Amplified Bible
Genesis 6:5
5The Lord saw that the wickedness (depravity) of man was great on the earth, and that every imagination or intent of the thoughts of his heart were only evil continually.
Genesis 6:5 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
- New International Version (NIV)The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time.
- English Standard Version (ESV)The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
Context of Genesis 6:5
3Then the Lord said, “My Spirit shall not strive and remain with man forever, because he is indeed flesh [sinful, corrupt—given over to sensual appetites]; nevertheless his days shall yet be a hundred and twenty years.” 4There were Nephilim (men of stature, notorious men) on the earth in those days—and also afterward—when the sons of God lived with the daughters of men, and they gave birth to their children. These were the mighty men who were of old, men of renown (great reputation, fame). The Lord saw that the wickedness (depravity) of man was great on the earth, and that every imagination or intent of the thoughts of his heart were only evil continually. 6The Lord regretted that He had made mankind on the earth, and He was [deeply] grieved in His heart. 7So the Lord said, “I will destroy (annihilate) mankind whom I have created from the surface of the earth—not only man, but the animals and the crawling things and the birds of the air—because it [deeply] grieves Me [to see mankind’s sin] and I regret that I have made them.”
Read all of Genesis 6Genesis 6:5 word by word
וַיַּ֣רְא יְהוָ֔ה כִּ֥י רַבָּ֛ה רָעַ֥ת הָאָדָ֖ם בָּאָ֑רֶץ וְכָל־יֵ֙צֶר֙ מַחְשְׁבֹ֣ת לִבּ֔וֹ רַ֥ק רַ֖ע כָּל־הַיּֽוֹם׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And Godיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- sawרָאָהrâ'âh · to see: seeH7200
- that the wickednessרָעָהra‛ râ‛âh · distress: evilH7451
- of manאָדָם'âdâm · manH120
- greatרַבrab · manyH7227
- in the earthאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
- every imaginationיֵ֫צֶרyêtser · intentionH3336
- of the thoughtsמַחֲשָׁבָהmachăshâbâh machăshebeth · plotH4284
- of his heartלֵבlêb · heartH3820
- onlyרַקraq · exceptH7535
- evilרַעra‛ râ‛âh · bad: evilH7451
- continuallyיוֹםyôm · day: dailyH3117
Cross-references for Genesis 6:5
- Genesis 13:13But the men of Sodom were extremely wicked and sinful against the Lord [unashamed in their open sin before Him].
- Genesis 18:20And the Lord said, “The outcry [of the sin] of Sodom and Gomorrah is indeed great, and their sin is exceedingly grave.
- Psalms 14:1The [spiritually ignorant] fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, they have committed repulsive and unspeakable deeds; There is no one who does good.
- Psalms 53:2God has looked down from heaven upon the children of men To see if there is anyone who understands, Who seeks after God [who requires Him, who longs for Him as essential to life].
- Romans 1:28And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God or consider Him worth knowing [as their Creator], God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do things which are improper and repulsive,
- Romans 3:9Well then, are we [Jews] better off than they? Not at all; for we have already charged that both Jews and Greeks (Gentiles) are under the control of sin and subject to its power.
- Genesis 8:21The Lord smelled the pleasing aroma [a soothing, satisfying scent] and the Lord said to Himself, “I will never again curse the ground because of man, for the intent (strong inclination, desire) of man’s heart is wicked from his youth; and I will never again destroy every living thing, as I have done.
- Deuteronomy 29:19It will happen that when he (a renegade) hears the words of this oath, and he imagines himself as blessed, saying, ‘I will have peace and safety even though I walk within the stubbornness of my heart [rejecting God and His law], in order that the watered land dwindles away along with the dry [destroying everything],’
- Job 15:16How much less [pure and clean is] the one who is repulsive and corrupt, Man, who drinks unrighteousness and injustice like water!
- Proverbs 6:18A heart that creates wicked plans, Feet that run swiftly to evil,
- Ecclesiastes 7:29Behold, I have found only this [as a reason]: God made man upright and uncorrupted, but they [both men and women] have sought out many devices [for evil].”
- Ecclesiastes 9:3This evil is in all that is done under the sun, that one fate comes to all. Also, the hearts of the sons of men are full of evil, and madness is in their hearts while they live, and afterwards they go to the dead.
- Jeremiah 17:9“The heart is deceitful above all things And it is extremely sick; Who can understand it fully and know its secret motives?
- Ezekiel 8:9And He said to me, “Go in and see the wicked, repulsive acts that they are committing here.”
- Matthew 15:19For out of the heart come evil thoughts and plans, murders, adulteries, sexual immoralities, thefts, false testimonies, slanders (verbal abuse, irreverent speech, blaspheming).
- Mark 7:21For from within, [that is] out the heart of men, come base and malevolent thoughts and schemes, acts of sexual immorality, thefts, murders, adulteries,
Commentaries on Genesis 6:5
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 5The wickedness of man was great - What an awful character does God give of the inhabitants of the antediluvian world! 1. They were flesh, ( Genesis 6:3;), wholly sensual, the desires of the mind overwhelmed and lost in the desires of the flesh, their souls no longer discerning their high destiny, but ever minding earthly things, so that they were sensualized, brutalized, and become flesh; incarnated so as not to retain God in their knowledge, and they…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1-8Verses 1-8 - The Growth of Sin 3. דון dı̂yn “be down, strive, subdue, judge.” בשׁגם bāshagām “inasmuch, as also.” The rendering “in their error” requires the pointing בשׁגם beshāgām and the plural form of the following pronoun. It is also unknown to the Septuagint. 4. נפילים nepı̂lı̂ym “assailants, fellers, men of violence, tyrants.” Having traced the line of descent from Adam through Sheth, the seed of God, to Noah, the author proceeds to describe…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 5every inclination of the thoughts of his heart: In the Old Testament, the heart is the center of choice, thought, and morality (see Proverbs 4:23). Wicked actions come from a corrupt inner life. altogether evil all the time: Strong language shows how widespread, deep, and persistent human evil is. Humanity remained corrupt even after the great flood (see Genesis 8:21).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 5-65-6. God saw it ... repented ... grieved--God cannot change (Mal 3:6; Jas 1:17); but, by language suited to our nature and experience, He is described as about to alter His visible procedure towards mankind--from being merciful and long-suffering, He was about to show Himself a God of judgment; and, as that impious race had filled up the measure of their iniquities, He was about to introduce a terrible display of His justice (Ec 8:11).Read the comment
Topics related to Genesis 6:5
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Genesis 6
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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