Καὶ ἐγένετο ἐν τῷ ἑνὶ καὶ ἑξακοσιοστῷ ἔτει ἐν τῇ ζωῇ τοῦ Νωε, τοῦ πρώτου μηνός, μιᾷ τοῦ μηνός, ἐξέλιπεν τὸ ὕδωρ ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς· καὶ ἀπεκάλυψεν Νωε τὴν στέγην τῆς κιβωτοῦ ἣν ἐποίησεν, καὶ εἶδεν ὅτι ἐξέλιπεν τὸ ὕδωρ ἀπὸ προσώπου τῆς γῆς. (Genesis 8:13 LXX)
Setting the Scene
This verse brings us into the narrative’s turning point: the floodwaters have abated, and Noe opens the ark’s roof to look. The Septuagint renders the Hebrew’s careful dating formula with a rich ἐν + dative temporal structure, followed by a sequence of aorist verbs that frame the events as completed, decisive acts. The temporal precision underscores divine order, while the aspectual choices highlight closure.
Grammar in Focus: Temporal Formulas
The opening clause ἐν τῷ ἑνὶ καὶ ἑξακοσιοστῷ ἔτει (“in the six hundred and first year”) is a dative construction indicating the time at which the event occurred. This is expanded by two appositional datives:
- ἐν τῇ ζωῇ τοῦ Νωε — specifying whose life-year is referenced.
- τοῦ πρώτου μηνός, μιᾷ τοῦ μηνός — narrowing to the exact month and day.
This cumulative dating formula is common in LXX narrative for covenantal and eschatological events, creating a chronological anchor before describing the action.
Detailed Morphology of Key Verbs
| Greek Form | Lemma | Parsing | Function | Lexical Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ἐγένετο | γίνομαι | Aorist Middle Indicative, 3rd Singular | Formulaic introduction to a temporal narrative section | it happened / it came to pass |
| ἐξέλιπεν | ἐκλείπω | Aorist Active Indicative, 3rd Singular | Marks a decisive end state | it ceased, failed, came to an end |
| ἀπεκάλυψεν | ἀποκαλύπτω | Aorist Active Indicative, 3rd Singular | Describes Noe’s completed action of uncovering | he uncovered |
| ἐποίησεν | ποιέω | Aorist Active Indicative, 3rd Singular | Relative clause detail; completed past act | he made |
| εἶδεν | ὁράω | Aorist Active Indicative, 3rd Singular | Perception verb marking the narrative discovery | he saw |
Aspectual Insight
The consistent use of aorist forms presents each event as a snapshot in the unfolding restoration: the water’s recession, Noe’s uncovering, and his observation are all complete actions. The aorist aspect resists lingering description; it drives the narrative briskly toward the moment when the earth becomes habitable again.
Syntax and Structure
The verse divides into:
- Temporal clause — precisely dating the event.
- Main clause — ἐξέλιπεν τὸ ὕδωρ (“the water receded”).
- Coordinated clause — ἀπεκάλυψεν Νωε… (“Noe uncovered…”).
- Relative clause — ἣν ἐποίησεν (“which he had made”).
- Concluding perception — εἶδεν ὅτι ἐξέλιπεν τὸ ὕδωρ.
The double occurrence of ἐξέλιπεν τὸ ὕδωρ functions rhetorically, bracketing Noe’s action with the same result, reinforcing the certainty of the flood’s end.
Hebrew–Greek Correspondence
The Hebrew text (Genesis 8:13 MT) uses a wayyiqtol chain (וַיְהִי… וַיִּחֲרַב… וַיָּסַר… וְהִנֵּה) to present a sequential narrative. The LXX replicates this with an ἐγένετο… ἐξέλιπεν… ἀπεκάλυψεν… εἶδεν, preserving the sequentiality but shifting the aspectual coloring into Greek narrative convention.
Grammatical Echoes: Time, Completion, and Covenant Renewal
The precision of the date underscores that God’s dealings in judgment and mercy are ordered and purposeful. The aorist forms crystallize the transition from judgment to renewal — the waters have not merely begun to subside; they have ceased. Noe’s uncovering and seeing are the grammar of revelation: the world is ready for life once more, exactly when God wills it.
