^8:8Then Noah¹³ sent out a dove¹⁴ to see if the waters had receded¹⁵ from the surface of the ground. ^8:9The dove could not find a resting place for its feet because water still covered¹⁶ the surface of the entire earth, and so it returned to Noah¹⁷ in the ark. He stretched out his hand, took the dove,¹⁸ and brought it back into the ark.¹⁹^8:10He waited seven more days and then sent out the dove again from the ark. ^8:11When²⁰ the dove returned to him in the evening, there was²¹ a freshly plucked olive leaf in its beak! Noah knew that the waters had receded from the earth. ^8:12He waited another seven days and sent the dove out again,²² but it did not return to him this time.²³

Read in Logos

Genesis 8:11: And the dove came back to him in the evening, and behold, in her mouth was a freshly plucked olive leaf. So Noah knew that the waters had subsided from the earth.

Footnotes

13 Heb “he”; the referent (Noah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
14 The Hebrew text adds “from him.” This has not been translated for stylistic reasons, because it is redundant in English.
15 The Hebrew verb קָלָל (qalal) normally means “to be light, to be slight”; it refers here to the waters receding.
16 The words “still covered” is supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
17 Heb “him”; the referent (Noah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
18 Heb “it”; the referent (the dove) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
19 Heb “and he brought it to himself to the ark.”
20 The clause introduced by vav (ו) consecutive is translated as a temporal clause subordinated to the following clause.
21 The deictic particle הִנֵּה (hinneh) draws attention to the olive leaf. It invites readers to enter into the story, as it were, and look at the olive leaf with their own eyes.
22 The word “again” is not in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
23 Heb “it did not again return to him still.” For a study of this section of the flood narrative, see W. O. E. Oesterley, “The Dove with the Olive Leaf (Gen VIII 8–11),” 18 (1906/07): 377–78.

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

Then he sent forth a dove from him, to see if the waters had subsided from the face of the ground. But the dove found no place to set her foot, and she returned to him to the ark, for the waters were still on the face of the whole earth. So he put out his hand and took her and brought her into the ark with him. He waited another seven days, and again he sent forth the dove out of the ark. And the dove came back to him in the evening, and behold, in her mouth was a freshly plucked olive leaf. So Noah knew that the waters had subsided from the earth. Then he waited another seven days and sent forth the dove, and she did not return to him anymore.

NIVNew International Version (2011)

Then he sent out a dove to see if the water had receded from the surface of the ground. But the dove could find nowhere to perch because there was water over all the surface of the earth; so it returned to Noah in the ark. He reached out his hand and took the dove and brought it back to himself in the ark. He waited seven more days and again sent out the dove from the ark. When the dove returned to him in the evening, there in its beak was a freshly plucked olive leaf! Then Noah knew that the water had receded from the earth. He waited seven more days and sent the dove out again, but this time it did not return to him.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

Then he sent out a dove to see whether the water on the earth’s surface had gone down, but the dove found no resting place for its foot. It returned to him in the ark because water covered the surface of the whole earth. He reached out and brought it into the ark to himself. So Noah waited seven more days and sent out the dove from the ark again. When the dove came to him at evening, there was a plucked olive leaf in its beak. So Noah knew that the water on the earth’s surface had gone down. After he had waited another seven days, he sent out the dove, but it did not return to him again.

NLTNew Living Translation

He also released a dove to see if the water had receded and it could find dry ground. But the dove could find no place to land because the water still covered the ground. So it returned to the boat, and Noah held out his hand and drew the dove back inside. After waiting another seven days, Noah released the dove again. This time the dove returned to him in the evening with a fresh olive leaf in its beak. Then Noah knew that the floodwaters were almost gone. He waited another seven days and then released the dove again. This time it did not come back.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

And he sent out a dove to see whether the waters had subsided from upon the face of the ground. But the dove did not find a resting place for the sole of her foot, and she returned to him into the ark, for the waters were still on the face of all the earth. And he stretched out his hand and took her, and brought her to himself into the ark. And he waited another seven days, and again he sent out the dove from the ark. And the dove came to him in the evening, and behold, a freshly-picked olive tree leaf was in her mouth. And Noah knew that the waters had subsided from upon the earth. And he waited seven more days, and he sent out the dove. But it did not return again to him.

KJV 1900King James Version

Also he sent forth a dove from him, to see if the waters were abated from off the face of the ground; But the dove found no rest for the sole of her foot, and she returned unto him into the ark, for the waters were on the face of the whole earth: then he put forth his hand, and took her, and pulled her in unto him into the ark. And he stayed yet other seven days; and again he sent forth the dove out of the ark; And the dove came in to him in the evening; and, lo, in her mouth was an olive leaf pluckt off: so Noah knew that the waters were abated from off the earth. And he stayed yet other seven days; and sent forth the dove; which returned not again unto him any more.

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