In Genesis, God sets a rainbow in the clouds as the sign of his covenant with Noah.
After the Flood, God tells Noah and his descendants that he will never again destroy every living creature with a flood. The rainbow serves as a visible reminder of that promise. The covenant extends beyond Noah’s household: it includes every living creature affected by the Flood.
Genesis 9 presents the rainbow as a sign placed in the clouds, rather than as a new scientific phenomenon created at that moment. The passage gives it theological meaning within the story. It links the end of judgment with a continuing promise of preservation.
The rainbow is therefore distinct from the dove and its olive leaf. The dove signals that the waters have receded, while the rainbow appears afterward as the sign of the covenant.