Down to Earth But Heavenly Minded

What does Genesis Chapter 6 mean?

Just a few chapters ago, God looked at all He had made on the earth and called it good (Genesis 1:31). Several hundred years after Adam and Eve walked out of Eden, God sees a very different world. Human sinfulness has made it far from good. This trend towards sin is certainly not out of forgetfulness. Adam and his children all live hundreds of years, maintaining a long line of eyewitnesses to God’s work on earth. And yet, many terrible things begin to happen in the world of man.

For one thing, the members of a mysterious group described as the “sons of God” begin to take human wives and reproduce. Their offspring became heroic and famous and, apparently, quite powerful on the earth. There is frequent debate over the nature of these men. Some speculate that they were humans of large physical build. Others suggest these were the offspring of humans and demons. Or that they were aliens. While the number of possible interpretations is almost infinite, the Bible devotes very little time to this particular idea. Rather, it seems to be a footnote in the story of the flood.

Powerful humans unchecked in their sinfulness always produce death, destruction, and wickedness. Consider how much damage modern dictators have done with only 30-40 years of active life at their disposal. In this chapter, God points out that every inclination of the thoughts of human beings is only evil all the time (Genesis 6:5). He decides to reduce human lifespans to just 120 years (Genesis 6:3). Much as with confusing languages at the Tower of Babel (Genesis 11), this seems to be God’s way of limiting the evil man can inflict.

An alternate interpretation of this passage is that God will wipe out all land-dwelling life on the planet in 120 years. However one interprets this remark, it certainly comes to pass.

Very few times in Scripture is God said to experience “regret.” The state of mankind prior to the flood produces this emotion in their Creator. This comment has to be understood in careful context, and with a sense of the original Hebrew language. What God experiences here is not a feeling of error, but a sense of anguish. Much like a parent who feels pained when disciplining a child, but has no doubt that it is the right decision, so too can God feel grief over man’s sin without concluding that He was wrong to create humans. Some translations use phrases such as “grieved,” or even “repented,” all carrying the same idea of sorrow (Genesis 6:6–7).

However, the Bible does not indicate that God feels guilt, or doubts about His creation. Rather, this verse expresses God’s anguish at seeing the wickedness and violence in the world of men.

In order to preserve His creation, God declares that He will exercise His authority as the Creator and wipe out humanity for its sinfulness and violence, along with the birds, insects, and other animals (Genesis 6:7, 13, 17). In this chapter, as with those that follow, there is often debate over the extent of this flood. Some see this as a truly global event, others as a “local” event which only destroyed all of man, not all of the planet. There are points to be made on both sides, but God’s intent—and the effect—is beyond debate: the destruction of the entire human race, with exception of one family.

That exception is Noah. God points out that Noah is a righteous and blameless man who walks faithfully with the Creator. God declares His intentions to Noah: He will destroy all land-dwelling life with a great flood. However, He will not wipe out His creation entirely. He will spare Noah and Noah’s family. In addition, He will spare a male and female pair of every kind of bird, “creeping thing,” and animal (Genesis 6:19–21).

The means for this salvation are unique. God tells Noah to build a huge box, an “ark.” It will be some 450 feet (137 meters) long, almost 5 stories tall, and seaworthy (Genesis 6:14–16). Once it is constructed, Noah and family will board the ark and be saved from the coming flood. In addition, Noah will prepare food for his family and all the pairs of animals who will come to ark, at God’s direction, to be saved.

The chapter ends with an amazing statement: Noah did everything, just as God commanded. Faithful Noah would be saved and be the means by which God would save humanity and start again. And, the story of the ark and flood will serve as powerful foreshadowing of the ministry of Jesus Christ, many thousands of years later.

Chapter Context
The previous chapter traced the generations from Adam through his son Seth and all of the way to Noah. This chapter reveals that Noah will be the man through whom God will preserve humanity for a new beginning after wiping out all life on the face of the earth. God tells Noah to build an enormous structure, an ark, and prepare to welcome representatives of all of the animals on earth. Noah does exactly that, setting the stage for the cataclysmic judgment of God to come in chapter 7.

Verse by Verse

Verse 1. When man began to multiply on the face of the land and daughters were born to them,

The previous chapter covered the lineage of Noah, through each generation from Adam through Seth, and their sons. At the start of chapter 6, Genesis stops to take a look at the larger world from God’s perspective. In brief: He doesn’t like what He sees. Mankind’s actions and thoughts are completely evil (Genesis 6:5). Seeing how far man has fallen since being evicted from Eden causes God substantial grief (Genesis 6:6).

Verses 1 and 2 are part of a single thought. Though not many women have been mentioned in the text thus far, daughters are being born as humanity expands across the face of the earth. As we’ll see, those human women are attracting the attention of a group called “the sons of God.” No further description is given of these men, which means their exact identity is not particularly important. If it was, Scripture would have provided additional details.

Most likely, this reference to the “sons of God” is a challenge to ancient perceptions of royalty. God is about to judge the world with a flood. Not even the children of humanity’s kings and emperors, who often claimed to be divine, will be spared.

Context Summary
Genesis 6:1–8 introduces us to two mysterious groups: the ”sons of God” and the Nephilim. Provoked by the wickedness of humanity and, perhaps, by the power of these two groups, God declares that He will reduce human lifespans to 120 years. Alternatively, this same remark might refer to God’s plan to wipe out all of humanity in 120 years. In either case, this prediction is fulfilled. God will exercise His authority as Creator and execute justice by ending the world as it was. Human civilization will be forced to start again, through one man: Noah.

Verse 2. the sons of God saw that the daughters of man were attractive. And they took as their wives any they chose.

This fascinating and much-debated verse concludes a thought begun in the previous one. As humanity began to expand across the earth, human daughters were born. These human women were attractive to the “sons of God.” The sons of God took as wives any of the women they chose. So who were the “sons of God”? Several ideas have been offered by scholars over the centuries.

Some have suggested that the sons of God are the men of the line of Seth described in the previous chapter, while the “daughters of men” are from the line of Cain. This idea doesn’t seem to fit, however, with what we’re told in the following verses.

Many scholars believe these “sons of God” to be angels or demons (fallen angels)—or to be human men possessed by demons. This could also explain God’s apparent objection to these “sons of God” and their offspring.

Finally, others suggest “sons of God” was a designation given to the human rulers of the time. Human kings and lords throughout history have often claimed to be divine to bolster their own authority. Perhaps these were merely powerful men, taking their pick of the women of the earth. This would fit with the ancient practice of taking many wives or having a harem of sexual servants. In the context of the upcoming flood, that would make this passage a refutation of their claims to divinity. Even the so-called divine rulers will be judged by the One True God in the flood.

Verse 3. Then the Lord said, “My Spirit shall not abide in man forever, for he is flesh: his days shall be 120 years.”

This is another fascinating verse which has been interpreted through several different perspectives over the years. It falls in the middle of a paragraph describing how a group known as the “sons of God” took human wives who gave birth to a generation of famous “mighty men.”

Taken in direct context, this verse seems to declare that God will not let humans continue to lead such long lives. Perhaps the children of the “sons of God” and human women would otherwise have gone on living an extraordinarily long time. Or perhaps God is merely saying that even the normal lifespan of humans was too long, given the evil that is taking place on the earth. Considering how much evil man is capable of with a lifetime of less than a century, the capacity for evil over many centuries is immense.

In either case, God says that He will not allow His Spirit to remain in man forever. God’s Spirit, in this sense, seems to be His “breath of life.” Humans cannot live without God’s Spirit or life-force; we are dependent on God to continue to exist. Now God declares that He will place a natural limit of 120 years on that mortal existence. Looking at life spans for those born after the flood, this seems to be the case. While not a literal maximum, life spans after the flood rapidly decrease until few live longer than 100 years.

Some have offered an alternate explanation for this verse: that God is declaring His judgment will come on the earth 120 years from the time of this pronouncement. That could be. It is also true, though, that eventually human lifespans decreased to a maximum of approximately 120 years. Joseph, for instance, lives to be 110. Moses lives to be exactly 120 years old, while his brother Aaron lives to be 123.

Verse 4. The Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of man and they bore children to them. These were the mighty men who were of old, the men of renown.

This is the final verse in a paragraph about a group called “the sons of God” marrying women and giving birth to a generation of famous “mighty men.” As discussed in the notes on verse 2, these “sons of God” may have been human leaders who proclaimed themselves gods. This was a common tactic of emperors and kings: to claim divine birth or godly traits. In that case, this passage serves to refute their claims. God’s upcoming flood will prove that there is no divine nature in these evil rulers. Their taking of “any [wives] they chose” suggests the all-too-common practice of kings having multiple wives and a harem of sexual servants.

This verse is also one of only two mentions of an extremely controversial group: the Nephilim. They do not appear themselves to be the “sons of God.” Perhaps they were the children of the “sons of God” and the women they married. We’re told the Nephilim were on the earth both in this era and “afterward,” likely in the era following the flood.

The other mention of Nephilim in the Bible is in Numbers 13:33. The Israelite spies, collecting intelligence on the Promised Land, saw a race of men who made them look like grasshoppers in comparison. Nephilim are commonly thought to be a race of giants, in this case simply meaning very large humans. Their mention in the book of Numbers, long after the flood, suggests a supernatural influence. In the flood, all of humanity aside from Noah’s family will be wiped out. This supports the suggestion that the Nephilim are the product of supernatural fathers—fallen angels or demons—and human women.

Other scholars look at this verse in contrast to Matthew 22:30, and suggest that these are men indwelt (possessed) by fallen angels, not biologically sired by them. In either case, the “sons of God” and human women did bear children who became famous as “mighty men” of old. It is possible these were merely human men famous for their power and influence on the earth. Or it is possible they were in some way supernaturally empowered and thus accomplished unusual things.

Despite the considerable controversy over the Nephilim, it’s important to remember how little the Bible actually says about them. God’s Word is written for a purpose, and clearly that purpose does not include relaying details about the Nephilim. Whoever or whatever they were, Scripture clearly considers other topics much more worthy of our concern.

Verse 5. The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

This heartbreaking verse echoes Genesis 1:31. That verse described God seeing all that He had made after the sixth and final day of creation and observing that “behold, it was very good.” Now, hundreds of years after human sin had entered the world, God sees that man’s wickedness is the thing that is great in the earth. In addition, God sees that every intention of the thoughts of the human heart is only evil continually.

Taking the genealogies of the past chapter literally, this is especially sad. The long lifespans of Genesis 5 imply that there was an almost-unbroken line of eyewitnesses to man’s earliest history, right up to the year of the flood. Mankind’s sin is not the result of error or drifting or ignorance. It’s the result of a deliberate rejection of God.

God’s conclusion about the state of humanity is an all-encompassing declaration of human depravity. Left to follow our own way, apart from God, men and women will always choose evil. It’s not just what we do; it’s who we are without His direct involvement and transformation of our hearts. This goes a long way to explaining God’s apparent decision to drastically reduce human lifespans (Genesis 6:3).

This verse offers another clue to the nature of humanity: Our sinfulness, our inclination to do what is harmful, begins in our minds or hearts. In our Godless state, we do not happen into sin. We intentionally plan for it. It’s where we want to go. It’s not just our actions that are the problem; it is the hearts and minds that produce those actions.

We haven’t improved over the centuries. Our natures remain the same. When describing the Day of the Lord in Matthew 24, God’s coming judgment for human sin, Jesus declares that it will be as in the days of Noah (Matthew 24:36–39). All these years later, without God’s redemption and recreation, the human heart remains inclined to plan for evil continually.

Verse 6. And the Lord regretted that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart.

The Bible rarely speaks of God experiencing “regret.” The Hebrew word used here is yin’nā’hem, from the root word nacham. The word is exclusively about emotions: a feeling of pain, sadness, or unhappiness. The word does not imply that God feels He has made a mistake, or that He wishes to have done differently. It is possible to experience grief and “regret,” as used here, without implying an error. Any parent who has held a crying, upset child as they receive a shot has experienced exactly that. Such a parent is “grieved” over the pain, but has no illusions that this was the wrong decision.

However, this verse does mean God is unhappy with the current state of man. This is a low point in the history of humanity. God is troubled. He is “grieved,” or “pained,” by the outcome of His act of creation. The men and women, however, do not grieve their own sin. They do not repent. God’s grief stands in great contrast to that of His creatures, who blindly continue to indulge in every sinful thought, action, and word that begins in their hearts and minds.

Left alone, the evil of man will eventually overtake the entire race, and there will be no godly people left. There will be no line to produce the already-promised Messiah (Genesis 3:15). God will not let the earth go on like this indefinitely.

Verse 7. So the Lord said, “I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens, for I am sorry that I have made them.”

One of the most devastating verses in Scripture, verse 7 expresses both God’s sorrow in seeing what humanity has become, and His pronouncement that He will wipe from the face of the earth so much of what He has made. These words raise many questions.

How can a perfect, sovereign God feel sorrow about any action He has taken? The Hebrew word ni’ham’ti used here, is from the same root word as yin’nā’hem, used in verse 6. This term is nacham, and it refers to emotions. The primary meaning is simply one of pain, anguish, or unhappiness. It’s entirely possible for a person to feel unhappiness about a situation, without considering it the “wrong” choice. God is sorry that man has come to this state—His decision to create man is, in this moment, causing Him grief. He is not suggesting that He’s made a mistake in creating us.

Another question is why God is committed to destroying animals and birds, along with humanity? This is an issue the Bible gives virtually no guidance on. Ultimately, we can wonder, and we can question, but we can’t give a dogmatic response. What we do know is that God’s sovereignty and ownership over the earth includes animals just as much as humans.

Those first two questions are difficult to answer in a satisfying way. A third question, however, is actually the entire point of Scripture itself: If this—destruction and wrath—is God’s response to humanity in our natural, sinful state, how can we ever hope to be at peace with our Creator? The book of Genesis, as with the rest of Scripture, will present God’s answer to this dilemma. In short, God provides both the judgment which is required for sin, as well as a means of mercy for humanity.

The following verse will provide a glimmer of hope that all is not lost for mankind.

Verse 8. But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.

After the finality of God’s statement in the previous verse, verse 8 catches us by surprise. In light of the great wickedness of humanity, the Creator has just expressed the pain His creation of mankind has caused Him. Even worse, He has announced His plan to wipe humanity, along with birds and animals, from the face of the earth.

Now, however, we are told that one man, Noah, has found favor in God’s eyes. The rest of the chapter will explain exactly what “favor” means. It won’t stop God from carrying out His plan to destroy so much of His creation. It certainly won’t mean that Noah’s life will be perfect, or easy, or painless. However, it will mean that humanity will continue. The end of civilization will be followed by a new beginning. Noah will not only survive the upcoming judgment, along with his wife and children, but he will carry on the survival of the human race.

This reference is also important because it is rare. Very few people in the Old Testament are said to have found favor in God’s eyes. Noah was special, and that favored status before God would mean the difference between death and life for future humanity.

Verse 9. These are the generations of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation. Noah walked with God.

This verse begins a brand new section of Genesis. Just as chapter 5 began with the “generations of Adam,” this new section begins with “the generations of Noah.” However, the chapter doesn’t immediately launch into a list of Noah’s descendants. Instead, it will first tell his amazing story, beginning with his character.

We are told he is both righteous and blameless among the people of his time. These are both words of comparison. Noah’s choices stood in contrast, at least in God’s sight, to the sinful, selfish choices of the rest of humanity. Noah was righteous in the sense that he did was right, and he was blameless in the sense that he didn’t do what was wrong. In strong distinction to those around him, Noah was a moral, god-honoring man.

The term blameless is used in Scripture to refer to those who are exceptionally obedient to God (Job 1:1; Luke 1:6). The idea is not someone who is “absolutely perfect.” Noah wasn’t a sinless, morally perfect man. Only Jesus ever accomplished that (Hebrews 4:14). But by character, reputation, and practice, Noah was exceptional. In simple terms, he did good things and didn’t do bad ones. That set him apart from the rest of humanity.

Even more, we’re told that Noah walked with God. Those words are only said of one other man in Genesis: Enoch, the man God took away without any report of his death (Genesis 5:22–24). Noah enjoyed a very close relationship with God.

Context Summary
Genesis 6:9-22 begins another new section in Genesis called the ”generations of Noah.” Because of humanity’s power and wickedness, the earth had become filled with violence and sinfulness. By contrast, Noah was a righteous, blameless man who walked with God. God chooses to declare to Noah His plan to end all land-dwelling life on earth, but also to save Noah and his family and two of every animal. Noah obeys God’s command to build the ark that would preserve the human race from total destruction in the flood.

Verse 10. And Noah had three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

Noah’s three sons are listed again, as they were in Genesis 5:32. Along with Noah and his wife, these men and their wives will be the only humans saved from God’s judgment on the sins of humanity. Few other details are given of their lives or character. Strictly speaking, we don’t know who was the oldest or youngest, or exactly how old Noah was when they were born. Genesis 5:32 gives a rough idea of Noah’s age, but has every appearance of a general statement, not a specific one. Though the Bible does not say so in explicit terms, we might assume that Noah’s sons also stood apart from the normal wickedness of humanity (Genesis 6:5, 8). This is mostly because they are welcomed on the ark.

The other patriarchs of Genesis chapter 5 are credited with having “many” sons and daughters. Noah is not described in this way. While the Bible does not say, directly, that these were his only three children, that is certainly likely. Noah’s father Lamech died prior to the flood, and the three sons mentioned in this chapter all survive with Noah on the ark. It’s possible that this was all part of God’s favor on Noah: limiting the loss of his family in judgment.

Another, sadder, possibility is that Noah had other children, who are not mentioned in the Bible. The other patriarchs of Genesis chapter 5 are credited with having children at a much younger age than Noah’s 500 years at the birth of these three sons. It’s not impossible to think he might have had other children before Shem, Ham, and Japheth. If so, those other offspring would have been destroyed along with the rest of the evil world in the flood.

Verse 11. Now the earth was corrupt in God ‘s sight, and the earth was filled with violence.

This chapter frequently repeats the reasons for God sending the flood. Verse 5 explained that man, on the whole, thought of nothing but evil. Here, the same idea is brought out again. God sees the earth as it is: corrupt and ruined. What He had made and observed as good in Genesis 1 He now sees as unacceptably disgraced by human sin. A primary evidence of the corruption of the earth was violence. Instead of being filled with good, the earth was filled with human violence to others.

The Hebrew word translated “violence” here is hā’mās’. This implies more than just the kind of brute force attacks we think of when we hear the English word. This can also include injustice, oppression, and cruelty. The term also suggests the effects physical violence has on a person or group which has been violently conquered: oppression, deprivation, and misuse. Men of the pre-flood world are not only disobedient to God, they are harsh and abusive to each other.

Verse 12. And God saw the earth, and behold, it was corrupt, for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth.

This verse describes the extent of the corruption of sin on the earth: It was everywhere. It was everyone. And it was self-inflicted. “All people” or “all flesh” had corrupted their ways. In other words, every person was guilty of taking the good thing that God had made—including themselves—and turning it away from God’s good intent to use it for selfishness and evil.

The prior verse described man’s culture as “violent,” from the Hebrew term hā’mās’. This not only includes physical aggression, but cruelty and injustice, as well. Man has rejected God, and turned against each other. The fact that this evil is so widespread is a primary reason for God’s chosen instrument of destruction: the flood. Left alone, humanity is doomed to fall further and further into sin and evil. Without intervention, there will soon be no godly people left.

To correct the situation, God has chosen to limit the lifespan of human beings (Genesis 6:3), and will eliminate all but a tiny fraction (Genesis 6:8) in order to “reboot” the human race.

Verse 13. And God said to Noah, “I have determined to make an end of all flesh, for the earth is filled with violence through them. Behold, I will destroy them with the earth.

God begins revealing His plan to Noah. We can only assume it must have been devastating for Noah to hear. As a righteous, blameless man who walked with God (v. 9), Noah would likely have agreed that the earth was filled with violence because of the sinfulness of humanity. But could anything have prepared Him for God’s announcement? We can’t be entirely sure about how many relatives, including possibly other children, Noah had at this time. Regardless, the idea of the entire human world being killed would have been terrifying.

In plain language, God told Noah that He was getting ready to put an end to all of humanity because of their violence. He would destroy “all flesh,” meaning both humanity and animals, along with the earth—or land—itself. In one blunt statement, God announces to Noah both His verdict and the sentence on humanity. God would exercise His right as creator and judge; He would hold His creatures responsible for their sinful choices. He alone had (and still has) both the right and the power to carry out such a plan.

Verse 14. Make yourself an ark of gopher wood. Make rooms in the ark, and cover it inside and out with pitch.

In the previous verse, God revealed to Noah that He would destroy all of humanity for their violence. What other details were given, we don’t know. For our purposes, this is all Scripture has revealed. Now, God launches into specific instructions to Noah, describing exactly how to build the ark. Once again, what’s recorded here in the Bible is not likely a complete transcript of God’s discussions with Noah. Rather, it tells us the bare-bones basics of what this man is learning from God. Even with the instructions to follow, the text does not provide every detail needed to complete the construction of an ark. It does show us, though, that God’s directions to Noah were very specific. God cared that Noah execute the construction of this craft according to God’s particular plan.

Strictly speaking, God does not tell Noah to build a boat. He tells Noah to build an ark. It’s possible that the word ark meant “box” or “chest.” This same term is used to describe the vessel used to carry the Ten Commandments by Israel after leaving Egypt (Exodus 25:10–16). In reference to the “ark” built by Noah, there is no mention made of sails, or oars, or a rudder. This craft is meant to float, not travel. The dimensions given to Noah in the following verses describe a giant rectangular box. At one point in history, skeptics laughed at the idea of such a craft being seaworthy. Now, however, the proportions of large cargo ships are extremely similar to the outlines of Noah’s ark.

Noah is told to build it with gopher wood, a material we aren’t entirely sure of. Some scholars believe this is actually a reference to cedar, or cypress, while others think it might be from a now-extinct tree. Either way, it’s a substance appropriate for a craft built for this purpose. Furthermore, Noah is directed to make rooms (or “nests”) inside the ark, as well as to seal the spaces between the wood with pitch both inside and outside of the structure.

It should be noted that, in the context of the story, it’s unlikely that Noah was expected to build this ark only using his own two hands. Just as the owner of a company can be said to have “built” something, when much of the labor is done by others, it seems reasonable to assume Noah used the help of his sons, and probably others, to construct this ark.

Verse 15. This is how you are to make it: the length of the ark 300 cubits, its breadth 50 cubits, and its height 30 cubits.

In this passage, God has informed Noah of His plan to destroy the entire human race, except for Noah and his family. God has also begun to describe the “ark,” a large wooden box, which Noah is to use to preserve his family and certain animals from the flood.

A cubit is a measure of length equal to approximately 18 inches, or about 46 centimeters. A cubit was traditionally thought to be the length from a man’s elbow to the tip of his fingers with his hand extended. While that may sound vague to modern ears, it was not uncommon in ancient days to use body parts as measuring sticks. The concept of universal, objective measurements (such as the modern meter) was simply not practical at that point in human history.

Using 1 cubit = 18 inches = 46 cm, the craft God describes to Noah would be about 450 feet (137 meters) long, 75 feet (23 meters) wide, and 45 feet (14 meters) high. This would make the ark 1-1/2 times as long as an American football field. Or, slightly longer than a regulation FIFA soccer field. It would have been somewhere around as tall as a 4-1/2 story building. Even by modern standards, if this was a ship, it would be a big ship!

Despite the size, there’s no reason to think Noah could not have constructed this ark. God nowhere orders Noah to use only his own two hands. So, as with any other project, it’s common sense to assume Noah had help from his sons, and probably others, in constructing this massive vessel. This would be no different than a contractor or business owner “building” something through oversight of others.

Verse 16. Make a roof for the ark, and finish it to a cubit above, and set the door of the ark in its side. Make it with lower, second, and third decks.

Here, God concludes His very general instructions to Noah about how to build the ark. In the previous verses, Noah was instructed to make the ark about 450 feet (137 meters) long, 75 feet (23 meters) wide, and 45 feet (14 meters) high. This is based on the traditional length of a cubit, as the distance from the top of the finger to the elbow: approximately 18 inches (46 centimeters). For materials, Noah is told to use “gopher wood,” which is an unknown material. Some scholars think this was either cedar or cypress.

Now God tells Noah to construct a roof with an opening of about 1 cubit all the way around the top. In addition, the ark would have three decks and a single door on one side of it. This door would presumably need to be large enough to accommodate the entrance and exit of all the animals who would be making the voyage with Noah and his family. Once again, the details given here are not meant to tell us, the reader, how to construct our own ark. Rather, they are general summaries of the specific instructions given by God to Noah.

Verse 17. For behold, I will bring a flood of waters upon the earth to destroy all flesh in which is the breath of life under heaven. Everything that is on the earth shall die.

In prior verses, God has told Noah that He would put an end to all the people on the earth. This is due to their violence and evil (Genesis 6:5; Genesis 6:13). After making this grave announcement, God gives Noah instructions about how to build an ark (Genesis 6:14–16). Those directions included the materials Noah should use, the dimensions of the ark, and the features it needed to have.

This verse, now, is actually the first time that God reveals how He will destroy all life. God will bring a killing flood to wipe out everything that breathes. All land-dwelling life will die. In some sense, this is God taking His creation back to a very literal “reset.” In the beginning, God transformed the earth by bringing land and animals out of the water. In the flood, He will send the earth, at least symbolically, back into the state it was in prior to man’s creation.

This must have been overwhelming for Noah to hear. God is going to judge mankind by destroying almost all people. That judgment will wreak havoc on the animals and the land, as well. Beyond that, only Noah and his family will survive, and only by constructing a massive ark. Indeed, it’s overwhelming for us to consider, all of these millennia later. God is planning to exercise His authority as Creator and Lord of all the universe by delivering justice against human sinfulness and violence. As the following verses will reveal, God will also demonstrate His grace by saving one human family and two of every animal so that created life will continue.

Verse 18. But I will establish my covenant with you, and you shall come into the ark, you, your sons, your wife, and your sons ‘ wives with you.

The prior verse summarized God’s plan to wipe out all land-dwelling life on earth with a flood. Before that, God had given Noah instructions on building the huge ark which would carry man and animals to be spared. Here, God specifically tells Noah that he and his family alone would be saved from the flood.

In doing so, God uses a word which will become important for God’s people forever: covenant. This term implies more than just a simple contract, or agreement. It carries the idea of a pledge and a promise. God says that He will establish His covenant with Noah. In this case, God wants Noah to understand that the Lord is obligating Himself to save Noah and his family from the coming destruction.

The purpose of God using this language is trust. A covenant is a very solemn, serious obligation. Its worth is only as good as the person making it. At the same time, it implies that the one making the covenant is staking their entire reputation on upholding their end of the bargain. So, when God tells Noah He is making a covenant with him, it implies the most absolutely binding, serious kind of commitment. If Noah cannot place his trust in a covenant from God, he can’t place his trust in anything.

God’s covenant with Noah—and through Noah with humanity to follow—will be further developed in the coming chapters.

Verse 19. And of every living thing of all flesh, you shall bring two of every sort into the ark to keep them alive with you. They shall be male and female.

God has revealed to Noah that He will wipe out all land-dwelling life on earth with a great flood. The reason for this is the pervasive wickedness of mankind (Genesis 6:5; Genesis 6:11–12). He has given Noah instructions about building an ark, a huge structure meant to float while carrying men and animals. Most importantly, God told Noah that he and his family would be saved from the flood by entering the ark. In doing so, God says he will make a covenant with Noah. This implies the most serious, solemn kind of promise.

Here, God gives Noah a truly remarkable command: Bring a pair of each kind of animal with you in the ark. For those in the modern era, particularly those in the west, we may be so familiar with the story that the enormity of this command doesn’t affect us. And yet, it must have sounded daunting to Noah. Not only is he being tasked with building an enormous box, but he has to put an enormous number of animals into it! Fortunately, God will later suggest that the animals will come on their own (Genesis 6:20).

As we will see in the next verse, though, God’s command was motivated by God’s desire to preserve the good creation that He had made for future generations. This, again, shows God’s plan to preserve humanity. Rather than simply obliterate life, and the human race, God graciously provides to help heal from this catastrophe.

This command is universal: Noah will bring two of every kind. Just a few verses from now, God will provide more specific instructions regarding “clean” animals, which will require seven pairs each (Genesis 7:2).

Verse 20. Of the birds according to their kinds, and of the animals according to their kinds, of every creeping thing of the ground, according to its kind, two of every sort shall come in to you to keep them alive.

In the previous verse, God commanded Noah to bring into the ark with him and his family a male/female pair of every kind of animal. Now God expands and clarifies the command. First, the animals will include birds, insects, and every other kind of land-dwelling animal. Second, all of these animals would come to Noah to be kept alive. These creatures would have been necessary to re-populate and replenish the land ravaged by the upcoming flood.

With the addition of the detail that the animals would come to him, Noah’s impossible task of building the ark and collecting the animals becomes a little less impossible. God would exercise His supernatural authority over the animals to direct specific pairs to come to the ark to be saved from the flood. Noah isn’t being asked to scour the earth capturing unwilling animals. He’s being asked to prepare an ark for the ones which come to him. That’s still daunting, but much more within the abilities of one man.

We see in this command that God’s response to the great wickedness of humanity is not simply to destroy all life, but to preserve life, as well, for a new beginning. The flood is not an act of revenge, but of drastic healing.

Verse 21. Also take with you every sort of food that is eaten, and store it up. It shall serve as food for you and for them.”

God’s last instruction to Noah in this extended passage has to do with the practical matter of food. In addition to building the ark and planning for all the animals that will come to the ark to be saved, Noah must consider what food will be necessary for the journey. He and his family will need to acquire and store every kind of food that the animals, birds, and insects will need to eat, and they will need to stockpile enough of it to last for the duration of the trip.

As with other parts of the story, specific details are not given. We don’t know what specific kinds of foods were to be brought. All we know is that God’s covenant promise to save Noah and his family would require Noah to accept certain responsibilities. Among these are the need to build, plan, store, schedule, and do all the work necessary to be prepared when the floodwaters came.

Verse 22. Noah did this; he did all that God commanded him.

In this passage, God has given Noah a colossal set of tasks. He is to build a container longer than a football field and taller than a four-story building. He is to make room inside for pairs of every kind of insect and animal. He is to prepare food for his family and these animals. And, the reason for this is so that those inside the ark can survive God’s upcoming judgment on a wicked human race: a catastrophic flood of water.

Given all of that, this verse is remarkable in and of itself. Noah demonstrates his faith in and submission to God by simply obeying. He did everything God had commanded, and he did it “just as” God commanded it. We are given very few details in this passage. Surely, Noah was told more in person than we are in this passage. And yet, there is no doubt that Noah would have had many, many questions and concerns. But, despite these, he acts according to the commands of God. We were told in the beginning of this section (Genesis 6:9) that Noah was a righteous, blameless man who walked faithfully with God. This verse is evidence of that profound faithfulness.

End of Chapter 6.

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