Tyndale Open Study NotesGenesis 6

The sons of God have generally been understood as fallen angels (or demons). The main interpretation of the phrase seems to refer to demons. The same Hebrew phrase is in Job 1:6; 2:1; 38:7; Psalms 29:1; 89:7. This idea appears often in ancient Jewish and Christian writings (for example, 1 Enoch 6:1–7:6; Justin Martyr, Apology 2.5). The New Testament also seems to support this view in some passages (see 1 Peter 3:18–20; 2 Peter 2:4; Jude 1:6–7).

Some interpreters argue that God would not allow angels to have children with humans. They doubt that the New Testament texts should be understood in this way.

Another possibility is that the phrase the sons of God refers to the righteous descendants of Seth. The beautiful women would be from Cain's evil line. This matches Genesis 4:17–5:32 but is weakened by the language of 6:1–2. That passage seems to refer to all human daughters, not just Cain's.

Others believe the phrase the sons of God refers to cruel human kings. These kings were possibly influenced by demons. They followed Lamech’s practice of having multiple wives and made it even worse (4:19) by seizing the daughters of righteous people. The language is similar to 3:6 ("saw … took"). It shows the rebellious nature of their actions.

Human wickedness became very great, so God sent the flood to destroy all living things. But there is a sign of hope, because God showed favor to Noah (6:8).

• will not contend with: Many think that this is an announcement of God’s decision to withdraw the restraining influence of his Spirit from human society and allow human wickedness to fully develop. Others think it means God would take away his life-giving breath from humans at an earlier age. The Hebrew word ruakh can mean both "spirit" and "breath"(see 6:17; 7:22; see also Psalm 104:29–30).

• his days shall be 120 years: This might be a new limit on how long people could live. But after the great flood, people lived longer than 120 years (see, for example, Genesis 11:10–26).

  Or, this might refer to a 120-year period of grace before the great flood (see Jonah 3:4; Matthew 24:37–38; 1 Peter 3:20; 2 Peter 2:5).

The Nephilim: This term might mean "fallen ones." The context suggests they were the children of the sons of God and God would destroy them in the great flood. Numbers 13:31–33 uses the same term for other giants who opposed God's people and would also be destroyed. Deuteronomy 2:11 connects the Anakite nephilim with another group called the Rephaim (Hebrew repa’im).

• every inclination of the thoughts of his heart: In the Old Testament, the heart is the center of choice, thought, and morality (see Proverbs 4:23). Wicked actions come from a corrupt inner life.

• altogether evil all the time: Strong language shows how widespread, deep, and persistent human evil is. Humanity remained corrupt even after the great flood (see Genesis 8:21).

• The LORD regretted: Because humans had become so evil, the Lord regretted creating them (see also 6:7; compare 1 Samuel 15:11, 35).

• He was grieved in his heart: The evil in people's hearts caused God great sadness (Genesis 6:5). Sending the flood brought deep grief to God.

• blot out … from the … earth: Just as God expelled Adam and Eve from the garden-sanctuary (3:23), God would remove all humans from his good creation.

• every man and beast and crawling creature and bird of the air: Human sin had so damaged the earth that animals and birds, over which humans had control, faced judgment (see 1:28 and study note). Humans have a special role in creation (1:28–30), so human moral decisions influence creation (see 8:1; Job 38:41; Hosea 4:3; Romans 8:19–22).

Noah lived a godly life, which was very different from the sinful lives of the rest of humanity.

• the account: See study note on 2:4

• a righteous man, blameless in his generation: The text does not say Noah was without sin (see Romans 5:12–14). Noah was righteous and blameless because he had a close relationship with God. See also Genesis 7:1; 17:1; Hebrews 11:7.

• See Genesis 6:5–7.

• violence: The Hebrew word here is khamas. Murder had greatly corrupted Cain's descendants (4:8, 23–24).

• ark: This was a long rectangular boat built for survival, not navigation. The Hebrew word tebah is the same for the basket that carried baby Moses on the Nile River (Exodus 2:3, 5).

• gopher wood: It is not clear what kind of wood this was. It may have come from a conifer (a tree like cypress).

The ark was so large that when it floated, it likely pushed aside about 43,300 tons of water. This is similar to how much water a modern large cargo ship moves aside when it floats.

• A gap of about 46 centimeters (18 inches) below the roof went around the boat. This allowed light and air to enter the boat.

• God told Noah to build a door, and God would close it (Genesis 7:16). God was the captain of this unique boat, which had no sail or rudder. God also brought the animals to Noah (Genesis 6:20).

will bring floodwaters upon the earth: Some scholars suggest the great flood might have only covered the ancient Near East, as known to Noah or Moses. But the flood's purpose was to destroy every living thing that breathes (see also 6:7, 11–13; 7:1, 4, 18–23; 8:21). It was also intended to undo creation (see study notes on 1:9–10; 7:11–12). This suggests the great flood covered the entire planet (see also 1 Peter 3:20; 2 Peter 2:5; 3:6).

This is the first clear mention of a covenant (a formal and binding agreement) in the Bible. It refers to a promise that God made on his own with people and with all the earth after the great flood (see 9:9, 11, 14–17).

• every kind: God’s instructions to Noah repeat the language of creation (compare 1:24, "according to their kinds").

• male and a female: These animals would reproduce and repopulate the earth again after the great flood.