Christian Standard Bible
Genesis 6:17
17“Understand that I am bringing a flood — floodwaters on the earth to destroy every creature under heaven with the breath of life in it. Everything on earth will perish.
Genesis 6:17 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And, behold, I, even I, do bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, from under heaven; and every thing that is in the earth shall die.
- New International Version (NIV)I am going to bring floodwaters on the earth to destroy all life under the heavens, every creature that has the breath of life in it. Everything on earth will perish.
- English Standard Version (ESV)For behold, I will bring a flood of waters upon the earth to destroy all flesh in which is the breath of life under heaven. Everything that is on the earth shall die.
- New King James Version (NKJV)And behold, I Myself am bringing floodwaters on the earth, to destroy from under heaven all flesh in which is the breath of life; everything that is on the earth shall die.
Context of Genesis 6:17
15This is how you are to make it: The ark will be 450 feet long, 75 feet wide, and 45 feet high. 16You are to make a roof, finishing the sides of the ark to within eighteen inches of the roof. You are to put a door in the side of the ark. Make it with lower, middle, and upper decks. “Understand that I am bringing a flood — floodwaters on the earth to destroy every creature under heaven with the breath of life in it. Everything on earth will perish. 18But I will establish my covenant with you, and you will enter the ark with your sons, your wife, and your sons’ wives. 19You are also to bring into the ark two of all the living creatures, male and female, to keep them alive with you.
Read all of Genesis 6Genesis 6:17 word by word
וַאֲנִ֗י הִנְנִי֩ מֵבִ֨יא אֶת־הַמַּבּ֥וּל מַ֙יִם֙ עַל־הָאָ֔רֶץ לְשַׁחֵ֣ת כָּל־בָּשָׂ֗ר אֲשֶׁר־בּוֹ֙ ר֣וּחַ חַיִּ֔ים מִתַּ֖חַת הַשָּׁמָ֑יִם כֹּ֥ל אֲשֶׁר־בָּאָ֖רֶץ יִגְוָֽע׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And, beholdהִנֵּהhinnêh · beholdH2009
- Iאֲנִי'ănîy · IH589
- even I, do bringבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): bringH935
- a floodמַבּוּלmabbûl · floodH3999
- of watersמַיmayim · waterH4325
- upon the earthאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
- to destroyשָׁחַתshâchath · to ruinH7843
- all fleshבָּשָׂרbâώâr · fleshH1320
- the breathרוּחַrûach · spirit: breathH7307
- of lifeחַיִּיםchay · lifeH2416
- from underתַּחַתtachath · underneath: underH8478
- heavenשָׁמַיִםshâmayim shâmeh · heavenH8064
- every thingכֹּלkôl kôl · allH3605
- shall dieגָּוַעgâva‛ · to dieH1478
Cross-references for Genesis 6:17
- Genesis 6:13Then God said to Noah, “I have decided to put an end to every creature, for the earth is filled with wickedness because of them; therefore I am going to destroy them along with the earth.
- Genesis 7:4Seven days from now I will make it rain on the earth forty days and forty nights, and every living thing I have made I will wipe off the face of the earth.”
- Genesis 9:9“Understand that I am establishing my covenant with you and your descendants after you,
- Exodus 14:17As for me, I am going to harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they will go in after them, and I will receive glory by means of Pharaoh, all his army, and his chariots and horsemen.
- Leviticus 26:28I will act with furious hostility toward you; I will also discipline you seven times for your sins.
- Deuteronomy 32:39See now that I alone am he; there is no God but me. I bring death and I give life; I wound and I heal. No one can rescue anyone from my power.
- Psalms 29:10The Lord sits enthroned over the flood; the Lord sits enthroned, King forever.
- Isaiah 51:12I — I am the one who comforts you. Who are you that you should fear humans who die, or a son of man who is given up like grass?
- Ezekiel 5:8therefore, this is what the Lord God says: See, I myself am against you, Jerusalem, and I will execute judgments within you in the sight of the nations.
- Ezekiel 6:3You are to say: Mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord God! This is what the Lord God says to the mountains and the hills, to the ravines and the valleys: I am about to bring a sword against you, and I will destroy your high places.
- Ezekiel 34:11“‘For this is what the Lord God says: See, I myself will search for my flock and look for them.
- Hosea 5:14For I am like a lion to Ephraim and like a young lion to the house of Judah. Yes, I will tear them to pieces and depart. I will carry them off, and no one can rescue them.
- 2 Peter 2:5and if he didn’t spare the ancient world, but protected Noah, a preacher of righteousness, and seven others, when he brought the flood on the world of the ungodly;
- Job 22:16They were snatched away before their time, and their foundations were washed away by a river.
- Psalms 93:3The floods have lifted up, Lord, the floods have lifted up their voice; the floods lift up their pounding waves.
- Psalms 107:34and fruitful land into salty wasteland, because of the wickedness of its inhabitants.
Commentaries on Genesis 6:17
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 17I-do bring a flood - מבול ; mabbul ; a word used only to designate the general deluge, being never applied to signify any other kind of inundation; and does not the Holy Spirit intend to show by this that no other flood was ever like this, and that it should continue to be the sole one of the kind? There have been many partial inundations in various countries, but never more than One general deluge; and we have God's promise, Genesis 9:15, that there…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 9-22Verses 9-22 - Section VI - The Deluge - XXIII. The Ark 9. דור dôr “age, time from birth to death,” applied either to an individual or the whole contemporary race, running parallel with some leading individual. Hence, the “race” or “generation” living during that time. 14. תבה tēbâh “chest, ark.” It is used only of this vessel of Noah‘s construction, and of the little vessel in which Moses was put Exodus 2:3, Exodus 2:5. The root, according to Furst…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 12-21Verses 12-21 God told Noah his purpose to destroy the wicked world by water. The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him, Psa 25:14. It is with all believers, enabling them to understand and apply the declarations and warnings of the written word. God chose to do it by a flood of waters, which should drown the world. As he chooses the rod with which he corrects his children, so he chooses the sword with which he cuts off his enemies. God established…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 17will bring floodwaters upon the earth: Some scholars suggest the great flood might have only covered the ancient Near East, as known to Noah or Moses. But the flood's purpose was to destroy every living thing that breathes (see also 6:7, 11–13; 7:1, 4, 18–23; 8:21). It was also intended to undo creation (see study notes on 1:9–10; 7:11–12). This suggests the great flood covered the entire planet (see also 1 Peter 3:20; 2 Peter 2:5; 3:6).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 17-2217-22. And, behold, I, even I, do bring a flood--The repetition of the announcement was to establish its certainty (Ge 41:32). Whatever opinion may be entertained as to the operation of natural laws and agencies in the deluge, it was brought on the world by God as a punishment for the enormous wickedness of its inhabitants.Read the comment
Topics related to Genesis 6:17
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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