Verse

Genesis 8:6

ESV At the end of forty days Noah opened the window of the ark that he had made
NIV After forty days Noah opened a window he had made in the ark
NASB Then it came about at the end of forty days, that Noah opened the window of the ark which he had made;
CSB After forty days Noah opened the window of the ark that he had made,
NLT After another forty days, Noah opened the window he had made in the boat
KJV And it came to pass at the end of forty days, that Noah opened the window of the ark which he had made:
NKJV So it came to pass, at the end of forty days, that Noah opened the window of the ark which he had made.

What does Genesis 8:6 mean?

The previous verse revealed that the steadily draining water had dropped low enough that the tops of the mountains had become visible. This landmark was achieved on the first day of the tenth month. Noah allowed another 40 days to pass before opening a window in the ark, maybe in the roof, to send out a raven (Genesis 8:7). This is a sailor's tactic to locate dry land: a bird which has no interest in landing on the water will fly high enough to see for miles around, and if it cannot find dry land, it will eventually come back to the boat (Genesis 8:9). Early on, it seems, there was nothing suitable nearby. This means that the visible mountaintops were probably a good distance away.

We're told very little of life inside the ark. Were Noah and his family bored, terrified, eager to get outside, fully occupied by caring for all the different kinds of animals aboard? Without any details, we can only imagine.
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