And I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh.

GENESIS 9:15KJV
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Genesis 9:15 (KJV)

What does Genesis 9:15 mean?

Genesis 9:15 says that God will remember the covenant He made with Noah, all people, and every living creature, promising that the waters will never again become a flood to destroy all flesh. This verse reassures that God’s promise after the flood is a lasting one, protecting all life from another world-destroying flood.

In this verse, God is speaking to Noah after the floodwaters have receded, establishing a new relationship with humanity and all living things. The covenant is a formal promise, and God’s act of “remembering” means He will act faithfully on what He has pledged. The verse highlights the seriousness of God’s commitment and the universal scope of His promise, including every living creature, not just humans.

The Hebrew behind Genesis 9:15

  • זָכַר (zakar, "remember"): This word means more than just recalling something; it often carries the sense of acting on a promise or commitment. Here, it emphasizes that God will actively uphold His covenant, not just think about it.
  • בְּרִית (berit, "covenant"): This is a formal agreement or promise. In Genesis 9:15, it marks a binding commitment from God to all living things, showing the seriousness and reliability of His word.
  • בָּשָׂר (basar, "flesh"): This word refers to all living beings with physical bodies, not just humans. The inclusion of all "flesh" stresses that God’s promise extends to every creature, highlighting the comprehensive nature of the covenant.
  • מַּבּוּל (mabbul, "flood"): This specific word is used for the catastrophic flood in Noah’s story. Its use here makes clear that the promise is about never repeating such a total, destructive event.

Why Genesis 9:15 matters

  • Genesis 9:15 clarifies that God’s promise is not just to Noah or to people, but to every living creature, showing the broad scope of divine care.
  • The verse emphasizes that God’s “remembering” is about faithful action, not just memory, which helps readers understand the reliability of God’s commitments.
  • By referencing the flood with the specific word מַּבּוּל (mabbul), Genesis 9:15 connects directly to the earlier story, assuring that such a worldwide destruction will not happen again, which would have been a major concern for those who survived.

Where else these words appear

“flood” Hebrew H3999 · used in 12 verses

  • Genesis 6:17 And, behold, I, even I, do bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, from under heaven; and every thing that is in the earth shall die.
  • Genesis 7:10 And it came to pass after seven days, that the waters of the flood were upon the earth.
  • Genesis 10:1 Now these are the generations of the sons of Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth: and unto them were sons born after the flood.

“more” Hebrew H5750 · used in 30 verses

  • Genesis 4:25 And Adam knew his wife again; and she bare a son, and called his name Seth: For God, said she, hath appointed me another seed instead of Abel, whom Cain slew.
  • Genesis 48:7 And as for me, when I came from Padan, Rachel died by me in the land of Canaan in the way, when yet there was but a little way to come unto Ephrath: and I buried her there in the way of Ephrath; the same is Bethlehem.
  • Judges 2:14 And the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel, and he delivered them into the hands of spoilers that spoiled them, and he sold them into the hands of their enemies round about, so that they could not any longer stand before their enemies.

“destroy” Hebrew H7843 · used in 136 verses

  • Genesis 6:11 The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.
  • 2 Samuel 11:1 And it came to pass, after the year was expired, at the time when kings go forth to battle, that David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the children of Ammon, and besieged Rabbah. But David tarried still at Jerusalem.
  • Jeremiah 6:5 Arise, and let us go by night, and let us destroy her palaces.