‘And when men began to multiply on the face of the ground, and daughters were born to them.' This is the connecting link with Genesis 5. It assumes a gradual growth in the human race, and thus connects back directly to the descriptions of the growth of mankind there, and especially to the reference... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were fair, and took to wife such of them as they chose.' In the Old Testament the term the ‘sons of God' (bene ha-elohim) always refers to heavenly beings (Job 1:6 and context; 38:7; Psalms 29:1; Psalms 89:7; Daniel 3:25; Deuteronomy 32:8 in the LXX... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Then Yahweh said, “My Spirit (ruach) will not strive with (or abide in, or plead the cause with) man for ever, in that he also is flesh, but his days shall be a hundred and twenty years.' Either translation is possible, (given emendation of the text), and whichever we select the general idea can b... [ Continue Reading ]
‘The Nephilim were on the earth (or “in the land”) in those days, and also afterwards, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of men, and they bore children to them. These were the mighty men that were of old, men of renown.' The position of this verse in the narrative (we might expect it bef... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Yahweh saw that the wickedness of man was great in the world (or “in the land”), and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.' The occult activity, which had clearly become commonplace, emphasised the depths to which man had sunk, and it is quite clear that th... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And Yahweh regretted that he had made man on the earth (or “the men in the land”) and it grieved him to his heart.' This anthropomorphism is a way of demonstrating God's regret at the situation. It is because man has altered the situation that it arises. It is not that God is changing His mind bec... [ Continue Reading ]
‘So Yahweh said, “I will blot out these men (or mankind) whom I have created from the face of the ground, men (mankind) and beasts and creeping things and birds of the air, for I am sorry that I have made them”.' So God determines to blot out all who have been infected by this evil. The question t... [ Continue Reading ]
Genesis 6:8 A ‘But Noah found favour in the eyes of Yahweh. These are the histories of Noah.' Among all who are committing such evil there is one who, with his close family, has remained pure. He alone of his world is worthy to be spared. And with this sentence the record called ‘these are the his... [ Continue Reading ]
THE CORRUPTION IN THE EARTH (GENESIS 6:11) Genesis 6:11 ‘And the earth (or inhabited world or land) was corrupt before God (Elohim), and the earth (or land) was filled with violence.' This would appear to be a direct result of Genesis 6:1 and clearly involved ‘the mighty men and men of renown', wh... [ Continue Reading ]
THE COMMAND TO PREPARE FOR THE FLOOD (GENESIS 6:14) Genesis 6:14 ‘Make yourself an ark of gopher wood, make rooms (or alternatively ‘reeds' - which involves the same consonants, but different vowel signs which were a later addition) in the ark and cover it with pitch both inside and out. And you w... [ Continue Reading ]