I will remember my covenant that is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh. And the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh.
English Standard Version (ESV)
While God promises the waters will never again cause such destruction, He states He will remember His covenant. This phrasing highlights that the covenant isn't just a static agreement, but an active promise God sustains by His own remembrance, assuring us He will not forget His commitment to protect life.
I will remember my covenant that is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh. And the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Following the devastating flood and God's command for humanity to repopulate the earth, God establishes a new covenant with Noah and all living things. This promise is made to reassure them that such a catastrophic flood will never happen again. The text immediately before details the establishment of this covenant and its sign, the rainbow, while the passage immediately after recounts Noah's subsequent actions, including planting a vineyard and his well-known misstep while drunk.
After the terrifying judgment of the flood, God establishes a promise to humanity. But what does it mean for God to 'remember' His covenant?
Genesis 9:15 states, 'And I will remember my covenant...' This is a powerful statement of God's faithfulness. Even though humans can forget, God's remembrance is not about recollection like ours. It's an active, unwavering commitment. He isn't just recalling a past agreement; He is actively upholding it.
Active Faithfulness
The promise after the flood isn't just for humans. Who else is included in this significant agreement, and why?
The verse explicitly states that God's covenant is 'between me and you and every living creature of all flesh.' This is astonishing! The promise extends beyond humanity to encompass all of creation.
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Universal Scope
The flood was a terrifying display of judgment. What is the lasting impact of God's covenant on His future dealings with humanity and the earth?
The latter part of Genesis 9:15 declares, 'And the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh.' This is a profound shift from the previous state of affairs.
A Limit on Judgment
Understand the original words
zachar · Hebrew Verb
To call to mind or act upon a previous promise. When God "remembers" in the Bible, He is not recalling forgotten information but is sovereignly acting in accordance with His previous commitments and purposes.
c. 2350 BC— this verse
The Great Flood
A catastrophic flood sent by God to cleanse the earth of widespread wickedness, sparing only Noah and his family in an ark.
c. 2350 BC
God's Covenant with Noah
Following the flood, God establishes a covenant with Noah and all living creatures, promising never again to destroy all flesh with a flood.
c. 2350 BC
New Beginnings and Commands
God blesses Noah and his sons, commanding them to be fruitful, multiply, and repopulate the earth. New regulations are given concerning food and the sanctity of human life.
This passage reiterates the concept of a covenant between God and His people, emphasizing its lasting nature and the signs that accompany it, similar to how God establishes His covenant with Noah and the sign of the rainbow.
Exodus 2:24God 'remembers' His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob during the Israelites' oppression in Egypt, showing a pattern of God recalling His promises during times of distress, just as He remembers His covenant with Noah.
Psalm 105:8This psalm directly references God's faithfulness to His covenant, stating He 'remembers his covenant forever,' mirroring the promise in Genesis 9 that God's covenant would endure perpetually.
Jeremiah 31:35-36This prophetic passage speaks of God's enduring faithfulness to His people, comparing His established ordinances to the unfailing cycles of nature, much like the promise that the waters will no longer bring destruction.
1 Peter 3:20-21Peter likens the saving power of Noah's ark through the flood to the saving power of baptism, highlighting how God's judgment also brings about salvation for those within His covenant, underscoring the ark's significance as a sign of preservation.
calvinGenesis 9:1-29: "And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth."
And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth, and upon every fowl of the air, upon all that moveth upon the earth, and upon all the fishes of the sea; into your hand are they delivered.
Et timor vester et pavor vester erit super omnem bestiam terrae, et super omne volatile coeli, cum omnibus quae gradiuntur in terra, et omnibus pi…
pooleGenesis 9:15: "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."
No text from Poole on this verse.
While God promises the waters will never again cause such destruction, He states He will remember His covenant. This phrasing highlights that the covenant isn't just a static agreement, but an active promise God sustains by His own remembrance, assuring us He will not forget His commitment to protect life.
Following the devastating flood and God's command for humanity to repopulate the earth, God establishes a new covenant with Noah and all living things. This promise is made to reassure them that such a catastrophic flood will never happen again. The text immediately before details the establishment of this covenant and its sign, the rainbow, while the passage immediately after recounts Noah's subsequent actions, including planting a vineyard and his well-known misstep while drunk.
Following the devastating flood and God's command for humanity to repopulate the earth, God establishes a new covenant with Noah and all living things. This promise is made to reassure them that such a catastrophic flood will never happen again. The text immediately before details the establishment of this covenant and its sign, the rainbow, while the passage immediately after recounts Noah's subsequent actions, including planting a vineyard and his well-known misstep while drunk.
"I will remember my covenant that is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh. And the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh." — While God promises the waters will never again cause such destruction, He states He will remember His covenant. This phrasing highlights that the covenant isn't just a static agreement, but an acti…
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Last reviewed October 2026