In Genesis, God places a rainbow in the sky as the sign of the covenant after Noah’s flood. Genesis 9:13 says that God sets the bow in the clouds as a reminder of the covenant between God, Noah, and every living creature.
The covenant promises that a flood will not again destroy all flesh and destroy the earth. The rainbow therefore functions in the narrative as both a visible sign and a reminder of the promise. Genesis repeats the connection between the bow and the covenant in the surrounding verses.
The Hebrew word often translated as “rainbow” can also mean “bow,” the weapon. This creates a well-known literary image: a weapon-shaped bow appears in the clouds, associated with peace rather than warfare. Most English translations render the passage as “rainbow.”
The sign is presented after the flood, not as the cause of it. Later religious and cultural traditions have also adopted the rainbow as a symbol of hope, peace, and divine promise.