Christian Standard Bible
Genesis 6:5
5When the Lord saw that human wickedness was widespread on the earth and that every inclination of the human mind was nothing but evil all the time,
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
3And the Lord said, “My Spirit will not remain with mankind forever, because they are corrupt. Their days will be 120 years.” 4The Nephilim were on the earth both in those days and afterward, when the sons of God came to the daughters of mankind, who bore children to them. They were the powerful men of old, the famous men. When the Lord saw that human wickedness was widespread on the earth and that every inclination of the human mind was nothing but evil all the time, 6the Lord regretted that he had made man on the earth, and he was deeply grieved. 7Then the Lord said, “I will wipe mankind, whom I created, off the face of the earth, together with the animals, creatures that crawl, and birds of the sky — for I regret that I 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 13:13(Now the men of Sodom were evil, sinning immensely against the Lord.)
- Genesis 18:20Then the Lord said, “The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is immense, and their sin is extremely serious.
- Psalms 14:1The fool says in his heart, “There’s no God.” They are corrupt; they do vile deeds. There is no one who does good.
- Psalms 53:2God looks down from heaven on the human race to see if there is one who is wise, one who seeks God.
- Romans 1:28And because they did not think it worthwhile to acknowledge God, God delivered them over to a corrupt mind so that they do what is not right.
- Romans 3:9What then? Are we any better off? Not at all! For we have already charged that both Jews and Greeks are all under sin,
- Genesis 8:21When the Lord smelled the pleasing aroma, he said to himself, “I will never again curse the ground because of human beings, even though the inclination of the human heart is evil from youth onward. And I will never again strike down every living thing as I have done.
- Deuteronomy 29:19When someone hears the words of this oath, he may consider himself exempt, thinking, ‘I will have peace even though I follow my own stubborn heart.’ This will lead to the destruction of the well-watered land as well as the dry land.
- Job 15:16how much less one who is revolting and corrupt, who drinks injustice like water?
- Proverbs 6:18a heart that plots wicked schemes, feet eager to run to evil,
- Ecclesiastes 7:29Only see this: I have discovered that God made people upright, but they pursued many schemes.”
- Ecclesiastes 9:3This is an evil in all that is done under the sun: there is one fate for everyone. In addition, the hearts of people are full of evil, and madness is in their hearts while they live; after that they go to the dead.
- Jeremiah 17:9The heart is more deceitful than anything else, and incurable — who can understand it?
- Ezekiel 8:9He said to me, “Go in and see the detestable, wicked acts they are committing here.”
- Matthew 15:19For from the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, sexual immoralities, thefts, false testimonies, slander.
- Mark 7:21For from within, out of people’s hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immoralities, thefts, murders,
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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