Genesis 8:15-19

God the Creator Tells Those Who are in the Ark That All Is Now Well (Genesis 8:15)

Genesis 8:15

‘And God spoke to Noah saying, “Go out from the ark, you, and your wife, and your sons and your sons' wives with you. Bring out with you every living thing of all flesh that is with you, both bird and domesticated animal, and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth, so that they may breed abundantly on the earth, and be fruitful, and multiply on the earth”.'

At last the cataclysm is over and they can leave their refuge. Here God gives Noah His preliminary confirmation, which will be more solemnly enacted later, of His purpose for the world. This word of encouragement is nicely timed. The feelings of those who are in the ark are impossible to gauge. They have just experienced the destruction of their world and now they must face what appears to be an uncertain future. So God immediately confirms that there is a future. The earth is to begin again in the same way as before.

Genesis 8:18

‘So Noah went out, and his sons and his wife and his sons' wives with him, every animal, every creeping thing and every bird, whatever moves on the earth (land), after their families, went out of the ark.'

Notice the repetitiveness even within two sentences. Repetitiveness is a feature of the whole narrative to encourage audience participation and memory. As always Noah obeys God and does exactly what He says.