New King James Version
Genesis 8:21
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.
Genesis 8:21 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And the Lord smelled a sweet savour; and the Lord said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man’s sake; for the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done.
- New International Version (NIV)The 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.
- English Standard Version (ESV)And when the Lord smelled the pleasing aroma, the Lord said in his heart, "I will never again curse the ground because of man, for the intention of man's heart is evil from his youth. Neither will I ever again strike down every living creature as I have done.
- New Living Translation (NLT)And the Lord was pleased with the aroma of the sacrifice and said to himself, “I will never again curse the ground because of the human race, even though everything they think or imagine is bent toward evil from childhood. I will never again destroy all living things.
Context of Genesis 8:21
19Every animal, every creeping thing, every bird, and whatever creeps on the earth, according to their families, went out of the ark. 20Then Noah built an altar to the Lord, and took of every clean animal and of every clean bird, and offered burnt offerings on the altar. And 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. 22“While the earth remains, Seedtime and harvest, Cold and heat, Winter and summer, And day and night Shall not cease.”
Read all of Genesis 8Genesis 8:21 word by word
וַיָּ֣רַח יְהוָה֮ אֶת־רֵ֣יחַ הַנִּיחֹחַ֒ וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יְהוָ֜ה אֶל־לִבּ֗וֹ לֹֽא־אֹ֠סִף לְקַלֵּ֨ל ע֤וֹד אֶת־הָֽאֲדָמָה֙ בַּעֲב֣וּר הָֽאָדָ֔ם כִּ֠י יֵ֣צֶר לֵ֧ב הָאָדָ֛ם רַ֖ע מִנְּעֻרָ֑יו וְלֹֽא־אֹסִ֥ף ע֛וֹד לְהַכּ֥וֹת אֶת־כָּל־חַ֖י כַּֽאֲשֶׁ֥ר עָשִֽׂיתִי׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- smelledרִיחַrûach · to smellH7306
- a sweetנִיחֹחַnîychôach nîychôach · soothingH5207
- savourרֵיחַrêyach · aromaH7381
- saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- inאֶל'êl 'el · to(wards)H413
- his heartלֵבlêb · heartH3820
- I will not againיָסַףyâsaph · to add: againH3254
- curseקָלַלqâlal · to lightenH7043
- the groundאֲדָמָה'ădâmâh · land: soilH127
- any more for man’sאָדָם'âdâm · manH120
- sakeעָבוּר‛âbûr ‛âbûr · for the sake ofH5668
- for the imaginationיֵ֫צֶרyêtser · intentionH3336
- evilרַעra‛ râ‛âh · bad: evilH7451
- from his youthנְעוּרִיםnâ‛ûr nâ‛ûr ne‛ûrâh · youthH5271
- smiteנָכָהnâkâh · to smiteH5221
- any more every thing livingחַיchay · aliveH2416
- as I have doneעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: doH6213
Cross-references for Genesis 8:21
- Leviticus 1:9but he shall wash its entrails and its legs with water. And the priest shall burn all on the altar as a burnt sacrifice, an offering made by fire, a sweet aroma to the Lord.
- Leviticus 26:31I will lay your cities waste and bring your sanctuaries to desolation, and I will not smell the fragrance of your sweet aromas.
- Isaiah 65:6“Behold, it is written before Me: I will not keep silence, but will repay— Even repay into their bosom—
- Ezekiel 20:41I will accept you as a sweet aroma when I bring you out from the peoples and gather you out of the countries where you have been scattered; and I will be hallowed in you before the Gentiles.
- Amos 5:21“I hate, I despise your feast days, And I do not savor your sacred assemblies.
- 2 Corinthians 2:15For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing.
- Ephesians 5:2And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.
- Philippians 4:18Indeed I have all and abound. I am full, having received from Epaphroditus the things sent from you, a sweet-smelling aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, well pleasing to God.
- Genesis 3:17Then to Adam He said, “Because you have heeded the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat of it’: “Cursed is the ground for your sake; In toil you shall eat of it All the days of your life.
- Genesis 4:12When you till the ground, it shall no longer yield its strength to you. A fugitive and a vagabond you shall be on the earth.”
- Genesis 5:29And he called his name Noah, saying, “This one will comfort us concerning our work and the toil of our hands, because of the ground which the Lord has cursed.”
- Genesis 6:17And 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.
- Genesis 6:5Then 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.
- Job 14:4Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? No one!
- Job 15:14“What is man, that he could be pure? And he who is born of a woman, that he could be righteous?
- Psalms 51:5Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, And in sin my mother conceived me.
Commentaries on Genesis 8:21
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 21The Lord smelled a sweet savor - That is, he was well pleased with this religious act, performed in obedience to his own appointment, and in faith of the promised Savior. That this sacrifice prefigured that which was offered by our blessed Redeemer in behalf of the world, is sufficiently evident from the words of St. Paul, Ephesians 5:2; : Christ hath loved us, and given himself for its an offering and a sacrifice to God for a Sweet-Smelling Savor; where…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 15-22Verses 15-22 - XXVII. The Ark Was Evacuated 19. משׁפחה mı̂shpāchah “kind, clan, family.” שׁפחה shı̂pchâh “maid-servant; related: spread.” 20. מזבח mı̂zbēach “altar; related: slay animals, sacrifice.” 21. עלה 'olâh “whole burnt-offering.” That which goes up. “Step; related: go up.” Genesis 8:15-19 The command to leave the ark is given and obeyed. As Noah did not enter, so neither does he leave the ark, without divine direction. “The fowl, the cattle…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 20-22Verses 20-22 Noah was now gone out into a desolate world, where, one might have thought, his first care would have been to build a house for himself, but he begins with an alter for God. He begins well, that begins with God. Though Noah's stock of cattle was small, and that saved at great care and pains, yet he did not grudge to serve God out of it. Serving God with our little is the way to make it more; we must never think that is wasted with which God…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 21smelled the pleasing aroma: The narrator uses anthropomorphic language (he describes God’s activity in human terms) to show God’s acceptance of Noah’s offering (see also Exodus 29:18; Leviticus 1:9; Numbers 15:3). In the ancient Near East, people often believed that their gods ate the sacrifices offered to them. This idea is not found in the Bible. in his heart: This is the same phrase as in 6:6. In the same way, here every inclination of his heart echoes…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2121. And the Lord smelled a sweet savour--The sacrifice offered by a righteous man like Noah in faith was acceptable as the most fragrant incense. Lord said in his heart--same as "I have sworn that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth" (Is 54:9). for--that is, "though the imagination is evil"; instead of inflicting another destructive flood, I shall spare them--to enjoy the blessings of grace, through a Saviour.Read the comment
Topics related to Genesis 8:21
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Genesis 8
- 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 King James Version — © 1982 Thomas Nelson, Inc
Commentaries