Genesis 9:12 Study Bible: God said, "This is the token of the covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations:

◄ Genesis 9:12 ►

And God said, "This is the sign of the covenant I am making between Me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come:

Study Bible

And God said
This phrase underscores the divine authority and initiative in the narrative. The Hebrew word for God here is "Elohim," which emphasizes His power and sovereignty. The act of speaking by God is significant throughout Genesis, as it is through His word that creation itself was brought into existence. This highlights the power and reliability of God's promises.

This is the sign
The Hebrew word for "sign" is "’owth," which often denotes a visible symbol or mark that serves as a reminder of a covenant or promise. In the context of Genesis 9, the sign refers to the rainbow, a visible and recurring reminder of God's promise. This concept of a sign is consistent with other biblical covenants, where physical symbols are used to represent spiritual truths.

of the covenant
The term "covenant" is translated from the Hebrew word "berith," which signifies a solemn agreement or promise. In the ancient Near Eastern context, covenants were binding agreements that often included stipulations and signs. Here, the covenant is unilateral, initiated by God, and it underscores His grace and mercy towards humanity and creation.

I am making
This phrase indicates the active role of God in establishing the covenant. The Hebrew verb "karath" is often used in the context of making or cutting a covenant, suggesting a formal and binding agreement. It emphasizes God's commitment and the seriousness of the promise being made.

between Me and you
This phrase highlights the personal nature of the covenant. It is not just a general promise but a specific agreement between God and Noah, representing humanity. The relational aspect of the covenant is central, as it reflects God's desire for a relationship with His creation.

and every living creature with you
The inclusion of "every living creature" signifies the comprehensive scope of the covenant. It is not limited to humanity but extends to all of creation. This reflects the biblical theme of God's care and concern for all life, emphasizing the interconnectedness of creation.

a covenant for all generations to come
This phrase underscores the perpetual nature of the covenant. The Hebrew word "dor" means generation, indicating that this promise is not limited to Noah's time but extends indefinitely into the future. It assures future generations of God's faithfulness and the enduring nature of His promises.

Persons / Places / Events

1. God
The Creator and Sustainer of the universe, who establishes a covenant with Noah and all living creatures.

2. Noah
The righteous man chosen by God to survive the flood and repopulate the earth.

3. Covenant
A divine promise or agreement, in this context, between God and all living creatures.

4. Living Creatures
All animals and humans that survived the flood and are included in God's covenant.

5. Generations to Come
Refers to all future descendants of Noah and the living creatures, indicating the perpetual nature of the covenant.

Teaching Points

The Nature of God's Covenants
God's covenants are initiated by Him and are based on His faithfulness, not human merit.

The Universality of God's Promise
The covenant includes all living creatures, highlighting God's care for all creation.

The Perpetual Nature of God's Promises
The covenant is for "all generations to come," emphasizing its eternal aspect.

The Significance of Signs
God uses physical signs (like the rainbow) to remind us of His promises and faithfulness.

Trust in God's Faithfulness
Just as God kept His promise to Noah, we can trust Him to keep His promises to us today.

Bible Study Questions

1. How does understanding the context of the flood enhance our appreciation of God's covenant in Genesis 9:12?

2. In what ways does the Noahic Covenant reflect God's character and His relationship with creation?

3. How can the concept of a covenant in Genesis 9:12 help us understand other covenants in the Bible, such as those with Abraham or Moses?

4. What are some modern "signs" that remind us of God's promises, and how can we use them to strengthen our faith?

5. How can we apply the lessons of God's faithfulness in Genesis 9:12 to our personal lives and challenges today?

Connections to Other Scriptures

Genesis 6-8
Provides the background of the flood and God's decision to save Noah and his family, setting the stage for the covenant in Genesis 9.

Genesis 17
Another covenant, this time with Abraham, showing the continuity of God's promises and faithfulness.

Exodus 19-24
The Mosaic Covenant, illustrating the pattern of God establishing covenants with His people.

Isaiah 54:9-10
References the Noahic Covenant as a symbol of God's enduring promise and mercy.

Revelation 4:3
The rainbow around God's throne, symbolizing His covenant and faithfulness.

Sermons

The New Noachic Covenant Established	R.A. Redford	Genesis 9:8-17
Everlasting Covenant	W. Adamson.	Genesis 9:12-17
God Looking At the Rainbow	G. Gilfillan.	Genesis 9:12-17
God's Covenant and its Token	J. C. Gray.	Genesis 9:12-17
Lessons from the Rainbow	W. Adamson.	Genesis 9:12-17
The Bow in the Cloud	Homilist	Genesis 9:12-17
The Bow in the Cloud	S. Baring-Gould, M. A.	Genesis 9:12-17
The Bow in the Cloud	F. G. Marchant	Genesis 9:12-17
The Bow in the Cloud	The Preacher's Monthly	Genesis 9:12-17
The Bow in the Cloud	F. W. Brown.	Genesis 9:12-17
The Bow in the Cloud	The Evangelical Preacher	Genesis 9:12-17
The Bow in the Cloud	A. F. Barfield.	Genesis 9:12-17
The Bow in the Cloud	M. Rainsford, B. A.	Genesis 9:12-17
The Bow in the Cloud	Dean Law.	Genesis 9:12-17
The Bow of Promise	W. S. Smith, B. D.	Genesis 9:12-17
The Bow of the Covenant	G. Gilfillan.	Genesis 9:12-17
The Covenant Connection Between the Cloud and the Bow	R. Newton, D. D.	Genesis 9:12-17
The Covenant Sign	Old Testament Anecdotes	Genesis 9:12-17
The Flood and the Rainbow	C. Kingsley, M. A.	Genesis 9:12-17
The Rainbow	Spurgeon, Charles Haddon	Genesis 9:12-17
The Rainbow	J. N. Norton, D. D.	Genesis 9:12-17
The Rainbow	C. Burton, LL. D.	Genesis 9:12-17
The Rainbow	G. D. Boardman, D. D.	Genesis 9:12-17
The Rainbow and its Lessons	M. M. Kalisch, Ph. D.	Genesis 9:12-17
The Rainbow Like God's Promises	A. P. Foster.	Genesis 9:12-17
The Rainbow the Type of the Covenant	E. B. Elliot, M. A.	Genesis 9:12-17
The Sign of the Covenant	J. P. Lange, D. D.	Genesis 9:12-17
The Token of the Covenant	C. Bradley, M. A.	Genesis 9:12-17
Was There a Rainbow Before	J. Parker, D. D.	Genesis 9:12-17

People

Ham, Japheth, Noah, Shem

Places

Tigris-Euphrates Region

Topics

Age-during, Agreement, Covenant, Creature, Everlasting, Future, Generations, Giving, Making, Perpetual, Sign, Soul, Successive, Token

Dictionary of Bible Themes

Genesis 9:12

5694 generation
5698 guardian

Genesis 9:1-17

7203 ark, Noah's

Genesis 9:8-17

     1347   covenant, with Noah
     5467   promises, divine
     7227   flood, the

Genesis 9:12-16

4007 creation, and God
8467 reminders

Genesis 9:12-17

     1450   signs, kinds of
     4845   rainbow
     8764   forgetting God

Genesis 9:12-21

5106 Noah

Library

Capital Punishment
Eversley. Quinquagesima Sunday, 1872. Genesis ix. 1, 3, 4, 5, 6. "And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth. . . . Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you . . . But flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, shall ye not eat. And surely your blood of your lives will I require: at the hand of every beast will I require it, and at the hand of man; at the hand of every man's brother will I require …
Charles Kingsley—All Saints' Day and Other Sermons

Noah's Flood
(Quinquagesima Sunday.) GENESIS ix. 13. I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth. We all know the history of Noah's flood. What have we learnt from that history? What were we intended to learn from it? What thoughts should we have about it? There are many thoughts which we may have. We may think how the flood came to pass; what means God used to make it rain forty days; what is meant by breaking up the fountains of the great deep. We may …
Charles Kingsley—The Gospel of the Pentateuch

Death.
PSALM CIV. 20, 21. Thou makest darkness, and it is night: wherein all the beasts of the forest do creep forth. The lions roar after their prey, and seek their meat from God. Let me say a few words on this text. It is one which has been a comfort to me again and again. It is one which, if rightly understood, ought to give comfort to pitiful and tender-hearted persons. Have you never been touched by, never been even shocked by, the mystery of pain and death? I do not speak now of pain and death …
Charles Kingsley—Westminster Sermons

Covenanting Enforced by the Grant of Covenant Signs and Seals.
To declare emphatically that the people of God are a covenant people, various signs were in sovereignty vouchsafed. The lights in the firmament of heaven were appointed to be for signs, affording direction to the mariner, the husbandman, and others. Miracles wrought on memorable occasions, were constituted signs or tokens of God's universal government. The gracious grant of covenant signs was made in order to proclaim the truth of the existence of God's covenant with his people, to urge the performance …
John Cunningham—The Ordinance of Covenanting

That the Ruler Should Be, through Humility, a Companion of Good Livers, But, through the Zeal of Righteousness, Rigid against the vices of Evildoers.
The ruler should be, through humility, a companion of good livers, and, through the zeal of righteousness, rigid against the vices of evil-doers; so that in nothing he prefer himself to the good, and yet, when the fault of the bad requires it, he be at once conscious of the power of his priority; to the end that, while among his subordinates who live well he waives his rank and accounts them as his equals, he may not fear to execute the laws of rectitude towards the perverse. For, as I remember to …
Leo the Great—Writings of Leo the Great

The Doctrine of Non-Resistance to Evil by Force Has Been Professed by a Minority of Men from the Very Foundation of Christianity. Of the Book "What
CHAPTER I. THE DOCTRINE OF NON-RESISTANCE TO EVIL BY FORCE HAS BEEN PROFESSED BY A MINORITY OF MEN FROM THE VERY FOUNDATION OF CHRISTIANITY. Of the Book "What I Believe"--The Correspondence Evoked by it-- Letters from Quakers--Garrison's Declaration--Adin Ballou, his Works, his Catechism--Helchitsky's "Net of Faith"--The Attitude of the World to Works Elucidating Christ's Teaching--Dymond's Book "On War"--Musser's "Non-resistance Asserted"--Attitude of the Government in 1818 to Men who Refused to …
Leo Tolstoy—The Kingdom of God is within you

Original Righteousness.
"For in Him we live and move, and have our being: as certain also of your own poets have said. For we are also His offspring." --Acts xvii. 28. It is the peculiar characteristic of the Reformed Confession that more than any other it humbles the sinner and exalts the sinless man. To disparage man is unscriptural. Being a sinner, fallen and no longer a real man, he must be humbled, rebuked, and inwardly broken. But the divinely created man, realizing the divine purpose or restored by omnipotent grace …
Abraham Kuyper—The Work of the Holy Spirit

The Sixth Commandment
Thou shalt not kill.' Exod 20: 13. In this commandment is a sin forbidden, which is murder, Thou shalt not kill,' and a duty implied, which is, to preserve our own life, and the life of others. The sin forbidden is murder: Thou shalt not kill.' Here two things are to be understood, the not injuring another, nor ourselves. I. The not injuring another. [1] We must not injure another in his name. A good name is a precious balsam.' It is a great cruelty to murder a man in his name. We injure others in …
Thomas Watson—The Ten Commandments

Being Made Archbishop of Armagh, He Suffers Many Troubles. Peace Being Made, from Being Archbishop of Armagh He Becomes Bishop of Down.
[Sidenote: 1129] 19. (12). Meanwhile[365] it happened that Archbishop Cellach[366] fell sick: he it was who ordained Malachy deacon, presbyter and bishop: and knowing that he was dying he made a sort of testament[367] to the effect that Malachy ought to succeed him,[368] because none seemed worthier to be bishop of the first see. This he gave in charge to those who were present, this he commanded to the absent, this to the two kings of Munster[369] and to the magnates of the land he specially enjoined …
H. J. Lawlor—St. Bernard of Clairvaux's Life of St. Malachy of Armagh

Mosaic Cosmogony.
ON the revival of science in the 16th century, some of the earliest conclusions at which philosophers arrived were found to be at variance with popular and long-established belief. The Ptolemaic system of astronomy, which had then full possession of the minds of men, contemplated the whole visible universe from the earth as the immovable centre of things. Copernicus changed the point of view, and placing the beholder in the sun, at once reduced the earth to an inconspicuous globule, a merely subordinate …
Frederick Temple—Essays and Reviews: The Education of the World

Mount Zion.
"For ye are not come unto a mount that might be touched, and that burned with fire, and unto blackness, and darkness, and tempest, and the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of words; which voice they that heard entreated that no word more should be spoken unto them: for they could not endure that which was enjoined, If even a beast touch the mountain, it shall be stoned; and so fearful was the appearance, that Moses said, I exceedingly fear and quake: but ye are come unto Mount Zion, and unto …
Thomas Charles Edwards—The Expositor's Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Covenanting According to the Purposes of God.
Since every revealed purpose of God, implying that obedience to his law will be given, is a demand of that obedience, the announcement of his Covenant, as in his sovereignty decreed, claims, not less effectively than an explicit law, the fulfilment of its duties. A representation of a system of things pre-determined in order that the obligations of the Covenant might be discharged; various exhibitions of the Covenant as ordained; and a description of the children of the Covenant as predestinated …
John Cunningham—The Ordinance of Covenanting

Covenanting Predicted in Prophecy.
The fact of Covenanting, under the Old Testament dispensations, being approved of God, gives a proof that it was proper then, which is accompanied by the voice of prophecy, affording evidence that even in periods then future it should no less be proper. The argument for the service that is afforded by prophecy is peculiar, and, though corresponding with evidence from other sources, is independent. Because that God willed to make known truth through his servants the prophets, we should receive it …
John Cunningham—The Ordinance of Covenanting

The Promise to the Patriarchs.
A great epoch is, in Genesis, ushered in with the history of the time of the Patriarchs. Luther says: "This is the third period in which Holy Scripture begins the history of the Church with a new family." In a befitting manner, the representation is opened in Gen. xii. 1-3 by an account of the first revelation of God, given to Abraham at Haran, in which the way is opened up for all that follows, and in which the dispensations of God are brought before us in a rapid survey. Abraham is to forsake …
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament

Discourse on Spiritual Food and True Discipleship. Peter's Confession.
(at the Synagogue in Capernaum.) ^D John VI. 22-71. ^d 22 On the morrow [the morrow after Jesus fed the five thousand] the multitude that stood on the other side of the sea [on the east side, opposite Capernaum] saw that there was no other boat there, save one, and that Jesus went not with his disciples into the boat, but that his disciples went away alone 23 (howbeit there came boats from Tiberias nigh unto the place where they ate the bread after that the Lord had given thanks): 24 when the multitude …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

Genesis
The Old Testament opens very impressively. In measured and dignified language it introduces the story of Israel's origin and settlement upon the land of Canaan (Gen.--Josh.) by the story of creation, i.-ii. 4a, and thus suggests, at the very beginning, the far-reaching purpose and the world-wide significance of the people and religion of Israel. The narrative has not travelled far till it becomes apparent that its dominant interests are to be religious and moral; for, after a pictorial sketch of …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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