The Meaning of Genesis 8:2 Explained

Genesis 8:2

KJV: The fountains also of the deep and the windows of heaven were stopped, and the rain from heaven was restrained;

YLT: and closed are the fountains of the deep and the net-work of the heavens, and restrained is the shower from the heavens.

Darby: And the fountains of the deep and the windows of heaven were closed, and the pour of rain from heaven was stopped.

ASV: the fountains also of the deep and the windows of heaven were stopped, and the rain from heaven was restrained;

KJV Reverse Interlinear

The fountains  also of the deep  and the windows  of heaven  were stopped,  and the rain  from heaven  was restrained; 

What does Genesis 8:2 Mean?

Context Summary

Genesis 8:1-22 - Noah Leaves The Ark
Traditions of the Flood are found in every country, from the tablets of Babylon to the rude carvings of the Aztecs, proving man's common origin. "God remembered Noah." He could not forget, because He had entered into covenant with him and his. Though the floods have been abroad on your life for long years, God has not forgotten you. Sooner might a woman forget her babe! Noah's window only looked upward. It had no outlook on the waters, therefore he sent forth the birds. Dove and raven issued from the same window, so the child of God and the wayward, willful child may issue from the same family; but the former cannot find satisfaction with what satisfies the other, but wings its flight back to God. See Psalms 116:7. Through God's grace Noah stepped out into the new world-the world of resurrection. His first act was the burned-offering of consecration, which was followed immediately by promise. See Romans 12:1-2. [source]

Chapter Summary: Genesis 8

1  God remembers Noah and calms the waters
4  The ark rests on Ararat
6  Noah sends forth a raven and then a dove
13  Noah, being commanded, goes forth from the ark
20  He builds an altar, and offers sacrifices,
21  which God accepts, and promises to curse the earth no more

What do the individual words in Genesis 8:2 mean?

And were stopped the fountains of the deep and the windows of heaven and was restrained the rain from heaven
וַיִּסָּֽכְרוּ֙ מַעְיְנֹ֣ת תְּה֔וֹם וַֽאֲרֻבֹּ֖ת הַשָּׁמָ֑יִם וַיִּכָּלֵ֥א הַגֶּ֖שֶׁם מִן־ הַשָּׁמָֽיִם

וַיִּסָּֽכְרוּ֙  And  were  stopped 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Nifal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: סָכַר 
Sense: to shut up, stop up.
מַעְיְנֹ֣ת  the  fountains 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: מַעְיָן  
Sense: spring.
תְּה֔וֹם  of  the  deep 
Parse: Noun, common singular
Root: תְּהֹום  
Sense: deep, depths, deep places, abyss, the deep, sea.
וַֽאֲרֻבֹּ֖ת  and  the  windows 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine plural construct
Root: אֲרֻבָּה  
Sense: lattice, window, sluice.
הַשָּׁמָ֑יִם  of  heaven 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: שָׁמַיִם  
Sense: heaven, heavens, sky.
וַיִּכָּלֵ֥א  and  was  restrained 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Nifal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: כָּלָא 
Sense: to restrict, restrain, withhold, shut up, keep back, refrain, forbid.
הַגֶּ֖שֶׁם  the  rain 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: גֶּשֶׁם  
Sense: rain, shower.
הַשָּׁמָֽיִם  heaven 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: שָׁמַיִם  
Sense: heaven, heavens, sky.