The water, as Genesis puts it, didn't recede …
Genesis 8:3b ... and after the end of the hundred and fifty days the waters were abated.
And note, it doesn't say, "the waters abated."
It says, "the waters were abated."
Sorry, I mentioned the NIV. But to continue the story in KJV
5 And
the waters decreased continually until the tenth month: in the tenth month, on the first day of the month, were the tops of the mountains seen.
6 And it came to pass at the end of forty days, that Noah opened the window of the ark which he had made:
7 And he sent forth a raven, which went forth to and fro, until
the waters were dried up from off the earth.
8 Also he sent forth a dove from him, to see if
the waters were abated from off the face of the ground;
9 But the dove found no rest for the sole of her foot, and she returned unto him into the ark, for the waters were on the face of the whole earth: then he put forth his hand, and took her, and pulled her in unto him into the ark.
10 And he stayed yet other seven days; and again he sent forth the dove out of the ark;
11 And the dove came in to him in the evening; and, lo, in her mouth was an olive leaf pluckt off: so Noah knew that
the waters were abated from off the earth.
12 And he stayed yet other seven days; and sent forth the dove; which returned not again unto him any more.
13 And it came to pass in the six hundredth and first year, in the first month, the first day of the month,
the waters were dried up from off the earth: and Noah removed the covering of the ark, and looked, and, behold, the face of the ground was dry.
The waters both actively decreased, and passively were abated, and were dried up. It all seems to be used quite synonymously. The gist of the story is clear. First the tops of mountains appeared, and then (we infer from the leaf) trees were uncovered. And then the land was all dry.
And for the second time, did you see my Sanitary Challenge thread, which was tailor-made for a conversation like we're having now?
I saw it, but it inspired no comment.
