Genesis 9:13

The context

After the flood, God establishes a covenant with Noah, his descendants, and every living creature, and the speech sets out its terms. The sign is placed in the clouds, and the explanation that follows says what it is for: it is to be seen and remembered. The pledge is then repeated several times in slightly different words, which is how covenant speech works.

What it establishes

The rainbow is given a covenantal function within the story, marking a standing commitment not to repeat the flood. The sign works by remembrance, for God and for every creature that sees it.

What it does not establish

It does not say the rainbow began then. The text describes the bow's appointment as a sign, not its first appearance in the atmosphere, though readers have long taken it either way.

Short note, first pass, October 2026. Corrections welcome.

Cited in these answers

• To accept the story of the Noah's Flood AS FACT flies in the face of practically all of the archaeological, historical, literary, meteorological, and geological research EVER conducted to say nothing of good old common sense. It's a non-starter for me.

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