Genesis 6:13 kjv

And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.

Genesis 6:13 nkjv

And God said to Noah, "The end of all flesh has come before Me, for the earth is filled with violence through them; and behold, I will destroy them with the earth.

Genesis 6:13 niv

So God said to Noah, "I am going to put an end to all people, for the earth is filled with violence because of them. I am surely going to destroy both them and the earth.

Genesis 6:13 esv

And God said to Noah, "I have determined to make an end of all flesh, for the earth is filled with violence through them. Behold, I will destroy them with the earth.

Genesis 6:13 nlt

So God said to Noah, "I have decided to destroy all living creatures, for they have filled the earth with violence. Yes, I will wipe them all out along with the earth!

Genesis 6 verses

Genesis 6 13 Meaning

Gen 6:13 marks a pivotal moment, as God declares to Noah His ultimate resolve to bring an end to all living beings on earth due to humanity's profound corruption and pervasive violence. It reveals God's righteous judgment against a world entirely steeped in depravity, stating the definite impending destruction of all flesh and the very earth alongside them. This declaration emphasizes divine sovereignty over creation and highlights the severity of sin that necessitates such a drastic divine intervention.

Genesis 6 13 Context

Genesis 6 begins by illustrating the growing corruption of humanity after the fall, particularly detailing the intermingling of the "sons of God" and "daughters of man," leading to offspring of great renown, yet also contributing to increasing depravity. Verses 5-7 convey God's profound grief and regret over creating humankind, deciding to blot out "man whom I have created from the face of the land, from man to animals to creeping things and to birds of the sky." Amidst this universal wickedness, only Noah is found righteous in the Lord's eyes (v.8-9). Verses 11-12 explicitly state that "the earth was corrupt in God's sight, and the earth was filled with violence (חָמָס, ḥāmās)," reiterating that "all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth." Gen 6:13, therefore, serves as God's formal declaration of the impending judgment, a direct divine response to the catastrophic moral collapse detailed in the preceding verses. Historically and culturally, the narrative stands in stark contrast to ancient Near Eastern flood myths, where deities might cause floods out of caprice or annoyance; here, the divine decision is a solemn, moral judgment born of grieving righteousness against systemic human evil.

Genesis 6 13 Word analysis

• Then God (וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים֙, Wayyōmer Elohim): "And He said, God." The plural form Elohim (God) often emphasizes His majestic and omnipotent nature as the Creator and Judge. The phrase indicates a formal, declarative statement by the sovereign deity, initiating a new stage in His interaction with humanity.
• said to Noah (לְנֹ֔חַ, lənōaḥ): This specific address marks Noah as the divinely chosen recipient of this critical revelation and instruction. It immediately highlights Noah's unique position of grace (Gen 6:8) amidst universal condemnation, indicating that God, even in judgment, provides a means of preservation for the righteous.
• 'I have determined to make an end of' (קֵץ כָּל־בָּשָׂר֙ בָּ֣א לְפָנַ֔י, qēṣ kol-bāśār bāʾ ləfānay): Literally, "The end of all flesh has come before Me." Qēṣ means "end, limit, termination." This isn't a natural conclusion but a divinely appointed, fixed end. It conveys a settled, irreversible decision by God. "Before Me" signifies that God is fully aware of the extent of corruption, making His judgment fully justified.
• all flesh (כָּל־בָּשָׂר֙, kol-bāśār): Encompasses all living, physical beings, specifically humankind and land-dwelling animals (as clarified in Gen 6:17). This emphasizes the universality of the coming destruction, signifying that the corruption was so deep it permeated all life on earth.
• for (כִּי־, kî-): A conjunction introducing the divine rationale or justification for the impending judgment.
• the earth is filled with (מָלְאָ֤ה הָאָ֙רֶץ֙, mālʾâ hāʾāreṣ): "Has become full, the earth." This indicates the overwhelming pervasiveness of the problem. The wickedness wasn't just occasional but saturated the very fabric of the world, making the entire creation contaminated.
• violence (חָמָס֙, ḥāmās): A crucial Hebrew term signifying not just physical brutality, but oppression, injustice, cruelty, and systematic wrongdoing. It refers to a moral breakdown that leads to societal collapse, where ethical norms are discarded and predatory behavior is rampant. It is not just actions, but a deep-seated corruption of justice and human relationships.
• through them (מִפְּנֵיהֶ֔ם, mippənêhem): "from their faces" or "because of them/their presence." This clearly attributes the cause of the earth's corruption and violence to humanity, affirming human responsibility for the widespread depravity that necessitates divine judgment.
• Behold, I will destroy them (וְהִנְנִ֥י מַשְׁחִיתָ֖ם, wəhinnēnî mašḥîtām): Wəhinnēnî is a strong demonstrative "Behold, I myself," emphasizing God's personal, direct, and determined action. Mašḥîtām (destroy/corrupt) uses the same root (שָׁחַת, shaḥat) as "corrupt" in Gen 6:11-12, highlighting a divine, reciprocal justice: humanity corrupted their way and the earth, so God will destroy them.
• with the earth (אֶת־הָאָֽרֶץ׃, ʾet-hāʾāreṣ): This preposition ʾet can mean "with" or "on/upon." Given the narrative, it strongly implies that the earth itself is intricately bound up in the judgment, being cleansed or "destroyed" alongside its inhabitants. This points to a purification of the entire creation, which suffered due to humanity's sin.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "Then God said to Noah, 'The end of all flesh has come before Me": This marks God's solemn declaration of judgment, communicated specifically to Noah. It underscores God's personal oversight of human affairs and His settled resolve to bring an appointed end to the universally corrupt world. This is not a reactive outburst, but a divinely determined culmination of sin's trajectory.
• "for the earth is filled with violence through them.": This provides the clear justification for God's action. The universal permeation of "ḥāmās" (violence, systemic injustice, moral corruption) stemming directly from human actions is presented as the reason for the drastic divine response. It's not individual sins, but a pervasive state that defiles the earth itself.
• "Behold, I will destroy them with the earth.'": This is God's direct declaration of the forthcoming, comprehensive destruction. The emphasis on "I" (divine agency) and the link to destroying "with the earth" signifies a total judgment—not just targeting humanity, but affecting the very world they inhabited, highlighting the profound impact of sin on creation and God's absolute power to intervene.

Genesis 6 13 Bonus section

• The usage of the verb shaḥat (שָׁחַת) is a crucial linguistic link throughout Gen 6. Humanity "corrupted" (shaḥat, Gen 6:11-12) the earth and their ways, and God's response is to "destroy" (shaḥat, Gen 6:13, 17) them. This deliberate lexical connection highlights the concept of divine retributive justice – the judgment perfectly reflects the nature of the transgression.
• The phrase "all flesh" specifically refers to air-breathing creatures (Gen 7:22), indicating that aquatic life was largely spared, distinguishing the scope of this judgment from a total annihilation of all life forms. This specificity reinforces the focus on life connected to the corrupted "earth."
• The flood serves as an ultimate purification event, akin to a second creation (post-flood earth, rainbow covenant). It reflects God's need to "un-create" a profoundly corrupted world in order to re-establish a foundation for His redemptive plan with a righteous remnant.
• The statement is a theological response to the pervasive human wickedness, demonstrating God's justice, sovereignty, and active involvement in His creation, in contrast to passive or whimsical deities found in other ancient cosmogonies. It showcases a God who observes, judges, grieves, and acts decisively.

Genesis 6 13 Commentary

Genesis 6:13 unveils God's sorrowful yet resolute decision to terminate all life due to profound human sin. This verse acts as the divine explanation for the impending cataclysm, presenting humanity's widespread violence and corruption as the just cause for universal judgment. The term "ḥāmās" (violence) transcends mere physical aggression to encompass all forms of systemic injustice, moral decay, and disregard for human and divine order, so deeply embedded that it filled the earth. This comprehensive depravity reached a "qēṣ"—a divinely determined, unavoidable end. God’s grief (v.6) preceding this decree underscores that His judgment is not arbitrary but flows from His holy character, which cannot abide unrighteousness. However, even in declaring destruction, God reveals a pathway for grace through Noah, demonstrating that while sin merits an end, His redemptive purposes persist. This event foreshadows future divine judgments while emphasizing the sanctity of creation and God’s commitment to righteousness.