Genesis 8:16 kjv
Go forth of the ark, thou, and thy wife, and thy sons, and thy sons' wives with thee.
Genesis 8:16 nkjv
"Go out of the ark, you and your wife, and your sons and your sons' wives with you.
Genesis 8:16 niv
"Come out of the ark, you and your wife and your sons and their wives.
Genesis 8:16 esv
"Go out from the ark, you and your wife, and your sons and your sons' wives with you.
Genesis 8:16 nlt
"Leave the boat, all of you ? you and your wife, and your sons and their wives.
Genesis 8 16 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Gen 1:22 | "And God blessed them, saying, 'Be fruitful and multiply...'" | Divine command to multiply post-creation |
| Gen 1:28 | "And God blessed them... 'Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth...'" | Command to humanity to populate the earth |
| Gen 6:18 | "But I will establish My covenant with you; and you shall come into the ark, you, your sons, your wife, and your sons' wives with you." | Echoes the grouping entering the ark |
| Gen 7:13 | "On the very same day Noah and Shem and Ham and Japheth... went into the ark..." | Fulfillment of God's instruction to enter ark |
| Gen 8:1 | "But God remembered Noah and all the beasts and all the livestock that were with him in the ark..." | God's faithfulness and remembrance |
| Gen 8:17 | "Bring out with you every living thing... that they may breed abundantly..." | God's command for animals to multiply |
| Gen 9:1 | "And God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, 'Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth.'" | Repetition of creation mandate after flood |
| Gen 9:7 | "And as for you, be fruitful and multiply; populate the earth abundantly and multiply in it." | Reaffirmation of command to reproduce |
| Gen 12:1 | "Now the Lord said to Abram, 'Go forth from your country...'" | Divine command to leave for new beginnings |
| Exod 2:4-6 | Moses' ark (תֵּבָה - tevah) story | Ark as instrument of divine preservation |
| Josh 1:2 | "Moses My servant is dead; now therefore arise, cross this Jordan... " | God's command to leaders to move forward |
| Neh 9:6 | "...You made the earth and all that is on it... And You preserve them all..." | God as creator and sustainer |
| Isa 65:17 | "For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth..." | Prophecy of new creation/renewal |
| Matt 24:37-39 | "For the coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah..." | Noah's flood as a sign of future judgment |
| Luke 17:26-27 | "Just as it happened in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man..." | Warning of judgment, connecting to Noah |
| 1 Pet 3:20 | "...when the patience of God kept waiting in the days of Noah, during the construction of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through water." | Ark as salvation/preservation from judgment |
| 1 Pet 3:21 | "Corresponding to that, baptism now saves you—not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience—through the resurrection of Jesus Christ." | Ark's salvation foreshadows Christian baptism |
| 2 Pet 2:5 | "and did not spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah, a preacher of righteousness, with seven others, when He brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly..." | God's preservation of Noah during judgment |
| 2 Pet 3:13 | "But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells." | New creation after destruction, echoing Gen 8 |
| Rev 21:1 | "Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away..." | Ultimate new creation post-judgment |
| Heb 11:7 | "By faith Noah, being warned by God about things not yet seen, in reverence prepared an ark for the salvation of his household..." | Noah's faith and obedience in building the ark |
Genesis 8 verses
Genesis 8 16 Meaning
Genesis 8:16 marks a pivotal divine command from God to Noah, instructing him and his entire family unit—his wife, sons, and daughters-in-law—to disembark from the ark. This command signifies the conclusion of their confinement during the great flood and the beginning of a new chapter for humanity on a renewed earth. It represents God's faithful initiative to restore life and establish a new foundation after judgment, ensuring the continuation of the human lineage through those He preserved.Genesis 8 16 Context
Genesis chapter 8 describes the aftermath of the global flood. Following the devastating judgment, God remembers Noah and all living creatures in the ark (Gen 8:1). He sends a wind to dry the earth, causing the waters to recede. Noah then sends out a raven and subsequently a dove multiple times, using the birds as indicators of the receding waters and the presence of dry land. After the third release of the dove and its failure to return, Noah knows the earth is sufficiently dry. Yet, despite knowing the conditions, Noah patiently remains in the ark, awaiting God's explicit instruction. Genesis 8:16 delivers this anticipated divine command, signaling the official end of their confinement and initiating the repopulation and restoration of the earth. Historically, this narrative stands in contrast to other ancient Near Eastern flood accounts which often feature gods acting capriciously or heroes emerging without direct divine instruction for their next steps. The biblical account highlights God's sovereignty, meticulous care, and a purposeful, ordered new beginning under His direct guidance.Genesis 8 16 Word analysis
- Go out (צֵא, tsei): An imperative verb, singular masculine, directly commanding Noah. This signifies a divine order, not merely a suggestion or permission. It emphasizes God's initiative and Noah's obedient response. It denotes a decisive exit from the space of preservation onto the newly re-emerged land, inaugurating the next phase of God's plan.
- from the ark (מִן־הַתֵּבָה, min-ha-tevah): "From the ark" specifies the exact location from which the command is to be fulfilled. The word "ark" (תֵּבָה, tevah) is unique in the Hebrew Bible, used only for Noah's ark and Moses' basket (Exod 2:3, 5). This particularity highlights its specific purpose as a divine vessel of preservation and salvation from judgment. It implies a departure from a place of divine protection into a renewed world.
- you (אַתָּה, atah): Refers directly to Noah, indicating his primary role as the covenant head and patriarch of the new humanity. His singular leadership is reaffirmed, underscoring his spiritual responsibility and authority in this new beginning.
- and your wife (וְאִשְׁתֶּךָ, ve'ishtekha): Underscores the foundational role of the family unit in God's redemptive plan. The inclusion of Noah's wife emphasizes the male and female complement essential for human procreation and continuation, mirroring the original creation narrative's emphasis on Adam and Eve.
- and your sons (וּבָנֶיךָ, uvaneykha): Refers to Shem, Ham, and Japheth. These three sons represent the future diverse lineages and nations of the earth. Their survival ensures the peopling of the world by different ethnicities, emphasizing a global repopulation effort under God's sovereignty.
- and your sons' wives (וְנְשֵׁי בָנֶיךָ, veneshai vaneykha): Explicitly includes the wives of Noah's sons, making a complete representation of all human progenitors for the post-flood world. Their presence highlights God's meticulous care for the generational continuation of humanity and reinforces the mandate to "be fruitful and multiply" (Gen 9:1), ensuring the human race's successful reestablishment on earth.
- with you (אִתָּךְ, ittakh): This phrase emphasizes the collective nature of the divine command and the corporate emergence of Noah's family. It highlights unity and the family's joint role in the future of humanity, all moving under Noah's headship and God's directive.
Words-group by words-group analysis:
- "Go out from the ark": This phrase encapsulates God's sovereign command initiating the exit. It marks a transition from confinement and divine judgment (implied by the ark's function during the flood) to freedom and a new opportunity for life on a regenerated earth. The action is divinely orchestrated.
- "you and your wife and your sons and your sons' wives": This entire enumeration defines the precise family unit that constitutes the totality of saved humanity and the progenitors for the post-flood world. It emphasizes the foundational importance of the family, particularly for multiplication and fulfilling the creation mandate (Gen 1:28, 9:1). This group's survival highlights God's grace and His purpose to restart humanity through a righteous remnant.
- "with you": This phrase binds the entire family to Noah's immediate direction. It reiterates the unity and communal responsibility of the preserved household under Noah's leadership. The group's collective exodus signifies a holistic, ordered renewal under God's detailed instruction.