THE SONS OF GOD AND THE DAUGHTERS OF MEN 1-4. This fragment seems to have been placed here as an instance of the wickedness which necessitated the Flood. Stories of unions between deities and the women of earth, which resulted in gigantic and corrupt races, were common to many nations of antiquity;... [ Continue Reading ]
THE SONS OF GOD] This expression occurs in other passages, e.g. Job 1:6; Job 38:7; Daniel 3:25 RV, where it is evident that the angels are meant, and this seems the only possible explanation here. It used to be supposed that the 'sons of God' meant the Sethites, who became corrupted by marriage with... [ Continue Reading ]
The general meaning is that God now sets a limit (AN HUNDRED AND TWENTY YEARS) to human life, which up to this time had been indefinitely long. MY SPIRIT] refers to the spirit of life with which the fleshly nature of man had been endowed. It will not sustain man for ever (RV) in this world.... [ Continue Reading ]
THERE WERE GIANTS] RV 'the Nephilim were.' The Nephilim, a race of giants, famous in popular legend, are represented as being men of renown at the same time as these angels formed unions with the daughters of men. They are alluded to by the spies (Numbers 13:33 RV) as ancestors of the giant races of... [ Continue Reading ]
THE FLOOD This narrative records the judgment of God upon the sinful forefathers of mankind, and His preservation of a righteous family, in whom the divine purposes for men might be carried out. The spiritual teaching of Noah's deliverance has always been recognised by Christians, who see in the ark... [ Continue Reading ]
IT REPENTED THE LORD] The writer, as in Genesis 3, interprets God's acts from man's point of view, and explains them on the analogy of human motives. See on Genesis 11:5.... [ Continue Reading ]
PERFECT] i.e. 'upright,' a man of integrity.... [ Continue Reading ]
WITH THE EARTH] rather, 'from the earth.' 14-16. The Hebrew word for ark means a 'vessel,' that which contains anything. It was shaped like a chest, with a flat bottom and a roof. If the cubit measured 18 in., the ark was 450 ft. long, 75 ft. broad, and 45 ft. in depth; and therefore smaller than m... [ Continue Reading ]
IN A CUBIT, ETC.] RV 'to a cubit shalt thou finish it upward,' i.e. a space of 18 in. was to be left.... [ Continue Reading ]
MY COVENANT] see on Genesis 9:9.... [ Continue Reading ]
EVERY LIVING THING OF ALL FLESH] This comprehensive command is limited in the Primitive narrative (Genesis 7:2) to clean animals (such as sheep, oxen, and goats), and to beasts that are not clean (which by analogy means domestic animals, such as camels, asses, horses, etc.), and fowls. The inclusion... [ Continue Reading ]