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NASB | Genesis 6:6 The LORD was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Genesis 6:6 The LORD regretted that He had made mankind on the earth, and He was [deeply] grieved in His heart. |
Bible Question:
Hello, I see many problems trying to undestand this passage: Gen 6:6-7 How can this be true if God is omniscient and almighty? I see His regret totally incompatible with being omniscient and almighty at the same time. I would be very happy to read an answer. Thanks. |
Bible Answer: Dear Bruno Dosca, I wanted reply to your original post so forgive me if I side step some of the later discussion. The question you posted is how does God in his omnicience and his omnipotence ever feel sorrow for his actions. The answer is that God's "relenting" is in fact a constant aspect of God. Keep in mind that we are trying to convey Hebrew words here into english concepts. So, lets look at the passage you cited. Gen 6:6 "The Lord was sorry (nacham) that He made man on the earth." The word used for sorry here is actually the hebrew word nacham. Now its a good question that you asked, but lets look at a passage that specifically talks about God doing this. We should always let scripture answer our questions when possible. Jer 18:7-10 "At one moment I might speak concerning a nation or concerning a kingdom to uproot, to pull down, or to destroy it; if that nation against which I have spoken turns from its evil, I will relent(nacham) concerning the calamity I planned to bring on it. Or at another moment I might speak concerning a nation or concerning a kingdom to build up or to plant it; if it does evil in My sight by not obeying My voice, then I will think better of (nacham) the good with which I had promised to bless it." Can you see here how scripture is saying that this "sorrow/relenting/repenting/changing His mind" is actually a constant feature of God? It is not to suggest that God failed to see something coming and then thought to Himself, "Man, I sure blew that one!" Rather it is trying to communicate in human terms that whenever God sees such sin as He did in the context of Gen 6 He will revoke His blessings, and whenever He sees repentence, He will forgive and pardon, relenting from the judgment that would have come had the sinner continued his path. When we let Jeremiah 18 inform us how to understand this language concerning God, it moves from a troubling notion, to a beautiful and constant attribute of God. Praise God that we serve One who in Jesus Christ relents of the evil we deserve when we repent in faith! In Christ, Beja |