Genesis 8:13Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

The Holy Scripture provides intricate details for a significant purpose: to inform us that the year marking the revelation of the righteousness of the faithful and the purification of the entire world has indeed been completed, down to the very day.

Let us consider the reasoning behind the order in which Noah and his family entered the ark: first Noah and his sons, followed by his wife and the wives of his sons (See Gen. 6:18). Did this sequence shift when they left the ark? Scripture states, “Thou shalt come out of the ark, thou, and thy wife, and thy sons, and thy sons' wives.” This passage suggests that there was an avoidance of procreation at the entrance and a return to it upon exit. Initially, the father and his sons entered first, followed by the father’s wife and the sons’ wives, illustrating a separation of genders during their entry. However, upon exiting, there was a mingling. This order served as a clear sign to the righteous man that this was not a time for intimacy or pleasure, given the imminent threat of destruction.

When God instructed Noah to board the ark and tasked him with safeguarding the remnant of creation, the command was clear: "Enter into the ark, you and your sons and your wife and your sons' wives" (Gen. 7:7). This directive marked a separation between the men and the women, ensuring that they could maintain purity and thus survive the impending deluge. Once the waters receded, God beckoned them to emerge, saying, "Come out of the ark, you and your wife and your sons and your sons' wives" (Gen. 8:16). This moment reaffirmed the sanctity of marriage for the continuity of humankind.

Let us therefore yield to His magnificent and glorious purpose, turning away from pride, conflict, and jealousy that lead to destruction. We should humbly seek His mercy, earnestly appealing for His grace and compassion. Let us consistently look to those who have served His splendid glory with perfection. Consider Enoch, who, through his faithfulness, was deemed righteous and fell asleep, with his passing unseen. Similarly, Noah was found to be faithful, and through his service, he proclaimed renewal to the world; it was through him that the Lord preserved the creatures that entered the ark.

Just as God safeguarded Noah's ark along with its inhabitants during the great flood, so too will He protect the Church founded on Peter and all its members when the world reaches its conclusion. Likewise, after the flood, the dove signaled a promise of tranquility to Noah’s ark; in a similar way, Christ will bestow the joy of peace upon Peter's Church once the final judgment is fulfilled, for He is the dove—symbolizing peace—as stated in the promise: I will see you again, and your heart will rejoice (John 16:22).

The writer effectively portrays the reduction of the waters and the complete end of the flood through various stages. The third stage indicates that the waters of the earth had receded. Noah, fully assured in this belief, decided to uncover the roof of the ark based on this intuition.

After gaining insight into the state of the earth through the dove's journey, Noah, in due time, sought to personally confirm that the waters had receded. To accomplish this, he created an opening in the roof of the ark. This indicates that the passage through which he released the raven and the dove was not suitable for conducting his tests. The day when Noah discovered that the waters had dried was the first day of the first month, which aligns with one of the days in our October.