not return. The repeated sendings at seven-day intervals followed the raven sent forty days after the mountaintops became visible, and were patient testing to find dry footing for leaving the ark. Noah and his family anxiously awaited the decrease of the waters and longed to leave the ark and go out again upon the earth. The dove's earlier return with an olive leaf had brought great rejoicing to the eight in the ark.
Even when the face of the ground was dry, Noah remained patiently inside the ark because having entered at God's command he waited for special directions to depart. The verse marks the end of the Flood by which the world was destroyed because of its iniquity. The ark was the massive boat God used to save all who would heed the warning and turn from unrighteousness.
All were tested by the truth Noah preached, those who believed were saved, but only eight persons were saved. The verse belongs to the inspired account of Noah and the Flood that Christ treats as literal history. Noah's generation prefigures the character of the world before Christ's appearing.
Genesis 8:12 belongs to the account of Noah testing whether the floodwaters had receded and the earth had become dry by waiting seven days longer after the dove's first return and then sending the dove again, and this time the dove did not return. The repeated sendings at seven-day intervals followed the raven sent forty days after the mountaintops became visible, and were patient testing to find dry footing for leaving the ark. Noah and his family anxiously awaited the decrease of the waters and longed to leave the ark and go out again upon the earth. The dove's earlier return with an olive leaf had brought great rejoicing to the eight in the ark.
Even when the face of the ground was dry, Noah remained patiently inside the ark because having entered at God's command he waited for special directions to depart. The verse marks the end of the Flood by which the world was destroyed because of its iniquity. The ark was the massive boat God used to save all who would heed the warning and turn from unrighteousness.
All were tested by the truth Noah preached, those who believed were saved, but only eight persons were saved. The verse belongs to the inspired account of Noah and the Flood that Christ treats as literal history. Noah's generation prefigures the character of the world before Christ's appearing.