Genesis 6
Summary for Gen 6:1-8: 6:1-8 a 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 b).Summary for Gen 6:1-2: 6:1-2 c The sons of God have generally been understood as fallen angels (cp. the same Hebrew phrase in Job 1:6 d; 2:1 e; 38:7 f; Pss 29:1 g; 89:7 h). 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 i; 2 Pet 2:4 j; Jude 1:6-7 k). 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 l but is weakened by the language of 6:1-2 m, 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 n) to a new height of wickedness by seizing the daughters of the righteous. Language reminiscent of 3:6 o (saw ... took) shows the rebellious nature of this act.
6:3 p will not put up with: Many think that this is an announcement of God’s decision to withdraw the restraining influence of his Spirit from human society and allow human wickedness to run its full course. Others think it means that God would withdraw his life-giving breath from humans at an earlier age (ruakh, the Hebrew term for “spirit,” can also mean “breath”; see 6:17 q; 7:22 r; see also Ps 104:29-30 s).
• normal lifespan will be no more than 120 years (literally his days will be 120 years): It is possible that this was a new restriction on the number of years individuals would generally be allowed to live (so the NLT). However, for generations after the flood, humans lived well beyond 120 years (see, e.g., Gen 11:10-26 t). An alternative interpretation sees this as a 120-year grace period before the arrival of the flood (see Jon 3:4 u; Matt 24:37-38 v; 1 Pet 3:20 w; 2 Pet 2:5 x).
6:4 y giant Nephilites (Hebrew nepilim): The term may mean “fallen ones.” The context implies that they were the offspring of the “sons of God” and would be destroyed in the flood. Numbers 13:31-33 z uses the same term to describe other giants who were hostile toward God’s people and would also be destroyed (see also Deut 2:11 aa, which connects the Anakite nepilim with another group called the repa’im).
6:5 ab everything they thought or imagined (literally every intention of the thoughts of their hearts): In the Old Testament, the heart is the core of volition, thought, and morality (see Prov 4:23 ac). Wicked actions stem from a corrupt inner life.
• consistently and totally evil: Strong language captures the pervasiveness, depth, and persistence of human wickedness. Human nature continued to be corrupt even after the flood (see Gen 8:21 ad).
6:6 ae the Lord was sorry: The extent of human wickedness made the Lord regret having created them (see also 6:7 af; cp. 1 Sam 15:11 ag, 35 ah).
• It broke his heart: The evil in humanity’s heart (Gen 6:5 ai) pained God greatly. Sending the flood was a heart-wrenching act on God’s part.
6:7 aj wipe ... from the ... earth: As Adam and Eve were banished from the garden-sanctuary (3:23 ak), all of humankind would be expunged from God’s good creation.
• every living thing: Human sin had so corrupted the earth that judgment fell on the animals and birds over which they had dominion (see 1:28 al and study note). The special role of humans in the created order (1:28-30 am) means that nature is affected by human moral choices (see 8:1 an; Job 38:41 ao; Hos 4:3 ap; Rom 8:19-22 aq).
6:8 ar Noah and his godly life stand in stark contrast to the sinfulness of the rest of the people.
6:9 as the account: See study note on 2:4
• a righteous man, the only blameless person: The text does not claim that Noah was without sin (see Rom 5:12-14 at). Noah’s righteousness and blamelessness came about because he walked in close fellowship with God. See also Gen 7:1 au; 17:1 av; Heb 11:7 aw.
Summary for Gen 6:11-13: 6:11-13 ax See 6:5-7 ay.
• violence (Hebrew khamas): Murder had especially corrupted the line of Cain (4:8 az, 23-24 ba).
6:14 bb The large boat (traditionally rendered ark) was a long rectangular barge designed for survival, not for navigation. The Hebrew word tebah is used again only of the basket in which the baby Moses was floated on the Nile (Exod 2:3 bc, 5 bd).
• cypress wood: It is not clear what kind of wood this was. It was possibly from a conifer, such as cypress.
6:15 be This floating barge displaced around 43,300 tons of water.
6:16 bf An 18-inch opening below the roof encircled the boat, providing light and air.
• Noah was to build a door and God would close it (7:16 bg). God was the captain of this peculiar boat with no sail or rudder. God also brought the animals to Noah (6:20 bh).
6:17 bi cover the earth with a flood: Some propose that the flood might only have covered the ancient Near East as it was known to Noah or Moses. However, the flood’s stated purpose—to destroy every living thing that breathes (see also 6:7 bj, 11-13 bk; 7:1 bl, 4 bm, 18-23 bn; 8:21 bo)—and its effect of undoing creation (see study notes on 1:9-10; 7:11-12) suggest that the flood covered the entire planet (see also 1 Pet 3:20 bp; 2 Pet 2:5 bq; 3:6 br).
6:18 bs This first explicit mention of a covenant in the Bible refers to the unilateral pact that God made with humankind and the world after the flood (see 9:9 bt, 11 bu, 14-17 bv).
Summary for Gen 6:19-20: 6:19-20 bw God’s instructions to Noah repeat the language of creation (every kind, cp. 1:24 bx).
• a male and a female: These animals would procreate and repopulate the earth after the flood.
Genesis 7
7:2 by of each animal I have approved: In addition to the animals that were to repopulate the earth, these “clean” animals were for food and for Noah’s sacrifice after the flood (8:20-21 bz). This passage does not use the precise technical language that is found in the regulations concerning “clean” and “unclean” given to Israel at Sinai (see Lev 11 ca; Deut 14:3-12 cb), but the underlying concept is the same (perhaps God revealed it directly to Noah).7:4 cc The number forty is often associated with affliction, trial, or punishment (see Exod 16:35 cd; Judg 13:1 ce; 1 Kgs 19:8 cf; Ezek 4:6 cg; Jon 3:4 ch; Matt 4:2 ci; Acts 1:3 cj).
7:6 ck covered the earth: See study note on 6:17.
7:8 cl See study note on 7:2.
Summary for Gen 7:11-12: 7:11-12 cm on the seventeenth day of the second month: Such information gives the flood account a certain solemnity; it reminds readers that this was a true historical event.
• underground waters: See 2:6 cn.
• rain fell: The flood undid the boundaries established on the second and third days of creation (1:6-13 co). Elsewhere, the Bible describes God’s judgment as an undoing of creation (see Jer 4:23-26 cp; Amos 7:4 cq).
• forty days and forty nights: See study note on 7:4.
7:16 cr the Lord closed the door: The sovereign Judge took responsibility for the annihilation of all outside the boat and the protection of those within (see also 6:16 cs and study note).
7:17 ct floodwaters grew deeper (literally waters multiplied): The same word used for the proliferation of humans and animals during creation (see 1:22 cu, 28 cv) is now used ironically of the water that would annihilate them.
• covering the ground: The Hebrew word translated “ground” or “earth” is mentioned eight times in eight verses (7:17-24 cw). The earth is the domain that humankind had polluted and that was now the object of a cleansing deluge.
7:22 cx Everything that ... lived: See study note on 6:17.
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