Genesis 6 · Verse 17

Genesis 6:17

And, behold, I, even I, do bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, from under heaven; and every thing that is in the earth shall die.
Genesis 6:17, King James Version

Genesis 6:17 in other translations

BSBAnd behold, I will bring floodwaters upon the earth to destroy every creature under the heavens that has the breath of life. Everything on the earth will perish.
WEBI, even I, will bring the flood of waters on this earth, to destroy all flesh having the breath of life from under the sky. Everything that is on the earth will die.
ASVAnd I, behold, I do bring the flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, from under heaven; everything that is in the earth shall die.
YLT‘And I, lo, I am bringing in the deluge of waters on the earth to destroy all flesh, in which is a living spirit, from under the heavens; all that is in the earth doth expire.
DARBYFor I, behold, I bring a flood of waters on the earth, to destroy all flesh under the heavens in which is the breath of life: everything that is on the earth shall expire.
BBEFor truly, I will send a great flow of waters over the earth, for the destruction from under the heaven of all flesh in which is the breath of life; everything on the earth will come to an end.
WebsterAnd behold, I, even I do bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh, in which is the breath of life, from under heaven: and every thing that is on the earth shall die.

What does Genesis 6:17 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Genesis 6:17-22
17-22. And, behold, I, even I, do bring a flood--The repetition of the announcement was to establish its certainty (Ge 41:32). Whatever opinion may be entertained as to the operation of natural laws and agencies in the deluge, it was brought on the world by God as a punishment for the enormous wickedness of its inhabitants.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 17 I-do bring a flood - מבול; mabbul; a word used only to designate the general deluge, being never applied to signify any other kind of inundation; and does not the Holy Spirit intend to show by this that no other flood was ever like this, and that it should continue to be the sole one of the kind? There have been many partial inundations in various countries, but never more than One general deluge; and we have God's promise, Gen 9:15, that there shall never be another.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

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…

Read the full comment on Genesis 6:12-21 →

Genesis 6:17 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.

וַאֲנִ֗יva.'a.Niand IH589
הִנְנִי֩hi.Nihere IH2009
מֵבִ֨יאme.Vi'[am] about to bringH935
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
הַמַּבּ֥וּלha.ma.Bulthe floodH3999
מַ֙יִם֙ma.yimwaterH4325
עַל\־'al-onH5921
הָאָ֔רֶץha.'A.retzthe earthH776
לְשַׁחֵ֣תle.sha.Chetto destroyH7843
כָּל\־kol-allH3605
בָּשָׂ֗רba.SarfleshH1320
אֲשֶׁר\־'a.Sher-whichH834
בּוֹ֙bo[is] in <the> it
ר֣וּחַRu.ach[the] breath ofH7307
חַיִּ֔יםchai.YimlifeH2416
מִתַּ֖חַתmi.Ta.chatfrom underH8478
הַשָּׁמָ֑יִםha.sha.Ma.yimthe heavensH8064
כֹּ֥לkolallH3605
אֲשֶׁר\־'a.Sher-thatH834
בָּאָ֖רֶץba.'A.retz[is] on the earthH776
יִגְוָֽע\׃yig.Va'<it> will dieH1478

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

Cross references for Genesis 6:17

  • Genesis 7:4

    For yet seven days, and I will cause it to rain upon the earth forty days and forty nights; and every living substance that I have made will I destroy from off the face of the earth.

  • 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 7:21-23

    And all flesh died that moved upon the earth, both of fowl, and of cattle, and of beast, and of every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth, and every man: All in whose nostrils was the breath of life, of all that was in the dry land, died. And every living substance was destroyed which was upon the face of the ground, both man, and cattle, and the creeping things, and the fowl of the heaven; and they were destroyed from the earth: and Noah only remained alive, and they that were with him in the ark.

  • 1 Peter 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.

  • Hebrews 11:7

    By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.

  • Psalms 107:34

    A fruitful land into barrenness, for the wickedness of them that dwell therein.

  • Amos 9:6

    It is he that buildeth his stories in the heaven, and hath founded his troop in the earth; he that calleth for the waters of the sea, and poureth them out upon the face of the earth: The Lord is his name.

  • Psalms 29:10

    The Lord sitteth upon the flood; yea, the Lord sitteth King for ever.

  • Romans 5:21

    That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.

  • Hosea 5:14

    For I will be unto Ephraim as a lion, and as a young lion to the house of Judah: I, even I, will tear and go away; I will take away, and none shall rescue him.

  • Romans 6:23

    For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

  • 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.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
behold.
13; 7:4,21-23; 9:9; Ex 14:17; Le 26:28; De 32:39; Ps 29:10; Isa 51:12
Eze 5:8; 6:3; 34:11,20; Ho 5:14; 2Pe 2:5
bring.
7:4,17,21-23; Job 22:16; Ps 29:10; 93:3,4; 107:34; Isa 54:9; Am 9:6
Mt 24:39; Lu 17:27; Heb 11:7; 1Pe 3:20
is the.
2:7; 7:15
shall die.
7; Ps 107:34; Ro 5:12-14,21; 6:23; 8:20-22

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

Context

  • Genesis 6:16

    A window shalt thou make to the ark, and in a cubit shalt thou finish it above; and the door of the ark shalt thou set in the side thereof; with lower, second, and third stories shalt thou make it.

  • Genesis 6:17

    And, behold, I, even I, do bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, from under heaven; and every thing that is in the earth shall die.

  • Genesis 6:18

    But with thee will I establish my covenant; and thou shalt come into the ark, thou, and thy sons, and thy wife, and thy sons’ wives with thee.

Read all of Genesis 6

Genesis 6:17 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Y yo, he aquí que yo traigo un diluvio de aguas sobre la tierra, para destruir toda carne en que haya espíritu de vida debajo del cielo; todo lo que hay en la tierra morirá.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Et moi, voici, je fais venir le déluge d’eaux sur la terre, pour détruire de dessous les cieux toute chair en laquelle il y a esprit de vie; tout ce qui est sur la terre expirera.
German
Elberfelder 1871
Denn ich, siehe, ich bringe die Wasserflut über die Erde, um alles Fleisch unter dem Himmel zu verderben, in welchem ein Hauch des Lebens ist; alles, was auf der Erde ist, soll verscheiden.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Ecce ego adducam aquas diluvii super terram, ut interficiam omnem carnem, in qua spiritus vitæ est subter cælum: universa quæ in terra sunt, consumentur.