Genesis 8:16Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Once the entire creation had been purified and rid itself of the impurities brought upon it by human iniquity, and its countenance had been made radiant, God instructed the just man to exit the ark, freeing him from that terrifying confinement. "And God said," as it is recorded, to Noah, "Go out of the ark, you and your wife, and your sons and their wives with you; bring out with you all the living creatures that are with you, of every kind of flesh, of birds, of cattle, and all the creeping things that move upon the earth; let them spread out over the earth, and let them be fruitful and multiply upon the earth." Consider the mercy of God as He provides comfort to the righteous in every aspect.

God brought them into the ark individually to preserve their sanctity, yet He released them in pairs so that they could flourish and increase on the earth.

Let us consider why Noah and those with him entered the ark in this specific sequence: first Noah and his sons, followed by Noah's wife and the wives of his sons (See Gen. 6:18); did this arrangement alter 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." Here we see that at the entrance there was a period of abstinence from procreation, while at the exit, the potential for procreation was restored. Initially, it was the father, accompanied by his sons, who entered first, followed by the mother and the daughters-in-law, indicating a separation of the sexes during their entry; however, they mingled at the exit.

When God instructed Noah to board the ark, He directed him to safeguard the seed of peace with these words: "Enter into the ark, thou and thy sons and thy wife and thy sons' wives" (Gen. 7:7). In this instance, the men were separated from the women, allowing them to maintain purity and thus escape the great abyss and the universal deluge. Once the floodwaters receded, God instructed, "Come out of the ark, thou and thy wife and thy sons and thy sons' wives" (Gen. 8:16). This indicates that marriage is permitted for the continuation of humanity.

Let us therefore yield to His magnificent and divine will, setting aside pride, conflict, and jealousy that lead to destruction. Instead, we should humble ourselves and turn towards His compassion, earnestly seeking His grace and tenderness. We ought to consistently remember those who have faithfully served His glorious purpose. Consider Enoch, who, through his obedience, was deemed righteous and taken, so that his death was not witnessed. Similarly, Noah was recognized for his faithfulness; through his service, he proclaimed renewal to the world, and by him, the Lord preserved the creatures that entered the ark.

In the same way that God safeguarded Noah's ark along with all those within it during the great deluge, He will also protect the Church of Peter and all its members unharmed at the end of time. Likewise, following the flood, the dove delivered a message of peace to Noah's ark; so too will Christ bestow the blessing of peace upon the Church of Peter once the judgment is fulfilled, for He embodies the dove, which signifies peace, as promised: I will see you again, and your heart will rejoice (John 16:22).

And the Lord instructed Noah (Genesis 8:15), ‘Come forth.’ Despite observing the gradual drying and desiccation of the land over the course of nearly two months following the opening of the ark, Noah refrained from stepping out until he received a command from God. He did not rush to pursue his own desires on the earth, but instead displayed patience, awaiting the completion of the work that God had initiated. It is noteworthy that God, in His revelation to Noah prior to their entrance into the ark, distinguishes between husbands and wives (Genesis 6:18), and upon their exit, He brings them together.

While Noah may have sensed that it was time to exit the ark, he refrained from taking action on his own, instead choosing to humbly await God’s instruction. When God commanded Noah to leave the ark, He acted swiftly to restore the blessing bestowed upon humanity and animals at creation (Genesis 1:22-28) to be fruitful and multiply. This suggests that during the flood, neither humans nor the animals aboard the ark were engaging in procreation, as they seemed to be awaiting a renewed blessing from God to do so. The ark did not allow for breeding, to prevent overcrowding among its current occupants and to safeguard their food supplies.