Genesis 9:13Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

He declares, I will set my bow in the clouds as a symbol of the eternal covenant between myself and the earth. Along with the spoken promise, I also provide this sign, which is the rainbow, created by sunlight reflecting through the clouds. If, He says, My word alone does not suffice, then behold, I offer a sign indicating that I will no longer impose such punishment. As you gaze upon this sign, take comfort and release your fear.

What is the significance of the rainbow that God set in the cloud as a testament to His covenant with humanity? The rainbow's四色 nature illustrates that the Lord's physical form, like ours, is composed of four elements and that, akin to the rainbow, it arises without any cause of origin. It resides in the cloud, symbolizing the world, which takes on a cloudy aspect due to divine wrath or the judgment of death. Sometimes the cloud is perceived as a blessing, providing gentle rain or cool shade, while other times it serves as a symbol of divine anger, unleashing heavy rain or hail. Thus, the Lord declares that He places the rainbow in the cloud, representing the Incarnation of Christ within a world marked by wrath, to ensure that humanity is never again overwhelmed by the torrent of evil. The rainbow is set as a reminder that the Lord’s reconciliation with us is, in essence, a battle against our foes, transforming the conflict with the enemy into our reconciliation.

When I bring clouds upon the earth, my bow shall be visible in the cloud, serving as a sign of the everlasting covenant between myself and the earth. It shall occur that, when I bring clouds over the earth, my bow will be seen in the cloud, and I will recall my covenant that exists between you and me. Thus, the colors of the bow reflect both water and fire; it is composed of azure and red, symbolizing both judgments—the one that is forthcoming and the other that has already taken place. Although the world will be consumed by the fire of judgment, it will not be annihilated by the waters of the flood (2 Pet. 3:7).

Noah feared that a flood would never again come to obliterate all living beings. In response, the Lord God provided him with reassurance by establishing a covenant that promised not to send another flood to devastate the entire world. As a token of this covenant, He set a rainbow in the sky. Thus, the compassionate Creator restored harmony with His creation and blessed the earth with abundance, orchestrating the seasons and declaring: ‘Sowing and reaping, winter and heat, summer and autumn, day and night shall not cease’ (Genesis 8:22).

The essence of the hidden significance of Noah’s covenant and the rainbow can be discovered in the words of the prophets Isaiah (Isaiah 54:8-10) and Ezekiel (Ezekiel 1:28), as well as in the Revelation given to John (Rev. 4:3). The covenant that God established with Noah and his descendants symbolizes the eternal covenant of peace that exists between God and the Church. The bow, serving as the emblem of this covenant, depicts the benevolent work of the Sun of Righteousness in the hearts of believers (Malachi 4:2). The three dominant colors of the rainbow—fire, scarlet, and green (smaragd)—reflect the fire of divine justice, the blood of Christ that satisfies God’s wrath, and the gracious restoration of life.

The 'arc in the cloud', or rainbow, arises from the bending of light rays as they pass through raindrops, breaking the light into seven distinct colors, similar to how it refracts through a glass prism. Considering the nature of this phenomenon, it is reasonable to believe that the rainbow existed before the Flood. It seems implausible that prior to the Flood, the rainbow served only as a natural occurrence linked to rain, but after the Flood, the Lord transformed it into a symbol of His grace towards humanity. During the deluge, the sky was universally obscured by clouds, blocking the sun’s light, which means that humanity did not witness a rainbow for an entire year. In the aftermath of the Flood, such prolonged darkness will not recur.