17 And, behold, H2009 I, H589 even I, do bring H935 a flood H3999 of waters H4325 upon the earth, H776 to destroy H7843 all flesh, H1320 wherein is the breath H7307 of life, H2416 from under H8478 heaven; H8064 and every thing H3605 that is in the earth H776 shall die. H1478
And all flesh H1320 died H1478 that moved H7430 upon the earth, H776 both of fowl, H5775 and of cattle, H929 and of beast, H2416 and of every creeping thing H8318 that creepeth H8317 upon the earth, H776 and every man: H120 All in whose nostrils H639 was the breath H5397 H7307 of life, H2416 of all that was in the dry H2724 land, died. H4191 And every living substance H3351 was destroyed H4229 which was upon the face H6440 of the ground, H127 both man, H120 and cattle, H929 and the creeping things, H7431 and the fowl H5775 of the heaven; H8064 and they were destroyed H4229 from the earth: H776 and Noah H5146 only H389 remained H7604 alive, and they that H834 were with him in the ark. H8392
For G1063 the creature G2937 was made subject G5293 to vanity, G3153 not G3756 willingly, G1635 but G235 by reason G1223 of him who hath subjected G5293 the same in G1909 hope, G1680 Because G3754 the creature G2937 itself G846 also G2532 shall be delivered G1659 from G575 the bondage G1397 of corruption G5356 into G1519 the glorious G1391 liberty G1657 of the children G5043 of God. G2316 For G1063 we know G1492 that G3754 the whole G3956 creation G2937 groaneth G4959 and G2532 travaileth in pain together G4944 until G891 now. G3568
Wherefore, G1223 G5124 as G5618 by G1223 one G1520 man G444 sin G266 entered G1525 into G1519 the world, G2889 and G2532 death G2288 by G1223 sin; G266 and G2532 so G3779 death G2288 passed G1330 upon G1519 all G3956 men, G444 for G1909 that G3739 all G3956 have sinned: G264 (For G1063 until G891 the law G3551 sin G266 was G2258 in G1722 the world: G2889 but G1161 sin G266 is G1677 not G3756 imputed G1677 when there is G5607 no G3361 law. G3551 Nevertheless G235 death G2288 reigned G936 from G575 Adam G76 to G3360 Moses, G3475 even G2532 over G1909 them that had G264 not G3361 sinned G264 after G1909 the similitude G3667 of Adam's G76 transgression, G3847 who G3739 is G2076 the figure G5179 of him that was to come. G3195
The floods H5104 have lifted up, H5375 O LORD, H3068 the floods H5104 have lifted up H5375 their voice; H6963 the floods H5104 lift up H5375 their waves. H1796 The LORD H3068 on high H4791 is mightier H117 than the noise H6963 of many H7227 waters, H4325 yea, than the mighty H117 waves H4867 of the sea. H3220
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Genesis 6
Commentary on Genesis 6 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 6
Ge 6:1-22. Wickedness of the World.
2. the sons of God saw the daughters of men—By the former is meant the family of Seth, who were professedly religious; by the latter, the descendants of apostate Cain. Mixed marriages between parties of opposite principles and practice were necessarily sources of extensive corruption. The women, religious themselves, would as wives and mothers exert an influence fatal to the existence of religion in their household, and consequently the people of that later age sank to the lowest depravity.
3. flesh—utterly, hopelessly debased.
And the Lord said, My spirit shall not always strive—Christ, as God, had by His Spirit inspiring Enoch, Noah, and perhaps other prophets (1Pe 3:20; 2Pe 2:5; Jude 14), preached repentance to the antediluvians; but they were incorrigible.
yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years—It is probable that the corruption of the world, which had now reached its height, had been long and gradually increasing, and this idea receives support from the long respite granted.
4. giants—The term in Hebrew implies not so much the idea of great stature as of reckless ferocity, impious and daring characters, who spread devastation and carnage far and wide.
5, 6. God saw it … repented … grieved—God cannot change (Mal 3:6; Jas 1:17); but, by language suited to our nature and experience, He is described as about to alter His visible procedure towards mankind—from being merciful and long-suffering, He was about to show Himself a God of judgment; and, as that impious race had filled up the measure of their iniquities, He was about to introduce a terrible display of His justice (Ec 8:11).
8. But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord—favor. What an awful state of things when only one man or one family of piety and virtue was now existing among the professed sons of God!
9. Noah … just … and perfect—not absolutely; for since the fall of Adam no man has been free from sin except Jesus Christ. But as living by faith he was just (Ga 3:2; Heb 11:7) and perfect—that is, sincere in his desire to do God's will.
11. the earth was filled with violence—In the absence of any well-regulated government it is easy to imagine what evils would arise. Men did what was right in their own eyes, and, having no fear of God, destruction and misery were in their ways.
13. And God said unto Noah—How startling must have been the announcement of the threatened destruction! There was no outward indication of it. The course of nature and experience seemed against the probability of its occurrence. The public opinion of mankind would ridicule it. The whole world would be ranged against him. Yet, persuaded the communication was from God, through faith (Heb 11:7), he set about preparing the means for preserving himself and family from the impending calamity.
14. Make thee an ark—ark, a hollow chest (Ex 2:3).
gopher wood—probably cypress, remarkable for its durability and abounding on the Armenian mountains.
rooms—cabins or small cells.
pitch it within and without—mineral pitch, asphalt, naphtha, or some bituminous substance, which, when smeared over and become hardened, would make it perfectly watertight.
15. And this is the fashion—According to the description, the ark was not a ship, but an immense house in form and structure like the houses in the East, designed not to sail, but only to float. Assuming the cubit to be 21.888 inches, the ark would be five hundred forty-seven feet long, ninety-one feet two inches wide, and forty-seven feet two inches high.
16. A window—probably a skylight, formed of some transparent substance unknown.
in a cubit shalt thou finish it above—a direction to raise the roof in the middle, seemingly to form a gentle slope for letting the water run off.
17-22. And, behold, I, even I, do bring a flood—The repetition of the announcement was to establish its certainty (Ge 41:32). Whatever opinion may be entertained as to the operation of natural laws and agencies in the deluge, it was brought on the world by God as a punishment for the enormous wickedness of its inhabitants.
18. But with thee will I establish my covenant—a special promise of deliverance, called a covenant, to convince him of the confidence to be reposed in it. The substance and terms of this covenant are related at Ge 6:19-21.
22. Thus did Noah—He began without delay to prepare the colossal fabric, and in every step of his progress faithfully followed the divine directions he had received.