The exit and the altar (Genesis 8:15–20)
Says God told Noah to come out of the ark, he and his wife, his sons and their wives (8:16), and to bring out the living creatures so that they would swarm on the earth (the BSB has spread out) and be fruitful and multiply (8:15–17). At 8:17 the written and read forms are two spellings of the same Hiphil imperative bring out. In 8:18 Noah goes out with his sons named before his wife, where 8:16 had the wife first. The animals go out לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתֵיהֶם, by their families (the BSB has kind by kind): the noun is mishpakhah, family, clan, not min, the kind of 6:20 and 7:14. Then Noah built an altar to the Lord, and taking from every clean beast and every clean bird he offered burnt offerings (8:20). The clean animals of 7:2 are taken up here; that link is in the xref from 7:2 to 8:20 and is not restated at length.
Implies Noah comes out at God’s word, as he had entered at God’s word, and answers with worship. The offering is made to the Lord, and 8:21 will tell that the Lord smelled the soothing smell and resolved to preserve.
Uncertain Whether be fruitful and multiply in 8:17 renews for the animals the charge of creation (1:22, 28), or simply states that life resumes, is open. No lean is taken. Early and Babylonian readings of the offering are in the historical notes; no dependence is claimed.
Claims
- SaysGod told Noah to come out and to bring out the living creatures, that they might swarm and be fruitful and multiply. They went out by their families, not by the kind of 6:20 and 7:14. Noah built an altar to the Lord and offered burnt offerings of every clean beast and bird.
- ImpliesNoah comes out at God’s word and answers with worship.
- UncertainWhether 8:17 renews the creation charge is open. No dependence on Babylonian sacrifice scenes is claimed. No lean is taken.
Citations
- BSB public domain Gen 8:1–22
- OSHB CC BY 4.0 Gen 8:1–22 (WLC/OSHB), cantillation removed
- LXX (Swete) CC BY-SA 4.0 Gen 8:1–22, vol. 1, pp. 12–13 (oldtestamentingr01swetuoft, viewer leaves n43–n44); checked against the printed page (scan)
- Rogers, Cuneiform Parallels public domain Rogers, Cuneiform Parallels (1912): Eleventh Tablet, col. III ll. 26–49, pp. 97–98 (n124–n125); Berossos, pp. 110–111 (n137–n138); checked against the printed page (scan); paraphrased, as in the historical note
- King, Legends of Babylon and Egypt public domain King, Legends of Babylon and Egypt in Relation to Hebrew Tradition (Schweich Lectures 1916, 1918), Sumerian Version, fifth column, p. 77 (n92); checked against the printed page (scan); paraphrased, as in the historical note
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2026-11-11
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