And, behold, I, even I, do bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, from under heaven; and every thing that is in the earth shall die.

GENESIS 6:17KJV
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Genesis 6:17 (KJV)

What does Genesis 6:17 mean?

Genesis 6:17 describes God announcing that He Himself will bring a great flood upon the earth to destroy every living creature that has the breath of life. This verse makes clear that the coming destruction is intentional and total, affecting all life under heaven.

In this verse, God is speaking directly to Noah, warning him about the coming judgment on the world’s corruption. The verse emphasizes that the flood is not a natural disaster but a deliberate act by God, and it highlights the seriousness of the situation by stating that every living thing on earth will die. This sets the stage for the instructions God will give Noah about building the ark and preserving life.

The Hebrew behind Genesis 6:17

  • The word for "flood" is מַבּוּל (mabbul), which is used almost exclusively for this event in the Bible, stressing its uniqueness and catastrophic scale.
  • The phrase "breath of life" uses רוּחַ (ruach, meaning "spirit" or "breath") and חַי (chai, meaning "life"), underlining that all creatures with living breath are included in the coming judgment.
  • The verb "destroy" is שָׁחַת (shachath), which often means to ruin or corrupt, but here it carries the sense of complete wiping out, showing the thoroughness of what God intends.

Why Genesis 6:17 matters

  • Genesis 6:17 clarifies that the flood is not just a random event but God’s direct response to human wickedness, making the story about divine justice rather than chance.
  • The verse’s language about "all flesh" and "everything that is in the earth" highlights the totality of the judgment, which helps explain why Noah’s obedience and the ark are so crucial in the following verses.
  • By stating that God Himself brings the flood, Genesis 6:17 connects the coming event to God’s authority and purpose, setting up the rest of the flood narrative as part of a larger plan rather than an isolated disaster.

Where else these words appear

“flood” Hebrew H3999 · used in 12 verses

  • Genesis 7:6 And Noah was six hundred years old when the flood of waters was upon the earth.
  • Genesis 7:17 And the flood was forty days upon the earth; and the waters increased, and bare up the ark, and it was lift up above the earth.
  • Genesis 10:1 Now these are the generations of the sons of Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth: and unto them were sons born after the flood.

“I” Hebrew H589 · used in 13 verses

  • Genesis 9:12 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:
  • 1 Samuel 25:24 And fell at his feet, and said, Upon me, my lord, upon me let this iniquity be: and let thine handmaid, I pray thee, speak in thine audience, and hear the words of thine handmaid.
  • Psalms 73:28 But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord GOD, that I may declare all thy works.

“behold” Hebrew H2009 · used in 16 verses

  • Genesis 1:29 And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.
  • Genesis 50:5 My father made me swear, saying, Lo, I die: in my grave which I have digged for me in the land of Canaan, there shalt thou bury me. Now therefore let me go up, I pray thee, and bury my father, and I will come again.
  • 1 Chronicles 11:25 Behold, he was honourable among the thirty, but attained not to the first three: and David set him over his guard.

“die” Hebrew H1478 · used in 23 verses

  • Genesis 7:21 And all flesh died that moved upon the earth, both of fowl, and of cattle, and of beast, and of every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth, and every man:
  • Numbers 20:3 And the people chode with Moses, and spake, saying, Would God that we had died when our brethren died before the LORD!
  • Job 27:5 God forbid that I should justify you: till I die I will not remove mine integrity from me.