Bible Strands
Genesis 6:12
And God looked upon the earth and saw that it was corrupt; for all living creatures on the earth had corrupted their ways.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — God surveys the earth and all living creatures at the precise moment before He announces the coming judgment in Genesis 6:13.
The words — The Hebrew נִשְׁחָתָה (nish.Cha.tah) and הִשְׁחִית (hish.Chit) both trace to the root H7843, describing the earth’s state and the active ruining of creaturely ways.
The thread — Divine observation preceding human assessment appears in Psalms 53:2 and Proverbs 15:3, where God’s sight registers human conduct before any response.
Why it lands — The passage states plainly that God perceives total moral decay before issuing a decree, requiring the reader to acknowledge that judgment follows full knowledge rather than surprise.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.
Cross-references
- Psalms 53:2 God looks down from heaven upon the sons of men to see if any understand, if any seek God.
- Proverbs 15:3 The eyes of the LORD are in every place, observing the evil and the good.
- Psalms 14:1 For the choirmaster. Of David. The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt; their acts are vile. There is no one who does good.
- Job 22:15 Will you stay on the ancient path that wicked men have trod?
- 2 Peter 2:5 if 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;
- Genesis 6:4 The Nephilim were on the earth in those days—and afterward as well—when the sons of God had relations with the daughters of men. And they bore them children who became the mighty men of old, men of renown.
- Genesis 6:8 Noah, however, found favor in the eyes of the LORD.
- Genesis 7:1 Then the LORD said to Noah, “Go into the ark, you and all your family, because I have found you righteous in this generation.
- Job 33:27 Then he sings before men with these words: ‘I have sinned and perverted what was right; yet I did not get what I deserved.
- Psalms 33:13 The LORD looks down from heaven; He sees all the sons of men.