The Church Fathers on this verse
THEOSIS
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Genesis 9:14Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

And when I shall cover the sky with clouds, my bow shall appear in the clouds:

Douay-Rheims

וְהָיָ֕ה בְּעֽ͏ַנְנִ֥י עָנָ֖ן עַל־הָאָ֑רֶץ וְנִרְאֲתָ֥ה הַקֶּ֖שֶׁת בֶּעָנָֽן׃

Hebrew (Masoretic text)

The Church Fathers on this verse

4 Church Fathers comment on this verse

John Chrysostom

4th centuryChurch Father

"And it will occur," He declares, "when I send a cloud over the earth, that a rainbow will appear in the cloud; and I will remember my covenant that is between Me and you, and every living creature in all flesh." What do you say, esteemed prophet? "I will remember," he responds, "my covenant," meaning my agreement, my stipulation, my promise; not because God Himself needs to recollect, but so that we, upon seeing this sign, might be untroubled by any threat. Consequently, recalling God's promise, we may be assured that we will not face such calamity. Do you grasp how profound God's humility is, how deeply He cares for our nature, how abundantly He demonstrates His love for humanity?

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This is not due to having already witnessed a transformation (for the better) in mankind, but rather to inspire us with an awareness of the vastness of His benevolence. "And there shall no longer be," He states, "a flood of waters for the annihilation of all flesh"—that kind of flood shall not exist again. Since God understands the trepidation human beings experience, observe how often He reiterates this promise; as if to convey: when you see the heavy rains and fear no disaster, for "there shall be no more water by the flood for the destruction of all flesh"—that flood shall not happen again, such wrath (My) wrath shall no longer be manifested upon humanity.

Maximus the Confessor

7th centuryChurch Father

What is the significance of the rainbow that God placed in the cloud as a symbol of His covenant with humanity? The rainbow, displaying four colors, signifies that the Lord’s flesh, like ours, is composed of four elements and is without an origin of its own. It resides in the cloud, which represents the world—a world shrouded in God's judgment and the consequence of death. A cloud may sometimes be perceived as a blessing, nurturing the earth with gentle rain or providing relief from the heat through shade, while at other times it is a sign of divine displeasure, unleashing torrential rain or hail.

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Thus, the Lord indicates that He places the rainbow in the cloud, illustrating the Incarnation of Christ within the realm of judgment, ensuring that humanity will never again be overwhelmed by the waters of sin. He establishes the rainbow to reveal that the Lord’s reconciliation with us is a conflict against our foes, transforming the struggle against our adversary into peace with us.

Dimitri of Rostov

17th centuryChurch Father

Noah was concerned that there might not be another deluge to wipe out all life. In response, the Lord God reassured him by establishing a covenant, promising never to send another flood to annihilate the earth. As a symbol of this promise, He set a rainbow in the sky. In this way, the compassionate Creator restored harmony with His creation and endowed the earth with abundance, having ordained the seasons and affirming: ‘Sowing and reaping, winter and heat, summer and autumn, day and night shall not cease’ (Genesis 8:22).

Vissarion (Nechaev)

19th centuryCommentator

And I will remember my covenant. And I will see the rainbow to remember the covenant. God, being an eternal and all-knowing being, cannot forget anything, which makes the concept of remembering somewhat foreign to Him. When God asserts, ‘I will remember the covenant,’ it should be interpreted to mean that every time the rainbow appears, it serves as a reminder of His everlasting promise not to flood the earth again, and therefore humanity, seeing this sign, should feel assured of their safety from such devastation. Thus, the rainbow eloquently conveys the mercy and patience of God and holds great significance in the narrative of humanity's salvation.

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The true God, as indicated by the Apostle Paul, ‘let all nations go their own way, though He never ceased to testify of Himself by His favors, giving us rains from heaven and fruitful seasons’ (Acts 14:16-17). However, the people failed to recognize this testimony, and with the exception of the chosen people, they forgot about their true benefactor and fell into idolatry and evil. Most of humankind existed in such a state before the Redeemer entered the world, drawing parallels to the prodigal son in the Gospel, who intentionally abandoned his father's house and squandered his inheritance in a distant land, finding himself in dire poverty. Just as the prodigal son was led to repentance through his suffering and subsequently returned to his father, the Gentiles, who had strayed from the true God, became conscious of their spiritual destitution and were thus led to faith in Christ the Redeemer. This was primarily what God’s patience, symbolized by the rainbow, aimed to achieve. Even in New Testament times, the rainbow continues to bear witness to the long-suffering of the Lord towards those who forget Him, even within the heart of Christianity, encouraging them to turn back to Him. According to God's steadfast promise, the Flood will not recur, regardless of how gravely humanity may sin; however, this does not imply that individuals can act without consequence. The longer the Lord shows patience, the worse it becomes for those who disregard His forbearance: ‘they gather wrath for themselves for the day of wrath and of the revelation of the righteous judgement of God, who will reward each one according to his deeds’ (Rom. 2:5-6), and will punish unrepentant sinners not with water, but with fire. Therefore, while the rainbow heralds the long-suffering of God, it simultaneously calls for repentance.