And the LORD smelled a sweet savour; and the LORD said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man’s sake; for the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done.
And the LORD smelled the sweet aroma, and the LORD said to himself, 'I will never again curse the ground because of people, even though the thoughts of the human heart are evil from childhood. And I will never again destroy every living thing as I have done.'
God is promising that despite humanity's tendency toward evil, He will never again destroy the earth and all living things like He did with the flood.
📚 Historical Context
In the story of Noah, after the great flood subsides and the ark comes to rest, Noah builds an altar and offers sacrifices from the clean animals he had preserved. God is pleased with this offering, which is described as a "sweet savour," and in response, He reflects on the inherent evil in human nature from youth. This leads God to make a covenant promise not to curse the ground or destroy all living things again in the same way.
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