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Tyndale Open Bible Dictionary

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RAINBOW

Sign of God’s covenant with Noah following the flood (Gn 9:8-17). The normal Hebrew word for “war bow” is used. Jewish tradition interpreted this as a symbol that God’s anger had ceased since the rainbow pointed downward, just as an antagonist lowers his bow to declare peace. In the NT, the rainbow forms part of the heavenly vision (Rv 4:3; 10:1).

Show passage in OET: GEN 9:8–17

OET-RV GEN 9:8

8 Then God said to Noah and his sons,

OET-RV GEN 9:9

9 “Now listen, I am making an agreement with you and your future descendants,

OET-RV GEN 9:10

10 and it’s also with every living creature that is with you: with the birds, the livestock, and every living thing on the earth with you, from all that came out of the wooden chest to every future living thing on the earth.

OET-RV GEN 9:11

11 My agreement that I’m establishing with you is that all living things will never die from a flood again. That’s right, I will never use a flood again to destroy everything on the earth.”

OET-RV GEN 9:12

12 Then God added, “This is how I’ll show everyone that I’ve made this agreement with you and with all the living creatures that are with you, along with all future generations:

OET-RV GEN 9:13

13 I’ll place my rainbow among the clouds, and it’ll be a sign of the agreement between me and all life on the earth.

OET-RV GEN 9:14

14 So whenever I cause clouds to form in the sky and a rainbow is visible in the clouds,

OET-RV GEN 9:15

15 then I’ll remember my agreement that’s between me and you and every kind of living creature, and a flood will never again destroy everything living.

OET-RV GEN 9:16

16 So whenever a rainbow appears among the clouds, I’ll see it and remember my permanent agreement with every living creature that lives and will live on the earth.”

OET-RV GEN 9:17

17 Then God said to Noah, “The rainbow is the sign of the agreement that I have established between me and every living thing on the earth.”

OET-LV GEN 9:8

8 And_ god _he/it _said to Noaḩ and_near/to sons _of_his with_him/it to_say.

OET-LV GEN 9:9

9 And_I HERE_I am_about _to _establish DOM covenant _of_my with_you(pl) and_with offspring _of_your(pl) after_you(pl).

OET-LV GEN 9:10

10 And_DOM every _of creature _of the_living which is_with_you(pl) among_bird[s] among_livestock and_on/over_all (the)_animal _of the_earth/land with_you(pl) from_all those _which_came _out _of the_box to_all/each/any/every (the)_animal _of the_earth/land.

OET-LV GEN 9:11

11 And_I _will _establish DOM covenant _of_my with_you(pl) and_not all _of flesh it _will _be _cut _off again from_the _waters _of the_flood and_not it _will _be again a _flood to_destroy the_earth/land.

OET-LV GEN 9:12

12 And_ god _he/it _said this is_the _sign _of the _covenant which I am_making between_me and_between_you(pl) and_between every _of creature living which is_with_you(pl) for_generations _of perpetuity.

OET-LV GEN 9:13

13 DOM bow _of_my I _set in_cloud[s] and_it _will _become (into)_a_sign _of a _covenant between_me and_between the_earth/land.

OET-LV GEN 9:14

14 And_it _was when_I_bring _cloud cloud over the_earth/land and_ the_bow _it _will _be _seen in_cloud[s].

OET-LV GEN 9:15

15 And_I _will _remember DOM covenant _of_my which is_between_me and_between_you(pl) and_between every _of creature living in_all flesh and_not it _will _become again the_waters (into)_a_flood to_destroy all _of flesh.

OET-LV GEN 9:16

16 And_ the_bow _it _will _be in_cloud[s] and_I_will _see _it to_remember the_covenant _of perpetuity between god and_between every _of creature living in_all flesh which is_on the_earth/land.

OET-LV GEN 9:17

17 And_ god _he/it _said to Noaḩ this is_the _sign _of the _covenant which I _have _established between_me and_between all _of flesh which is_on the_earth/land.

Show passage in OET: REV 4:3

OET-RV REV 4:3

3 The one sitting there sparkled like jewels, and an emerald-looking rainbow encircled the throne.

OET-LV REV 4:3

3 and the one sitting was similar in _appearance to_a_stone, jasper and sardius, and a_rainbow around the throne was similar in _appearance to_an_emerald.

Show passage in OET: REV 10:1

OET-RV REV 10:1

10 Then in the vision I saw another powerful messenger coming down from heaven wrapped in a cloud and with a rainbow above his head. His face was like the sun and his feet were like pillars of fire,

OET-LV REV 10:1

10 And I _saw another messenger mighty, coming _down out _of the heaven, having _been _clothed in_a_cloud, and the rainbow on the head of _him, and the face of _him like the sun, and the feet of _him like pillars of _fire,

Jump to OET GEN 9:8–17 section.

Jump to OET REV 4:3 section.

Jump to OET REV 10:1 section.

See also Flood, The.

Rabbis’ View of a Rainbow

To the biblical account, the rabbis added the notion that the rainbow was created at evening on the sixth day of Creation, and that it did not appear during the lifetime of a saint whose good life was sufficient to preserve the world from destruction. To gaze directly at a rainbow risked injury, since the bow was a reflection of the glory of the Lord. A prescribed blessing was to be recited on seeing a rainbow: “Blessed are Thou O Lord our God, King of the universe, who remembers the covenant, is faithful to the covenant, and keeps His promise.”