Genesis 6:6 Commentary and Bible Study

‘God repented.’ This is put in human language so we can understand it. Of course, in a strict sense, God never repents. God is perfect. He knows what he is doing. He never changes his minds or starts something which he later regrets and realises was a mistake. ‘It repented the Lord,’ – not in the sense that human beings regret a decision, but it is an insight into the anguish of God. The flood that follows did not come as an afterthought to God; he always knew he would send it, but to convey to us something of the feelings of God, the Scripture puts this in terms that we can understand. If this had been a man reacting to a similar situation, and if a great project he had undertaken had come to be seen as a cause of terrible heartache and sorrow, that man would now regret that he had ever started the project.‘It grieved him at his heart.’ For believers to live in the company of those who are hateful, and cruel, who are incapable of ever saying a pleasant word, or hiding their hostility, is difficult. But we do not see the full extent of their wickedness. That is found in their hearts which are hidden from us. But God sees it all, and it grieves him. God communicates his grief to us at the horror of this situation: man was created in the image of God, capable of loving his Creator and his fellow man. He was created to enjoy the most tender feelings of kindness and sensitivity, of goodness and faithfulness, and yet here he was, transformed into a monster. What terrible damage had been done to the image of God!