The meaning of Noah’s rainbow
Discover the riches of the Hebrew Bible
-
Why a rainbow?
According to the Bible, a rainbow is not merely a beautiful spectacle, but a symbol of God’s “everlasting promise” never to flood the earth again (Genesis 9:16). In the original Hebrew of the Bible, the word for rainbow is keshet (קשת). This word appears frequently in the Bible, but only here does it refer to a rainbow. Everywhere else the word keshet refers to an archer’s bow, the primary weapon of war in the days of ancient Israel, so the immediate association when hearing the word keshet, was violence.
After the flood, God surprisingly displays a massive bow in the sky. But this bow does not contain an arrow and it is facing upwards, away from earth. The message is clear: God has set aside his weapon of war and replaced it with a symbol of loving kindness. Only Hebrew reveals the secret beauty of this story. Enroll in our live online biblical Hebrew courses and explore the hidden wealth of the Bible.
What Our Students Say About Us
"Yes, I'm very satisfied, the teaching method is excellent and the teacher too"
"Absolutely love the course. It is challenging but in a good way. Very well structured. Shannon Schaffer is an excellent teacher and communicator and very patient."
"I enjoy the multinational classrooms with Hebrew speaking teacher & his great sense of humour. Very skilled teaching."
"It has been fun, good materials, excellent teacher and a learning environment!"
