Depravity of Man

How Nave’s arranged it

• General scriptures concerningGenesis 8:21Genesis 6:5–7Genesis 6:11–13Genesis 8:21Deuteronomy 32:102 Chronicles 6:36Job 4:17–19Job 9:2Job 9:3Job 9:20Job 9:29Job 9:30Job 11:12Job 14:4Job 15:14–16Job 25:4–6Psalms 5:9Psalms 14:1–3Psalms 51:5Psalms 53:1–3
• See Fall of Man
• See Sin

The passages, in Bible order (120)

The same references, sorted Genesis to Revelation. The first 16 are quoted in full; the rest are one click beneath them, book by book.

1. Genesis 6:5–7

   Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great upon the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was altogether evil all the time.

   ›Commentary on Genesis 6:5–72 voices

   “And for a very long while wickedness extended and spread, and reached and laid hold upon the whole race of mankind, until a very small seed of righteousness remained among them: and illicit unions took place upon the earth, since angels were united with the daughters of the race of mankind; and they bore to them sons who for their exceeding greatness were called giants.

   “And then Michael, Uriel, Raphael, and Gabriel looked down from heaven and saw much blood being shed upon the earth, and all lawlessness being wrought upon the earth. And they said one to another: 'The earth made without inhabitant cries the voice of their cryingst …

   Everything gathered on Genesis 6:5–7→

   Verse page →Original language →

2. Genesis 6:11–13

   Now the earth was corrupt in the sight of God, and full of violence.

   ›Commentary on Genesis 6:11–131 voice

   “The earth also was corrupt before God,....

   Everything gathered on Genesis 6:11–13→

   Verse page →Original language →

3. Genesis 8:21

   When the LORD smelled the pleasing aroma, He said in His heart, “Never again will I curse the ground because of man, even though every inclination of his heart is evil from his youth. And never again will I destroy all living creatures as I have done.

   ›Commentary on Genesis 8:212 voices

   “Now let us consider more carefully what He says: And the Lord God said: Considering, I will not add to curse the earth on account of the works of men; because the heart of man remains diligently upon evil from his youth (Genesis 8:21). Therefore, He would not strike the whole earth again, as He did, all the days of the earth.

   “And the Lord smelled a sweet savour,....

   Everything gathered on Genesis 8:21→

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4. Deuteronomy 32:10

   He found him in a desert land, in a barren, howling wilderness; He surrounded him, He instructed him, He guarded him as the apple of His eye.

   ›Commentary on Deuteronomy 32:102 voices

   “As far as I can see, Scripture is undoubtedly presenting a picture of the educator of children and describing the guidance he imparts.

   “He found him in a desert land, and in the waste howling wilderness,....

   Everything gathered on Deuteronomy 32:10→

   Verse page →Original language →

5. 2 Chronicles 6:36

   When they sin against You—for there is no one who does not sin—and You become angry with them and deliver them to an enemy who takes them as captives to a land far or near,

   Verse page →Original language →

6. Job 4:17–19

   ‘Can a mortal be more righteous than God, or a man more pure than his Maker?

   ›Commentary on Job 4:17–191 voice

   “Shall mortal man be more just than God? Shall a man be more pure than his Maker? Human righteousness compared with the righteousness of God is unrighteousness, for even a candle is seen to shine bright in the dark, but being set in the ray of the sun its light is darkened. What then did Eliphaz learn when he was transported in contemplation, saving that man cannot be justified in comparison with God?

   Everything gathered on Job 4:17–19→

   Verse page →Original language →

7. Job 9:2

   “Yes, I know that it is so, but how can a mortal be righteous before God?

   ›Commentary on Job 9:22 voices

   “Blessed Job in his answer above in which he had responded to Eliphaz's words, seemed to have overlooked one argument which Eliphaz had proposed about the justice of God when he said, "Will man ever be justified in comparison with God?" (4:17) He rather seemed …

   “I know it is so of a truth, and that man put with God is not justified. For man being put under God receives righteousness; being put with God he loses it: for everyone that compares himself with the Author of all good things, bereaves himself of the good which he had received. For he that ascribes to himself blessings vouchsafed to him, is fighting against God with His own gifts. Therefore by whatsoever means he being in contempt is lifted up, it is meet that being so set up he be brought to the ground by the same.

   Everything gathered on Job 9:2→

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8. Job 9:3

   If one wished to contend with God, he could not answer Him one time out of a thousand.

   ›Commentary on Job 9:31 voice

   “If thou wilt contend with Him, thou shalt not be able to answer Him one of a thousand. In Holy Scripture, the number a thousand is wont to be taken for totality. Hence the Psalmist saith, The word which He commanded to a thousand generations; when it is sufficiently plain that from the very beginning of the world up to the coming of our Lord no more than seventy-seven generations are reckoned up by the Evangelist.

   Everything gathered on Job 9:3→

   Verse page →Original language →

9. Job 9:20

   Even if I were righteous, my mouth would condemn me; if I were blameless, it would declare me guilty.

   ›Commentary on Job 9:201 voice

   “If I desire to justify myself; mine own, mouth shall condemn me; if I say I am perfect, it shall also prove me perverse. As if it were in plain words; 'Why should I speak about others, when I cannot bear testimony concerning myself?' But whereas thou art not competent to witness to thine own innocency, dost thou know the fact that thou art innocent?

   Everything gathered on Job 9:20→

   Verse page →Original language →

10. Job 9:29

    Since I am already found guilty, why should I labor in vain?

    ›Commentary on Job 9:291 voice

    “But if even so I be wicked, why, then, have I laboured in vain? For if we be examined pity set aside, our work which we look to have recompensed with a reward is deserving of punishment. 'Therefore the holy man shrinking under secret judgment, says, But if even so I be wicked, why, then, have I laboured in vain? Not that he repents of having laboured, but that it grieves him even amidst labours to be in uncertainty about the reward.

    Everything gathered on Job 9:29→

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11. Job 9:30

    If I should wash myself with snow and cleanse my hands with lye,

    ›Commentary on Job 9:301 voice

    “If I wash myself with snow water, and if my hands shine as if never so clean; yet shalt Thou stain me with filthiness, and mine own clothes shall abhor me. For 'snow water' is the weeping of humility; which same, in that it excels all other virtues in the eyes of the strict Judge, is as it were white by the colour of preeminent merit.

    Everything gathered on Job 9:30→

    Verse page →Original language →

12. Job 11:12

    But a witless man can no more become wise than the colt of a wild donkey can be born a man!

    ›Commentary on Job 11:122 voices

    “For the vain man is exalted in pride, and thinketh himself free born like a wild ass's colt.

    “For vain man would be wise,....

    Everything gathered on Job 11:12→

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13. Job 14:4

    Who can bring out clean from unclean? No one!

    ›Commentary on Job 14:42 voices

    “Who can make clean a thing conceived of unclean seed? Is it not Thou, Who only Art? He That alone is clean in Himself can cleanse the unclean thing. For man, who lives in a corruptible flesh, has the uncleannesses of temptation engrained in him, seeing that he derived them from his birth. For his very conception, for the sake of fleshly gratification, is uncleanness. Hence the Psalmist saith, Behold, I was shapen in wickedness, and in sin hath my mother conceived me. Hence it is therefore that he is very often tempted even against his will.

    “Who can bring a clean thing out of an clean?....

    Everything gathered on Job 14:4→

    Verse page →Original language →

14. Job 15:14–16

    What is man, that he should be pure, or one born of woman, that he should be righteous?

    ›Commentary on Job 15:14–162 voices

    “Ver. 14. What is man, that he should be clean? MORAL INTERPRETATION For hereby alone that he is called 'man' he is described as earthly and weak; for man is so named ['homo' from 'humus,' as Hebrew 'Adam'] from the earth. And how is it possible for him to be free from stain, who being made of earth of his own will fell into infirmity? where it is added; And he that is born of a woman, that he should be righteous? For the first piece of unrighteousness the woman proffered to the man in Paradise.

    “What is man, that he should be clean?....

    Everything gathered on Job 15:14–16→

    Verse page →Original language →

15. Job 25:4–6

    How then can a man be just before God? How can one born of woman be pure?

    ›Commentary on Job 25:4–62 voices

    “Can a man be justified being compared with God? or can he be found clean that is born of a woman? This verse is spoken above by blessed Job, and is now repeated in the upbraiding of him; since every just man is just by illumination from God, not by comparison with God. For man's righteousness when compared with the Maker is unrighteousness, since, even although man had held fast in his own estate of creation, the creature could never be equalled to the Creator.

    “How then can man be justified with God?

    Everything gathered on Job 25:4–6→

    Verse page →Original language →

16. Psalms 5:9

    For not a word they speak can be trusted; destruction lies within them. Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit.

    ›Commentary on Psalms 5:92 voices

    “For there is no truth in their mouth. The heretics are described; the man of blood and deceit is described, whom the Lord shall abhor. There is no truth in their mouth: they do not have Christ the truth in their mouth, because neither do they have Him in their heart. Their heart is vain. It reads better in the Hebrew: 'Their heart is ἐπίβουλον (treacherous).' For the heart of the heretics truly lies in wait for all whom it deceives. Their throat is an open sepulchre.

    “For there is no faithfulness in their mouth,.... In the mouth of the ungodly, as the Chaldee paraphrase; in the mouth of every one of them, as Aben Ezra interprets it: that is, in the mouth of every wicked, bloody, and deceitful man; of everyone of David's enemies, as Saul, or the conspirators with Absalom his son. There was no steadfastness in them; nothing right, sure, or firm said by them; nothing that could be depended upon; there was "no truth" in them, as the Septuagint, Vulgate Latin, Arabic, and Ethiopic versions render it.

    Everything gathered on Psalms 5:9→

    Verse page →Original language →