Genesis 6:5

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 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

3And the Lord said, “My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, for he is indeed flesh; yet his days shall be one hundred and twenty years.” 4There were giants on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of men and they bore children to them. Those were the mighty men who were of old, men of renown. 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. 6And the Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. 7So the Lord said, “I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man and beast, creeping thing and birds of the air, for I am sorry that I have made them.”

Genesis 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 exceedingly wicked and sinful against the Lord.
• Genesis 18:20And the Lord said, “Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grave,
• Psalms 14:1The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, They have done abominable works, There is none who does good.
• Psalms 53:2God looks down from heaven upon the children of men, To see if there are any who understand, who seek God.
• Romans 1:28And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting;
• Romans 3:9What then? Are we better than they? Not at all. For we have previously charged both Jews and Greeks that they are all under sin.
• Genesis 8:21And the Lord smelled a soothing aroma. Then the Lord said in His heart, “I will never again curse the ground for man’s sake, although the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth; nor will I again destroy every living thing as I have done.
• Deuteronomy 29:19and so it may not happen, when he hears the words of this curse, that he blesses himself in his heart, saying, ‘I shall have peace, even though I follow the dictates of my heart’—as though the drunkard could be included with the sober.
• Job 15:16How much less man, who is abominable and filthy, Who drinks iniquity like water!
• Proverbs 6:18A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that are swift in running to evil,
• Ecclesiastes 7:29Truly, this only I have found: That God made man upright, But they have sought out many schemes.”
• Ecclesiastes 9:3This is an evil in all that is done under the sun: that one thing happens to all. Truly the hearts of the sons of men are full of evil; madness is in their hearts while they live, and after that they go to the dead.
• Jeremiah 17:9“The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it?
• Ezekiel 8:9And He said to me, “Go in, and see the wicked abominations which they are doing there.”
• Matthew 15:19For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies.
• Mark 7:21For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, 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

• Antediluvians
• Depravity of Man
• Heart
• Holy Spirit
• Imagination
• Obduracy (Hardness)
• Reprobacy
• Sin

In the dictionaries

• God
• Corrupt
• Fill
• Flesh
• Imagination
• Multiply
• Noah
• Renown
• Repent
• Sin

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