Genesis 6 - ESV - Bible Reading / Study Notes

Genesis 6

Increasing Corruption on Earth

6:1 When man began to multiply on the face of the land and daughters were born to them, 2 the sons of God saw that the daughters of man were attractive. And they took as their wives any they chose. 3 Then the LORD said, “My Spirit shall not abide in¹ man forever, for he is flesh: his days shall be 120 years.” 4 The Nephilim² were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of man and they bore children to them. These were the mighty men who were of old, the men of renown.

5 The LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. 6 And the LORD regretted that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart. 7 So the LORD said, “I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens, for I am sorry that I have made them.” 8 But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD.

Noah and the Flood

9 These are the generations of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation. Noah walked with God. 10 And Noah had three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

11 Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight, and the earth was filled with violence. 12 And God saw the earth, and behold, it was corrupt, for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth. 13 And God said to Noah, “I have determined to make an end of all flesh,³ for the earth is filled with violence through them. Behold, I will destroy them with the earth. 14 Make yourself an ark of gopher wood.⁴ Make rooms in the ark, and cover it inside and out with pitch. 15 This is how you are to make it: the length of the ark 300 cubits,⁵ its breadth 50 cubits, and its height 30 cubits. 16 Make a roof⁶ for the ark, and finish it to a cubit above, and set the door of the ark in its side. Make it with lower, second, and third decks. 17 For behold, I will bring a flood of waters upon the earth to destroy all flesh in which is the breath of life under heaven. Everything that is on the earth shall die. 18 But I will establish my covenant with you, and you shall come into the ark, you, your sons, your wife, and your sons’ wives with you. 19 And of every living thing of all flesh, you shall bring two of every sort into the ark to keep them alive with you. They shall be male and female. 20 Of the birds according to their kinds, and of the animals according to their kinds, of every creeping thing of the ground, according to its kind, two of every sort shall come in to you to keep them alive. 21 Also take with you every sort of food that is eaten, and store it up. It shall serve as food for you and for them.” 22 Noah did this; he did all that God commanded him.

Footnotes

[1] 6:3 Or My Spirit shall not contend with
[2] 6:4 Or giants
[3] 6:13 Hebrew The end of all flesh has come before me
[4] 6:14 An unknown kind of tree; transliterated from Hebrew
[5] 6:15 A cubit was about 18 inches or 45 centimeters
[6] 6:16 Or skylight

Commentary

v1: Many men, resulting in much sin. The people multiply, as God commanded, but they live without reference to God. (If each family had 4 children, ie: sons and daughters, the total population would be 1 million after ten generations.)

v2: There are two lines; in Genesis 5:1-29, the sons of God, and in Genesis 4.17-18, the daughters of men. Few trusted in God; the love of many grew cold, their commitment decreased, they judged solely by appearance ("beautiful"), and compromised with evil, and so sin spread. They "chose" without seeking God's mind.

v3: Man's longevity also promoted sin; such that God limited man's life span. We may understand the 120 years in two ways;

human life reduced to 120 years by the time of Moses, and was severely reduced immediately after the flood (chapter 11);
the flood came within 120 years of these words being spoken.

v4: The Nephilim were another group of men.

v5: Widespread sin;

the wickedness of man was great; and
"every inclination ... was only evil all the time"

Man's desires and attitudes and actions are all corrupted; he became "desperately wicked" Jeremiah 17:9.

v6-7: The Lord's response to man, for their sin has become so great. Even animals and birds will be killed with them. (Fish are not to be killed; they are not taken into the ark).

v8: Enoch has gone, and few maintained faith in God. But Noah stands out as a blameless man. We read that Noah found grace (favour). Perhaps we should read it' grace found Noah.

v9-10: Noah is a blameless man, and a family man. Those who maintain that only the unmarried are holy are not correct.

v11-12: Even the earth is described as "corrupt in God's sight. See 2 Peter 3:6; the world that then existed perished; this indicates the depravity into which man had fallen. Through Noah, God warns the people of coming judgment, but the message is rejected and despised.

v13: God spoke to Noah; like Elijah he has to confront wickedness, rather than religious hypocrisy. And, like Elijah, he has to walk godly in such an environment. God reveals His plans to Noah, as in 18:17. God's plan is to destroy the earth, thus restraining sin.

v14-16: The plan of salvation is God's design, not man's invention, and it is the only way to be saved. Thus, the ark pictures the salvation of God in Christ. It is also God's answer to Satan's claim to dominate the earth.

There is salvation and judgment through the flood, and each one has a choice. Man may be judged by the flood; the savour of death to death; of man is saved through the flood; the savour of life to life.

The ark is made of a tree cut down, just as Christ died on a tree. The ark also bore the judgment of God, as Christ did, but those inside are safe; all in Christ are safe.

v17: "All life ... every creature ... everything ... " is destroyed. Noah has this uncomfortable message to deliver.

v18: God's covenant with the saved, the chosen people; Ephesian 1:14; 2 Thess 2:13; they are chosen before they are saved.

v19-20: The salvation of two of each species of animal, to keep each alive, pictures the salvation of men from all nations. For them there is life only in the ark; those who enter will leave; all who are in Christ will remain in Him, Romans 8.29-30. Noah does not have the problem of catching animals, for all will come to him.

v21: Provision for the saved. In Christ, we are not only safe, but properly provided for.

v22: Noah is the man of faith, and that means he obeys God.