Genesis 6:1-8

Ancient heroes

1 When the number of people started to increase throughout the fertile land, daughters were born to them.

2 The divine beings saw how beautiful these human women were, so they married the ones they chose.

3 The LORD said, "My breath will not remain in humans forever, because they are flesh. They will live one hundred twenty years."

4 In those days, giants lived on the earth and also afterward, when divine beings and human daughters had sexual relations and gave birth to children. These were the ancient heroes, famous men.

Great flood

5 The LORD saw that humanity had become thoroughly evil on the earth and that every idea their minds thought up was always completely evil.

6 The LORD regretted making human beings on the earth, and he was heartbroken.

7 So the LORD said, "I will wipe off of the land the human race that I've created: from human beings to livestock to the crawling things to the birds in the skies, because I regret I ever made them."

8 But as for Noah, the LORD approved of him.

Genesis 6:1-8 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.

Footnotes

• [a] Or spirit
• [b] Or the Nephilim