Genesis 6:1-8
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Summary
- The genealogy begun in chapter 5 concludes with a description of world conditions at the end of that time span.
Details
This passage concludes the second historical "eyewitness" account in Genesis. It describes the conditions in the world prior to the Flood - the events that made the Flood necessary.
- The genealogical line that was characterized by godly people began to intermarry with those who were openly wicked, resulting in wicked offspring. Morally speaking, the righteous line was in danger of becoming extinct. (As used here, "righteous" does not necessarily mean "saved." See: Righteousness.)
- Corresponding to this was the rise of evil tyrants ("Nephilim") - this being possible because of the decreasing influence of godly people.
- A righteous God must oppose wickedness (strive with it - v.1) - or destroy it; and the time for destruction was arriving. In an act of undeserved kindness, God gives a 120 year warning.
- The number of truly righteous people (or families) was approaching one: Noah and some members of his family (such as Shem and perhaps Japheth - Genesis 9:26-27).
Scripture
Genesis 6:1-8 - World conditions prior to the Flood
| Scripture Passage | Comments and Links |
| Gen 6:1 It happened, when men began to multiply on the surface of the ground, and daughters were born to them,
Gen 6:2 that God's sons saw that men's daughters were beautiful, and they took for themselves wives of all that they chose. |
What was happening - Intermarriage between the godly and ungodly; multiple wives (a distortion of marriage begun in Cain's line); worldwide apostasy.
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| Gen 6:3 Yahweh said, "My Spirit will not strive with man forever, because he also is flesh; yet will his days be one hundred twenty years." | Warning of judgment - 120 years of opportunity to repent. |
| Gen 6:4 The Nephilim were in the earth in those days, and also after that, when God's sons came in to men's daughters. They bore children to them. Those were the mighty men who were of old, men of renown.
[This is not the best way to translate this verse. Try this: "The Nephilim were in the earth in those days, and also after that, when God's sons came in to men's daughters and had children by them. [The Nephilim] were the mighty men who were of old, men of renown." |
Nephilim existed during this time of apostasy. The text does not claim that these were the offspring of the intermarriages, but that the Nephilim existed at the same time these marriages were occurring (and while the marriages were producing children who did not follow the true God).
These Nephilim were mighty and of renown, but not in a good way. They were leaders, perhaps tyrants, who led the people in rebellion against God. With the godly line becoming "diluted" or extinct, there was no resistance to their control. (The resistance would have to be on a spiritual level, to accomplish anything beneficial.) |
| Gen 6:5 Yahweh saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
Gen 6:6 Yahweh was sorry that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him in his heart. Gen 6:7 Yahweh said, "I will destroy man whom I have created from the surface of the ground; man, along with animals, creeping things, and birds of the sky; for I am sorry that I have made them." |
The reason for the flood: the moral condition of the people - constant evil. (This is God's evaluation. It does not mean that the people recognized themselves as evil. Evil people - then and now - normally don't.)
This is a warning of an impending ecological devastation. This destruction would have immense implications - for the whole environment, as well as for the organisms that would survive. (For instance, the genetic variation within each species would be severely truncated.) |
| Gen 6:8 But Noah found favor in Yahweh's eyes. | This is "Noah vs. the World"! Even some of his offspring (who would also survive the Flood) would prove to be wicked in character.
The next verse (the beginning of another historical account of Flood events) restates the wicked conditions that existed at that time. |
Scripture Passages
(Only books that have relevance to this study have active links. The others are in italics.)
Genesis • Exodus • Leviticus • Numbers • Deuteronomy • Joshua • Judges • Ruth • 1 Samuel • 2 Samuel • 1 Kings • 2 Kings • 1 Chronicles • 2 Chronicles • Ezra • Nehemiah • Esther • Job • Psalms • Proverbs • Ecclesiastes • Song of Solomon • Isaiah • Jeremiah • Lamentations • Ezekiel • Daniel • Hosea • Joel • Amos • Obadiah • Jonah • Micah • Nahum • Habakkuk • Zephaniah • Haggai • Zechariah • Malachi Matthew • Mark • Luke • John • Acts • Romans • 1 Corinthians • 2 Corinthians • Galatians • Ephesians • Philippians • Colossians • 1 Thessalonians • 2 Thessalonians • 1 Timothy • 2 Timothy • Titus • Philemon • Hebrews • James • 1 Peter • 2 Peter • 1 John • 2 John • 3 John • Jude • Revelation |
—— To avoid any copyright issues, all Scripture is either from a public domain translation (such as the World English Bible), my own translation, or a combination of these. ——
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The name "Yahweh," when present in an Old Testament passage, represents the Hebrew name for the God of the Bible.
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Unless otherwise noted, all notes and comments are © by Dennis Hinks.
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