Revised Version 1895
Genesis 8:21
21And the LORD smelled the sweet savour; and the LORD said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man’s sake, for that 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.
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 King James Version (NKJV)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.
Context of Genesis 8:21
19every beast, every creeping thing, and every fowl, whatsoever moveth upon the earth, after their families, went forth out of the ark. 20And Noah builded an altar unto the LORD; and took of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt offerings on the altar. And the LORD smelled the sweet savour; and the LORD said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man’s sake, for that 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. 22While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, 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
- LORDיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- smelledרִיחַrûach · to smellH7306
- saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- heartלֵבlêb · heartH3820
- notלֹאlô' lô' lôh · notH3808
- againעוֹד‛ôd ‛ôd · stillH5750
- curseקָלַלqâlal · to lightenH7043
- groundאֲדָמָה'ădâmâh · land: soilH127
- anyכֹּלkôl kôl · allH3605
- man’sאָדָם'âdâm · manH120
- sakeעָבוּר‛âbûr ‛âbûr · for the sake ofH5668
- imaginationלֵבlêb · heartH3820
- evilרַעra‛ râ‛âh · bad: evilH7451
- youthנְעוּרִיםnâ‛ûr nâ‛ûr ne‛ûrâh · youthH5271
- smiteנָכָהnâkâh · to smiteH5221
- livingחַיchay · aliveH2416
- doneעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: doH6213
Cross-references for Genesis 8:21
- Leviticus 1:9but its inwards and its legs shall he wash with water: and the priest shall burn the whole on the altar, for a burnt offering, an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD.
- Leviticus 26:31And I will make your cities a waste, and will bring your sanctuaries unto desolation, and I will not smell the savour of your sweet odours.
- Isaiah 65:6Behold, it is written before me: I will not keep silence, but will recompense, yea, I will recompense into their bosom,
- Ezekiel 20:41As a sweet savour will I accept you, when I bring you out from the peoples, and gather you out of the countries wherein ye have been scattered; and I will be sanctified in you in the sight of the nations.
- Amos 5:21I hate, I despise your feasts, and I will take no delight in your solemn assemblies.
- 2 Corinthians 2:15For we are a sweet savour of Christ unto God, in them that are being saved, and in them that are perishing;
- Ephesians 5:2and walk in love, even as Christ also loved you, and gave himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for an odour of a sweet smell.
- Philippians 4:18But I have all things, and abound: I am filled, having received from Epaphroditus the things that came from you, an odour of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, well-pleasing to God.
- Genesis 3:17And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in toil shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;
- Genesis 4:12when thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength; a fugitive and a wanderer shalt thou be in the earth.
- Genesis 5:29and he called his name Noah, saying, This same shall comfort us for our work and for the toil of our hands, because of the ground which the LORD hath cursed.
- Genesis 6:17And I, behold, I do bring the flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, from under heaven; every thing that is in the earth shall die.
- Genesis 6:5And the LORD 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.
- Job 14:4Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? not one.
- Job 15:14What is man, that he should be clean? and he which is born of a woman, that he should be righteous?
- Psalms 51:5Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive 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
Revised Version 1895 — 1895 — Public Domain
Commentaries