Now the earth was corrupt: Now translates the Hebrew linking word that in this case helps to show a contrast or opposition between the corrupt earth (human beings) and the good man, Noah. Good News Translation expresses this as “but everyone else was evil in God’s sight,” and Bible en français courant has “but in the eyes of God humanity was corrupt.” In translation this opposition may have to be made very clear, and something like “everyone else” may be required. We may say, for example, “all the rest of the world,” or “all others.” Earth does not mean the physical earth here but rather its inhabitants, that is, human beings, or people. Corrupt translates a passive verb meaning “to be damaged, spoiled, ruined,” and the application to humanity means moral corruption. Human beings are considered as having departed from right or correct conduct and so are following the wrong way. Good News Translation says “was evil” and Biblia Dios Habla Hoy “were full of evil….” In some languages corrupt may be rendered “and everyone else had gone astray” or “all others were doing what they should not do.”

In God’s sight (literally “to the face of”) may also be expressed “in the eyes of God.” This expression is the same in meaning as “God saw” in verse 12, and some translators may wish to express it in that way here. For example, one translation begins this verse with “But God saw the conduct of everyone else that it was very bad….”

And the earth was filled with violence: earth now means the physical world where people live and do their violence. Violence translates a word meaning “injustice, wrong, lawlessness.” The English word “violence” suggests forceful, physical acts and may be too restricted in its meaning in this context. We may translate “everywhere people paid no attention to what was right and wrong” or “people treated others cruelly and unjustly.” One translation has “they were engaged in fighting and arrogant behavior.” Another says in very general terms “their bad conduct.”

The expression was filled with is figurative, and in some languages it is not possible to use this with an abstract noun such as violence. There are a number of different ways of expressing what it conveys; for instance, one translation has “… had covered every place,” and another begins “In every part of the world they….”

Quoted with permission from Reyburn, William D. and Fry, Euan McG. A Handbook on Genesis. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1997. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .