Genesis 6 · Verse 12

Genesis 6:12

And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.
Genesis 6:12, King James Version

Genesis 6:12 in other translations

BSBAnd God looked upon the earth and saw that it was corrupt; for all living creatures on the earth had corrupted their ways.
WEBGod saw the earth, and saw that it was corrupt, for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth.
ASVAnd God saw the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted their way upon the earth.
YLTAnd God seeth the earth, and lo, it hath been corrupted, for all flesh hath corrupted its way on the earth.
DARBYAnd God looked upon the earth, and behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted its way on the earth.
BBEAnd God, looking on the earth, saw that it was evil: for the way of all flesh had become evil on the earth.
WebsterAnd God looked upon the earth, and behold, it was corrupt: for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.

What does Genesis 6:12 mean?

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Genesis 6:12-21
God told Noah his purpose to destroy the wicked world by water. The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him, Psa 25:14. It is with all believers, enabling them to understand and apply the declarations and warnings of the written word. God chose to do it by a flood of waters, which should drown the world. As he chooses the rod with which he corrects his children, so he chooses the sword with which he cuts off his enemies. God established his covenant with Noah. This is the first place in the Bible where the word covenant' is found; it seems to mean, 1. The covenant of providence; that the course of nature shall be continued to the end of time. 2. The covenant of grace; that God would be a God to Noah, and that out of his seed God would take to himself a people. God directed Noah to make an ark. This ark was like the hulk of a ship, fitted to float upon the waters. It was very large, half the size of St. Paul's cathedral, and would hold more than eighteen of the largest ships now used. God could have secured Noah without putting him to any care, or pains, or trouble; but employed him in making that which was to be the means to preserve him, for the trial of his faith and obedience. Both the providence of God, and the grace of God, own and crown the obedient and diligent. God gave Noah particular orders how to make the ark, which could not therefore but be well fitted for the purpose. God promised Noah that he and his family should be kept alive in the ark. What we do in obedience to God, we and our families are likely to have the benefit of. The piety of parents gets their children good in this life, and furthers them in the way to eternal life, if they improve it.

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

Genesis 6:12 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וַיַּ֧רְאvai.Yar'and he sawH7200
אֱלֹהִ֛ים'E.lo.HimGodH430
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
הָאָ֖רֶץha.'A.retzthe earthH776
וְהִנֵּ֣הve.hi.Nehand there!H2009
נִשְׁחָ֑תָהnish.Cha.tahit was corruptH7843
כִּֽי\־ki-forH3588
הִשְׁחִ֧יתhish.Chit<it> had corruptedH7843
כָּל\־kol-allH3605
בָּשָׂ֛רba.SarfleshH1320
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
דַּרְכּ֖וֹdar.Koway itsH1870
עַל\־'al-onH5921
הָאָֽרֶץ\׃\ \סha.'A.retzthe earthH776

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Genesis 6:12

  • Psalms 53:2-3

    God looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, that did seek God. Every one of them is gone back: they are altogether become filthy; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.

  • Proverbs 15:3

    The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good.

  • Psalms 14:1-3

    To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good. The Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God. They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one.

  • Job 22:15-17

    Hast thou marked the old way which wicked men have trodden? Which were cut down out of time, whose foundation was overflown with a flood: Which said unto God, Depart from us: and what can the Almighty do for them?

  • 2 Peter 2:5

    And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly;

  • Genesis 6:8

    But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.

  • 1 Peter 3:19-20

    By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison; 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.

  • Genesis 6:4-5

    There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown. 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.

  • Genesis 7:1

    And the Lord said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation.

  • Job 33:27

    He looketh upon men, and if any say, I have sinned, and perverted that which was right, and it profited me not;

  • Psalms 33:13-14

    The Lord looketh from heaven; he beholdeth all the sons of men. From the place of his habitation he looketh upon all the inhabitants of the earth.

  • Genesis 9:12

    And God said, This is the token of the covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations:

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
God.
8; 18:21; Job 33:27; Ps 14:2; 33:13,14; 53:2,3; Pr 15:3
for all.
4,5; 7:1,21; 9:12,16,17; Job 22:15-17; Lu 3:6; 1Pe 3:19,20; 2Pe 2:5

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Genesis 6:11

    The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.

  • Genesis 6:12

    And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.

  • Genesis 6:13

    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.

Read all of Genesis 6

Genesis 6:12 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y miró Dios la tierra, y he aquí que estaba corrompida; porque toda carne había corrompido su camino sobre la tierra.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et Dieu regarda la terre, et voici, elle était corrompue, car toute chair avait corrompu sa voie sur la terre.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und Gott sah die Erde, und siehe, sie war verderbt; denn alles Fleisch hatte seinen Weg verderbt auf Erden.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Cumque vidisset Deus terram esse corruptam (omnis quippe caro corruperat viam suam super terram),