Genesis 8:2Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

The depths of the abyss were sealed, and the portals of heaven were shut. Notice how Scripture communicates with us in relatable terms regarding all matters. ‘The springs of the abyss and the windows of heaven were closed, and it ceased to rain from heaven.’ This can be understood to mean that the Lord decreed, and the waters returned to their original state; they did not increase any further, but instead started to recede gradually.

Rather than translating it as 'the springs were exposed,' they chose terms like 'closed' and 'clogged.' Additionally, instead of the phrase 'The waters of the earth were slowed down,' it is noted that 'And the waters returned from the earth downward, flowing and returning' (Ecclesiastes 1:7). It is important to observe that Ecclesiastes suggests that all waters and streams ultimately flow back to the depths of the abyss through concealed subterranean pathways.

The fountains of the deep and the heavens were shut, and the rain from above stopped. With this statement, the author eliminates the natural factors that contributed to the deluge, employing similar phrases as those used earlier to recount the onset of the world's flood and the narrative of the original creation. Therefore, the closing of the springs of the deep signifies that they halted their flow of floodwaters upon the earth, although they remained open to receive the waters returning from the land. Similarly, the closing of the heavens indicates the withholding of rain (Deuteronomy 11:17). The text does not specify a precise moment for the closing of the deep's springs, while the duration of the rain is mentioned elsewhere as lasting for 40 days.

The underground reservoirs were shut off, significantly reducing the primary source of the rising floodwaters. The rainfall from the heavens had a substantial impact only during the initial 40 days of the deluge, characterized by unrelenting rain. After this period, the strength of the heavenly gates diminished, leading to a persistent, although less intense, rainfall. Now, after 150 days since the flood began, the precipitation has entirely stopped. The sky may not be completely free of clouds, but these clouds, now moved by the wind, no longer release rain.