Verse

Genesis 8:13

ESV In the six hundred and first year, in the first month, the first day of the month, the waters were dried from off the earth. And Noah removed the covering of the ark and looked, and behold, the face of the ground was dry.
NIV By the first day of the first month of Noah’s six hundred and first year, the water had dried up from the earth. Noah then removed the covering from the ark and saw that the surface of the ground was dry.
NASB Now it came about in the six hundred and first year, in the first month, on the first of the month, that the water was dried up from the earth. Then Noah removed the covering of the ark, and looked, and behold, the surface of the ground had dried up.
CSB In the six hundred and first year, in the first month, on the first day of the month, the water that had covered the earth was dried up. Then Noah removed the ark’s cover and saw that the surface of the ground was drying.
NLT Noah was now 601 years old. On the first day of the new year, ten and a half months after the flood began, the floodwaters had almost dried up from the earth. Noah lifted back the covering of the boat and saw that the surface of the ground was drying.
KJV And it came to pass in the six hundredth and first year, in the first month, the first day of the month, the waters were dried up from off the earth: and Noah removed the covering of the ark, and looked, and, behold, the face of the ground was dry.
NKJV And it came to pass in the six hundred and first year, in the first month, the first day of the month, that the waters were dried up from the earth; and Noah removed the covering of the ark and looked, and indeed the surface of the ground was dry.

What does Genesis 8:13 mean?

This is the fourth specific date we're given in the timeline of the events surrounding the flood and its aftermath. The first was the day the rains came. The second was the day the ark landed in the mountains of Ararat. The third was day the tops of the mountains became visible above the waves. One reason for giving such specific dates is to emphasize the historical nature of the text. The story of the flood is not characterized as "once upon a time," but as an actual event in the real world.

This date, the 601st year of Noah's life, on the first day of the first month, is the day Noah saw with his own eyes that the ground was finally dry. First, Noah removed the covering from the ark. We're not sure exactly what this means. It could indicate that Noah realized the rains were truly done and a covering was needed no longer. In any case, the act of removing the covering gave him a clear view of the world around the ark. He saw dry ground. The land was ready to support him, his family, and every kind of animal, insect, and bird on the boat. Or, at least it appeared to be dry. But, apparently it wasn't quite ready. The next verse will reveal that they did not disembark for another two months, until God gave them explicit approval to do so.
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