And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that [is] upon the earth.
16. remember ] Used of God, cf. Gen 8:1. Here it suggests that the primitive tradition implied that God might forget, if it were not for “the bow.” The word “remember” may be anthropomorphic; but in the later stage of the tradition, as in this passage, the rainbow is the “sign” or “reminder” for man, not for God.
the everlasting covenant ] See Gen 17:7; Gen 17:13; Gen 17:19; Exo 31:16; Lev 24:8; Num 18:19; Num 25:13, a phrase used by P. Heb. b’rth ‘lm, LXX , Lat. foedus sempiternum.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
i.e. This covenant made with all succeeding generations of men and beasts. This and the like speeches are oft ascribed to God after the manner of men, who being forgetful, need helps for their memory.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
And the bow shall be in the cloud,…. Not whenever there is a cloud, but at some certain times, when that and the sun are in a proper position to form one, and when divine wisdom sees right there should be one; then it appears and continues for a time, and as the cloud becomes thinner and thinner, it disappears:
and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth; not that forgetfulness, or remembrance, properly speaking, belong to God, but this is said after the manner of men; who by this token may be assured, whenever they see the bow in the cloud, that God is not unmindful of the covenant he has made with all creatures, and which is to continue to the end of the world.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
16. And I will look upon it A tender and beautiful anthropomorphism . God remembers us in every earthly storm . The bow is a symbol of his tender look upon frail, sinning man . The fragment of a vast and glorious circle, formed from the sunshine and storm, it typifies eternal mercy blended with justice, as seen from earth; binding earth to heaven, it typifies God’s perpetual covenant . We hear scattered echoes of this promise from the heathen poetry and mythology . Homer calls the rainbow a sign, ( . ) Iliad, 2: 324 . The Latin poets make Iris, or the rainbow, the messenger of the gods . Virgil, AEn. , 4:694; Ovid, Met . , 1,270 . The ancient Germans considered the bow as the bridge of the demigods, by which they went to and fro between heaven and earth; and the Indians, according to Kuhn, had a similar tradition. Compare Delitzsch.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth.
Reader! do not forget, while perusing those verses, to turn to two passages in the book of the Revelations; Rev 4:3 , and Rev 10:1 . Can anything be more decisive, in proof that all that is here said, refers to the person and covenant-righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ?
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
everlasting covenant. This expression occurs thirteen times in O.T. and once in N.T., making fourteen in all. Gen 9:16; Gen 17:13, Gen 17:19. Lev 24:8. 2Sa 23:5. 1Ch 16:17. Psa 105:10. Isa 24:5; Isa 55:3; Isa 61:8. Jer 32:40. Eze 37:26, and Heb 13:20.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
everlasting: Gen 9:9-11, Gen 8:21, Gen 8:22, Gen 17:13, Gen 17:19, 2Sa 23:5, Psa 89:3, Psa 89:4, Isa 54:8-10, Isa 55:3, Jer 32:40, Heb 13:20
Reciprocal: Gen 6:12 – for all Gen 9:10 – General Lev 24:7 – a memorial Lev 26:42 – will I