EOB: Official Site of the Eastern / Greek Orthodox Bible (Old and New Testament)

Genesis 8:14

EOB (Eastern / Greek Orthodox Bible):

In the second month, on the twenty-seventh day, the earth was dry.

EOB Footnote:

The MT specifies “in the second month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month” whereas the LXX reads “in the second month, on the twenty-seventh day.” The phrase “of the month” appears twice in MT but only once in LXX, though this does not materially affect the meaning. The MT concludes with “the earth was dried” using a different Hebrew verb form than the drying mentioned earlier in verse 13, emphasizing complete dryness; the LXX similarly distinguishes the terms but the nuance is comparable.

Other Translations:

KJV (King James Version):

And in the second month, on the seven and twentieth day of the month, was the earth dried.

WEB (World English Bible):

“The waters continually receded from the earth. After the end of one hundred fifty days the waters decreased.”

Benton LXX (Vaticanus):

And in the second month the earth was dried, on the twenty-seventh day of the month.

Douai-Rheims (Vulgate):

And in the second month, the seven and twentieth day of the month, the earth was dried.

Apostoliki Diakonia (LXX):

In the second month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month, the earth was completely dry.

YLT (Young Literal Translation )(MT):

“And in the second month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month, the earth was dry.”

BBE (Bible in Basic English):

And on the seventeenth day of the second month the earth was dry.

EOB COMMENTARY:

EOB Commentary:

Genesis 8:14

The Completion of Divine Restoration

This verse marks the precise moment when the earth was fully dried and ready for new habitation—the seventeenth day of the second month, exactly one solar year and ten days after the flood began. The Fathers noted the remarkable precision with which Moses records these dates, seeing in this careful chronology evidence of the historical reality of the flood and its typological significance for salvation history.

Patristic Interpretation: Saint John Chrysostom observes that God waited for the complete drying of the earth before commanding Noah to exit, demonstrating divine providence and patience. The Lord did not rush the restoration but allowed creation to be fully prepared for its renewed purpose. Saint Ephrem the Syrian similarly notes that this timing reveals God’s meticulous care—He who numbered the days of destruction also numbered the days of restoration.

Christological and Baptismal Typology: The Church Fathers consistently read the flood narrative as a type of baptism, and this verse represents the completion of that sacramental mystery. Just as the earth emerged renewed and purified from the waters, so the baptized Christian emerges from the font as a new creation. The dried earth becomes an image of the resurrected life—death and judgment have passed, and new life begins. Saint Peter explicitly connects the flood to baptism in his first epistle, and this moment of complete drying represents the fullness of regeneration that baptism accomplishes.

Some Fathers have also seen in the specific timing a foreshadowing of Pascha. The emergence onto dry ground after the waters of death recalls Christ’s resurrection and His leading of humanity from the tomb into new life. The ark resting and the earth drying parallel the Sabbath rest of Holy Saturday and the dawn of Resurrection morning.

Liturgical Connections: This passage is read during the Vespers of Theophany, where the Church celebrates the sanctification of waters. The movement from flood to dry land mirrors the liturgical movement from the blessing of waters to the sending forth of the faithful, renewed and sanctified. The timing also connects to the Orthodox understanding of the Church year as a journey through salvation history, with each feast representing a moment of divine intervention and restoration.

Spiritual Application: For the Orthodox Christian, this verse speaks to the patience required in spiritual transformation. The soul undergoing purification must wait for God’s timing. Just as Noah could not exit prematurely but had to wait for complete restoration, so the Christian in repentance must allow grace to complete its work. The spiritual life requires trust in divine chronology—God knows when the heart is truly ready for new beginnings.

Introduction to the book of Leviticus

The Book of Leviticus receives its English title from the Latin Vulgate, which is derived from the Greek Septuagint (LXX) title Leuitikon (Λευιτικόν), meaning “Levitical” or “pertaining to the Levites.”

Read More »

Introduction to the book of Exodus

The Book of Exodus receives its English title from the Greek Septuagint (LXX), where it is called Exodos (Ἔξοδος), meaning “departure” or “exit.” This name was chosen because the central

Read More »