Prior Chapter | Prior Verse | Next Verse | Next Chapter | Next Book | Viewing NASB and Amplified 2015 | |
NASB | Genesis 8:7 and he sent out a raven, and it flew here and there until the water was dried up from the earth. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Genesis 8:7 and he sent out a raven, which flew here and there until the waters were dried up from the earth. |
Bible Question: Ok so back in the early part of Gen, God lays out an herbivore diet (1:29-30) and outside of the addition of dirt to the serpent’s diet in his curse He doesn’t change this until next chapter (9:3-4)… so when Noah sends out the raven and it doesn’t really return are we to presume its newly become a scavenger due to the likely near fast aboard the arc and the desperation of hunger or was it already carni/omnivore preflood and just chose to eat what it could find floating? If it's a postflood attribute is it symbolic of the desperation of giving up hope/not having faith that life will return and food will be provided/that God will provide; as in the raven's not returning meant there was an option (as the tree of knowledge was an option) but Noah held on to his faith that he could trust God and didn't need to take drastic action to solve the problem himself as the raven did? Was this to contrast this new beginning with the previous way of life where evil prevailed or perhaps even with Adam/Eve? |
Bible Answer: Wow, I've clearly hit a nerve. I'm sorry for offending you 3, if I have. I find it notable that with all the birds he could have sent out he sent two as different in nature as the raven and the dove and I do think there is some significance there. And while I may be overeaching in my quest to find it I don't think it should be ignored either. If we are to gain nothing from the raven and all that is significant is the dove, then why mention him at all? Why not skip this this verse and go straight to 8 if the dove were all that mattered? I think there's an important contrast and am just looking to find it. It's not about really about spiritual vs historical for me. Sure it happened but alot more than is in those two chapters would have happened in those 7 mos so there's a reason it's noteworthy. Could someone try to focus on clearing up it's significance to me instead of just jumping on my case for guessing? No one seems to want to talk about the raven... I would appreciate insights not just pertaining to allegory or overemphasis, but to the raven and this verse--especially if you have an insight that I may be missing or may not have considered--but there's no need to beat a dead horse. And while I value contrasting viewpoints, maybe more so than people agreeing with me, and I don't mind many people sharing the same viewpoint but I do not understand the need for multiple posts from the same person saying essentially the same thing (I think your 2nd long post would have sufficed and amply made your points, but the 3rd was needlessly repetative). And though I appreciate it nonetheless, I still feel no more comprehensive of the verse... and would appreciate some insight on the verse as well as on myself. So instead of just "you're off base and that's not good because..." how about some "you're off base, I think it's more like..." answers would be greatly appreciated and are currently requested. |