Gen 8:20–21: the altar, the soothing smell, "never again"
Says וַיִּבֶן נֹחַ מִזְבֵּחַ לַיהוָה, "and Noah built an altar to the Lord," and took מִכֹּל הַבְּהֵמָה הַטְּהוֹרָה וּמִכֹּל הָעוֹף הַטָּהֹר, "of every clean beast and of every clean bird" (BDB "ceremonially clean, of animals"), וַיַּעַל עֹלֹת, "and offered up burnt offerings."
Says וַיָּרַח יְהוָה אֶת־רֵיחַ הַנִּיחֹחַ, "and the Lord smelled the soothing smell": BDB glosses the noun "a quieting, soothing, tranquillizing," used "of sacrifices acceptable to" the Lord. וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָה אֶל־לִבּוֹ, "and the Lord said to His heart" ("said in His heart," BSB): לֹא־אֹסִף לְקַלֵּל עוֹד אֶת־הָאֲדָמָה, "I will not again curse the ground," a Piel of qalal (BDB), not the verb 'arar of 3:17; כִּי יֵצֶר לֵב הָאָדָם רַע מִנְּעֻרָיו, "for the inclination of man's heart is evil from his youth," without the "every" of 6:5; וְלֹא־אֹסִף עוֹד לְהַכּוֹת אֶת־כָּל־חַי, "and I will not again strike every living thing."
Implies The Lord accepts Noah's offering and resolves to preserve, though the human heart is what it was before the flood: the words of 6:5 recur here, so the promise rests on the Lord's resolve, not on a changed humanity.
Uncertain (1) כִּי: "for," giving the reason for restraint, or "though" ("even though," BSB). (2) Whether "curse the ground" looks back to 3:17 or to the flood. (3) "Smelled": accommodated language, or the sacrificial idiom of acceptance. No lean is taken here.
Claims
- SaysNoah built an altar to the Lord and offered burnt offerings of every clean beast and bird.
- SaysThe Lord smelled the soothing smell (BDB) and said to His heart: not again curse the ground (Piel of qalal, not 'arar), though the heart is evil from youth (no "every"), not again strike every living thing.
- ImpliesThe Lord accepts the offering and resolves to preserve; the heart is unchanged (6:5 wording), so the promise rests on the Lord's resolve.
- UncertainKi "for" or "though"; "curse the ground" and 3:17 or the flood; "smelled" as accommodated language or the idiom of acceptance; no lean.
Citations
- OSHB CC BY 4.0 Gen 8:20–21 (WLC/OSHB; morph HTd/Aafsa, HC/Vhw3ms, HC/Vhw3ms, HTd/Ncmsa, HR/Vpc, HC, HR/Vhc)
- BDB CC BY 4.0 BDB 1906, p. 373 (leaf n396, archive.org hebrewenglishlex00browuoft), s.v. H2889 "ceremonially clean, of animals"; checked against the printed page (scan)
- BDB CC BY 4.0 BDB 1906, p. 629 (leaf n652, archive.org hebrewenglishlex00browuoft), s.v. H5207 "a quieting, soothing, tranquillizing"; checked against the printed page (scan)
- BDB CC BY 4.0 BDB 1906, p. 926 (leaf n949, archive.org hebrewenglishlex00browuoft), s.v. H7306 "smell, perceive odour"; checked against the printed page (scan)
- BDB CC BY 4.0 BDB 1906, p. 886 (leaf n909, archive.org hebrewenglishlex00browuoft), s.v. H7043 "be slight, of water, be abated"; checked against the printed page (scan)
- BSB public domain Gen 8:21
2026-11-11
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