According to Genesis, God set a rainbow in the cloud after Noah’s Ark story as a sign of the covenant. Genesis 9:13 describes the rainbow as the visible reminder of God’s promise after the Flood.
The covenant is presented as applying not only to Noah and his descendants but also to every living creature. Its central promise is that a flood will not again destroy all life on earth in the same way.
Genesis says that when the rainbow appears in the cloud, God will remember the covenant. This wording gives the natural phenomenon a theological role within the narrative: it becomes a sign of preservation and an assurance about the future.
The rainbow is therefore distinct from the dove’s olive leaf. The leaf signals receding waters, while the rainbow appears after Noah leaves the ark and the covenant is established. Both became enduring symbols associated with the story, but they mark different moments.