Yes — the Bible says the pre-flood earth was filled with violence and murder, so much so that God declared the end of all flesh.
Scripture states that "the earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence" (Genesis 6:11), and God told Noah, "the end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them" (Genesis 6:13). Les Feldick teaches that the epitome of that corruption was murder — running rampant, with no law, government, or capital punishment to deter it. God's remedy was to destroy the entire earth with a flood, sparing only Noah and his family.
Genesis 6:11 — The verse directly answers the question: the pre-flood earth was "filled with violence," showing that murderous violence had become the defining condition of that civilization.
Genesis 6:13 — God's own summary of why He would destroy the pre-flood world: "the earth is filled with violence through them."
The Bible states plainly that the pre-flood earth had become corrupt before God and filled with violence: "The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence" (Genesis 6:11). God told 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" (Genesis 6:13). Scripture does not list every murder in that civilization; instead, it characterizes the whole pre-flood world as a place where violence filled the earth. The Bible also shows how seriously God regarded the shedding of man's blood. After the flood He declared, "And surely your blood of your lives will I require; at the hand of every beast will I require it, and at the hand of man; at the hand of every man's brother will I require the life of man" (Genesis 9:5). He then commanded, "Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man" (Genesis 9:6).
Les Feldick teaches that the pre-flood civilization "had just gotten totally corrupt, but the epitome of that corruption is violence or murder." He says that murder was "running rampant" and was so prevalent that "nobody knew how much of a life they could live until their life would be snuffed out" (Clips 2, 3, 5). Les also comments that today's world is "getting closer and closer to those sort of things" (Clip 5). Les's explanation for the epidemic of killing is the complete absence of restraint. He says the pre-flood world had "no civil law per se, no government to maintain law and order, and no system of worship to really maintain a relationship with God," so that "by the time you get to Genesis chapter 6, the earth is filled with violence. It's corrupt. It's rotten to the core" (Clips 4, 6). With no capital punishment and no law against these things, "violence had filled the earth... simply because there was no deterrent" (Clip 6). Les also points out that this advanced, productive civilization — with a tremendous standard of living and technology — was nevertheless morally and spiritually corrupt and "driven by the very forces of Satan" (Clips 0, 3). Les closes the loop with Genesis 9. After the flood, God gave man responsibility "to keep the human race from killing each other, as they had just been doing" by instituting human government and capital punishment (Clips 1, 6). Les insists that capital punishment is a legitimate deterrent — "no one can tell me that capital punishment is not a legitimate deterrent to murder or to major crime" — and observes that murder rates rise where it is outlawed (Clip 7).
Les Feldick's answer is that the pre-flood world had no deterrent. There was "no civil law per se, no government to maintain law and order, and no system of worship to really maintain a relationship with God" (Clip 4). With no capital punishment — "there was no law against these things" — violence filled the earth (Clip 6). The population had experienced a tremendous increase, yet with no law and no government, the result was the violence described in Genesis 6 (Clip 1). God's remedy was not more laws but the flood; afterward, He instituted human government and the death penalty for murder (Clips 1, 6).
God's response is recorded in Genesis 6:13: "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." Les says God saw only one remedy — to "just utterly destroy them" (Clip 4). The judgment extended beyond the people; God destroyed the planet itself, including "the whole surface of the earth" (Clip 3). Even so, grace was evident: God saved eight souls — Noah, his three sons, and their wives (Clip 4).
Immediately after the flood, God addressed murder head-on: "Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man" (Genesis 9:6). Les explains that God gave man responsibility "to keep the human race from killing each other, as they had just been doing," because pre-flood violence had filled the earth "simply because there was no deterrent" (Clip 6). By instituting human government and capital punishment, God established a deterrent, and Les insists it works: "no one can tell me that capital punishment is not a legitimate deterrent to murder or to major crime" (Clip 7).
Les describes the pre-flood civilization as one with "a tremendous standard of living" and impressive technology, yet one that had "become so corrupt, they'd become so wicked, they'd become so violent. Murder was just running rampant" (Clip 3). He teaches that this kinetic civilization was "driven by the very forces of Satan," who promotes human achievement as long as it keeps men's eyes and hearts from God (Clip 0). The result was a society whose total corruption found its epitome in violence and murder (Clip 2).
Satan's Influence on the Pre-Flood Civilization
Les teaches that the advanced pre-flood (kinetic) civilization was driven by the forces of Satan, who promotes human achievement to keep men's eyes and hearts from God — the context for its moral and spiritual collapse.
No Law or Government Before the Flood
Les contrasts the pre-flood world — which had no law and no government, yet a tremendous increase in population — with the post-flood institution of capital punishment in Genesis 9:5–6 for those who kill.
Violence and Murder as the Epitome of Corruption
Les states that the pre-flood society had become totally corrupt, and the epitome of that corruption was violence or murder.
Murder Running Rampant and God's Judgment
Les says murder was running rampant in a society of tremendous standard of living and technology, and quotes Genesis 6:13 — God declares the end of all flesh because the earth was filled with violence.
No Civil Law Leading to a Rotten Core
Les teaches that with no civil law, no government, and no worship system, by Genesis 6 the earth was filled with violence, corrupt to the core, and God's only remedy was to destroy it — though He saved eight souls.
Murder So Prevalent No One Knew Their Lifespan
Les emphasizes the extreme prevalence of murder before the flood — nobody knew how long they would live before their life would be snuffed out — and comments that today's world is getting closer to the same condition.
No Deterrent, Then Human Government Instituted
Les explains that pre-flood violence filled the earth because there was no capital punishment or law against killing, so after the flood God instituted human government to keep people from killing one another.
Capital Punishment as the Deterrent
Les argues that capital punishment is a legitimate deterrent to murder and major crime, citing Genesis 9:6 and observing that murder rates rise where it is outlawed.
Genesis 6:11: The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.
This is the Bible's direct statement that violence filled the entire pre-flood earth, answering the question of murder's prevalence.
Genesis 6:13: 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.
God's own explanation that the earth's violence was the reason for the flood judgment — the end of all flesh had come.
Genesis 9:5: And surely your blood of your lives will I require; at the hand of every beast will I require it, and at the hand of man; at the hand of every man's brother will I require the life of man.
After the flood, God required the life of any man who took another man's life — showing how seriously He views murder.
Genesis 9:6: Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man.
God institutes capital punishment for murder because man is made in God's image — the post-flood remedy for pre-flood violence.
Yes. Genesis 6:11 says "the earth was filled with violence," and God told Noah in Genesis 6:13 that the end of all flesh had come "for the earth is filled with violence through them." Les Feldick calls murder the epitome of the pre-flood corruption.
Les Feldick teaches that the pre-flood world had no civil law, no government to maintain law and order, and no capital punishment. Without a deterrent, killing went unchecked and the earth filled with violence.
God destroyed the whole pre-flood world with a flood, sparing only Noah, his three sons, and their wives. Afterward He instituted human government and the death penalty for murder (Genesis 9:5–6).
Yes. Les says "no one can tell me that capital punishment is not a legitimate deterrent to murder or to major crime," and points out that when governments outlaw it, murder rates rise.
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