Genesis 6:1-13

The Corruption of Mankind

1 Now it came about, when men began to multiply on the face of the land, and daughters were born to them,

2 that the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful; and they took wives for themselves, whomever * they chose.

3 Then the LORD said, "¹My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, ²because he also is flesh; nevertheless his days shall be one hundred and twenty years."

4 The ³Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also afterward *, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of men, and they bore children to them. Those were the mighty men who were of old, men of renown.

5 Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that ⁴every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually *.

6 ⁵The LORD was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was ⁶grieved in His heart.

7 The LORD said, "⁷I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, from man to animals to creeping things and to birds of the sky; for ⁸I am sorry that I have made them."

8 But ⁹Noah ¹⁰found favor in the eyes of the LORD.

9 These are the records of the generations of Noah. Noah was a ¹¹righteous man, ¹²blameless in his time; Noah ¹³walked with God.

10 Noah became the father of three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

11 Now the earth was ¹⁴corrupt in the sight of God, and the earth was ¹⁵filled with violence.

12 God looked on the earth, and behold, it was corrupt; for ¹⁶all flesh had corrupted their way upon the earth.

13 Then God said to Noah, "¹⁷The end of all flesh has come before Me; for the earth is filled with violence because * of them; and behold, I am about to destroy them with the earth.

Genesis 6:1-13 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO GENESIS 6

This chapter gives an account of the wickedness of the old world, both among the profane and the professors of religion, which was taken notice of and resented by God, upon which he determined the destruction of it, Ge 6:1-7 only one man, Noah, is excepted, who found favour with God, and whose character is given, Ge 6:8-10 and to whom was observed by God the general corruption of the earth, Ge 6:11-13 and to whom he gave orders and directions for the building an ark for himself, and his family, being determined to destroy the earth with a flood, and all creatures in it, Ge 6:14-17 only he would preserve him and his wife, his three sons and their wives, and two of every living creature, for which, and for himself and his family, he was to take food into the ark when built, Ge 6:18-21 and the chapter is concluded with observing, that Noah did as he was commanded, Ge 6:22.

Cross References

• 1. Galatians 5:16, 17; 1 Peter 3:20
• 2. Psalms 78:39
• 3. Numbers 13:33
• 4. Genesis 8:21; Psalms 14:1-3; Proverbs 6:18; Matthew 15:19; Romans 1:28-32
• 5. Genesis 6:7; Jeremiah 18:7-10
• 6. Isaiah 63:10; Ephesians 4:30
• 7. Deuteronomy 28:63; Deuteronomy 29:20
• 8. Genesis 6:6; Amos 7:3, 6
• 9. Matthew 24:37; Luke 17:26; 1 Peter 3:20
• 10. Genesis 19:19; Exodus 33:17; Luke 1:30
• 11. Psalms 37:39; 2 Peter 2:5
• 12. Genesis 17:1; Deuteronomy 18:13; Job 1:1
• 13. Genesis 5:24
• 14. Deuteronomy 31:29; Judges 2:19
• 15. Ezekiel 8:17
• 16. Psalms 14:1-3
• 17. Isaiah 34:1-4; Ezekiel 7:2, 3; Amos 8:2; 1 Peter 4:7

Footnotes

• [a] Lit "good"
• [b] Or "rule in;" some ancient versions read "abide in"
• [c] Or "in his going astray he is flesh"
• [d] Or "therefore"
• [e] Lit "to"
• [f] Lit "heavens"
• [g] Lit "complete, perfect;" or "having integrity"
• [h] Lit "generations"
• [i] Lit "begot"