וַיִּנָּ֣חֶם יְהוָ֔ה כִּֽי־עָשָׂ֥ה אֶת־הָֽאָדָ֖ם בָּאָ֑רֶץ וַיִּתְעַצֵּ֖ב אֶל־לִבֹּֽו׃
耶和華因造人在地上感到後悔，心裡憂傷。
耶和华因造人在地上感到后悔，心里忧伤。
Yēhéhuá yīn zàorén zài dìshàng gǎndào hòuhuǐ, xīnlǐ yōushāng.
The LORD regretted making humans on the earth, and it grieved Him in His heart.
1. Vocabulary Breakdown
| Chinese Character | Pinyin | Meaning | Grammar Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| 耶和華 / 耶和华 | Yēhéhuá | The LORD (God) | Proper noun |
| 因 | yīn | Because | Conjunction |
| 造 | zào | To create | Verb |
| 人 | rén | Humans | Noun |
| 在 | zài | On | Preposition |
| 地上 | dìshàng | On the earth | Noun |
| 感到 | gǎndào | To feel | Verb |
| 後悔 / 后悔 | hòuhuǐ | Regret | Verb |
| 心裡 / 心里 | xīnlǐ | In the heart | Noun |
| 憂傷 / 忧伤 | yōushāng | Sorrowful | Adjective |
2. Grammar Explanation
- 因 (yīn): A conjunction indicating cause or reason. Here, it explains the reason for God’s regret.
- 後悔 / 后悔 (hòuhuǐ): “Regret” is used to express God’s lament over humanity’s sinful state.
- 心裡 / 心里 (xīnlǐ): Refers to the inner feelings, emphasizing God’s personal grief.
- 憂傷 / 忧伤 (yōushāng): Indicates deep sorrow, emphasizing the emotional intensity of God’s reaction.
3. Pronunciation Practice
- 耶和華 / 耶和华 (Yēhéhuá): [yē hé huá] – Maintain a steady pitch for the high-level tones.
- 後悔 / 后悔 (hòuhuǐ): [hòu huǐ] – “Hòu” has a falling tone, and “huǐ” also has a falling tone.
- 憂傷 / 忧伤 (yōushāng): [yōu shāng] – “Yōu” has a high-level tone, and “shāng” has a falling tone.
4. Character Learning
- 耶和華 / 耶和华 (Yēhéhuá): The covenant name of God, emphasizing His relationship with humanity.
- 後悔 / 后悔 (hòuhuǐ): A term expressing regret, used here to anthropomorphically describe God’s sorrow.
- 憂傷 / 忧伤 (yōushāng): Indicates deep emotional pain, highlighting the gravity of human sin.
5. Cultural Insights
- Divine Regret: In the Hebrew Bible, God’s regret does not imply a mistake but expresses a profound relational disappointment due to humanity’s moral failure.
- Emotional Language: The use of “regret” and “grief” humanizes God’s response, making it relatable while showing His deep care for creation.
6. Mnemonics for Retention
- 耶和華 / 耶和华 (Yēhéhuá): Think of God as the Creator and sustainer, deeply involved in human affairs.
- 憂傷 / 忧伤 (yōushāng): Imagine a grieving parent to recall God’s sorrow over human disobedience.
7. Comparative Studies
- Comparison with Hebrew: The Hebrew word וַיִּנָּ֣חֶם (regret) and וַיִּתְעַצֵּ֖ב (grieved) both emphasize emotional depth, matching the Chinese terms 後悔 (regret) and 憂傷 (sorrow).
- Comparison with Chinese: Both translations emphasize the intensity of regret and sorrow, underlining the relational nature of the divine response to human actions.
8. Application
This verse encourages reflection on how human actions affect divine intention. It reminds readers to live morally and align with principles of righteousness to avoid causing grief to God. The text also serves as a call to recognize the consequences of collective moral decay, urging communities to strive for justice and repentance.
