smelled the pleasing aroma: The narrator uses anthropomorphic language (he describes God’s activity in human terms) to show God’s acceptance of Noah’s offering (see also Exodus 29:18; Leviticus 1:9; Numbers 15:3). In the ancient Near East, people often believed that their gods ate the sacrifices offered to them. This idea is not found in the Bible.
in his heart: This is the same phrase as in 6:6. In the same way, here every inclination of his heart echoes "every inclination of the thoughts of his heart" (6:5). God’s commitment to a new order replaced his grief over the old.
Never again will I curse … destroy: The old curse remained (5:29), but God promised not to add to it. He set new limits for life in a chaotic world (compare Isaiah 54:9). The flood was meant to stop violence, not to change the human heart (the inner thoughts and desires that lead people to do wrong; Genesis 6:5). Human beings have a tendency toward evil, but this would be limited to some degree by a new law that holds people responsible for their actions (9:5–6).