Then he sent forth a dove from him: Then translates the common Hebrew connective, which Revised Standard Version recognizes as signaling a sequence of events through verses 6 to 12. There is no reference to the amount of time that may have passed between the sending out of the raven and the dove. Some interpreters assume that an earlier form of the text had “after seven days,” as in verse 10, and New English Bible says “Noah waited for seven days,” with a note indicating this as a probable reading. Revised English Bible has dropped this, however.

Sent forth is the same verb used in Gen 8.7. A dove is a bird that is known in most countries. It is a smaller bird than the raven and is a member of the family columbidae. The dove, in contrast with the raven, is listed as a clean bird in the Old Testament, and in Lev 12.8 a pair of doves or two young pigeons were given as an offering to purify the mother following childbirth, if the family could not afford a lamb. These birds are mentioned also in Mark 11.15; Luke 2.24; and John 2.14.

From him, or “from where he was at the window,” was not used in verse 7, and here it adds no new information to the event of releasing the bird.

To see if the waters had subsided from the face of the ground states the purpose in sending out the dove. The thought is that if the bird saw land it would fly in that direction. Although this purpose is stated here after the reference to the dove, it must surely have also been the purpose in sending out the raven; and if the connection is not made for both birds, then readers in some languages will be bound to ask “What did Noah send out the raven for?” Accordingly at least one translation restructures the text to bring this clause up to the beginning of verse 7: “He wanted to know how it was… So he took a crow and let it fly away… Afterward he took a dove and let it fly away….”

Subsided translates a different word from that used in verse 1, but the sense is the same. Face of the ground is as in 2.6. See there for comments.

Quoted with permission from Reyburn, William D. and Fry, Euan McG. A Handbook on Genesis. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1997. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .