Genesis 6:3-13

3 Then the Lord said, ¹“My Spirit shall not abide in^[a] man forever, ²for he is flesh: his days shall be 120 years. ”

4 The Nephilim^[b] 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 ³The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every ⁴intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

6 And ⁵the Lord regretted that he had made man on the earth, and it ⁶grieved 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 ⁷found favor in the eyes of the Lord.

Noah and the Flood

9 These are the generations of Noah. ⁸Noah was a righteous man, ⁹blameless in his generation. Noah ¹⁰walked 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 ¹¹saw the earth, and behold, it was corrupt, ¹²for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth.

13 And God said to Noah, ¹³“I have determined to make an end of all flesh, ^[c] for the earth is filled with violence through them. Behold, I will destroy them with the earth.

Genesis 6:3-13 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. 6:3 1 Pet. 3:19, 20; [Neh. 9:30; Gal. 5:16, 17]
• 2. 6:3 Ps. 78:39
• 3. 6:5 Ps. 14:2, 3
• 4. 6:5 ch. 8:21; Job 14:4; 15:14; Ps. 51:5; Jer. 17:9; Matt. 15:19; Rom. 3:23
• 5. 6:6 1 Sam. 15:11; 2 Sam. 24:16; Joel 2:13; [Num. 23:19; 1 Sam. 15:29]
• 6. 6:6 Isa. 63:10; Eph. 4:30
• 7. 6:8 ch. 19:19; Ex. 33:12, 13, 16, 17
• 8. 6:9 ch. 7:1; Ezek. 14:14, 20; 2 Pet. 2:5
• 9. 6:9 Job 1:1, 8; Luke 1:6
• 10. 6:9 ch. 5:22, 24; [Heb. 11:7]
• 11. 6:12 Ps. 14:2, 3; 53:2, 3
• 12. 6:12 Job 22:15-17
• 13. 6:13 Ezek. 7:2, 3, 6

Footnotes

• [a] 6:3 Or 'My Spirit shall not contend with'
• [b] 6:4 Or 'giants'
• [c] 6:13 Hebrew 'The end of all flesh has come before me'