Genesis Chapter 6 — Noah and the Great Flood
As humanity grows and becomes increasingly corrupt, God decides to cleanse the earth with a flood but spares Noah, instructing him to build a massive ark.
1When men began to multiply on the surface of the ground, and daughters were born to them,
2God’s sons saw that men’s daughters were beautiful, and they took any that they wanted for themselves as wives.
3The LORD said, “My Spirit will not strive with man forever, because he also is flesh; so his days will be one hundred twenty years.”
4The Nephilim*or, giants were in the earth in those days, and also after that, when God’s sons came in to men’s daughters and had children with them. Those were the mighty men who were of old, men of renown.
5The LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of man’s heart was continually only evil.
6The LORD was sorry that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him in his heart.
7The LORD 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.”
8But Noah found favor in the LORD’s eyes.
9This is the history of the generations of Noah: Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time. Noah walked with God.
10Noah became the father of three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
11The earth was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.
12God saw the earth, and saw that it was corrupt, for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth.
13God said to Noah, “I will bring an end to all flesh, for the earth is filled with violence through them. Behold, I will destroy them and the earth.
14Make a ship of gopher wood. You shall make rooms in the ship, and shall seal it inside and outside with pitch.
15This is how you shall make it. The length of the ship shall be three hundred cubits,†A cubit is the length from the tip of the middle finger to the elbow on a man’s arm, or about 18 inches or 46 centimeters. its width fifty cubits, and its height thirty cubits.
16You shall make a roof in the ship, and you shall finish it to a cubit upward. You shall set the door of the ship in its side. You shall make it with lower, second, and third levels.
17I, even I, will bring the flood of waters on this earth, to destroy all flesh having the breath of life from under the sky. Everything that is in the earth will die.
18But I will establish my covenant with you. You shall come into the ship, you, your sons, your wife, and your sons’ wives with you.
19Of every living thing of all flesh, you shall bring two of every sort into the ship, to keep them alive with you. They shall be male and female.
20Of the birds after their kind, of the livestock after their kind, of every creeping thing of the ground after its kind, two of every sort will come to you, to keep them alive.
21Take with you some of all food that is eaten, and gather it to yourself; and it will be for food for you, and for them.”
22Thus Noah did. He did all that God commanded him.
WEB Translation
Notable Verses
Genesis 6:8
“But Noah found favor in the LORD’s eyes.”
This verse marks a pivotal shift from the narrative of judgment to the theme of grace and preservation.
Genesis 6:9
“Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time. Noah walked with God.”
This verse defines Noah's character and explains why he was chosen to lead the survival of humanity.
Genesis 6:22
“Thus Noah did. He did all that God commanded him.”
It emphasizes the theme of total obedience to divine instructions despite the monumental task of building the ark.
Chapter Summary
Genesis Chapter 6 opens with the multiplication of humanity and the appearance of the Nephilim, described as mighty men of renown. However, the text highlights a dark turn as the wickedness of man becomes great on the earth, with every thought of the human heart being continually evil. Grieved by this corruption and violence, God decides to destroy all living creatures from the surface of the ground. Amidst this generation, Noah is identified as a righteous and blameless man who walked with God. Finding favor in God's eyes, Noah receives specific instructions to build a massive ship, or ark, out of gopher wood. The ark is to have three levels, a side door, and specific dimensions to accommodate Noah's family and pairs of every living creature. God promises to establish a covenant with Noah, ensuring the preservation of life through the coming flood. The chapter concludes by noting Noah's complete obedience to all of God's commands.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Nephilim are described as giants or 'mighty men of old' who were on the earth during the time when the 'sons of God' had children with the 'daughters of men.'
The text states that the earth was filled with violence and corruption, and that the wickedness of humanity had become so great that every imagination of their thoughts was only evil.
God instructed Noah to build the ark 300 cubits long, 50 cubits wide, and 30 cubits high. It was to have three levels and be finished with pitch inside and out.
Noah was commanded to bring his family (eight people in total) and two of every kind of living thing—male and female—along with enough food for everyone.
Study Note
The Hebrew term for the 'ark' (tebah) is the same word used later in Exodus for the basket that saved Moses, suggesting a recurring theme of salvation through water.
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