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Genesis 6:5

And God 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.

KJV

Videns autem Deus quod multa malitia hominum esset in terra, et cuncta cogitatio cordis intenta esset ad malum omni tempore,

Vulgate

ἰδὼν δὲ Κύριος ὁ θεὸς ὅτι ἐπληθύνθησαν αἱ κακίαι τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, καὶ πᾶς τις διανοεῖται ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ αὐτοῦ ἐπιμελῶς ἐπὶ τὰ πονηρὰ πάσας τὰς ἡμέρας·

LXX

And Jehovah 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.

ASV

וַ/יַּ֣רְא יְהוָ֔ה כִּ֥י רַבָּ֛ה רָעַ֥ת הָ/אָדָ֖ם בָּ/אָ֑רֶץ וְ/כָל יֵ֨צֶר֙ מַחְשְׁבֹ֣ת לִבּ֔/וֹ רַ֥ק רַ֖ע כָּל הַ/יּֽוֹם

Hebrew

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In the original Hebrew

13 distinct Hebrew words appear in this verse.

אֶ֣רֶץ
'rts
noun · 2484×
אָדָ֖ם
'dm
noun · 545×
י
y
noun · 591×
יְהוָ֖ה
yhvh
proper_noun · 6455×
יֵ֥צֶר
ytsr
noun · 10×
יּ֣וֹם
yvm
noun · 2285×
יַּ֣רְא
yr'
verb · 1312×
כִּֽי
ky
pronoun · 4439×
כָּל
kl
noun · 5376×
מַחְשְׁב֣וֹת
mchshbvt
noun · 56×
רַ֣ק
rq
adverb · 109×
רַב
rb
verb · 458×
רָ֑ע
r'
verb · 664×

Themes

Historic Christian voices

11 passages from patristic writers, Reformers, and church catechisms citing this verse.

§401After that first sin, the world is virtually inundated by sin There is Cain's murder of his brother Abel and the universal corruption which follows in the wake of sin. Likewise, sin frequently manifests itself in the history of Israel, especially as infidelity to the God of the Covenant and as transgression of the Law of Moses. and even after Christ's atonement, sin raises its …
1. Paul wishing to show the great kindness of God towards man, and the Love which He had for the human race, after saying: Forasmuch then as the children were partakers of blood and flesh, He also Himself likewise took part of the same Hebrews 2:14— follows up the subject in this passage. For do not regard lightly what is spoken, nor think this merely a slight [matter], His tak…
Chapter 24.—How We are to Understand This Which the Lord Said to Those Who Were to Perish in the Flood: “Their Days Shall Be 120 Years.” But that which God said, “Their days shall be a hundred and twenty years,” is not to be understood as a prediction that henceforth men should not live longer than 120 years,—for even after the deluge we find that they lived more than 500 years…
And it repented the Lord that he had made man. Moses describes the dreadful corruption which provoked God to destroy the world by the flood. When it is said that God repented, this is spoken after the manner of men, for God is not subject to passions. Yet the expression teaches that sin is so hateful to God that he cannot look upon it without displeasure. Noah found grace in th…
Heidelberg Catechism · 2 passages
Q. Can you live up to all this perfectly? A. No. I have a natural tendency to hate God and my neighbor.
Q. But are we so corrupt that we are totally unable to do any good and inclined toward all evil? A. Yes, unless we are born again by the Spirit of God.
The Synod rejects the errors of those who teach that unregenerate humanity is not really or totally dead in sins or deprived of all capacity for spiritual good but is able to hunger and thirst for righteousness or life and to offer the sacrifice of a broken and contrite spirit which is pleasing to God.
Original sin is such a deep corruption of nature that no reason can understand it; it must be believed on the authority of Scripture. All that is born of flesh is flesh and is by nature a child of wrath. Neither works, law, nor human merit can remedy this condition — only the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.

Cross-references

  • 1Chr 28:9 — And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind: for the LORD searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the
  • 1Pet 3:20 — Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.
  • Deut 29:19 — And it come to pass, when he heareth the words of this curse, that he bless himself in his heart, saying, I shall have peace, though I walk in the imagination of mine heart, to add drunkenness to thir
  • Deut 31:21 — And it shall come to pass, when many evils and troubles are befallen them, that this song shall testify against them as a witness; for it shall not be forgotten out of the mouths of their seed: for I
  • Eccl 7:29 — Lo, this only have I found, that God hath made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions.
  • Eccl 7:29 — Lo, this only have I found, that God hath made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions.
  • Eccl 9:3 — This is an evil among all things that are done under the sun, that there is one event unto all: yea, also the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live, a
  • Eph 2:1 — And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;
  • Eph 2:3 — Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.
  • Ezek 8:9 — And he said unto me, Go in, and behold the wicked abominations that they do here.
  • Ezek 8:12 — Then said he unto me, Son of man, hast thou seen what the ancients of the house of Israel do in the dark, every man in the chambers of his imagery? for they say, The LORD seeth us not; the LORD hath f
  • Gen 8:21 — 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
  • Gen 8:21 — 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
  • Gen 11:6 — And the LORD said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do.
  • Gen 13:13 — But the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the LORD exceedingly.
  • Gen 18:20 — And the LORD said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous;
  • Isa 55:7 — Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
  • Isa 65:2 — I have spread out my hands all the day unto a rebellious people, which walketh in a way that was not good, after their own thoughts;
  • Jas 1:14 — But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.
  • Jer 4:14 — O Jerusalem, wash thine heart from wickedness, that thou mayest be saved. How long shall thy vain thoughts lodge within thee?
  • Jer 9:14 — But have walked after the imagination of their own heart, and after Baalim, which their fathers taught them:
  • Jer 17:9 — The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?
  • Jer 17:9 — The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?
  • Job 15:16 — How much more abominable and filthy is man, which drinketh iniquity like water?
  • Job 22:15 — Hast thou marked the old way which wicked men have trodden?
  • John 3:6 — That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
  • Luke 11:39 — And the Lord said unto him, Now do ye Pharisees make clean the outside of the cup and the platter; but your inward part is full of ravening and wickedness.
  • Luke 17:26 — And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man.
  • Mark 7:21 — For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,
  • Mark 7:21 — For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,
  • Matt 7:11 — If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?
  • Matt 7:13 — Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:
  • Matt 15:19 — For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:
  • Matt 15:19 — For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:
  • Prov 6:18 — An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief,
  • Prov 6:18 — An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief,
  • Prov 10:20 — The tongue of the just is as choice silver: the heart of the wicked is little worth.
  • Prov 24:9 — The thought of foolishness is sin: and the scorner is an abomination to men.
  • Prov 27:19 — As in water face answereth to face, so the heart of man to man.
  • Ps 10:4 — The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts.