Genesis 6

Translator Notes

1. 'Mankind' translates ha'adam (הָאָדָם), used here collectively for the human race. The setting is the spread of humanity across the earth, continuing the population growth implied in chapter 5.
2. 'On the face of the ground' (al-penei ha'adamah) — the same phrase that connects humanity to the soil throughout Genesis. The verse sets the stage for the crisis that follows.

Key Terms

Translator Notes

1. 'Sons of God' (benei-ha'Elohim, בְּנֵי הָאֱלֹהִים) — one of the most debated phrases in Genesis. Major interpretations include: (1) angelic beings or divine beings from God's heavenly court (the most common ancient Jewish and early Christian reading; cf. Job 1:6; 2:1; 38:7; Psalm 29:1; 82:6); (2) descendants of Seth's godly line intermarrying with Cain's ungodly line; (3) ancient kings or rulers who bore the title 'sons of God' as a royal designation. The rendering preserves the Hebrew phrase without resolving the identity question.
2. 'Took as wives any they chose' (vayyiqchu lahem nashim mikkol asher bacharu) — the language of 'taking' wives and choosing freely has been read as either legitimate marriage or coercive seizure. The context (leading to divine judgment) suggests the marriages are portrayed negatively, though the precise nature of the transgression is not made explicit.

Translator Notes

1. This verse is extremely difficult in Hebrew. The verb yadon (יָדוֹן) is uncertain — proposals include 'strive,' 'contend,' 'abide,' 'remain,' 'rule,' or 'shield.' The rendering follows the reading 'remain' (from dun/din), understanding God's spirit as the life-giving breath (cf. 2:7) that will not sustain human life indefinitely.
2. 'For he is flesh' (beshaggam hu vasar, בְּשַׁגַּם הוּא בָשָׂר) — the word beshaggam is also difficult. It is either a compound word meaning 'because also' (be + she + gam) or related to shagag ('to err, to go astray'). 'Flesh' (basar) emphasizes human mortality and weakness — humanity is fundamentally physical and perishable.
3. '120 years' — this has been interpreted as: (1) the maximum human lifespan going forward (though post-flood patriarchs still exceed it); (2) a grace period of 120 years before the flood arrives; (3) a general statement about the reduction of human lifespans. The text does not specify which meaning is intended.

Key Terms

Translator Notes

1. 'Nephilim' (הַנְּפִלִים) is retained untranslated because its meaning is uncertain and its use as a designation for a specific group is well established. The word may be related to the root n-p-l (נָפַל, 'to fall') — hence 'fallen ones' — but this etymology is disputed. The Septuagint translated it as gigantes ('giants'), which is the basis of the KJV's 'giants.' The Nephilim appear again in Numbers 13:33, where the Israelite spies report seeing them in Canaan.
2. The syntax of the verse is complex. It may be saying: (1) the Nephilim were already on earth when the sons of God intermarried; (2) the Nephilim were the offspring of these unions; (3) both — they were present before and continued after. The phrase 'and also afterward' (vegam acharei-khen) indicates their presence was not limited to one period.
3. 'Mighty men of old, men of renown' (hagibborim asher me'olam anshei hasshem) — gibborim are 'mighty warriors' or 'heroes.' Anshei hasshem literally means 'men of the name' — famous or renowned. The language recalls ancient hero traditions but the narrative context is judgment, not celebration.

Key Terms

Translator Notes

1. This verse presents one of the most sweeping moral assessments in scripture. The evaluation is comprehensive: 'every inclination... only evil... all the time.' Three absolute terms (every, only, all the time) leave no room for exception.
2. 'Every inclination of the thoughts of his heart' (kol-yetser machshevot libbo, כָּל יֵצֶר מַחְשְׁבֹת לִבּוֹ) — the word yetser (יֵצֶר, 'inclination, formation, imagination') comes from the same root as yatsar ('to form,' used for God forming the man in 2:7). The yetser is the inner formation or bent of the human heart — the direction of thought and desire. In later Jewish theology, the yetser hara ('evil inclination') becomes a major concept. Here the yetser is wholly given over to evil.
3. The LORD's evaluation in chapter 1 was 'very good' (1:31); now the evaluation is 'only evil.' The contrast frames the narrative arc from creation to corruption.

Translator Notes

1. 'Regretted' translates vayyinnachem (וַיִּנָּחֶם), from nacham (נָחַם), which can mean 'to be sorry, to regret, to repent, to relent, to be comforted.' This is the same root used in 5:29 for Noah's name ('this one will comfort/relieve us'). The juxtaposition is striking: Noah is supposed to bring nacham (comfort), but God feels nacham (regret). The word creates a painful irony.
2. 'Grieved to his heart' (vayyit'atstsev el-libbo, וַיִּתְעַצֵּב אֶל לִבּוֹ) — the root '-ts-b is the same root used for the woman's pain in childbirth (3:16) and the man's toil with the ground (3:17). Humanity's itstsavon (painful toil) now produces divine itstsavon (grief). God experiences pain in response to what his creation has become.
3. This verse raises profound theological questions about divine emotions, omniscience, and immutability. The text presents God as genuinely affected by human wickedness — experiencing regret and grief. The rendering follows the text's anthropomorphic language faithfully.

Translator Notes

1. 'Blot out' translates emcheh (אֶמְחֶה), from machah (מָחָה, 'to wipe, to blot out, to erase'). The image is of wiping a surface clean — erasing what has been written or created. The same verb is used in Exodus 32:32–33 for blotting a name from God's book.
2. The scope of judgment encompasses not only humanity but animals, crawling things, and birds — the same categories created in chapter 1. The corruption of humanity has consequences for the entire created order. The ecological scope of judgment mirrors the ecological scope of the original blessing.
3. 'For I regret that I have made them' — nichamti (נִחַמְתִּי) repeats the nacham of verse 6, confirming the divine grief that motivates the judgment.

Key Terms

Translator Notes

1. 'Found favor' translates matsa chen (מָצָא חֵן), literally 'found grace/favor.' The word chen (חֵן) means 'grace, favor, charm, attractiveness.' This is the first occurrence of chen in the Bible. The phrase 'found favor in the eyes of' is a Hebrew idiom meaning 'to be regarded favorably by' or 'to win the approval of.' Following the prompt's guidance on idioms, the original expression is retained here as it is still intelligible in English and preserves the theological weight of 'favor/grace.'
2. This single verse pivots the entire narrative. After the sweeping condemnation of all humanity (vv. 5–7), one man stands as an exception. The Hebrew word order is emphatic — veNoach ('But Noah') — placing Noah in sharp contrast to the universal wickedness. The name Noach also creates a wordplay with chen when read backward (n-ch / ch-n), though whether this is intentional is debated.

Key Terms

Translator Notes

1. This is the third toledot formula in Genesis (cf. 2:4; 5:1).
2. 'Righteous' (tsaddiq, צַדִּיק) — the first use of this word in the Bible. Tsaddiq denotes one who conforms to the standard of right relationship — with God and with others. It becomes one of the most important character descriptions in the Hebrew Bible.
3. 'Blameless' (tamim, תָּמִים) means 'complete, whole, without blemish, having integrity.' It is the same word used for sacrificial animals that must be 'without blemish' (Leviticus 1:3, 10). Applied to Noah, it indicates moral integrity and wholeness of character, not sinless perfection.
4. 'In his generation' (bedorotav, בְּדֹרֹתָיו) — the qualification 'in his generation' has been read two ways: (1) as a compliment — Noah was righteous even amid a wicked generation; (2) as a limitation — he was righteous only by the low standards of his generation. The text likely intends the former, but the ambiguity has been noted since ancient times.
5. 'Noah walked with God' (et-ha'Elohim hithhallekh-Noach) — the same phrase used for Enoch (5:22, 24). Only these two men are said to have 'walked with God' in the pre-flood narrative. The language of intimate, sustained divine companionship sets Noah apart.

Translator Notes

1. The three sons are listed as in 5:32. They will become the three branches of post-flood humanity in the Table of Nations (chapter 10).

Key Terms

Translator Notes

1. 'Corrupt' translates vattishshachet (וַתִּשָּׁחֵת), from shachat (שָׁחַת, 'to corrupt, to ruin, to destroy'). The same root will appear in verse 13 and 17 for God's intention to 'destroy' — the earth corrupted itself, and God will complete the corruption/destruction. There is a grim wordplay: humanity's self-corruption leads to God's destruction using the same verb.
2. 'Violence' translates chamas (חָמָס), meaning 'violence, injustice, wrong, cruelty.' Chamas is a broader term than simple physical violence — it encompasses oppression, injustice, and the violation of others' rights and dignity. The earth is full of it.

Translator Notes

1. 'God saw the earth' (vayyar Elohim et-ha'arets) — this echoes 1:31 ('God saw everything that he had made, and it was very good'). The divine evaluation formula from creation returns, but the verdict has reversed: what was 'very good' is now 'corrupt.' The Hebrew structure deliberately mirrors the creation account to underscore the anti-creation that corruption represents.
2. 'All flesh had corrupted its way' — 'flesh' (basar, בָּשָׂר) is used broadly for all living creatures. The corruption is not limited to humans; 'all flesh' — possibly including the animal world — has departed from God's intended order.

Translator Notes

1. 'The end of all flesh has come before me' (qets kol-basar ba lefanai) — qets means 'end, limit, conclusion.' God announces the termination of the present order.
2. 'I am about to destroy them along with the earth' (hineni mashchitam et-ha'arets) — the verb mashchit is from the same root shachat used for the earth's corruption (v. 11–12). The wordplay is devastating: because they have corrupted (shachat) the earth, God will destroy (shachat) them with the earth. God's judgment mirrors the crime — the verb of their sin becomes the verb of their sentence.
3. 'Along with the earth' (et-ha'arets) — the preposition et can mean 'with' or be the direct object marker. If 'with,' God destroys them along with the earth; if the object marker, God destroys them and the earth. Both readings indicate the cosmic scope of the judgment.

Key Terms

Translator Notes

1. 'Ark' translates tevah (תֵּבָה), a word used only here (for Noah's ark) and in Exodus 2:3, 5 (for the basket in which baby Moses is placed). It is not the word used for the ark of the covenant (aron). Tevah may be an Egyptian loanword meaning 'chest' or 'box.' The vessel is essentially a large, sealed container — not a ship designed for navigation.
2. 'Gopher wood' (atsei-gopher, עֲצֵי גֹפֶר) — the type of wood is unknown. Gopher appears only here in the Hebrew Bible and has not been conclusively identified. Proposals include cypress, cedar, or resinous wood. The rendering retains the untranslatable term.
3. 'Coat it... with pitch' (vekhapharta... bakkopher) — there is a significant wordplay here: the verb kaphar (כָּפַר, 'to coat, to cover') and the noun kopher (כֹּפֶר, 'pitch, covering') share the same root as the theological term kippur (כִּפֻּר, 'atonement'). The ark is 'atoned' — covered, sealed, protected — using the language that will later describe the covering of sin. The rendering uses 'coat' for the verb and 'pitch' for the noun, but the theological resonance is noted.

Translator Notes

1. A cubit (ammah, אַמָּה) is approximately 18 inches (45 cm). At 300 cubits long, the ark would be approximately 450 feet (137 meters) long, 75 feet (23 meters) wide, and 45 feet (14 meters) high. These are substantial dimensions — roughly the length of a modern cargo ship. The proportions (6:1 length-to-width ratio) are consistent with a seaworthy vessel, though the ark is designed for flotation and survival, not navigation.

Translator Notes

1. 'Roof' translates tsohar (צֹהַר), a word of uncertain meaning. It could refer to: (1) a roof or covering; (2) a window or opening for light (from tsohar, 'noon/brightness'); (3) a skylight. The KJV's 'window' follows the light-related meaning. 'Roof' is adopted here as the more likely meaning given the instruction to 'finish it to a cubit above,' which suggests a roof with a one-cubit gap for ventilation.
2. 'Three decks' (tachtiyyim sheniyyim ushelishim) — literally 'lower ones, second ones, and third ones.' The ark has three levels — lower, middle, and upper.

Key Terms

Translator Notes

1. 'I—I am about to bring' (va'ani hineni mevi) — the emphatic 'I' (va'ani) followed by hineni ('here I am') and the participle mevi ('bringing') creates a solemn, emphatic divine announcement. God personally takes responsibility for the coming destruction.
2. 'The flood' (hammabbul, הַמַּבּוּל) — this word appears only in the flood narrative (Genesis 6–9) and in Psalm 29:10. It designates a unique, catastrophic deluge, not ordinary flooding. The definite article ('the flood') treats it as a singular, unrepeatable event.
3. 'The breath of life' (ruach chayyim, רוּחַ חַיִּים) — ruach here means 'breath' or 'spirit of life.' Every creature animated by the divine breath will be destroyed. The same breath that gave life in 2:7 will be extinguished.
4. 'Perish' translates yigva (יִגְוָע), from gava (גָּוַע, 'to die, to expire, to breathe one's last'). This is a more visceral word for death than the standard mut — it suggests gasping, expiring.

Key Terms

Translator Notes

1. 'I will establish my covenant' (vahaqimoti et-beriti, וַהֲקִמֹתִי אֶת בְּרִיתִי) — this is the first occurrence of the word berit (בְּרִית, 'covenant') in the Bible. The covenant concept will become the central organizing principle of the biblical narrative. Here it is introduced without definition or ceremony — God simply declares that he will establish his covenant with Noah. The formal covenant ceremony comes in 9:8–17.
2. The verb haqim ('to establish, to set up, to confirm') rather than karat ('to cut,' the more common verb for covenant-making) may suggest the confirmation of an existing arrangement rather than the initiation of a new one.
3. 'But' (the waw on vahaqimoti) marks a stark contrast: God will destroy all flesh, BUT he will establish his covenant with Noah. Judgment and covenant exist in tension — God's saving purpose persists through the destruction.

Translator Notes

1. 'To keep them alive with you' (lehachayot ittakh, לְהַחֲיֹת אִתָּךְ) — the purpose of the ark is preservation of life. The hiphil of chayah ('to live') means 'to cause to live, to keep alive.' Noah's mission is life-preservation amid universal death.
2. 'Male and female' (zakhar unqevah, זָכָר וּנְקֵבָה) — the same pairing from 1:27. The creation mandate of fruitfulness and multiplication is preserved through the ark. The ark functions as a micro-creation — a remnant of the original order carried through the waters of judgment.

Translator Notes

1. 'Will come to you' (yavo'u eleikha) — the animals come to Noah; he does not need to hunt or gather them. The gathering is divinely orchestrated.
2. The categories — birds, livestock, crawling things — echo the creation categories of chapter 1 (1:20–25). The 'according to their kinds' (leminehu) formula also echoes 1:11–12, 21, 24–25. The ark preserves the created order 'according to its kinds.'

Translator Notes

1. The provision for food encompasses both human and animal needs. The instruction is practical — the ark must be provisioned for an extended voyage. God commands the preparation but leaves the details to Noah's judgment.

Translator Notes

1. 'According to all that God commanded him, so he did' — this formula of exact obedience will be repeated (7:5, 9, 16). Noah's obedience is total and without recorded hesitation, question, or negotiation. He does not speak in chapter 6 — he simply acts. In a generation defined by corruption and violence, Noah's silent obedience stands as the defining response of faith.
2. The formula echoes the creation pattern: God speaks, and the response corresponds exactly to the command (cf. 1:3, 'Let there be light, and there was light'). Noah's obedience mirrors creation's obedience to the Creator's word.