Then God said to Noah introduces God’s new command in verses 16-17. See 6.13.

Go forth from the ark is the opposite of the command to enter the boat in 7.1. Go forth translates a verb meaning “leave, depart, disembark, go out of.” In some languages the term that means to disembark from a boat will be the best term to use; for instance, some Pacific languages have an idiom that says “Leave the boat and go down.” The command in Hebrew is singular, addressed to Noah, but it is understood from the rest of the sentence as applying to everyone.

You and your wife … with you is the same formula used in 6.18; 7.7, except that your wife is mentioned here before your sons. There is no significant difference created by this change, and translators should use the order that is most natural in their own language.

Quoted with permission from Reyburn, William D. and Fry, Euan McG. A Handbook on Genesis. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1997. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .