Question: In Genesis 8:21 it says “For the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth” This sentence is conflicting to me. If we are truly made in G-d’s image, than how is it that we are pre-destined to have evil thoughts when we know He is all good?
Answer:Â If the phrase that bothers you (“For the heart of man is evil from his youth”) indeed meant “Because the heart…” then it would be every bit as troubling as you suggest. However, the Hebrew word in question (“kee”) is used in the Bible in any one of four ways: as “because” “if” “that” and “rather”.
Now, if our example does mean “because” (or, in other words, if the reason for God’s relenting and refusing to punish mankind any more is because “the heart of man…”) then the verse’s structure is simply incorrect as “the heart of man…” should have followed “I will never again hit…” rather than preceded it.
In addition, reading it this way would bring us to the barely intelligible need to ascribe to God the feeling “I henceforth give up on humans, so the very evil which brought them to the flood will now assure their freedom and success!” What kind of God is that?
Actually, as Rabbi S.R. Hirsch observes, the phrase should be read “even if the heart of man is evil” then “I will never again hit…” – it isn’t an observation that all human hearts are evil, but a guarantee that this type of punishment will never again be used no matter how low men *might* fall.
With my very best wishes,
Rabbi Boruch Clinton