Author : William Stewart, via lookinguntojesus.net
In our last article, we noticed Nuòyà (諾亞), the man whom we know as Noah. The etymology of his name reveals him to be the second approved (see Genesis 5:24; 6:9) and the second promise (see Genesis 3:15; 5:29).
Noah was distinguished from other people in his generation. The Bible writer tells us,
Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD. This is the genealogy of Noah. Noah was a just man, perfect in his generations. Noah walked with God. (Genesis 6:8-9, NKJV)
Recall, when we considered Cain and Abel, a colossal difference existed between the two brothers. Abel presented himself as a righteous man, bringing a sin offering before the LORD. The Chinese word for RIGHTEOUSNESS (yì, 義) pictures a sacrifice, with a SHEEP (yáng, 羊) covering over ME (wŏ, 我). On the other hand, Cain presented himself as a VIOLENT (xiong, 兇) man. 
Literally, he was the MURDER (xiong, 凶) MAN (ér,儿), for he rose up in anger against his brother and killed him in the field.
As different as these two brothers were, so were Moses and the generation in which he lived. As Genesis 6:8-9 above indicates, he was a righteous man. In contrast, the people that surrounded him are describes in this way:
…the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. (Genesis 6:5, 11, NKJV)
All but Noah walked in WICKEDNESS (è dé, 惡德). Literally rendered, 惡德 means “evil ethics” or “bad morals.” The etymology of 惡 reveals a second (ya, 亞) heart/mind (xīn, 心). Their conduct was not according to the heart which God had given man – they had turned from it to a second heart.
On the right side, we find the word ethics is comprised of five different characters. Chì 彳 (radical 60) is commonly rendered as a step with the left foot. However, look at the base of it, and we will see a person (rén, イ) and perhaps above that, a second person in an abbreviated form. This would seem to indicate that the character may also represent a plurality of people.
As we continue to look at 德 we also see the following words: complete (shí, 十), net (wăng, 罒), one (yī, 一), and heart/mind (xīn, 心). What seems to be described here is not the ethics of a single individual, but of the world as a whole. It conveys the idea that all the people were netted (or caught) in the same heart or mind.
Due to the wickedness of man, God was sorry that He had made man. Genesis 6:6 says,
…the LORD was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. (Genesis 6:6, NKJV)
The KJV says “…it repented the LORD…” A word in the Chinese language for REPENT (chàn, 懺) appears to picture the LORD’s sorrow about man. In
this word, we see the sorrow of God’s heart (xīn, 忄) from the beginning (cóng, 从) of man’s evil (fēi, 非). The worldwide nature of this evil is evident by the use of 一 above and below it. In essence, it pictures the evil between heaven and earth. We also see here how God determined to respond to man’s wickedness. It would bring about punishment, pictured here by a lance/knife (gē, 戈).
Again, another word for REPENT (huǐ, 悔) reveals what God intended to
do because of man’s wickedness. What was in God’s heart (xīn, 忄)? The Genesis account tells us that God would
…destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man and beast, creeping thing and birds of the air … everything that is on the earth shall die. (Genesis 6:7, 17)
This Chinese character agrees. What was on God’s heart? In a single word, everything (měi, 毎). What about everything? The etymology of this word shows that God intended to destroy everything. It literally means not (wú, 毋) one (yī, 一) life (p’ieh, ).
All flesh was CORRUPT (fǔ huà, 腐化). This image shows that the change (huà, 化) by which men were handed over (fù, 付) to corruption was universal (ie. it extended (yǎn, 广) to all flesh (ròu, 肉)). That is the observation made by the Genesis writer:
The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. So God looked upon the earth, and indeed it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth. (Genesis 6:11-12)
Next time, we will consider how God would destroy all flesh because of the wickedness which was upon the earth. We will see the worldwide flood and the ark through which Noah and his family were saved clearly displayed in the Chinese syntax.
Other Resources
Nelson, Ethel R., and C.H. Kang. The Discovery of Genesis: How the Truths of Genesis Were Found Hidden in the Chinese Language. St. Louis, MO : Concordia Publishing House, 1979.
Nelson, Ethel R., Richard E. Broadberry, and Ginger Tong Chock. God’s Promise to the Chinese. Dunlap, TN : Read Books Publishers, 1997.
MDBG Chinese-English Dictionary. usa.mdbg.net/chindict/chindict.php
