Devine Scripture

Genesis 8:5

What does Genesis 8:5 mean?

A plain-English look at Genesis 8:5 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.

What Genesis 8:5 means

The slow but steady recession of the waters continued for several more months after the ark grounded. This verse underscores the immense scale of the flood, as it took a considerable amount of time for even the mountain peaks to become visible. The specific mention of the *tenth* month and the *first day* of that month provides another precise chronological marker. The sight of the mountaintops would have been a profoundly encouraging sign for Noah and the inhabitants of the ark, confirming the ongoing process of drying.

Parallel translations

WEB

World English Bible · 2000

And the waters decreased continually until the tenth month: in the tenth month, on the first day of the month, were the tops of the mountains seen.

KJV

King James Version · 1611

And the waters decreased continually until the tenth month: in the tenth month, on the first day of the month, were the tops of the mountains seen.

ASV

American Standard Version · 1901

And the waters decreased continually until the tenth month: in the tenth month, on the first day of the month, were the tops of the mountains seen.

BBE

Bible in Basic English · 1949

And still the waters went on falling, till on the first day of the tenth month the tops of the mountains were seen.

YLT

Young's Literal Translation · 1862

and the waters have been going and becoming lacking till the tenth month; in the tenth <FI>month<Fi> , on the first of the month, appeared the heads of the mountains.

DRA

Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752

And the waters were going and decreasing until the tenth month: for in the tenth month, the first day of the month, the tops of the mountains appeared.

DBY

Darby Bible · 1890

And the waters abated continually until the tenth month: in the tenth [month], on the first of the month, the tops of the mountains were seen.

Context

Following the ark's resting on the mountains of Ararat in verse 4, this verse continues the chronological progression of the flood's retreat. It emphasizes the extended period required for the waters to recede sufficiently for land even to be glimpsed. This slow progress highlights the magnitude of the flood and builds anticipation for Noah's subsequent actions to assess the drying conditions of the earth.

v.4And the ark rested in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, upon the mountains of Ararat.

v.5This passage

v.6And it came to pass at the end of forty days, that Noah opened the window of the ark which he had made:

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