Genesis 6:12
in Genesis 6And God looked upon the earth and saw that it was corrupt; for all living creatures on the earth had corrupted their ways.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And God saw the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted their way upon the earth.
KJV
And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.
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This verse in Genesis 6
Commentary
5 notes on this verseAnd God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt,.... This is spoken as if he had never looked upon it before; whereas his eyes are always upon the earth, and the inhabitants of it, and upon all their ways and works: but this denotes the special notice he took, and the particular observation he made upon the condition and circumstances the earth, and its inhabitants, were in.
This site's exposition
the earth was corrupt in the sight of God
on Genesis 6:11-12
The earth is called corrupt three times in these two verses, and full of violence, a line repeated at verse 13. The root behind corrupt is the root behind destroy in verse 13, so the earth had ruined itself before God said He would ruin it. God looked upon the earth and saw, which is the wording of the sixth day. The verdict has gone from very good to corrupt.
This site's exposition
God looked upon the earth
Gill read God's looking as special notice of the earth, His eyes being always upon it. The Hebrew behind all living creatures is all flesh. Verse 17 uses the same phrase for every creature with the breath of life, so the judgment matches the reach of the corruption.
The record, by era
The Medieval Church1 voice
And when God saw that the earth was corrupt: for all flesh had corrupted its way. All flesh means all humans, according to the prophet's statement: "And all flesh shall see the salvation of God" (Luke 3:6).
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt,.... This is spoken as if he had never looked upon it before; whereas his eyes are always upon the earth, and the inhabitants of it, and upon all their ways and works: but this denotes the special notice he took, and the particular observation he made upon the condition and circumstances the earth, and its inhabitants, were in.
The words behind it
14 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיַּ֧רְא | vaiyar' | and he saw | H7200 → | 1300 times |
| אֱלֹהִ֛ים | ʾelohim | God | H430 → | 2601 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הָאָ֖רֶץ | haaretz | the earth | H776 → | 2504 times |
| וְהִנֵּ֣ה | vehineh | and there! | H2009 → | 843 times |
| נִשְׁחָ֑תָה | nishchatah | it was corrupt | H7843 → | 146 times |
| כִּֽי־ | ki- | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| הִשְׁחִ֧ית | hishchit | <it> had corrupted | H7843 → | 146 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| בָּשָׂ֛ר | basar | flesh | H1320 → | 270 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| דַּרְכּ֖וֹ | darko | way its | H1870 → | 707 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| הָאָֽרֶץ׃ ס | haaretz | the earth | H776 → | 2504 times |
וַיַּ֧רְאand he saw
vaiyar'H7200 →1300 times
אֱלֹהִ֛יםGod
ʾelohimH430 →2601 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הָאָ֖רֶץthe earth
haaretzH776 →2504 times
וְהִנֵּ֣הand there!
vehinehH2009 →843 times
נִשְׁחָ֑תָהit was corrupt
nishchatahH7843 →146 times
כִּֽי־for
ki-H3588 →4482 times
הִשְׁחִ֧ית<it> had corrupted
hishchitH7843 →146 times
כָּל־all
kol-H3605 →5413 times
בָּשָׂ֛רflesh
basarH1320 →270 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
דַּרְכּ֖וֹway its
darkoH1870 →707 times
עַל־on
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
הָאָֽרֶץ׃ סthe earth
haaretzH776 →2504 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Proverbs 15:3The eyes of the LORD are in every place, observing the evil and the good.
it leads to
- Hebrews 4:13
Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight; everything is uncovered and exposed before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.
- Jeremiah 16:17
For My eyes are on all their ways. They are not hidden from My face, and their guilt is not concealed from My eyes.
- Jeremiah 23:24
“Can a man hide in secret places where I cannot see him?” declares the LORD. “Do I not fill the heavens and the earth?” declares the LORD.
- 2 Chronicles 16:9
For the eyes of the LORD roam to and fro over all the earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose hearts are fully devoted to Him. You have acted foolishly in…
- Proverbs 5:21
For a man’s ways are before the eyes of the LORD, and the LORD examines all his paths.
- Hebrews 4:13
Through
2 Peter 2:5if He did not spare the ancient world when He brought the flood on its ungodly people, but preserved Noah, a preacher of righteousness, among the eight;
it leads to
- 2 Peter 3:6
through which the world of that time perished in the flood.
- Hebrews 11:7
By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in godly fear built an ark to save his family. By faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that comes…
- Luke 17:26–27
Just as it was in the days of Noah, so also will it be in the days of the Son of Man:
- 2 Peter 3:6
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies11
On this verse
About Genesis
This page draws on Bede, Commentary on Genesis (Hexaemeron); John Calvin, Commentary on Genesis; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament.