Genesis 6:5

6:5 But the Lord saw¹ that the wickedness of humankind had become great on the earth. Every inclination² of the thoughts³ of their minds⁴ was only evil⁵ all the time.⁶

Genesis 8:21

8:21 And the Lord smelled the soothing aroma⁷ and said⁸ to himself,⁹ “I will never again curse¹⁰ the ground because of humankind, even though¹¹ the inclination of their minds¹² is evil from childhood on.¹³ I will never again destroy everything that lives, as I have just done.

Deuteronomy 31:21

31:21 Then when¹⁴ many disasters and distresses overcome them¹⁵ this song will testify against them,¹⁶ for their¹⁷ descendants will not forget it.¹⁸ I know the¹⁹ intentions they have in mind²⁰ today, even before I bring them²¹ to the land I have promised.”

Psalms 139:2

139:2 You know when I sit down and when I get up;

even from far away you understand my motives.

Ezekiel 38:10

38:10 “‘This is what the sovereign Lord says: On that day thoughts will come into your mind,²² and you will devise an evil plan.

¹sn The Hebrew verb translated “saw” (רָאָה, ra’ah), used here of God’s evaluation of humankind’s evil deeds, contrasts with God’s evaluation of creative work in Gen 1, when he observed that everything was good.

²tn The noun יֵצֶר (yetser) is related to the verb יָצָר (yatsar, “to form, to fashion [with a design]”). Here it refers to human plans or intentions (see Gen 8:21; 1 Chr 28:9; 29:18). People had taken their God-given capacities and used them to devise evil. The word יֵצֶר (yetser) became a significant theological term in Rabbinic literature for what might be called the sin nature – the evil inclination (see also R. E. Murphy, “Yeser in the Qumran Literature,” Bib 39 [1958]: 334-44).

³tn The related verb הָשָׁב (hashav) means “to think, to devise, to reckon.” The noun (here) refers to thoughts or considerations.

⁴tn Heb “his heart” (referring to collective “humankind”). The Hebrew term לֵב (lev, “heart”) frequently refers to the seat of one’s thoughts (see BDB 524 s.v. לֵב). In contemporary English this is typically referred to as the “mind.”

⁵sn Every inclination of the thoughts of their minds was only evil. There is hardly a stronger statement of the wickedness of the human race than this. Here is the result of falling into the “knowledge of good and evil”: Evil becomes dominant, and the good is ruined by the evil.

⁶tn Heb “all the day.”

⁷tn The Lord “smelled” (וַיָּרַח, vayyarakh) a “soothing smell” (רֵיחַ הַנִּיהֹחַ, reakh hannihoakh). The object forms a cognate accusative with the verb. The language is anthropomorphic. The offering had a sweet aroma that pleased or soothed. The expression in Lev 1 signifies that God accepts the offering with pleasure, and in accepting the offering he accepts the worshiper.

⁸tn Heb “and the Lord said.”

⁹tn Heb “in his heart.”

¹⁰tn Here the Hebrew word translated “curse” is קָלָל (qalal), used in the Piel verbal stem.

¹¹tn The Hebrew particle כִּי (ki) can be used in a concessive sense (see BDB 473 s.v. כִּי), which makes good sense in this context. Its normal causal sense (“for”) does not fit the context here very well.

¹²tn Heb “the inclination of the heart of humankind.”

¹³tn Heb “from his youth.”

¹⁴tn Heb “Then it will come to pass that.”

¹⁵tn Heb “him.” Smr, LXX, and the Targums read the plural “them.” See note on the first occurrence of “they” in v. 16.

¹⁶tn Heb “him.” Smr, LXX, and the Targums read the plural “them.” See note on the first occurrence of “they” in v. 16.

¹⁷tn Heb “his.” Smr, LXX, and the Targums read the plural “their.” See note on the first occurrence of “they” in v. 16.

¹⁸tn Heb “it will not be forgotten from the mouth of his seed.”

¹⁹tn Heb “his.” Smr, LXX, and the Targums read the plural “their.” See note on the first occurrence of “they” in v. 16.

²⁰tn Heb “which he is doing.”

²¹tn Heb “him.” Smr, LXX, and the Targums read the plural “them.” See note on the first occurrence of “they” in v. 16.

²²tn Heb “words will go up upon your heart.”