Bible Question:
Gen 6:5 "Then the LORD saw that the wickness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. What is the difference between wickness and evil? e.g. Was the destruction of the World Trade Center an act of evil or an act of wickness? Jepson |
Bible Answer: Hi, Jepson; Interesting question! The Hebrew word (Ra') is the same in both phrases. The same word is variously translated elsewhere in Genesis as "bad", "harm", "hurt", "ill", "ill favoured". I looked at eight translations and found that they all use the same pair of words in the same places. There seems to be general agreement among translators that the word has several different connotations. One clue might be the fact that it is translated as "evil" in the pasages about the tree of knowledge of good and evil. The "evil" translation shows up again in the story of Joseph. So I take "wickedness" to refer to specific behaviors or desires while "evil" refers to a general condition or prediliction that produces wickedness. Warning: this theory has no scriptural basis and your mileage may vary. Peace and grace, Steve "Indy" Jones |