King James Version

Genesis 8:11

And the dove came in to him in the evening; and, lo, in her mouth was an olive leaf pluckt off: so Noah knew that the waters were abated from off the earth.

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Hebrew

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וַתָּבֹ֨אvatavoand to comeבּוֹאconjunction, verb, qal, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, feminine, singular — “and to come”, the next action in the storyH935to go or come (in a wide variety of applications)abide, apply, attain, [idiom] be, befall, [phrase] besiege, bring (forth, in, into, to pass), call, carry, [idiom] certainly, (cause, let, thing for) to come (against, in, out, upon, to pass), depart, [idiom] doubtless again, [phrase] eat,…אֵלָ֤יוelayvamongאֵלpreposition, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “among”H413near, with or among; often in general, toabout, according to, after, against, among, as for, at, because(-fore, -side), both...and, by, concerning, for, from, [idiom] hath, in(-to), near, (out) of, over, through, to(-ward), under, unto, upon, whether, with(-in).הַיּוֹנָה֙hayonahthe doveיוֹנָהdefinite article, noun, common, feminine, singular, absolute — “the dove”, the ordinary formH3123a dove (apparently from the warmth of their mating)dove, pigeon.לְעֵ֣תleetto whenעֵתpreposition, noun, common, both genders, singular, construct — “to when”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH6256time, especially (adverb with preposition) now, when, etc.[phrase] after, (al-) ways, [idiom] certain, [phrase] continually, [phrase] evening, long, (due) season, so (long) as, (even-, evening-, noon-) tide, (meal-), what) time, when.עֶ֔רֶבerevevenעֶרֶבnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “even”, the ordinary formH6153dusk[phrase] day, even(-ing, tide), night.וְהִנֵּ֥הvehinehand loהִנֵּהconjunction, particle, demonstrative — “and lo”H2009lo!behold, lo, see.עֲלֵהalehleafעָלֶהnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct — “leaf”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH5929a leaf (as coming up on a tree); collectively, foliagebranch, leaf.זַ֖יִתzayitoliveזַיִתnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “olive”, the ordinary formH2132an olive (as yielding illuminating oil), the tree, the branch or the berryolive (tree, -yard), Olivet.טָרָ֣ףtarafpluckt offטָרָףadjective, adjective, masculine, singular, absolute — “pluckt off”, the ordinary formH2965recently torn off, i.e. freshpluckt off.בְּפִ֑יהָbefihain edgeפֶּהpreposition, noun, common, masculine, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, feminine, singular — “in edge”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH6310the mouth (as the means of blowing), whether literal or figurative (particularly speech); specifically edge, portion or side; adverbially (with preposition) according toaccord(-ing as, -ing to), after, appointment, assent, collar, command(-ment), [idiom] eat, edge, end, entry, [phrase] file, hole, [idiom] in, mind, mouth, part, portion, [idiom] (should) say(-ing), sentence, skirt, sound, speech, [idiom] s…וַיֵּ֣דַעvayedaand knowיָדַעconjunction, verb, qal, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and know”, the next action in the storyH3045to know (properly, to ascertain by seeing); used in a great variety of senses, figuratively, literally, euphemistically and inferentially (including observation, care, recognition; and causatively, instruction, designation, punishment, etc.)acknowledge, acquaintance(-ted with), advise, answer, appoint, assuredly, be aware, (un-) awares, can(-not), certainly, comprehend, consider, [idiom] could they, cunning, declare, be diligent, (can, cause to) discern, discover, endued with…נֹ֔חַnochaNoahנֹחַnoun, proper name — “Noah”H5146Noach, the patriarch of the floodNoah.כִּיkiassuredכִּיconjunction — “assured”H3588(by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexedand, + (forasmuch, inasmuch, where-) as, assured(-ly), + but, certainly, doubtless, + else, even, + except, for, how, (because, in, so, than) that, + nevertheless, now, rightly, seeing, since, surely, then, therefore, + (al-) though, + til…קַ֥לּוּqalvmake brightקָלַלverb, qal, perfect, 3rd person, common, plural — “make bright”, a completed actionH7043to be (causatively, make) light, literally (swift, small, sharp, etc.) or figuratively (easy, trifling, vile, etc.)abate, make bright, bring into contempt, (ac-) curse, despise, (be) ease(-y, -ier), (be a, make, make somewhat, move, seem a, set) light(-en, -er, -ly, -ly afflict, -ly esteem, thing), [idiom] slight(-ly), be swift(-er), (be, be more, make…הַמַּ֖יִםhamayimthe waterמַיִםdefinite article, noun, common, masculine, plural, absolute — “the water”, the ordinary formH4325water; figuratively, juice; by euphemism, urine, semen[phrase] piss, wasting, water(-ing, (-course, -flood, -spring)).מֵעַ֥לmealfrom aboveעַלpreposition, preposition — “from above”H5921above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applicationsabove, according to(-ly), after, (as) against, among, and, [idiom] as, at, because of, beside (the rest of), between, beyond the time, [idiom] both and, by (reason of), [idiom] had the charge of, concerning for, in (that), (forth, out) of,…הָאָֽרֶץhaaretsthe earthאֶרֶץdefinite article, noun, common, both genders, singular, absolute — “the earth”, the ordinary formH776the earth (at large, or partitively a land)[idiom] common, country, earth, field, ground, land, [idiom] natins, way, [phrase] wilderness, world.

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

And the dove came in to him at eventide; and lo in her mouth an olive-leaf freshly plucked; so Noah knew that the waters were abated from off the earth.

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

and the dove came in to him at eventide; and, lo, in her mouth an olive-leaf plucked off: so Noah knew that the waters were abated from off the earth.

Young’s Literal Translation

and the dove cometh in unto him at even-time, and lo, an olive leaf torn off in her mouth; and Noah knoweth that the waters have been lightened from off the earth.

World English Bible

The dove came back to him at evening and, behold, in her mouth was a freshly plucked olive leaf. So Noah knew that the waters were abated from the earth.

Darby Translation

And the dove came to him at eventide; and behold, in her beak was an olive-leaf plucked off; and Noah knew that the waters had become low on the earth.

Douay-Rheims

And she came to him in the evening, carrying a bough of an olive tree, with green leaves, in her mouth. Noe therefore understood that the waters were ceased upon the earth.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

And the dove came in to him at eventide; and lo in her mouth an olive-leaf freshly plucked; so Noah knew that the waters were abated from off the earth.

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

And the dove returned to him in the evening, and had a leaf of olive, a sprig in her mouth; and Noe knew that the water had ceased from off the earth.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Καὶ ἀνέστρεψε πρὸς αὐτὸν ἡ περιστερὰ τὸ πρὸς ἑσπέραν· καὶ εἶχε φύλλον ἐλαίας κάρφος ἐν τῷ στόματι αὐτῆς· καὶ ἔγνω Νῶε, ὅτι κεκόπακε τὸ ὕδωρ ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς.