Prior Chapter | Prior Verse | Next Verse | Next Chapter | Next Book | Viewing NASB and Amplified 2015 | |
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, Welcome to the forum! Scripture often uses anthropomorphisms. Anthropomorphism attributes human characteristics to non-human things. Sometimes it is merely poetic. For example when we say, "The angry gray clouds." Other times, we fool ourselves. For example, when we talk about the "loyalty" of a dog. Dogs may be loyal in the strictest sense of the word, but dogs are not human. They are a mere fraction of our intelligence. They are driven by very different motives. We cannot assume that when a dog is being loyal that it is the same kind of thing that goes on inside of a human being when they are being loyal. The Bible often uses anthropomorphic language regarding God as a means of helping us to understand. For example, when it speaks of His "fingers" in creating the stars, His "right arm" in upholding the righteous, etc. The Bible warns us not to make the error of assuming that God is man-like. See the following scriptures (cf Job 9:32; Isaiah 55:8-9). God is utterly different than anything in our experience. Indeed, He is utterly different than anything that is now, ever will be, or ever has been in the universe or any possible other universe. God is entirely self sufficient. He is totally complete and perfect in and of Himself. He has no origin and no cause. In philosophy there is a field called ontology that deals with the nature of being. Theologians speak of the otherness of God. Whereas it is true that He thinks, He speaks, He sees, He acts, He moves, He loves, He hates, He wills, etc. etc. These things are not to be thought of in strictly human terms. Yet, if they were not communicated to us in human terms, we would not be able to understand. Thus, God often speaks to us about Himself in ways that we can comprehend. John Calvin said that God speaks a kind of baby talk to us, in the condescension of His self revelation. In Him, Doc |