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Commentary on Genesis 8 verses 20–22
Here is, I. Noah's thankful acknowledgment of God's favour to him, in completing the mercy of his deliverance, Gen 8:20. 1. He built an altar. Hitherto he had done nothing without particular instructions and commands from God. He had a particular call into the ark, and another out of it; but, altars and sacrifices being already of divine institution for religious worship, he did not stay for a particular command thus to express his thankfulness. Those that have received mercy from God should be forward in returning thanks, and do it not of constraint, but willingly. God is pleased with free-will offerings, and praises that wait for him. Noah was now turned out into a cold and desolate world, where, one would have thought, his first care would have been to build a house for himself; but, behold, he begins with an altar for God: God, that is the first, must be first served; and he begins well that begins with God. 2. He offered a sacrifice upon his altar, of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl - one, the odd seventh that we read of, Gen 7:2, Gen 7:3. Here observe, (1.) He offered only those that were clean; for it is not enough that we sacrifice, but we must sacrifice that which God appoints, according to the law of sacrifice, and not a corrupt thing. (2.) Though his stock of cattle was so small, and that rescued from ruin at so great an expense of care and pains, yet he did not grudge to give God his dues out of it. He might have said, "Have I but seven sheep to begin the world with, and must one of these seven be killed and burnt for sacrifice? Were it not better to defer it till we have greater plenty?" No, to prove the sincerity of his love and gratitude, he cheerfully gives the seventh to his God, as an acknowledgment that all was his, and owing to him. Serving God with our little is the way to make it more; and we must never think that wasted with which God is honoured. (3.) See here the antiquity of religion: the first thing we find done in the new world was an act of worship, Jer 6:16. We are now to express our thankfulness, not by burnt-offerings, but by the sacrifices of praise and the sacrifices of righteousness, by pious devotions and a pious conversation.
II. God's gracious acceptance of Noah's thankfulness. It was a settled rule in the patriarchal age: If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? Noah was so. For,
1.God was well pleased with the performance, Gen 8:21. He smelt a sweet savour, or, as it is in the Hebrew, a savour of rest, from it. As, when he had made the world at first on the seventh day, he rested and was refreshed, so, now that he had new-made it, in the sacrifice of the seventh he rested. He was well pleased with Noah's pious zeal, and these hopeful beginnings of the new world, as men are with fragrant and agreeable smells; though his offering was small it was according to his ability, and God accepted it. Having caused his anger to rest upon the world of sinners, he here caused his love to rest upon this little remnant of believers.
2.Hereupon, he took up a resolution never to drown the world again. Herein he had an eye, not so much to Noah's sacrifice as to Christ's sacrifice of himself, which was typified and represented by it, and which was indeed an offering of a sweet-smelling savour, Eph 5:2. Good security is here given, and that which may be relied upon,
(1.)That this judgment should never be repeated. Noah might think, "To what purpose should the world be repaired, when, in all probability, for the wickedness of it, it will quickly be in like manner ruined again?" "No," says God, "it never shall." It was said (Gen 6:6), It repented the Lord that he had made man; now here he speaks as if it repented him that he had destroyed man: neither means a change of his mind, but both a change of his way. It repented him concerning his servants, Deu 32:36. Two ways this resolve is expressed: - [1.] I will not again curse the ground, Heb. I will not add to curse the ground any more. God had cursed the ground upon the first entrance of sin (Gen 3:17), when he drowned it he added to that curse; but now he determines not to add to it any more. [2.] Neither will I again smite any more every living thing; that is, it was determined that whatever ruin God might bring upon particular persons, or families, or countries, he would never again destroy the whole world till the day shall come when time shall be no more. But the reason of this resolve is very surprising, for it seems the same in effect with the reason given for the destruction of the world: Because the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth, Gen 6:5. But there is this difference - there it is said, The imagination of man's heart is evil continually, that is, "his actual transgressions continually cry against him;" here it is said, It is evil from his youth or childhood. It is bred in the bone; he brought it into the world with him; he was shapen and conceived in it. Now, one would think it should follow, "Therefore that guilty race shall be wholly extinguished, and I will make a full end." No, "Therefore I will no more take this severe method; for," First, "He is rather to be pitied, for it is all the effect of sin dwelling in him; and it is but what might be expected from such a degenerate race: he is called a transgressor from the womb, and therefore it is not strange that he deals so very treacherously," Isa 48:8. Thus God remembers that he is flesh, corrupt and sinful, Psa 78:39. Secondly, "He will be utterly ruined; for, if he be dealt with according to his deserts, one flood must succeed another till all be destroyed." See here, 1. That outward judgments, though they may terrify and restrain men, yet cannot of themselves sanctify and renew them; the grace of God must work with those judgments. Man's nature was as sinful after the deluge as it had been before. 2. That God's goodness takes occasion from man's sinfulness to magnify itself the more; his reasons of mercy are all drawn from himself, not from any thing in us.
(2.)That the course of nature should never be discontinued (Gen 8:22): "While the earth remaineth, and man upon it, there shall be summer and winter (not all winter as had been this last year), day and night," not all night, as probably it was while the rain was descending. Here, [1.] It is plainly intimated that this earth is not to remain always; it, and all the works in it, must shortly be burnt up; and we look for new heavens and a new earth, when all these things must be dissolved. But, [2.] As long as it does remain God's providence will carefully preserve the regular succession of times and seasons, and cause each to know its place. To this we owe it that the world stands, and the wheel of nature keeps it track. See here how changeable the times are and yet how unchangeable. First, The course of nature always changing. As it is with the times, so it is with the events of time, they are subject to vicissitudes - day and night, summer and winter, counterchanged. In heaven and hell it is not so, but on earth God hath set the one over against the other. Secondly, Yet never changed. It is constant in this inconstancy. These seasons have never ceased, nor shall cease, while the sun continued such a steady measurer of time and the moon such a faithful witness in heaven. This is God's covenant of the day and of the night, the stability of which is mentioned for the confirming of our faith in the covenant of grace, which is no less inviolable, Jer 33:20, Jer 33:21. We see God's promises to the creatures made good, and thence may infer that his promises to all believers shall be so.
“The Lord smelled” not the smell of the flesh or the smoke of wood, but rather he looked out and saw the simplicity of heart with which Noah offered the sacrifice from all and on behalf of all. And his Lord spoke to him, as he desired that Noah hear, “Because of your righteousness, a remnant was preserved and did not perish in that flood that took place. And because of your sacrifice that was from all flesh and on behalf of all flesh, I will never again bring a flood upon the earth.” God thus bound himself beforehand by this promise so that even if mankind were constantly to follow the evil thought of their inclination, he would never again bring a flood upon them.
Now let us consider more carefully what He says: And the Lord God said: Considering, I will not add to curse the earth on account of the works of men; because the heart of man remains diligently upon evil from his youth (Genesis 8:21). Therefore, He would not strike the whole earth again, as He did, all the days of the earth. Although He had sought revenge on the human race, yet He knew that the revenge of the law profits for fear, and the knowledge of doctrine, more than for a change in nature, which can be corrected in some, but cannot be changed in all. Therefore, the Lord took vengeance so that we might fear; He spared us so that we might be saved. And He took vengeance once as an example of fear, but spared us for the rest so that the bitterness of sin may not always rule over us, and also because if anyone desires to avenge sins more frequently, they are considered harsher rather than more lenient. Therefore, the Lord says: I will no longer add to curse the earth because of the works of men, that is, because He wanted to declare His mercy towards all mankind, and yet He should not have brought a certain security and negligence to human minds; He takes vengeance on a few, but reserves more.
The Scripture says, “And the Lord smelled a sweet odor,” that is, he accepted the offerings. But do not imagine that God has nostrils, since God is invisible spirit. Yet what is carried up from the altar is the odor and smoke from burning bodies, and nothing is more malodorous than such a savor. But that you may learn that God attends to the intention of the one offering the sacrifice and then accepts or rejects it, Scripture calls the odor and smoke a sweet savor.
"And the Lord smelled a sweet savor, and He said to him: I will never again curse the ground because of humans." It was appropriate that, as a holy man and providing for future things, just as Abel consecrated the first age of the world by offering sacrifices to God, Noah would also consecrate the beginning of the second world age. This same act is remembered to have been done by Abraham and Melchizedek at the beginning of the third age, and by King David, a patriarch of the fourth age, on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite. Jesus, the high priest, and Zerubbabel, at the beginning of the fifth age, are also said to have done this upon restoring the altar which the Chaldeans had destroyed. All these prefigured the highest King and our true High Priest, who dedicated the entirety of the sixth age, indeed the beginning of the sixth age, to God with the sacrifice of His own body and blood on the altar of the holy cross. What is said, that the Lord smelled a sweet odor from Noah’s offering, does not signify the fragrance that could delight human nostrils coming from burning sacrifices. It refers instead to the odor of virtues, which coming from the purest heart of the offerer, ascends to the sight of Divine Majesty. This is the kind of scent that Isaac, the patriarch, smelled in his son Jacob when he said: "See, the scent of my son is like the scent of a field that the Lord has blessed" (Genesis 27:27), and of which the Apostle says: "We are the pleasing aroma of Christ to God" (2 Corinthians 2:15). In mystical interpretations, it is appropriate that Noah offers a sacrifice after the flood, because this is the order of our consecration in Christ: first, we are washed in the fountain of life, and then we are refreshed at the sacred altar with the offering of the Lord. Hence the Apostle says: "But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified" (1 Corinthians 6:11). Washed in baptism, sanctified by the saving sacrifice, justified by good works. In the burnt offerings which were offered to the Lord from clean animals after the flood, holy martyrs can also be particularly prefigured. These, after the baptismal washing, maintained the purity of life and even shed their blood for the Lord. Burnt offerings, known as holocausts, were consumed entirely by fire and were the sacrifices of which nothing was consumed by the offerers. This name fittingly applies to martyrs, who merit to glorify God not only in their lives but also in their deaths. The altar on which these holocausts are offered is the heart of the elect, built by our Noah, Christ, and infused with the fire of His Spirit, which He sent to earth and wished vehemently to be kindled. There are many holocausts but one altar, because the heart and soul of the multitude of believers were one, without any separation; as the Apostle says: "Endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace" (Ephesians 4:3). Burnt offerings are offered from all the clean animals and birds, symbolizing believers from every nation, every kind of people, from every age, who have attained the palm of martyrdom. If there is believed to be any distinction between clean animals and clean birds, the animals offered in burnt offerings represent those who from the common life of the people of God became martyrs; the birds symbolize those who, accustomed to frequently seeking heavenly things through flights of contemplation, were additionally crowned by a precious death. Thus, clean and unclean animals and birds exit the ark cleansed by the flood, but only clean ones are offered in sacrifice to the Lord. Believers emerge from the baptismal laver with the forgiveness of sins, but many of them return to the filth of sins afterward. Some persevere firmly in the cleanliness of life received until the end. Some tend so meticulously to the cleanliness once obtained that they even lay down their lives for its preservation. Since clean animals and birds entered the ark by sevens, it is evident that holocausts offered to the Lord came from these paired survivors. It is fitting that birds and animals in the seventh number are deputed as offerings to the Lord, symbolizing the grace of the sevenfold Spirit, by whose gift, believers are given not only the faith in the Lord but also the endurance to suffer for Him. Rightly, in animals and birds found in the seventh number and made holocausts, the glory of virgins can also be signified. Virginity, being an unequal number in that it prefers a celibate life free from marital union, offers itself as a holocaust to the Lord, consecrated perfectly to the Creator through the fire of supreme love. Of these, John says in Revelation: "These are those who did not defile themselves with women; they are virgins. They follow the Lamb wherever He goes. These were redeemed from among men, firstfruits to God and the Lamb" (Revelation 14:4). When Noah offers holocausts, the Lord smells a sweet savor, because God the Father graciously accepts both the passion of blessed martyrs and the virginal life of believers consecrated and offered through the grace of Christ.
And he said to him: "I will no longer curse the ground because of man; for the intent and thought of the human heart are prone to evil from their youth. Therefore, I will never again strike down every living being as I have done." The Lord promises not to curse the earth again, nor strike every living being, because humans are so prone to sin that even if they were punished again by a flood, nonetheless, after it has passed, they would again involve themselves in vices and crimes. It should be noted that although the intent of the human heart is said to be prone to evil from youth, from which time the incentives of carnal desires are naturally generated in us, it does not follow that we first begin to be subject to sins from the time of puberty, though from then the wantonness of age prompts us to commit greater deeds. For there is also that divine sentence which says: "A heavy yoke is upon the children of Adam from the day they come forth from their mother's womb" (Sirach 40:1), referring to the yoke of the first transgression, because of which we are all conceived in iniquities and born in sins, although from the onset of youth we willingly add many more to those burdens with which we involuntarily came into this light due to the guilt inherited from our father; from all of which we are only freed by the grace of God through Jesus Christ. Therefore, He says, "I will never again strike down every living being as I have done; but the extent of this promise of mercy He manifests by adding:
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SUMMARY
Following the devastating global flood, Genesis 8:21 records a profound divine declaration. As Noah offers a sacrifice of thanksgiving and worship, the LORD receives it as a pleasing aroma and resolves within His heart never again to curse the ground or destroy all living creatures in the manner of the flood. This pivotal promise is made not based on any perceived improvement in humanity, but remarkably, despite God's explicit acknowledgment that "the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth," signaling a new era of divine forbearance and stable interaction with creation.
CONTEXT
Literary Context: Genesis 8:21 stands as a crucial turning point in the post-flood narrative. It immediately follows Noah's disembarkation from the ark and his spontaneous act of worship, building an altar and offering burnt sacrifices of every clean animal and bird (Genesis 8:20). This act of worship, offered in gratitude and reverence, elicits God's internal resolve. The verse then sets the theological stage for the formal Noahic Covenant detailed in the subsequent chapter, where God publicly articulates the promise first conceived in His heart here. It marks a transition from a period of judgment and destruction to one of divine patience and the establishment of a stable natural order.
Historical & Cultural Context: In the ancient Near East, sacrifices were a common means of communicating with deities, expressing gratitude, seeking favor, or atoning for sin. The "sweet savour" or "pleasing aroma" was a widely understood concept, signifying divine acceptance of an offering. Such offerings often followed significant events, like deliverance from danger or the establishment of a new order. The narrative here reflects a pre-Mosaic understanding of worship, where a patriarch like Noah could directly approach God through sacrifice. The context is also one of a world freshly reset by a cataclysmic flood, yet the human condition, as God observes, remains fundamentally unchanged in its inclination toward evil, necessitating a new divine approach to interaction with creation.
Key Themes: This verse powerfully contributes to several overarching themes in Genesis and the broader biblical narrative. It highlights the theme of divine grace and forbearance, demonstrating God's decision to preserve creation despite humanity's persistent sinfulness, a stark contrast to the preceding judgment of the flood. It also underscores the pervasive nature of human depravity, revealing that even after a global cleansing, the "imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth," a truth echoed throughout Scripture regarding the human condition (Jeremiah 17:9). Furthermore, it lays the foundation for covenant, as God's internal promise here serves as the precursor to the Noahic Covenant, establishing a stable relationship between God, humanity, and creation. Finally, it speaks to the theme of acceptable worship, showing that acts of devotion, like Noah's sacrifice, can be pleasing to God and evoke a divine response.
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
The verse employs several significant literary devices. Anthropomorphism is evident in "the LORD smelled a sweet savour" and "the LORD said in his heart," attributing human senses and internal thought processes to God to make His actions and intentions comprehensible to human understanding. This conveys God's acceptance and deliberate decision. A profound Paradox or Divine Irony is present in the reasoning for God's promise: He commits to not destroying the earth because humanity's heart is still evil. This highlights the radical nature of God's grace, choosing long-suffering and preservation despite ongoing human depravity, rather than continued judgment. The phrase "from his youth" functions as a Hyperbole or Emphasis, stressing the pervasive and innate nature of human sinfulness, implying it is present from the earliest stages of life.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Genesis 8:21 is a foundational text revealing God's character and His ongoing relationship with creation. It profoundly articulates that divine grace is not contingent upon human merit or reform, but flows from God's sovereign will and steadfast patience. Even after a catastrophic judgment intended to cleanse the earth, God acknowledges the persistent, inherent depravity of the human heart, yet chooses a path of preservation rather than repeated destruction. This decision forms the bedrock for the stability of the natural world and sets the stage for God's covenantal relationship with humanity, demonstrating His commitment to sustain life despite humanity's fallen nature. It is a testament to God's enduring faithfulness and His determination to work out His purposes through grace.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Genesis 8:21 offers profound insights for believers today, inviting us to reflect on the depth of God's character and the reality of our own. First, it confronts us with the sobering truth of human depravity: that the "imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth." This should humble us, driving us to recognize our inherent need for divine intervention and transformation, rather than relying on self-improvement or external cleansing. Second, and most gloriously, it reveals the boundless and unmerited grace of God. Despite His perfect knowledge of our persistent sinfulness, God chooses patience, preservation, and covenant over repeated judgment. This should fill us with awe and gratitude, fostering deep trust in His steadfast love and faithfulness. It reminds us that our hope is not in our own goodness, but in His unchanging character. Finally, Noah's acceptable sacrifice points to the importance of worship that is pleasing to God—worship born of gratitude and reverence—which can open new chapters in our relationship with Him, even amidst a fallen world.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Why did God say this "in his heart" and not aloud to Noah?
Answer: The phrase "said in his heart" (Hebrew: ʼâmar bᵉlibbô) indicates a divine resolve or a settled internal decision within God's own being. It signifies a foundational truth about God's character and plan that precedes any outward declaration or covenant. It emphasizes that this promise stems from God's inherent nature and sovereign will, not as a direct response to Noah's immediate request or understanding. While the formal covenant would be declared publicly in Genesis 9, this internal deliberation reveals the deep, unchanging commitment of God's heart.
How can God promise not to curse the ground because man's heart is evil? Isn't that counterintuitive?
Answer: This statement highlights God's radical grace and forbearance, which indeed appears counterintuitive from a human perspective. One might expect continued judgment for persistent evil. However, God's reasoning here reveals a profound theological truth: He knows humanity's inherent and unchanging sinfulness. Rather than repeatedly destroying the world to "fix" a problem that lies deep within the human heart, He chooses a path of enduring patience and covenant. His promise is not based on humanity's merit or improvement, but on His own steadfast character and commitment to preserve creation despite human depravity. This sets the stage for a different kind of divine intervention—one focused on redemption rather than mere judgment—foreshadowing the ultimate solution to sin.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Genesis 8:21, while a testament to God's grace and a foundational promise for creation's stability, finds its ultimate and most profound fulfillment in Jesus Christ. Noah's sacrifice, acceptable to God and leading to a promise of preservation, serves as a powerful type foreshadowing Christ's perfect and ultimate sacrifice. While Noah's offering secured a temporary reprieve and a covenant of natural stability, it could not change the fundamental problem of the "evil imagination of man's heart." This deep-seated human depravity, acknowledged by God in Genesis 8:21, is precisely what necessitated the coming of Christ. Only through Jesus' atoning work on the cross is the root problem of human sin truly addressed, offering not just a preservation of physical life but spiritual regeneration and a new covenant (Hebrews 8:6-13) that transforms the heart from within. Christ is the one who fully secures God's grace, not merely restraining judgment but providing redemption and the promise of eternal life, establishing a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17) where righteousness dwells and humanity's heart can be made new (Ezekiel 36:26).