Genesis 8:21

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.

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Word by word — the Hebrew

Word	Hebrew	Strong’s	Meaning
LORD	יְהוָה֮ Yah.weh	H3068	Jehovah · proper noun, a title
smelled	וַיָּ֣רַח vai.Ya.rach	H7306	properly · conjunction + verb, hiphil sequential imperfect, 3rd person masculine singular
sweet	הַנִּיחֹחַ֒ ha.ni.cho.aCh	H5207	properly · definite article + noun, common masculine singular absolute
savour	רֵ֣יחַ Rei.ach	H7381	odor (as if blown) · noun, common masculine singular construct
LORD	יְהוָ֜ה Yah.weh	H3068	Jehovah · proper noun, a title
said	וַיֹּ֨אמֶר vai.Yo.mer	H559	to say (used with great latitude) · conjunction + verb, qal sequential imperfect, 3rd person masculine singular
in	אֶל 'el-	H413	near · preposition
heart	לִבּ֗וֹ li.Bo	H3820	the heart · noun, common masculine singular construct + pronominal suffix, 3rd person masculine singular
again	אֹ֠סִף 'O.sif	H3254	to add or augment (often adverbial · verb, hiphil imperfect, 1st person common singular
curse	לְקַלֵּ֨ל le.ka.Lel	H7043	to be (causatively · preposition + verb, piel infinitive construct
ground	הָֽאֲדָמָה֙ ha.'a.da.Mah	H127	soil (from its general redness) · definite article + noun, common feminine singular absolute
man’s	הָֽאָדָ֔ם ha.'a.Dam	H120	ruddy i.e. a human being (an individual or the species · definite article + noun, common masculine singular absolute
sake	בַּעֲב֣וּר ba.'a.Vur	H5668	properly · preposition + noun, common masculine singular construct
imagination	יֵ֣צֶר Ye.tzer	H3336	a form · noun, common masculine singular construct
man’s	הָאָדָ֛ם ha.'a.Dam	H120	ruddy i.e. a human being (an individual or the species · definite article + noun, common masculine singular absolute
heart	לֵ֧ב lev	H3820	the heart · noun, common masculine singular construct
evil	רַ֖ע ra'	H7451	bad or (as noun) evil (natural or moral) · adjective, masculine singular absolute
youth	מִנְּעֻרָ֑יו mi.ne.'u.Rav	H5271	(only in plural collectively or emphatic form) youth · preposition + noun, common masculine plural construct + pronominal suffix, 3rd person masculine singular
again	אֹסִ֥ף 'o.Sif	H3254	to add or augment (often adverbial · verb, hiphil imperfect, 1st person common singular
smite	לְהַכּ֥וֹת le.ha.Kot	H5221	to strike (lightly or severely · preposition + verb, hiphil infinitive construct
living	חַ֖י chai	H2416	alive · adjective, masculine singular absolute
done	עָשִֽׂיתִי 'a.Si.ti	H6213	to do or make · verb, qal perfect, 1st person common singular

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).

Cross-references

2 Corinthians 2:15 For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish:
Ephesians 5:2 And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.
Genesis 6:5 And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continu…
Jeremiah 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?
Isaiah 54:9-10 For this is as the waters of Noah unto me: for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth; so have I sworn tha…
Romans 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
Genesis 3:17 And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying…
Leviticus 1:9 But his inwards and his legs shall he wash in water: and the priest shall burn all on the altar, to be a burnt sacrifice, an offering made b…

Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Genesis 8:20–end

Here is, I. Noah's thankful acknowledgment of God's favour to him, in completing the mercy of his deliverance, Gen 8:20. 1. He built an altar. Hitherto he had done nothing without particular instructions and commands from God. He had a particular call into the ark, and another out of it; but, altars and sacrifices being already of divine institution for religious worship, he did not stay for a particular command thus to express his thankfulness. Those that have received mercy from God should be forward in returning thanks, and do it not of constraint, but willingly. God is pleased with free-will offerings, and praises that wait for him. Noah was now turned out into a cold and desolate world,…

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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Genesis 8:21

And the Lord smelled a sweet savour--The sacrifice offered by a righteous man like Noah in faith was acceptable as the most fragrant incense. Lord said in his heart--same as "I have sworn that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth" (Isa 54:9). for--that is, "though the imagination is evil"; instead of inflicting another destructive flood, I shall spare them--to enjoy the blessings of grace, through a Saviour.

Adam Clarke on Genesis 8:21

The Lord smelled a sweet savor - That is, he was well pleased with this religious act, performed in obedience to his own appointment, and in faith of the promised Savior. That this sacrifice prefigured that which was offered by our blessed Redeemer in behalf of the world, is sufficiently evident from the words of St. Paul, Eph 5:2 : Christ hath loved us, and given himself for its an offering and a sacrifice to God for a Sweet-Smelling Savor; where the words οσμην ευωδιας of the apostle are the very words used by the Septuagint in this place. I will not again curse the ground - לא אסף lo osiph, I will not add to curse the ground - there shall not be another deluge to destroy the whole earth:…

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John Gill on Genesis 8:21

The Church Fathers

The Scripture says, "And the Lord smelled a sweet odor," that is, he accepted the offerings. But do not imagine that God has nostrils, since God is invisible spirit. Yet what is carried up from the altar is the odor and smoke from burning bodies, and nothing is more malodorous than such a savor. But that you may learn that God attends to the intention of the one offering the sacrifice and then accepts or rejects it, Scripture calls the odor and smoke a sweet savor.
— John Chrysostom, AGAINST JUDAIZING CHRISTIANS 1.7.3

"The Lord smelled" not the smell of the flesh or the smoke of wood, but rather he looked out and saw the simplicity of heart with which Noah offered the sacrifice from all and on behalf of all. And his Lord spoke to him, as he desired that Noah hear, "Because of your righteousness, a remnant was preserved and did not perish in that flood that took place. And because of your sacrifice that was from all flesh and on behalf of all flesh, I will never again bring a flood upon the earth." God thus bound himself beforehand by this promise so that even if mankind were constantly to follow the evil thought of their inclination, he would never again bring a flood upon them.
— Ephrem the Syrian, COMMENTARY ON GENESIS 6.13.2

CHARACTER OF THE OLD AND NEW TESTAMENT. — Why does the Lord say: I will not any more curse the earth, because of the works of men, because the imagination of man is purposefully bent upon evil things from his youth, I will not therefore any more smite all living flesh as I have done , and after that, why does God bring back the benefits which the generosity of his love gratifies unworthy men? Is this a figure of thanks which signal the New Testament (Cf. Mt 5:38), and past revenges the image of the Old Testament? In other words, would vengeance be the type of severity of the law, and the goodness of the sweetness of grace? [Augustine of Hippo, Question on Genesis, PL 34,
— Augustine of Hippo, QUESTIONS ON GENESIS, Q. 14 (tr. J. Litteral, draft)

The Church Fathers: public-domain translations (Ante-Nicene and Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers), verse-indexed by SermonIndex (CC BY 4.0).

Dictionary and topics

Dove — In their wild state doves generally build their nests in the clefts of rocks, but when domesticated “dove-cots” are prepared for them (Cant. 2:14; Jer. 48:28; Isa. 60:8). The dove was placed on the…
Heart — According to the Bible, the heart is the centre not only of spiritual activity, but of all the operations of human life. “Heart” and “soul” are often used interchangeably (Deut. 6:5; 26:16; comp.…
Man — (1.) Heb. ‘Adam, used as the proper name of the first man. The name is derived from a word meaning “to be red,” and thus the first man was called Adam because he was formed from the red earth. It is…
Noah — Rest, (Heb. Noah) the grandson of Methuselah (Gen. 5:25-29), who was for two hundred and fifty years contemporary with Adam, and the son of Lamech, who was about fifty years old at the time of Adam’s…
Burnt Offering, The · Specially acceptable — Specially acceptable
Deluge, The · That it shall never again occur: Promised — That it shall never again occur: Promised
Depravity Of Man · General scriptures concerning — General scriptures concerning
Fall Of Man, The · Man in consequence of: Evil in heart — Man in consequence of: Evil in heart
Flood · The promise that it should not recur — The promise that it should not recur
Heart, Character Of The Unrenewed · Full of evil imaginations — Full of evil imaginations
Imagination · General scriptures concerning — General scriptures concerning

Genesis 8:21

Word by word — the Hebrew

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Genesis 8:20–end

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Genesis 8:21

Adam Clarke on Genesis 8:21

John Gill on Genesis 8:21

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

Genesis 8:21

Word by word — the Hebrew

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Genesis 8:20–end

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Genesis 8:21

Adam Clarke on Genesis 8:21

John Gill on Genesis 8:21

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

John Calvin on Genesis 8:21

Keil & Delitzsch on Genesis 8:20–end

Tyndale Open Study Notes on Genesis 8:21

Rashi on Genesis 8:21