What is the meaning of Genesis 6:11? Now the earth Genesis 6:11 opens with, “Now the earth…”. The text calls us to look at the entire created order, not just human society. • God’s creation was originally pronounced “very good” (Genesis 1:31), so this verse immediately signals a tragic contrast. • Romans 8:20-22 echoes that the whole creation now “groans” under corruption, showing the universal scale of the problem. • Psalm 24:1 reminds us the earth belongs to the LORD; therefore, whatever happens to it matters to Him personally. was corrupt in the sight of God The verse continues, “was corrupt in the sight of God”. • “Corrupt” points to moral decay—everything deviated from God’s good design. • God’s “sight” underscores His perfect, all-seeing judgment (2 Chronicles 16:9). Human standards shift, but His assessment is final. • Similar divine evaluations appear in Genesis 18:20-21 (Sodom) and Jonah 1:2 (Nineveh). God actively observes and responds to wickedness. • Ephesians 4:18-19 parallels this condition in individuals: darkened understanding leads to hardened hearts and impurity. and full of violence The verse concludes, “and full of violence”. • Violence (Hebrew idea of ruthless wrongdoing) had become the cultural norm, not the exception. • Compare Isaiah 59:6-8 and Psalm 11:5, where violence provokes God’s displeasure. • This widespread brutality threatened the very fabric of human life, contradicting God’s mandate in Genesis 1:28 to cultivate and steward the earth. • Matthew 24:37-39 notes that the days of Noah, marked by such violence, foreshadow conditions preceding Christ’s return. summary Genesis 6:11 paints a sobering picture: God observes a world He lovingly made now marred by universal corruption and rampant violence. The verse explains why the flood judgment follows—God acts to restrain evil and preserve His redemptive purposes. At the same time, the passage warns every generation that unchecked sin destroys creation, provokes divine grief, and demands intervention, pointing us to the ultimate hope of restoration in Christ (2 Peter 3:13). |
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