Genesis 8:7
Which went forth and did not return, till the waters were dried up upon the earth.
The verse in its languages
- Vulgate (Clementine)
- qui egrediebatur, et non revertebatur, donec siccarentur aquæ super terram.
- Septuagint (Swete)
- καὶ ἀπέστειλεν τὸν κόρακα τοῦ ἰδεῖν εἰ κεκόπακεν τὸ ὕδωρ· καὶ ἐξελθὼν οὐχ ὑπέστρεψεν ἕως τοῦ ξηρανθῆναι τὸ ὕδωρ ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς.
- Hebrew (WLC)
- וַיְשַׁלַּ֖ח אֶת הָֽעֹרֵ֑ב וַיֵּצֵ֤א יָצוֹא֙ וָשׁ֔וֹב עַד יְבֹ֥שֶׁת הַמַּ֖יִם מֵעַ֥ל הָאָֽרֶץ
Haydock's commentary
Did not return. The negotiation Not, is not to be found in any Hebrew copy now extant; though it is still retained by the Septuagint, and several Latin manuscripts, according to the testimony of Liranus. If we adhere, therefore, to the Hebrew text, we must translate it with St. Jerome, thus; It went forth, going and returning, (Egredicbatur exiens et revertens) sometimes repairing to the mountains, where it found carcasses to feed on, and at other times returning not unto the ark, but to rest upon the top of it. (Estius) (Challoner)
Or receded farther from it; as the Hebrew may be explained, agreeably to the Vulgate, Septuagint, Syriac, &c. which admit the negation. (Calmet)
Till, as long as the waters covered the earth, not that it returned to the ark afterwards. (Menochius)
From Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary, 1859, in the transcription made by Todd Easton and kept online by John Paul Wohlschied at johnblood.gitlab.io/haydock.
The Fathers on this verse
St Augustine Expositions on the Book of Psalms, Psalm CIII
13. “The Lord is full of compassion and mercy: long-suffering, and of great mercy” ( ver. 8 ). Why so long-suffering? Why so great in mercy? Men sin and live; sins are added on, life continueth: men blaspheme daily, and “He maketh His sun to rise over the good and the wicked.” On all sides He calleth to amendment, on all sides He calleth to repentance, He calleth by the blessings of creation, He calleth by giving time for life, He calleth through the reader, He calleth through the preacher, He calleth through the innermost thought by the rod of correction, He calleth by the mercy of consolation: “He is long-suffering, and of great mercy.” But take heed lest by ill using the length of God’s mercy, thou treasure up for thyself, as the Apostle saith, wrath in the day of wrath.…For some there are who prepare to turn, and yet put it off, and in them crieth out the raven’s voice, “Cras! Cras!” …
St John Chrysostom The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom, Matthew 1. 22, 23
And when he had taken her, “he knew her not, till she had brought forth her first-born Son.” He hath here used the word “till,” not that thou shouldest suspect that afterwards he did know her, but to inform thee that before the birth the Virgin was wholly untouched by man. But why then, it may be said, hath he used the word, “till”? Because it is usual in Scripture often to do this, and to use this expression without reference to limited times. For so with respect to the ark likewise, it is said, “The raven returned not till the earth was dried up.” And yet it did not return even after that time. And when discoursing also of God, the Scripture saith, “From age until age Thou art,”not as fixing limits in this case. …