The Meaning of Genesis 6:7 Explained

Genesis 6:7

KJV: And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them.

YLT: And Jehovah saith, 'I wipe away man whom I have prepared from off the face of the ground, from man unto beast, unto creeping thing, and unto fowl of the heavens, for I have repented that I have made them.'

Darby: And Jehovah said, I will destroy Man, whom I have created, from the earth from man to cattle, to creeping things, and to fowl of the heavens; for I repent that I have made them.

ASV: And Jehovah said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the ground; both man, and beast, and creeping things, and birds of the heavens; for it repenteth me that I have made them.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And the LORD  said,  I will destroy  man  whom I have created  from the face  of the earth;  both man,  and  beast,  and the creeping thing,  and the fowls  of the air;  for it repenteth  me that I have made  them. 

What does Genesis 6:7 Mean?

Context Summary

Genesis 6:1-8 - The Wickedness Of Men
When a son was born to Lamech, he named him Noah, which means "Rest."He thought that the boy would grow up to share and alleviate the strain of daily toil. But his hope was premature: rest was not yet: the Deluge would soon sweep over the works of men. The world must await the true Rest-giver, who said, "Come unto Me." It was an age of abounding wickedness, but the language describing it is obscure. Some think that "the sons of God" were fallen angels; others that the seed of Seth became joined in marriage with the daughters of Cain. But God's Spirit strove with man, and though a limit was put to His pleadings, yet He sought men with yearning remonstrance, till His Holy Spirit received the final negative and turned away disappointed and grieved. There was considerable delay. For 120 years the Spirit of God waited. See 1 Peter 3:20. He will not wait for ever, Luke 13:9. [source]

Chapter Summary: Genesis 6

1  The wickedness of the world, which provoked God's wrath
8  Noah finds grace
9  His family line
14  The order, form, dimensions, and building of the ark

What do the individual words in Genesis 6:7 mean?

So said Yahweh I will destroy - man whom I have created from the face of the earth from man and beast to creeping thing and birds of the air for I am sorry that I have made them
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר יְהוָ֗ה אֶמְחֶ֨ה אֶת־ הָאָדָ֤ם אֲשֶׁר־ בָּרָ֙אתִי֙ מֵעַל֙ פְּנֵ֣י הָֽאֲדָמָ֔ה מֵֽאָדָם֙ עַד־ בְּהֵמָ֔ה עַד־ רֶ֖מֶשׂ וְעַד־ ע֣וֹף הַשָּׁמָ֑יִם כִּ֥י נִחַ֖מְתִּי כִּ֥י עֲשִׂיתִֽם

וַיֹּ֣אמֶר  So  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
יְהוָ֗ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
אֶמְחֶ֨ה  I  will  destroy 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, first person common singular
Root: מָחָא 
Sense: to wipe, wipe out.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
הָאָדָ֤ם  man 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: אָדָם 
Sense: man, mankind.
אֲשֶׁר־  whom 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
בָּרָ֙אתִי֙  I  have  created 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: בָּרָא 
Sense: to create, shape, form.
פְּנֵ֣י  the  face 
Parse: Noun, common plural construct
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
הָֽאֲדָמָ֔ה  of  the  earth 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֲדָמָה 
Sense: ground, land.
מֵֽאָדָם֙  from  man 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular
Root: אָדָם 
Sense: man, mankind.
בְּהֵמָ֔ה  beast 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: בְּהֵמָה  
Sense: beast, cattle, animal.
רֶ֖מֶשׂ  creeping  thing 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: רֶמֶשׂ  
Sense: creeping things, moving things, creeping organism.
ע֣וֹף  birds 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: עֹוף  
Sense: flying creatures, fowl, insects, birds.
הַשָּׁמָ֑יִם  of  the  air 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: שָׁמַיִם  
Sense: heaven, heavens, sky.
נִחַ֖מְתִּי  I  am  sorry 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: נָחַם  
Sense: to be sorry, console oneself, repent, regret, comfort, be comforted.
כִּ֥י  that 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: כִּי 
Sense: that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since.
עֲשִׂיתִֽם  I  have  made  them 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common singular, third person masculine plural
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.