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Genesis 9 Bible study: A bow in the cloud
In Hebrew the rainbow is God's bow, set in the cloud as the sign of a covenant he makes with every living thing, and he says he will look at it and remember. Noah's first recorded words curse Canaan, not Ham.
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“I set my rainbow in the cloud, and it will be a sign of a covenant between me and the earth.”
Try it · Did you catch it?
“Noah cursed his son Ham.”
Is that in Genesis 9, or not? Make your call.
What's really going on
The first blessing again, with a difference
God's blessing on Noah and his sons echoes his first blessing on people: "Be fruitful, multiply, and replenish the earth" (9:1; compare 1:28). But things have changed. Now "the fear of you and the dread of you will be on every animal of the earth" (9:2). And in Genesis 1 God gave people plants for food (1:29); now "Every moving thing that lives will be food for you. As I gave you the green herb, I have given everything to you" (9:3).
Where it leads to Jesus
All who take the sword
Genesis 9:6leads toMatthew 26:52
“Whoever sheds man’s blood, his blood will be shed by man” (9:6). When one of those with him drew a sword at his arrest and struck the high priest’s servant (Matthew 26:51), Jesus said, “Put your sword back into its place, for all those who take the sword will die by the sword” (Matthew 26:52). Jesus doesn't cite Genesis 9, so this is a reading: some hear his words as the same principle as 9:6; others read them as said only about that moment.
Honest questions
Questions people ask about Genesis 9
That was a taste
The rest of Genesis 9 is waiting in Favor
- Life is precious, because of God's image
- A covenant God keeps, with every living thing
- The man who walked with God falls
- The rainbow returns
- The first "everlasting covenant"
- 11 questions as you read
- 6 more Hebrew words
- A short check at the end
- Your notes, saved as you go
Favor reads the Bible in order, so you'll reach Genesis 9 with everything before it in view. First week free, then $10 a month per person.
The Hebrew word behind it
קֶשֶׁתqeshetsay KEH-shet
A bow (Brown-Driver-Briggs lists both "bow" and "rainbow"). The Bible uses this one word for both: when God says "my rainbow" (9:13), the Hebrew is qashti, "my bow". Elsewhere in Genesis the same word is Esau's hunting bow (27:3) and the bow Jacob says he took land with (48:22). Ezekiel uses it for the rainbow in his vision (Ezekiel 1:28). Here God calls it "a sign of a covenant between me and the earth" (9:13).
For your group
Genesis 9 Bible study questions
- 1God says he will look at the rainbow and remember his promise. What reminds you of God's faithfulness?
- 2Shem and Japheth walked in backwards to cover their father. What does it look like to cover someone's shame instead of spreading it?
- 3Noah, who walked with God, still fell. How does it help you that the Bible tells the truth about its heroes?
Leading a group? In Favor, everyone reads Genesis 9 during the week and answers these questions privately. Answers stay sealed until you meet, then appear together, and you can print the week's sheet.
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Questions
What is Favor?
Favor is a Bible study app that explains every chapter as you read: the Hebrew and Greek behind the words, the details most readers miss, and how each part of the Bible leads to Jesus. Read on your own, or start a Bible study with friends, family or your church.
How much does it cost?
Your first week is free. After that it's $10 a month per person, the same for everyone, including groups and churches. There are no tiers and nothing extra to unlock.
Can I read Genesis 9 straight away?
Favor takes the Bible as one story, in order, so you'll reach Genesis 9 with everything that leads up to it in view. Start from Genesis, or meet Jesus first in the Gospels. You can read the text of any chapter in Favor's Look up whenever you like.
Do I need a group?
No. Many people read on their own. If you'd like to read with others, start a Bible study and share one link. Everyone's answers stay private until you meet.
I've never really read the Bible. Is this for me?
Yes. Favor starts where you are and explains as it goes. The questions along the way aren't marked right or wrong: you answer, then see what the text shows.
Which Bible does Favor use?
The World English Bible, a modern, readable translation in the public domain. God's name appears as "the LORD", as in most English Bibles.
Is Favor tied to a church?
No. Favor is non-denominational. Where Christians read a passage differently, it shows the main views side by side and doesn't pick one.
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Scripture quotations are from the World English Bible, which is in the public domain. Hebrew and Greek words are checked against the original-language texts and public-domain lexicons. What we believe · Favor home