In Genesis, God placed a rainbow in the clouds as the sign of the covenant after the Flood. Genesis 9:13–16 presents it as a reminder of the promise not to destroy all living creatures with another flood.
The covenant is made with Noah, his descendants, and every living creature. It therefore extends beyond the human survivors and includes animals. The rainbow is described as appearing in the clouds, linking an ordinary natural phenomenon with a theological promise in the narrative.
This passage is often called the Noahic or rainbow covenant. It is distinct from later biblical covenants associated with figures such as Abraham and Moses. The story does not say that rainbows first existed after the Flood; instead, it assigns the visible arc a new symbolic role as the covenant sign.