Overview
The Bible addresses depravity of man across 94 verses, drawn from both the Old and New Testaments. These passages cluster most in Romans, Job and Psalms. Closely related themes include Wicked, Man, Sin and Sin (1). Figures whose stories touch this theme include David, Noah, Adam and Moses.
Key Bible verses about depravity of man
Old Testament
Genesis
And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. every: or, the whole imagination: the Hebrew word signifieth not only the imagination, but also the purposes and desires continually: Heb. every day
And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.
And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them. both: Heb. from man unto beast
The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.
And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.
And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth. with the earth: or, from the earth
Job
Shall mortal man be more just than God? shall a man be more pure than his maker?
Behold, he put no trust in his servants; and his angels he charged with folly: and his: or, nor in his angels, in whom he put light
How much less in them that dwell in houses of clay, whose foundation is in the dust, which are crushed before the moth?
I know it is so of a truth: but how should man be just with God? with God: or, before God?
If he will contend with him, he cannot answer him one of a thousand.
If I be wicked, why then labour I in vain?
If I wash myself with snow water, and make my hands never so clean;
Yet shalt thou plunge me in the ditch, and mine own clothes shall abhor me. abhor: or, make me to be abhorred
What is man, that he should be clean? and he which is born of a woman, that he should be righteous?
Behold, he putteth no trust in his saints; yea, the heavens are not clean in his sight.
How much more abominable and filthy is man, which drinketh iniquity like water?
How then can man be justified with God? or how can he be clean that is born of a woman?
Behold even to the moon, and it shineth not; yea, the stars are not pure in his sight.
How much less man, that is a worm? and the son of man, which is a worm?
Psalms
To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.
The LORD looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God.
They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one. filthy: Heb. stinking
To the chief Musician upon Mahalath, Maschil, A Psalm of David. The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. Corrupt are they, and have done abominable iniquity: there is none that doeth good.
God looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, that did seek God.
Every one of them is gone back: they are altogether become filthy; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.
To the chief Musician, Altaschith, Michtam of David. Do ye indeed speak righteousness, O congregation? do ye judge uprightly, O ye sons of men? Altaschith: or, Destroy not, A golden Psalm of David
Yea, in heart ye work wickedness; ye weigh the violence of your hands in the earth.
The wicked are estranged from the womb: they go astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies. as soon: Heb. from the belly
Their poison is like the poison of a serpent: they are like the deaf adder that stoppeth her ear; like the poison: Heb. according to the likeness, etc adder: or, asp
Which will not hearken to the voice of charmers, charming never so wisely. charming: or, be the charmer never so cunning
Isaiah
Why should ye be stricken any more? ye will revolt more and more: the whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint. revolt: Heb. increase revolt
From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment. ointment: or, oil
I the LORD have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles;
To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house.
Ezekiel
Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you.
A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.
The hand of the LORD was upon me, and carried me out in the spirit of the LORD, and set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones,
And caused me to pass by them round about: and, behold, there were very many in the open valley; and, lo, they were very dry. valley: or, champaign
And he said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord GOD, thou knowest.
Micah
The good man is perished out of the earth: and there is none upright among men: they all lie in wait for blood; they hunt every man his brother with a net. good: or, godly, or, merciful
That they may do evil with both hands earnestly, the prince asketh, and the judge asketh for a reward; and the great man, he uttereth his mischievous desire: so they wrap it up. his: Heb. the mischief of his soul
The best of them is as a brier: the most upright is sharper than a thorn hedge: the day of thy watchmen and thy visitation cometh; now shall be their perplexity.
New Testament
Matthew
Mark
For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,
Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: covetousness: Gr. covetousnesses, wickednesses
All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.
John
Romans
What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin; proved: Gr. charged
As it is written There is none righteous, no, not one:
There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.
They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.
Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips:
Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness:
Their feet are swift to shed blood:
Destruction and misery are in their ways:
And the way of peace have they not known:
There is no fear of God before their eyes.
Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. guilty: or, subject to the judgment of God
Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: for that: or, in whom
(For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law.
Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come.
I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.
For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness. from: Gr. to righteousness
Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful.
For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin.
For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I. allow: Gr. know
For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.
For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.
Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.
For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.
For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. to be carnally: Gr. the minding of the flesh to be spiritually: Gr. the minding of the Spirit
Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. the carnal: Gr. the minding of the flesh
So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.
1 Corinthians
2 Corinthians
Galatians
For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.
But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.
Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
Ephesians
And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;
Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. desires: Gr. wills
Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands;
That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:
This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind,
Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart: blindness: or, hardness
Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.
People in the Bible and depravity of man
Biblical figures whose stories intersect with this theme.
In the Bible dictionary
Studying depravity of man for yourself
- Begin with Genesis 6:5, then read the passages below in canonical order.
- Compare how Romans, Job and Psalms each treat the theme.
- Consider the lives of David, Noah and Adam and how their stories intersect with it.
- Widen the study to related themes: Wicked, Man, Sin and Sin (1).
Frequently asked questions
What does the Bible say about depravity of man?
The Bible addresses depravity of man across 94 verses, drawn from both the Old and New Testaments. These passages cluster most in Romans, Job and Psalms. Closely related themes include Wicked, Man, Sin and Sin (1). Figures whose stories touch this theme include David, Noah, Adam and Moses.
How many Bible verses are about depravity of man?
The Bible references depravity of man in 94 verses (King James Version).
Where does the Bible first mention depravity of man?
In canonical order, the first of these passages is Genesis 6:5: “And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. every: or, the whole imagination: the Hebrew word signifieth not only the imagination, but also the purposes and desires continually: Heb. every day”
Which people in the Bible are associated with depravity of man?
David, Noah, Adam and Moses.
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