And he sent forth a raven, which went forth to and fro, until the waters were dried up from off the earth.
7. a raven ] The Heb. and LXX give the definite article, “the raven,” which some have explained as the only male raven in the ark. But the article is idiomatically generic; cf. Gen 8:8, Gesenius, Heb. Gr. 126, 4. The Israelite story records the sending, first of a raven, and then, on two successive occasions, of a dove. The Babylonian account records the sending first of a dove, which returned; then of a swallow, which returned; and lastly of a raven, which turned not back.
Noah, stranded with the ark on the highest point, is unable to see anything around or below him.
went forth to and fro ] Presumably it was preying upon floating carcases. The “to and fro” suggests the picture of its flitting backwards and forwards, near the ark.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 7. He sent forth a raven, which went forth to and fro] It is generally supposed that the raven flew off, and was seen no more, but this meaning the Hebrew text will not bear; vaiyetse yatso vashob, and it went forth, going forth and returning. From which it is evident that she did return, but was not taken into the ark. She made frequent excursions, and continued on the wing as long as she could, having picked up such aliment as she found floating on the waters; and then, to rest herself, regained the ark, where she might perch, though she was not admitted. Indeed this must be allowed, as it is impossible she could have continued twenty one days upon the wing, which she must have done had she not returned. But the text itself is sufficiently determinate.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
He sent forth a raven; a fit messenger for that purpose, because it smells dead carcasses at a great distance, and flies far, and then returneth to its former habitation with something in its bill.
To and fro; Heb. going and returning; i.e. went forth hither and thither; now forward, then backward; sometimes going from the ark, and sometimes returning to the ark, though never entering into it again. Not as if she returned afterwards; the phrase implies that she never returned. And so the word until is often used, as 2Sa 6:23, Michal had no child until the day of her death, i.e. never had a child. See also Psa 110:1; Mat 1:25.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
7. And he sent forth a ravenThesmell of carrion would allure it to remain if the earth were in ahabitable state. But it kept hovering about the spot, and, being asolitary bird, probably perched on the covering.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And he sent forth a raven,…. That by it he might make his observation, how high or low the waters were upon the earth; and the rather he sent out the raven, a bird of prey, which feeds on carrion, that if the earth had been dry, the smell of the dead carcasses would have invited it to go far off from the ark, and not return; but if not, he would see it again:
which went forth to and fro, until the waters were dried up from the earth; or, “and it went forth, going forth and returning” l; it went forth out of the ark, and returned, but might not go into it, but went forth again, and then returned; and thus it continued going backwards and forwards, until the waters were dried up, when it returned no more: the Septuagint version is, “and it returned not”; and so some Jewish writers m say, it found the carcass of a man on the top of the mountains, and sat upon it for food, and returned not: hence came the fable of Apollo’s sending a raven to fetch water, while he was sacrificing, which lighting on a large corn field, yet green, and being willing to enjoy some grains of it, waited till it was ripe, and neglected its orders n; and hence is the proverb, “corvus nuntius”. Some make this creature to be an emblem of the law, first sent forth, but brought no good tidings of the waters of God’s wrath being assuaged, but worketh wrath, and is the ministration of condemnation and death: rather it is an emblem of unregenerate men, who are, like it, black through original sin and actual transgressions; are unclean and polluted in all the powers and faculties of their souls; are hateful, hating one another, and live in carnal and sensual lusts pleasures.
l “et exiit egrediende et redeundo”, Pagninus, Montanus, Schmidt. m Pirke Eliezer, c. 23. n Aelian. Var. Hist. l. 1. c. 47.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
7. A raven Hebrews, the raven; the well known: historic from this event .
To and fro Hebrews, it went going and returning; that is, going away from the ark and returning to it, settling upon but not entering into it . The raven may have found abundant sustenance from the floating caresses, so that it needed not to return to the ark for food. This black bird of death, finding a congenial home in the watery sepulchre of the antediluvian world, is a symbol of judgment and wrath.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
And he sent forth a raven, which went forth to and fro, until the waters were dried up from off the earth.
Opening the window of the ark, and sending forth the messengers of enquiry, serves to teach, no less, that while faith is in the liveliest exercise, in waiting for the fulfilment of the Divine promises, it is no impeachment of faith, but, on the contrary, the truest proof of its being genuine, that we humbly send forth the enquiries of prayer and supplication, for the time of the Lord’s deliverance from trouble. Pro 30:4 ; Psa 148:8 ; Psa 135:7
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Gen 8:7 And he sent forth a raven, which went forth to and fro, until the waters were dried up from off the earth.
Ver. 7. And he sent forth a raven. ] Which when it is made tame, though it delights in dead carcasses, whereof Noah knew the earth was now full, yet doth not easily forget its station, but returns thereto, when nature is satisfied.
Which went forth to and fro.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
raven: an unclean bird. Lev 11:15. Deu 14:14.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
raven
The raven and the dove have been thought to stand for the believer’s two natures: the “old man” satisfied with a world under judgment; the “new man” finding satisfaction only in the things of the new creation.
Fuente: Scofield Reference Bible Notes
a raven: Lev 11:15, 1Ki 17:4, 1Ki 17:6, Job 38:41, Psa 147:9
went forth to and fro: Heb. in going forth and returning
Reciprocal: Gen 47:27 – grew
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Gen 8:7-12. Noah sent forth a raven Through the window of the ark; which went forth As the Hebrew phrase is, going forth and returning; that is, flying about, but returning to the ark for rest; probably not in it, but upon it. This gave Noah little satisfaction: therefore, he sent forth a dove Which returned the first time with no good news, but probably wet and dirty; but the second time she brought an olive-leaf in her bill, which appeared to be fresh plucked off; a plain indication that now the trees began to appear above water. Note here, that Noah sent forth the dove a second time, seven days after the first time, and the third time was after seven days too: and probably the first sending of her out was seven days after the sending forth of the raven. The olive-branch is an emblem of peace.