And God looked on the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way on the earth.
God.
Genesis 6:8 But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.
Genesis 18:21 I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come unto me; and if not, I will know.
Job 33:27 He looketh upon men, and if any say, I have sinned, and perverted that which was right, and it profited me not;
for all.
Genesis 6:4,5 There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown…
Genesis 7:1,21 And the LORD said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation…
Genesis 9:12,16,17 And God said, This is the token of the covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations: …
and saw that it was corrupt;
The term "corrupt" suggests moral decay and deviation from God's intended order. This corruption is not limited to humanity but extends to the entire creation, reflecting the pervasive impact of sin. The Hebrew word used here, "shachath," implies destruction and ruin, indicating that the earth's condition is beyond repair. This corruption is a direct result of humanity's sin, as seen in the narrative of the fall in Genesis 3.
for all living creatures on the earth
This phrase highlights the universality of the corruption. It includes not only humans but all living beings, suggesting that the sin of humanity has affected the entire creation. This idea is echoed in Romans 8:20-22, where Paul speaks of creation being subjected to futility and groaning for redemption. The interconnectedness of creation and humanity's role as stewards is evident here, as the fall of man leads to the fall of creation.
had corrupted their ways.
The phrase "their ways" refers to the conduct and behavior of all living creatures. This corruption of ways indicates a departure from the path of righteousness and God's design. The use of "ways" can be seen as a metaphor for lifestyle or moral conduct, similar to how the "way of the righteous" is described in Psalm 1. This corruption necessitates divine intervention, foreshadowing the coming flood as a means of purging the earth and starting anew with Noah, who is described as righteous in his generation.
God’s gaze is never casual. When Scripture says, “The LORD looks down from heaven” (Psalm 33:13-15), it speaks of active, righteous assessment. Here He surveys the whole planet, just as He had earlier pronounced it “very good” (Genesis 1:31).
• God’s watchfulness: “The eyes of the LORD are in every place” (Proverbs 15:3).
• Divine evaluation precedes divine action—as seen later in the plagues of Egypt (Exodus 3:7-8) and at Babel (Genesis 11:5-7).
The verdict is grim: the earth, once pristine, is now ruined. The word “corrupt” points to moral decay and violence (Genesis 6:11).
• Contrast with creation’s original harmony (Isaiah 45:18).
• Sin doesn’t stay private; it infects the environment, echoing Romans 8:20-22 where creation groans because of human sin.
• God’s perception is absolute; “No creature is hidden from His sight” (Hebrews 4:13).
The corruption is universal, touching “all flesh” (Genesis 6:13).
• Human rebellion drags the animal kingdom into disorder, reversing mankind’s mandate to steward creation (Genesis 1:28-30).
• Similar scenes appear in Joel 1:18-20, where even beasts suffer under judgment tied to human sin.
“Ways” refers to patterns of life—thoughts, motives, deeds. Every path taken had veered off God’s design.
• Total depravity pictured: “Every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was altogether evil all the time” (Genesis 6:5).
• Later prophets echo this assessment—“All we like sheep have gone astray” (Isaiah 53:6); Paul reaffirms it in Romans 3:10-12.
• Corruption is willful; people “exchanged the glory of God” (Romans 1:23), so judgment is just.
Genesis 6:12 portrays God’s penetrating inspection, His sorrowful recognition of pervasive corruption, and the universal scope of sin’s ruin. The verse sets the stage for the Flood, underscoring divine holiness and mankind’s desperate need for redemption—a need later met perfectly in Christ, “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29).
(12) All flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.--These material things were incapable alike of moral good or evil, but man had made them the instruments of working his carnal will, and because of the associations connected with them they must be effaced, or rubbed out. (See Note on Genesis 6:7.)Verse 12. - And God looked upon the earth. "God knows at all times what is doing in our world, but his looking upon the earth denotes a special observance of it, as though he had instituted an inquiry into its real condition" (Bush; cf. Psalm 14:2; Psalm 33:13, 14; Psalm 80:2, 3). And, behold, it was corrupt. "Everything stood in sharpest contradiction with that good state which God the Creator had established" (Delitzsch, quoted by Lange). The nature of this corruption is further indicated. For all flesh, i.e. the human race, who are so characterized here not so much for their frailty (Isaiah 40:5, 6) as for their moral and spiritual degeneracy (Genesis 6:3, q.v. ) - had corrupted - skachath (καταφθείρω, LXX. ); literally, had destroyed, wrecked, and ruined, wholly subverted and overthrown - his way - derech (from darach, to tread with the feet), a going; hence a journey, a way; e.g.(1) of living or acting (Proverbs 12:15; 1 Samuel 18:44)';
(2) of worshipping God - ὀδὸς, Acts 19:9, 23 (Psalm 139:24; Amos 8:14). Here it signifies the entire plan and course of life in all its ethical and religious aspects as designed for man by God (cf. Psalm 119:9; and contrast "the way of Cain," Jude 1:11; "the way of Balaam," 2 Peter 2:15) - upon the earth.
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