New International Version
Genesis 6:5
5The 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.
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.
- 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.
- New Living Translation (NLT)The Lord observed the extent of human wickedness on the earth, and he saw that everything they thought or imagined was consistently and totally evil.
Context of Genesis 6:5
3Then the Lord said, “My Spirit will not contend with humans forever, for they are mortal; their days will be a hundred and twenty years.” 4The Nephilim were on the earth in those days—and also afterward—when the sons of God went to the daughters of humans and had children by them. They were the heroes of old, men of renown. 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. 6The Lord regretted that he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was deeply troubled. 7So the Lord said, “I will wipe from the face of the earth the human race I have created—and with them the animals, the birds and the creatures that move along the ground—for 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 13:13Now the people of Sodom were wicked and were sinning greatly against the Lord.
- Genesis 18:20Then the Lord said, “The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great and their sin so grievous
- Psalms 14:1The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good.
- Psalms 53:2God looks down from heaven on all mankind to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God.
- Romans 1:28Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done.
- Romans 3:9What shall we conclude then? Do we have any advantage? Not at all! For we have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under the power of sin.
- Genesis 8:21The Lord smelled the pleasing aroma and said in his heart: “Never again will I curse the ground because of humans, even though every inclination of the human heart is evil from childhood. And never again will I destroy all living creatures, as I have done.
- Deuteronomy 29:19When such a person hears the words of this oath and they invoke a blessing on themselves, thinking, “I will be safe, even though I persist in going my own way,” they will bring disaster on the watered land as well as the dry.
- Job 15:16how much less mortals, who are vile and corrupt, who drink up evil like water!
- Proverbs 6:18a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil,
- Ecclesiastes 7:29This only have I found: God created mankind upright, but they have gone in search of many schemes.”
- Ecclesiastes 9:3This is the evil in everything that happens under the sun: The same destiny overtakes all. The hearts of people, moreover, are full of evil and there is madness in their hearts while they live, and afterward they join the dead.
- Jeremiah 17:9The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?
- Ezekiel 8:9And he said to me, “Go in and see the wicked and detestable things they are doing here.”
- Matthew 15:19For out of the heart come evil thoughts—murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander.
- Mark 7:21For it is from within, out of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come—sexual immorality, theft, murder,
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
New International Version — © NIV® 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 Biblica
Commentaries