Genesis 8:21

When the LORD smelled the pleasing aroma, He said in His heart, “Never again will I curse the ground because of man, even though every inclination of his heart is evil from his youth. And never again will I destroy all living creatures as I have done.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — God speaks to His own heart immediately after Noah completes his altar offering. He addresses the post-flood relationship between Himself, humanity, and the created order.

The words — וַ/יָּ֣רַח (va/i.Ya.rach) translates as "and He smelled," while הַ/נִּיחֹחַ֒ (ha./ni.cho.aCh) means "the soothing odor."

The thread — The description of human nature repeats Genesis 6:5 to show unbroken moral condition. The guarantee of agricultural and seasonal cycles flows directly into Genesis 8:22.

Why it lands — The text states that divine restraint follows sacrifice, not human merit. It requires the reader to acknowledge that God's covenantal patience operates despite innate human depravity.

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

וַיָּ֣רַחva/i.Ya.rachand/ he smelled יְהוָה֮Yah.wehYahweh אֶת־'et-<obj.>רֵ֣יחַRei.ach[the] odor of הַנִּיחֹחַ֒ha./ni.cho.aCh<the>/ soothing וַיֹּ֨אמֶרva/i.Yo.merand/ he said יְהוָ֜הYah.wehYahweh אֶל־'el-to לִבּ֗וֹli.B/oheart/ his לֹֽא־lo'-not אֹ֠סִף'O.sifI will repeat לְקַלֵּ֨לle./ka.Lelto/ curse ע֤וֹדodagain אֶת־'et-<obj.>הָֽאֲדָמָה֙ha./'a.da.Mahthe/ ground בַּעֲב֣וּרba./'a.Vurfor/ sake of הָֽאָדָ֔םha./'a.Dam<the>/ humankind כִּ֠יkifor יֵ֣צֶרYe.tzer[the] inclination of לֵ֧בlev[the] heart of הָאָדָ֛םha./'a.Dam<the>/ humankind רַ֖עra'[is] evil מִנְּעֻרָ֑יוmi./ne.'u.Ra/vsince/ youth<s>/ his וְלֹֽא־ve./lo'-and/ not אֹסִ֥ף'o.SifI will repeat ע֛וֹדodagain לְהַכּ֥וֹתle./ha.Kotto/ strike down אֶת־'et-<obj.>כָּל־kol-every חַ֖יchailiving [thing]כַּֽאֲשֶׁ֥רka./'a.Sherjust/ as עָשִֽׂיתִי׃'a.Si.tiI have done

King James Version

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 I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done.

Cross-references

2 Corinthians 2:15 For we are to God the sweet aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing.
Ephesians 5:2 and walk in love, just as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us as a fragrant sacrificial offering to God.
Genesis 6:5 Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great upon the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was altogether evil all the time.
Jeremiah 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?
Isaiah 54:9 “For to Me this is like the days of Noah, when I swore that the waters of Noah would never again cover the earth. So I have sworn that I will not be angry with you or rebuke you.
Romans 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
Genesis 3:17 And to Adam He said: “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat, cursed is the ground because of you; through toil you will eat of it all the days of your life.
Leviticus 1:9 The entrails and legs must be washed with water, and the priest shall burn all of it on the altar as a burnt offering, a food offering, a pleasing aroma to the LORD.
Leviticus 1:13 The entrails and legs must be washed with water, and the priest shall present all of it and burn it on the altar; it is a burnt offering, a food offering, a pleasing aroma to the LORD.
Ecclesiastes 7:20 Surely there is no righteous man on earth who does good and never sins.