Genesis 6:6 kjv
And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.
Genesis 6:6 nkjv
And the LORD was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart.
Genesis 6:6 niv
The LORD regretted that he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was deeply troubled.
Genesis 6:6 esv
And the LORD regretted that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart.
Genesis 6:6 nlt
So the LORD was sorry he had ever made them and put them on the earth. It broke his heart.
Genesis 6 6 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Gen 6:5 | 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. | Direct context of God's grief |
| Gen 6:7 | So the LORD said, “I will 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 heavens, for I am sorry that I have made them.” | Consequence of God's sorrow |
| Deut 32:4 | The Rock, His work is perfect, For all His ways are justice; A God of faithfulness and without injustice, Righteous and upright is He. | God's perfect character contrasted with man |
| Num 23:19 | God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should change His mind. Has He said, and will He not do it? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good? | God's unchangeable nature vs. 'repenting' |
| 1 Sam 15:11 | "I greatly regret that I have set up Saul as king, for he has turned back from following Me and has not performed My commandments." | God's sorrow over human disobedience |
| 1 Sam 15:29 | "And also the Glory of Israel will not lie nor change His mind; for He is not a man that He should change His mind." | Reinforces God's steadfastness |
| Ps 78:40-41 | How often they rebelled against Him in the wilderness and grieved Him in the desert! Again and again they tested God and pained the Holy One of Israel. | God grieved by human rebellion |
| Ps 95:10 | "For forty years I loathed that generation and said, 'They are a people who go astray in their heart, And they do not know My ways.'" | God's weary sadness over human wandering |
| Ps 106:40 | So the anger of the LORD was kindled against His people, and He abhorred His inheritance. | Divine wrath stems from broken covenant |
| Is 63:10 | But they rebelled and grieved His Holy Spirit; Therefore He turned Himself to become their enemy, He Himself fought against them. | Grieving God's Spirit |
| Jer 18:7-8 | "At one moment I might speak concerning a nation... that I will pluck up and break down... if that nation against which I have spoken turns from its evil, I will relent concerning the calamity I planned to bring." | God 'relents' based on human response |
| Lam 3:33 | For He does not afflict willingly or grieve the children of men. | God's ultimate desire for man's good |
| Ezek 7:9 | "My eye will not have pity on you nor will I spare you. I will repay you according to your ways, and your abominations will be among you; and you will know that I am the LORD who strikes." | God's necessary judgment |
| Hosea 11:8 | "How can I give you up, O Ephraim? How can I hand you over, O Israel?... My heart is turned over within Me, My compassions are kindled together." | God's internal struggle (grief & love) |
| Joel 2:13 | And rend your heart and not your garments." Now return to the LORD your God, For He is gracious and compassionate, Slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love and relenting of calamity. | Call to repentance & God's 'relenting' |
| Jonah 3:10 | When God saw their deeds, that they turned from their wicked way, then God relented concerning the calamity which He had declared He would bring upon them. And He did not do it. | God 'repents' from judgment in response to repentance |
| Zeph 3:17 | The LORD your God is in your midst, A victorious warrior. He will exult over you with joy, He will be quiet in His love, He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy. | God's contrasting delight in His people |
| Matt 23:37 | "Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her!... How often I wanted to gather your children together... and you were unwilling." | Jesus's sorrow over unwilling people |
| Heb 4:15 | For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. | Christ's empathy (God in human form) |
| Eph 4:30 | Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. | Believers can grieve God's Spirit |
| Rom 1:28 | And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper... | God's response to continued ungodliness |
| Rom 8:22-23 | For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now. And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, groan within ourselves... | Creation's pain reflecting divine pain |
Genesis 6 verses
Genesis 6 6 Meaning
Genesis 6:6 reveals God's deep emotional response to the pervasive wickedness of humanity before the Great Flood. It expresses divine sorrow and profound grief that humanity, made in His image, had become utterly corrupt, prompting a radical shift in His disposition concerning His creation on earth. This anthropomorphic language communicates God's righteous pain and sorrow over sin.
Genesis 6 6 Context
Genesis chapter 6 sets the stage for the Great Flood. Before this verse, Gen 6:1-4 describes the increasing population and the mingling of "sons of God" (often interpreted as fallen angels or powerful human rulers) with "daughters of men," resulting in giants (Nephilim) and perhaps contributing to the era's widespread violence and corruption. Immediately preceding Gen 6:6, verse 5 starkly declares, "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." This profound declaration of human depravity provides the immediate reason for God's emotional state in verse 6. Following God's grief, verse 7 reveals His decision to "blot out man... for I am sorry that I have made them," leading directly to the narrative of Noah and the Flood. The larger historical and cultural context involves ancient Near Eastern flood myths, where capricious gods might destroy humanity for noise or whim. In contrast, the biblical account presents a moral and just God who is grieved by the profound and persistent sin of His own creation, thus providing a divine rationale for judgment rooted in holiness and justice, not caprice.
Genesis 6 6 Word analysis
- And the LORD: This translates the Hebrew term
Yahweh(יהוה), God's covenant name. It signifies a personal, relational God who enters into covenant with His people and is deeply involved with His creation. The use of this specific name underscores that this is not a generic deity but the one true God who personally feels sorrow over His relationship with humanity. - was sorry: The Hebrew word is
wayyinnaḥem(וַיִּנָּחֶם), from the rootnacham(נחם). While it can mean "to regret" or "to repent" in a human sense, when applied to God, it does not imply a change in His eternal character, moral perfection, or unchangeable plan. Instead,nachamin this divine context denotes a profound change in disposition or action in response to human moral corruption. It signifies deep emotional pain and a shift from a prior delight or intention (in making man) to sorrow and a resultant change in how He will interact with creation (leading to the Flood). It is not regret over a mistake, but deep sorrow over the outcome of human choices, leading to a changed relationship. - that He had made man on the earth: This phrase highlights the specific source of God's sorrow: His very act of creation. The grief is precisely because humanity, uniquely made in His image (Gen 1:26-27), had utterly failed its purpose and fallen into universal corruption (Gen 6:5, 11-12). It implies a holy God's pain when His perfect creation abuses its free will to pursue evil relentlessly.
- and He was grieved: The Hebrew verb is
wayyit'aṣṣeḇ(וַיִּתְעַצֵּב), from the rootatzav(עָצַב). This term signifies deep sorrow, anguish, pain, or vexation. It indicates a strong internal, emotional experience, emphasizing the profundity and severity of God's pain. Whilenachamindicates a change in relational posture or a form of deep lament leading to a change of action,atzavdenotes the intense emotional distress felt by God. - in His heart: The Hebrew word
libbo(לִבּוֹ), meaning "His heart," in biblical anthropology, represents not merely emotions but the very center of one's being, including intellect, will, consciousness, and moral decision-making. Thus, God's grief was not superficial but ran to the core of His being, demonstrating the holistic and profound impact of human sin upon the perfectly holy God.
Genesis 6 6 Bonus section
- The "Pain of God": This verse, along with others (e.g., Ps 78:40, Isa 63:10, Eph 4:30), presents a recurring theme of God experiencing pain or grief due to human sin and rebellion. This theological concept challenges a purely stoic or immutable view of God, presenting Him as deeply personal and relational. It highlights that God's emotions are not human frailties but aspects of His perfect, holy nature reacting perfectly to unholy acts.
- God's Sovereignty and Free Will: God's grief here does not imply a limitation of His sovereignty but rather His response to the exercise of genuine human free will. Humanity freely chose radical evil (Gen 6:5), and God, in His perfect character, responded with sorrow and righteous judgment, upholding both His holiness and His love by not allowing evil to consume creation endlessly.
- Precursor to Christ's Suffering: The divine grief shown in Gen 6:6 foreshadows God's ultimate expression of pain and love for humanity through the suffering and sacrifice of Jesus Christ. The Son, being God (John 1:1, 14), voluntarily bore the sorrow and wrath for the very sin that grieved the Father's heart, demonstrating God's consistent character throughout salvation history.
Genesis 6 6 Commentary
Genesis 6:6 is a profoundly anthropomorphic statement, allowing humanity to grasp the severity of its sin by understanding it through human terms of sorrow and regret. It doesn't mean God made a mistake or is imperfectly wise, but rather expresses His righteous indignation and pain in response to man's unceasing wickedness described in the preceding verse. The "sorry" (nacham) indicates a change in God's planned interaction with creation—from sustained blessing to impending judgment—necessitated by the depth of human corruption. The "grieved in His heart" (atzav in libbo) conveys His immense, personal anguish and holy distress over the moral degradation of the beings He created in His image. This verse reveals a relational God who deeply feels the impact of His creatures' choices, contrasting starkly with impassive deities of pagan myths. It underscores the immense weight of human sin and the holiness of a God for whom evil is not merely an inconvenience but a source of profound sorrow, prompting a just and necessary divine response. It teaches us about the absolute hatred of sin by a holy God and His deep emotional investment in humanity.