In the Genesis Flood story, God places a rainbow in the clouds as his covenant sign with Noah.
Genesis 9 describes the covenant made after the Flood. God promises that a flood will not again destroy all flesh, and the rainbow becomes the visible reminder of that promise. The passage presents the sign as applying to God’s covenant with Noah, his descendants, and every living creature associated with the Flood narrative.
The rainbow therefore appears after the waters recede, not as a feature that guides Noah to the ark. Genesis links it to clouds and rain, saying that when the sign appears, the covenant is remembered. The biblical text does not describe the rainbow as the ark’s flag or as a navigational marker.
The dove is another important image in the story, but it serves a different purpose. Noah sends birds to test whether the floodwaters have gone down; the rainbow is the covenant sign.