Corruption on the Earth
The sons of God have generally been understood...
The sons of God have generally been understood as fallen angels (cp. the same Hebrew phrase in Job 1:6; 2:1; 38:7; Pss 29:1; 89:7). This interpretation is prominent in ancient Jewish and Christian literature (e.g., 1 Enoch 6:1–7:6; Justin Martyr, Apology 2.5) and is apparently supported by the New Testament (see 1 Pet 3:18–20; 2 Pet 2:4; Jude 1:6–7). Some interpreters do not believe that God would permit angels to procreate with humans and doubt that the above New Testament texts should be read in this way. Another possibility is that sons of God refers to the righteous descendants of Seth, while the beautiful women were female descendants of Cain’s wicked line. This interpretation is in harmony with Gen 4:17–5:32 but is weakened by the language of 6:1–2, which seems to refer to the daughters of humanity in general, not the daughters of Cain specifically. Others believe that sons of God refers to tyrannical human kings (possibly demon-possessed) who took Lamech’s polygamy (4:19) to a new height of wickedness by seizing the daughters of the righteous. Language reminiscent of 3:6 (saw . . . took) shows the rebellious nature of this act.
Human wickedness reached a climax, prompting God to...
Human wickedness reached a climax, prompting God to send the flood to destroy all living things. A glimmer of hope appears in God’s favor toward Noah (6:8).
1Now when men began to multiply on the face of the earth and daughters were born to them, 2the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful, and they took as wives whomever they chose.
3So the LORD said, “My Spirit will not contend with man forever,† for he is mortal; his days shall be 120 years.”
4The Nephilim were on the earth in those days—and afterward as well—when the sons of God had relations with the daughters of men. And they bore them children who became the mighty men of old, men of renown.
5Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great upon the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was altogether evil all the time. 6And the LORD regretted that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. 7So the LORD said, “I will blot out man, whom I have created, from the face of the earth—every man and beast and crawling creature and bird of the air—for I am grieved that I have made them.”
Noah’s Favor with God
8Noah, however, found favor in the eyes of the LORD.
9This is the account of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation; Noah walked with God. 10And Noah had three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
See Genesis 6:5–7. violence: The Hebrew word here...
See Genesis 6:5–7.
violence: The Hebrew word here is khamas. Murder had greatly corrupted Cain's descendants (4:8, 23–24).
See Genesis 6:5–7.
violence: The Hebrew word here is khamas. Murder had greatly corrupted Cain's descendants (4:8, 23–24).
11Now the earth was corrupt in the sight of God, and full of violence. 12And God looked upon the earth and saw that it was corrupt; for all living creatures† on the earth had corrupted their ways.
Preparing the Ark
13Then God said to Noah, “The end of all living creatures has come before Me, because through them the earth is full of violence. Now behold, I will destroy both them and the earth.
14Make for yourself an ark of gopher wood;† make rooms in the ark and coat it with pitch inside and out. 15And this is how you are to build it: The ark is to be 300 cubits long, 50 cubits wide, and 30 cubits high.† 16You are to make a roof† for the ark, finish its walls a cubit from the top,† place a door in the side of the ark, and build lower, middle, and upper decks.
17And behold, I will bring floodwaters upon the earth to destroy every creature under the heavens that has the breath of life. Everything on the earth will perish. 18But I will establish My covenant with you, and you will enter the ark—you and your sons and your wife and your sons’ wives with you.
God’s instructions to Noah repeat the language of...
- God’s instructions to Noah repeat the language of creation (every kind, cp. 1:24).
- a male and a female: These animals would procreate and repopulate the earth after the flood.
19And you are to bring two of every living creature into the ark—male and female—to keep them alive with you. 20Two of every kind of bird and animal and crawling creature will come to you to be kept alive. 21You are also to take for yourself every kind of food that is eaten and gather it as food for yourselves and for the animals.”
22So Noah did everything precisely as God had commanded him.