Genesis 8:12 Study Bible: He stayed yet another seven days, and sent forth the dove; and she did not return to him any more.

◄ Genesis 8:12 ►

And Noah waited seven more days and sent out the dove again, but this time she did not return to him.

And Noah waited
The act of waiting here is significant. The Hebrew root for "waited" is "יָחַל" (yachal), which implies hope and expectation. Noah's waiting is not passive but filled with faith and anticipation of God's promise. This reflects a deep trust in God's timing and plan, a lesson for believers to remain patient and hopeful in their own lives, trusting that God is working even when it is not immediately visible.

seven more days
The number seven in the Bible often symbolizes completeness or perfection, rooted in the Hebrew word "שֶׁבַע" (sheva). This period of seven days is reminiscent of the creation week, suggesting a new beginning or a re-creation of the earth post-flood. It emphasizes the idea of divine order and completeness in God's plan, encouraging believers to see God's hand in the cycles and seasons of their lives.

and sent out the dove again
The dove, "יוֹנָה" (yonah) in Hebrew, is a symbol of peace and the Holy Spirit. Noah's action of sending out the dove represents a search for peace and assurance from God. In a broader spiritual context, it signifies the believer's quest for divine guidance and confirmation. The dove's role here foreshadows its later symbolism in the New Testament, where it represents the Holy Spirit descending upon Jesus at His baptism.

but this time she did not return to him
The dove not returning signifies that the earth was habitable again, a sign of God's faithfulness in restoring creation. This moment marks a transition from judgment to renewal. For believers, it is a powerful reminder of God's promises and the hope of restoration and new beginnings. It encourages faith in God's ability to bring life and hope out of desolation and chaos, reinforcing the theme of redemption that runs throughout Scripture.

Persons / Places / Events

1. Noah
A righteous man chosen by God to survive the flood and preserve life on earth. He demonstrates patience and faithfulness in waiting for God's timing.

2. Dove
A symbol of peace and the Holy Spirit, the dove's actions indicate the receding of the floodwaters and the restoration of the earth.

3. Ark
The vessel built by Noah under God's instructions to save his family and pairs of every living creature from the flood.

4. Flood
A divine judgment upon the earth due to widespread wickedness, resulting in the destruction of all life except those preserved in the ark.

5. Mountains of Ararat
The resting place of the ark after the floodwaters receded, marking the beginning of a new era for humanity and creation.

Teaching Points

Patience in God's Timing
Noah's waiting period teaches us the importance of trusting God's timing and not rushing His plans.

Symbolism of the Dove
The dove represents peace and the presence of the Holy Spirit, reminding us of God's guidance and comfort in our lives.

New Beginnings
Just as the dove's return signaled a new start for Noah, God offers us new beginnings through His grace and mercy.

Faithfulness in Obedience
Noah's consistent obedience to God's instructions serves as a model for our own faithfulness in following God's will.

Hope in Restoration
The eventual drying of the earth and the dove's non-return symbolize hope and restoration, encouraging us to trust in God's promises for renewal.

Bible Study Questions

1. How does Noah's patience in waiting for the dove's return challenge us in our own waiting periods for God's promises?

2. In what ways does the symbolism of the dove in Genesis 8:12 connect to the role of the Holy Spirit in the New Testament?

3. How can we apply the lesson of new beginnings from Noah's account to our personal lives today?

4. What does Noah's faithfulness in sending out the dove teach us about obedience and trust in God's plan?

5. How can the account of the flood and the dove's return inspire hope and assurance in God's promises for restoration in our lives?

Connections to Other Scriptures

Genesis 1:2
The Spirit of God hovering over the waters at creation parallels the dove's role in signaling a new beginning after the flood.

Matthew 3:16
The dove descending upon Jesus at His baptism symbolizes the Holy Spirit, connecting to the dove's role in Genesis as a harbinger of peace and new beginnings.

Isaiah 54:9
God's promise not to flood the earth again is a covenant of peace, echoing the dove's message of hope and restoration.

Sermons

The Dispensations of Righteousness and Love	R.A. Redford	Genesis 8:6-12
A Quaint Epitaph	Old Testament Anecdotes	Genesis 8:9-12
If We, Cannot be as We Would, We Must be as We Can	Bishop Babington.	Genesis 8:9-12
Lessons	G. Hughes, B. D.	Genesis 8:9-12
Servants Good and Bad	Bp. Babington.	Genesis 8:9-12
The Dove's Return to the Ark	Spurgeon, Charles Haddon	Genesis 8:9-12
The Homebound Dove -- a Lesson of Faith	T. L. Cuyler, D. D.	Genesis 8:9-12
The Olive Leaf	H. Macmillan, D. D.	Genesis 8:9-12
The Returning Dove	Bp. Babington.	Genesis 8:9-12

People

Noah

Places

Mount Ararat

Topics

Added, Didn't, Dove, Forth, Return, Returned, Seven, Stayed, Stayeth, Turn, Waited, Yet

Dictionary of Bible Themes

Genesis 8:1-19

7203 ark, Noah's

Genesis 8:8-12

4636 dove

Genesis 8:10-12

5977 waiting

Library

December 27. "He Sent Forth the Dove which Returned not Again unto Him" (Gen. viii. 12).
"He sent forth the dove which returned not again unto him" (Gen. viii. 12). First, we have the dove going forth from the ark, and finding no rest upon the wild and drifting waste of sin and judgment. This represents the Old Testament period, perhaps, when the Holy Ghost visited this sinful world, but could find no resting-place, and went back to the bosom of God. Next, we have the dove going forth and returning with the olive leaf in her mouth, the symbol and the pledge of peace and reconciliation, …
Rev. A. B. Simpson—Days of Heaven Upon Earth

'Clear Shining after Rain'
'And God remembered Noah, and every living thing, and all the cattle that was with him in the ark: and God made a wind to pass over the earth, and the waters asswaged; The fountains also of the deep and the windows of heaven were stopped, and the rain from heaven was restrained; And the waters returned from off the earth continually: and after the end of the hundred and fifty days the waters were abated. And the ark rested in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, upon the mountains …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

The Sermon of the Seasons
"Oh, the long and dreary Winter! Oh, the cold and cruel Winter!" We say to ourselves, Will spring-time never come? In addition to this, trade and commerce continue in a state of stagnation; crowds are out of employment, and where business is carried on, it yields little profit. Our watchmen are asked if they discern any signs of returning day, and they answer, "No." Thus we bow our heads in a common affliction, and ask each man comfort of his fellow; for as yet we see not our signs, neither does …
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 32: 1886

The Best of the Best
"I am the rose of Sharon, and the lily of the valleys."--Song of Solomon 2:1. THE time of flowers has come, and as they are in some faint degree emblems of our Lord, it is well, when God thus calls, that we should seek to learn what he desires to teach us by them. If nature now spreads out her roses and her lilies, or prepares to do so, let us try, not only to see them, but to see Christ as he is shadowed forth in them. "I am the rose of Sharon, and the lily of the valleys." If these are the words …
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 42: 1896

The Unchangeable One
Psalm cxix. 89-96. For ever, O Lord, thy word is settled in heaven. Thy faithfulness is unto all generations: thou hast established the earth, and it abideth. They continue this day according to thine ordinances: for all are thy servants. Unless thy law had been my delight, I should then have perished in mine affliction. I will never forget thy precepts: for with them thou hast quickened me. I am thine, save me; for I have sought thy precepts. The wicked have waited for me to destroy me: …
Charles Kingsley—Town and Country Sermons

On Gen. viii. I
On Gen. viii. I Hippolytus, the expositor of the Targum, and my master, Jacobus Rohaviensis, have said: On the twenty-seventh day of the month Jiar, which is the second Hebrew month, the ark rose from the base of the holy mount; and already the waters bore it, and it was carried upon them round about towards the four cardinal points of the world. The ark accordingly held off from the holy mount towards the east, then returned towards the west, then turned to the south, and finally, bearing off eastwards, …
Hippolytus—The Extant Works and Fragments of Hippolytus

The Song of the Three Children
DANIEL iii. 16, 17, 18. O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter. If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace; and He will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up. We read this morning, instead of the Te Deum, the Song of the Three Children, beginning, 'Oh all ye works of the Lord, bless ye the Lord: praise …
Charles Kingsley—The Good News of God

Nature of Covenanting.
A covenant is a mutual voluntary compact between two parties on given terms or conditions. It may be made between superiors and inferiors, or between equals. The sentiment that a covenant can be made only between parties respectively independent of one another is inconsistent with the testimony of Scripture. Parties to covenants in a great variety of relative circumstances, are there introduced. There, covenant relations among men are represented as obtaining not merely between nation and nation, …
John Cunningham—The Ordinance of Covenanting

That it is Profitable to Communicate Often
The Voice of the Disciple Behold I come unto Thee, O Lord, that I may be blessed through Thy gift, and be made joyful in Thy holy feast which Thou, O God, of Thy goodness hast prepared for the poor.(1) Behold in Thee is all that I can and ought to desire, Thou art my salvation and redemption, my hope and strength, my honour and glory. Therefore rejoice the soul of Thy servant this day, for unto Thee, O Lord Jesus, do I lift up my soul.(2) I long now to receive Thee devoutly and reverently, I desire …
Thomas A Kempis—Imitation of Christ

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

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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