The Meaning of Genesis 8:11 Explained

Genesis 8:11

KJV: And the dove came in to him in the evening; and, lo, in her mouth was an olive leaf pluckt off: so Noah knew that the waters were abated from off the earth.

YLT: and the dove cometh in unto him at even-time, and lo, an olive leaf torn off in her mouth; and Noah knoweth that the waters have been lightened from off the earth.

Darby: And the dove came to him at eventide; and behold, in her beak was an olive-leaf plucked off; and Noah knew that the waters had become low on the earth.

ASV: and the dove came in to him at eventide; and, lo, in her mouth an olive-leaf plucked off: so Noah knew that the waters were abated from off the earth.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And the dove  came in  to him in the evening;  and, lo, in her mouth  [was] an olive  leaf  pluckt off:  so Noah  knew  that the waters  were abated  from off the earth. 

What does Genesis 8:11 Mean?

Context Summary

Genesis 8:1-22 - Noah Leaves The Ark
Traditions of the Flood are found in every country, from the tablets of Babylon to the rude carvings of the Aztecs, proving man's common origin. "God remembered Noah." He could not forget, because He had entered into covenant with him and his. Though the floods have been abroad on your life for long years, God has not forgotten you. Sooner might a woman forget her babe! Noah's window only looked upward. It had no outlook on the waters, therefore he sent forth the birds. Dove and raven issued from the same window, so the child of God and the wayward, willful child may issue from the same family; but the former cannot find satisfaction with what satisfies the other, but wings its flight back to God. See Psalms 116:7. Through God's grace Noah stepped out into the new world-the world of resurrection. His first act was the burned-offering of consecration, which was followed immediately by promise. See Romans 12:1-2. [source]

Chapter Summary: Genesis 8

1  God remembers Noah and calms the waters
4  The ark rests on Ararat
6  Noah sends forth a raven and then a dove
13  Noah, being commanded, goes forth from the ark
20  He builds an altar, and offers sacrifices,
21  which God accepts, and promises to curse the earth no more

What do the individual words in Genesis 8:11 mean?

and came to him the dove in the evening and behold a leaf olive freshly plucked [was] in her mouth and knew Noah that had receded the waters from the earth
וַתָּבֹ֨א אֵלָ֤יו הַיּוֹנָה֙ לְעֵ֣ת עֶ֔רֶב וְהִנֵּ֥ה עֲלֵה־ זַ֖יִת טָרָ֣ף בְּפִ֑יהָ וַיֵּ֣דַע נֹ֔חַ כִּי־ קַ֥לּוּ הַמַּ֖יִם מֵעַ֥ל הָאָֽרֶץ

וַתָּבֹ֨א  and  came 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
אֵלָ֤יו  to  him 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
הַיּוֹנָה֙  the  dove 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: יׄונָה  
Sense: dove, pigeon.
עֶ֔רֶב  the  evening 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: עֶרֶב  
Sense: evening, night, sunset.
וְהִנֵּ֥ה  and  behold 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Interjection
Root: הִנֵּה  
Sense: behold, lo, see, if.
עֲלֵה־  a  leaf 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: עָלֶה  
Sense: leaf, leafage.
זַ֖יִת  olive 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: זַיִת  
Sense: olive, olive tree.
טָרָ֣ף  freshly  plucked 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: טָרָף  
Sense: freshly picked, freshly plucked, fresh-plucked.
בְּפִ֑יהָ  [was]  in  her  mouth 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct, third person feminine singular
Root: פֶּה  
Sense: mouth.
וַיֵּ֣דַע  and  knew 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: דָּעָה 
Sense: to know.
נֹ֔חַ  Noah 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: נׄחַ  
Sense: son of Lamech, father of Shem, Ham, and Japheth; builder of the ark which saved his family from the destruction of the world which God sent on the world by the flood; became the new seminal head of the human race because his family were the only survivors of the flood.
כִּי־  that 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: כִּי 
Sense: that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since.
קַ֥לּוּ  had  receded 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: קָלַל  
Sense: to be slight, be swift, be trifling, be of little account, be light.
הַמַּ֖יִם  the  waters 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: מַיִם  
Sense: water, waters.
הָאָֽרֶץ  the  earth 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.

What are the major concepts related to Genesis 8:11?

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