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BibleStudyIt Genesis 6

  • Genesis Chapter 6

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6 People began to grow in number all over the earth. They gave birth to daughters. 2 The sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful. They chose for themselves any of them that they wanted to become their wives. [ a ]

3 The Lord said, ‘My Spirit will not give life to humans for ever. One day they will die. I will not let them live for more than 120 years. Then they will die.’

4 The Nephilites lived on the earth at that time, and for some time after that. During that time, the sons of God were having sex with the daughters of men, who gave birth to their children. The Nephilites were famous great men and fighters.

5 The Lord saw that men and women on the earth had become very bad. They thought only of evil things all the time. 6 The Lord was sorry that he had made humans and put them on the earth. He became very upset. 7 So the Lord said, ‘I made humans, but now I will destroy them. I will completely take them off the earth. As well as human people, I will also destroy the animals, the living things that move on the ground, and the birds. I am sorry that I made them.’

8 But as for Noah, the Lord was happy about him. [ b ]

God saves Noah

9 This is the report about Noah and his family.

Noah was a good man. He was the only person at that time who lived in a completely right way. He stayed near to God in his life. 10 Noah became the father of Shem, Ham and Japheth.

11 God saw that everything on the earth had become spoiled. Everywhere, people were attacking each other. 12 God saw how much the earth had become spoiled. Everyone was doing bad things. 13 God said to Noah, ‘I will destroy everyone. That is what I have decided to do. Everywhere on the earth, people are attacking each other. Now I will destroy the people and also the earth. 14 So make a ship for yourself. Use wood from cypress trees to make it. [ c ] The ship must have rooms in it. Cover the inside and the outside of the ship with tar. [ d ]

15 This is how you will build the ship: It must be 150 metres long, 25 metres wide and 15 metres high.

16 Make a roof for the ship. Leave a space 45 centimetres high all round under the roof. Put a door in the side of the ship. Inside the ship, make three floors above each other.

17 I will cover the earth with deep water. I will destroy all living things, wherever they live. Everything that breathes will die. 18 But I will make a covenant with you, Noah. You will go into the ship. You will take your wife with you, and also your three sons and their wives. 19 You must also take two of every different kind of animal into the ship. One will be male and the other will be female. Then they will stay alive with you. 20 Bring two of every different kind of bird, two of every different animal and two of every different living thing that moves along the ground. All these will come to you. You will take care of them so that they will stay alive. 21 You must also take every different kind of food. That will be food for you and food for the animals.’

22 Noah obeyed God. He did everything that God had told him to do.

Footnotes

  1. 6:2 We do not know who ‘the sons of God’ were. They may have been men on the earth who trusted God. They may have been men who belonged to God in heaven, like angels. The ‘daughters of men’ were women who lived on the earth.
  2. 6:8 Men and women turned against God. God felt very sad. Noah was different from the other people on the earth at that time. God was happy with him. The next verses tell us why God was happy about Noah.
  3. 6:14 Cypress trees are trees with hard wood.
  4. 6:14 Tar stops water coming into the ship.

People Become Evil

6 The number of people on earth continued to increase. When these people had daughters, the sons of God saw how beautiful they were. So they chose the women they wanted. They married them, and the women had their children.

Then the Lord said, “People are only human. I will not let my Spirit be troubled by them forever. I will let them live only 120 years.” [ a ]

During this time and also later, the Nephilim people lived in the land. They have been famous as powerful soldiers since ancient times.

5 The Lord saw that the people on the earth were very evil. He saw that they thought only about evil things all the time. 6 The Lord was sorry that he had made people on the earth. It made him very sad in his heart. 7 So the Lord said, “I will destroy all the people I created on the earth. I will destroy every person and every animal and everything that crawls on the earth. And I will destroy all the birds in the air, because I am sorry that I have made them.”

8 But Noah pleased the Lord .

Noah and the Great Flood

9 This is the history of Noah’s family. He was a good man all his life, and he always followed God. 10 Noah had three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

11-12 When God looked at the earth, he saw that people had ruined it. Violence was everywhere, and it had ruined their life on earth.

13 So God said to Noah, “Everyone has filled the earth with anger and violence. So I will destroy all living things. I will remove them from the earth. 14 Use cypress wood [ b ] and build a boat for yourself. Make rooms in the boat and cover it with tar inside and out.

15 “This is the size I want you to make the boat: 300 cubits [ c ] long, 50 cubits [ d ] wide, and 30 cubits [ e ] high. 16 Make a window for the boat about 1 cubit [ f ] below the roof. [ g ] Put a door in the side of the boat. Make three floors in the boat: a top deck, a middle deck, and a lower deck.

17 “Understand what I am telling you. I will bring a great flood of water on the earth. I will destroy all living things that live under heaven. Everything on the earth will die. 18 I will make a special agreement with you. You, your wife, your sons, and their wives will all go into the boat. 19 Also, you will take two of every living thing on the earth with you into the boat. Take a male and female of every kind of animal so that they might survive with you. 20 Two of every kind of bird, animal, and creeping thing will come to you so that you might keep them alive. 21 Also bring every kind of food into the boat, for you and for the animals.”

22 Noah did everything God commanded him.

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 6:1 People … 120 years Or “The spirit from me will not live in people forever, because they are flesh. They will live only 120 years.” Or “My Spirit will not judge people forever, because they will all die in 120 years.”
  2. Genesis 6:14 cypress wood In Hebrew, “gopher timbers.” It is uncertain what kind of wood this is. It might be a kind of tree or squared timbers.
  3. Genesis 6:15 300 cubits 437' 1/8" (133 m) if this was the short cubit or 510' 1 13/16" (155.5 m) if it was the long cubit.
  4. Genesis 6:15 50 cubits 72' 10" (22.2 m) if this was the short cubit or 85' 5/16" (25.92 m) if it was the long cubit.
  5. Genesis 6:15 30 cubits 43' 8 7/16" (13.3 m) if this was the short cubit or 51' 3/16" (15.55 m) if it was the long cubit.
  6. Genesis 6:16 1 cubit 17 1/2" (44.4 cm) if this was the short cubit or 20 5/8" (51.83 cm) if it was the long cubit.
  7. Genesis 6:16 Make a window … below the roof Or “Make an opening for the boat about 18 inches tall.”

6 And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them,

2 That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose.

3 And the Lord said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.

4 There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown.

5 And God 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.

6 And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.

7 And the Lord said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them.

8 But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord .

9 These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God.

10 And Noah begat three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

11 The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.

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

13 And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.

14 Make thee an ark of gopher wood; rooms shalt thou make in the ark, and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch.

15 And this is the fashion which thou shalt make it of: The length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits, the breadth of it fifty cubits, and the height of it thirty cubits.

16 A window shalt thou make to the ark, and in a cubit shalt thou finish it above; and the door of the ark shalt thou set in the side thereof; with lower, second, and third stories shalt thou make it.

17 And, behold, I, even I, do bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, from under heaven; and every thing that is in the earth shall die.

18 But with thee will I establish my covenant; and thou shalt come into the ark, thou, and thy sons, and thy wife, and thy sons' wives with thee.

19 And of every living thing of all flesh, two of every sort shalt thou bring into the ark, to keep them alive with thee; they shall be male and female.

20 Of fowls after their kind, and of cattle after their kind, of every creeping thing of the earth after his kind, two of every sort shall come unto thee, to keep them alive.

21 And take thou unto thee of all food that is eaten, and thou shalt gather it to thee; and it shall be for food for thee, and for them.

22 Thus did Noah; according to all that God commanded him, so did he.

The Corruption of Mankind

6 Now it came about, when mankind 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 mankind were [ a ] beautiful; and they took wives for themselves, whomever they chose. 3 Then the Lord said, “ ( A ) My Spirit will not [ b ] remain with man forever, [ c ] ( B ) because he is also flesh; [ d ] nevertheless his days shall be 120 years.” 4 The [ e ] ( C ) Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of mankind, 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 mankind was great on the earth, and that ( D ) every intent of the thoughts of [ f ] their hearts was only evil continually. 6 So ( E ) the Lord was sorry that He had made mankind on the earth, and He was ( F ) grieved [ g ] in His heart. 7 Then the Lord said, “ ( G ) I will wipe out mankind whom I have created from the face of the land; mankind, and animals as well, and crawling things, and the birds of the sky. For ( H ) I am sorry that I have made them.” 8 But ( I ) Noah ( J ) found favor in the eyes of the Lord .

9 These are the records of the generations of Noah. Noah was a ( K ) righteous man, [ h ] ( L ) blameless in his generation. Noah ( M ) walked with God. 10 And Noah fathered three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

11 Now the earth was ( N ) corrupt in the sight of God, and the earth was ( O ) filled with violence. 12 And God looked on the earth, and behold, it was corrupt; for [ i ] ( P ) humanity had corrupted its way upon the earth.

13 Then God said to Noah, “ ( Q ) The end of [ j ] humanity has come before Me; for the earth is filled with violence because of [ k ] people; and behold, I am about to destroy them with the earth. 14 Make for yourself an ark of [ l ] gopher wood; you shall make the ark with compartments, and [ m ] cover it inside and out with pitch. 15 This is how you shall make it: the length of the ark shall be [ n ] three hundred cubits, its width fifty cubits, and its height thirty cubits. 16 You shall make a [ o ] window for the ark, and finish it to a [ p ] cubit from [ q ] the top; and put the door of the ark on the side; you shall make it with lower, second, and third decks. 17 Now behold, ( R ) I Myself am bringing the flood of water upon the earth, to destroy all flesh in which there is the breath of life, from under heaven; everything that is on the earth shall perish. 18 But I will establish ( S ) My covenant with you; and ( T ) you shall enter the ark—you, your sons, your wife, and your sons’ wives with you. 19 ( U ) And of every living thing of all flesh, you shall bring two of every kind into the ark, to keep them alive with you; they shall be male and female. 20 ( V ) Of the birds according to their kind, and of the animals according to their kind, of every crawling thing of the ground according to its kind, two of every kind will come to you to keep them alive. 21 As for you, take for yourself some of every ( W ) food that is edible, and gather it to yourself; and it shall be food for you and them.” 22 ( X ) So Noah did these things ; according to everything that God had commanded him, so he did.

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 6:2 Lit good
  2. Genesis 6:3 Or rule in ; or strive with ; meaning uncertain
  3. Genesis 6:3 Or in his going astray he is flesh
  4. Genesis 6:3 Or therefore
  5. Genesis 6:4 Lit fallen ones ; LXX giants
  6. Genesis 6:5 Lit his heart
  7. Genesis 6:6 Lit to
  8. Genesis 6:9 Lit complete, perfect ; or having integrity
  9. Genesis 6:12 Lit all flesh
  10. Genesis 6:13 Lit all flesh
  11. Genesis 6:13 Lit them
  12. Genesis 6:14 I.e., Unknown species of tree
  13. Genesis 6:14 Or pitch
  14. Genesis 6:15 About 450 ft. long, 75 ft. wide, and 45 ft. high or 135 m, 23 m, and 14 m
  15. Genesis 6:16 Or roof
  16. Genesis 6:16 One cubit is about 18 in. or 45 cm
  17. Genesis 6:16 Lit above

Wickedness in the World

6 When human beings began to increase in number on the earth ( A ) and daughters were born to them, 2 the sons of God ( B ) saw that the daughters ( C ) of humans were beautiful, ( D ) and they married ( E ) any of them they chose. 3 Then the Lord said, “My Spirit ( F ) will not contend with [ a ] humans forever, ( G ) for they are mortal [ b ] ; ( H ) their days will be a hundred and twenty years.”

4 The Nephilim ( I ) were on the earth in those days—and also afterward—when the sons of God went to the daughters of humans ( J ) and had children by them. They were the heroes of old, men of renown. ( K )

5 The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, ( L ) and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time. ( M ) 6 The Lord regretted ( N ) that he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was deeply troubled. 7 So the Lord said, “I will wipe from the face of the earth ( O ) the human race I have created—and with them the animals, the birds and the creatures that move along the ground—for I regret that I have made them. ( P ) 8 But Noah ( Q ) found favor in the eyes of the Lord . ( R )

Noah and the Flood

9 This is the account ( S ) of Noah and his family.

Noah was a righteous man, blameless ( T ) among the people of his time, ( U ) and he walked faithfully with God. ( V ) 10 Noah had three sons: Shem, ( W ) Ham and Japheth. ( X )

11 Now the earth was corrupt ( Y ) in God’s sight and was full of violence. ( Z ) 12 God saw how corrupt ( AA ) the earth had become, for all the people on earth had corrupted their ways. ( AB ) 13 So God said to Noah, “I am going to put an end to all people, for the earth is filled with violence because of them. I am surely going to destroy ( AC ) both them and the earth. ( AD ) 14 So make yourself an ark of cypress [ c ] wood; ( AE ) make rooms in it and coat it with pitch ( AF ) inside and out. 15 This is how you are to build it: The ark is to be three hundred cubits long, fifty cubits wide and thirty cubits high. [ d ] 16 Make a roof for it, leaving below the roof an opening one cubit [ e ] high all around. [ f ] Put a door in the side of the ark and make lower, middle and upper decks. 17 I am going to bring floodwaters ( AG ) on the earth to destroy all life under the heavens, every creature that has the breath of life in it. Everything on earth will perish. ( AH ) 18 But I will establish my covenant with you, ( AI ) and you will enter the ark ( AJ ) —you and your sons and your wife and your sons’ wives with you. 19 You are to bring into the ark two of all living creatures, male and female, to keep them alive with you. ( AK ) 20 Two ( AL ) of every kind of bird, of every kind of animal and of every kind ( AM ) of creature that moves along the ground will come to you to be kept alive. ( AN ) 21 You are to take every kind of food that is to be eaten and store it away as food for you and for them.”

22 Noah did everything just as God commanded him. ( AO )

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 6:3 Or My spirit will not remain in
  2. Genesis 6:3 Or corrupt
  3. Genesis 6:14 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.
  4. Genesis 6:15 That is, about 450 feet long, 75 feet wide and 45 feet high or about 135 meters long, 23 meters wide and 14 meters high
  5. Genesis 6:16 That is, about 18 inches or about 45 centimeters
  6. Genesis 6:16 The meaning of the Hebrew for this clause is uncertain.