Noah sent out a raven to see if the water had dried yet. It did not return, so Noah sent out a dove three times to test the status of the earth. Finally, a dove returned with an olive leaf, so Noah knew the waters had abated.
God did not give Noah a revelation of when the flood would subside. Noah sent out a raven, a bird of prey. The raven did not return, it flew here and there until the water was dried up from the earth. Then, Noah sent out a dove, but it returned, finding no resting place for the sole of her foot.
Seven days later, Noah sent out the dove from the ark again, this time the dove returned with a freshly picked olive leaf. The olive leaf (an emblem of life) was the first sign that life would continue, and all would be well. The emerging earth would once again support life as it had in the beginning. Now, Noah knew the waters had abated from the earth. Noah waited yet another seven days then sent out a third dove but she did not return to him again, presumably because it made a home on the earth.
Biblical Text
6 Then it came about at the end of forty days, that Noah opened the window of the ark which he had made; 7 and he sent out a raven, and it flew here and there until the water was dried up from the earth. 8 Then he sent out a dove from him, to see if the water was abated from the face of the land; 9 but the dove found no resting place for the sole of her foot, so she returned to him into the ark, for the water was on the surface of all the earth. Then he put out his hand and took her, and brought her into the ark to himself. 10 So he waited yet another seven days; and again he sent out the dove from the ark. 11 The dove came to him toward evening, and behold, in her beak was a freshly picked olive leaf. So Noah knew that the water was abated from the earth. 12 Then he waited yet another seven days, and sent out the dove; but she did not return to him again.
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