Genesis 6: Corruption, Grief, and a Coming Flood
As human wickedness fills the earth, God grieves and resolves to judge, yet Noah finds favor in his eyes.
Genesis 6 (WEB)
1 When men began to multiply on the surface of the ground, and daughters were born to them,
2 God’s sons saw that men’s daughters were beautiful, and they took any that they wanted for themselves as wives.
3 Yahweh said, “My Spirit will not strive with man forever, because he also is flesh; so his days will be one hundred twenty years.”
4 The Nephilim 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.
5 Yahweh 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.
6 Yahweh was sorry that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him in his heart.
7 Yahweh 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.”
8 But Noah found favor in Yahweh’s eyes.
9 This is the history of the generations of Noah: Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time. Noah walked with God.
10 Noah became the father of three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
11 The earth was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.
12 God saw the earth, and saw that it was corrupt, for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth.
13 God 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.
14 Make a ship of gopher wood. You shall make rooms in the ship, and shall seal it inside and outside with pitch.
15 This is how you shall make it. The length of the ship shall be three hundred cubits, its breadth fifty cubits, and its height thirty cubits.
16 You 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.
17 I, even I, do 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.
18 But I will establish my covenant with you. You shall come into the ship, you, your sons, your wife, and your sons’ wives with you.
19 Of 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.
20 Of 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.
21 Take with you of all food that is eaten, and gather it to yourself; and it will be for food for you, and for them.”
22 Thus Noah did. He did all that God commanded him.
Genesis 6 (KJV)
1 And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them,
2 That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose.
3 And the Lord said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.
4 There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown.
5 And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
6 And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.
7 And the Lord said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them.
8 But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.
9 These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God.
10 And Noah begat three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
11 The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.
12 And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.
13 And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.
14 Make thee an ark of gopher wood; rooms shalt thou make in the ark, and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch.
15 And this is the fashion which thou shalt make it of: The length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits, the breadth of it fifty cubits, and the height of it thirty cubits.
16 A window shalt thou make to the ark, and in a cubit shalt thou finish it above; and the door of the ark shalt thou set in the side thereof; with lower, second, and third stories shalt thou make it.
17 And, behold, I, even I, do bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, from under heaven; and every thing that is in the earth shall die.
18 But with thee will I establish my covenant; and thou shalt come into the ark, thou, and thy sons, and thy wife, and thy sons’ wives with thee.
19 And of every living thing of all flesh, two of every sort shalt thou bring into the ark, to keep them alive with thee; they shall be male and female.
20 Of fowls after their kind, and of cattle after their kind, of every creeping thing of the earth after his kind, two of every sort shall come unto thee, to keep them alive.
21 And take thou unto thee of all food that is eaten, and thou shalt gather it to thee; and it shall be for food for thee, and for them.
22 Thus did Noah; according to all that God commanded him, so did he.
Genesis 6 (ASV)
1 And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the ground, and daughters were born unto them,
2 that the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all that they chose.
3 And Jehovah said, My Spirit shall not strive with man for ever, for that he also is flesh: yet shall his days be a hundred and twenty years.
4 The Nephilim were in the earth in those days, and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them: the same were the mighty men that were of old, the men of renown.
5 And Jehovah saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
6 And it repented Jehovah that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.
7 And Jehovah said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the ground; both man, and beast, and creeping things, and birds of the heavens; for it repenteth me that I have made them.
8 But Noah found favor in the eyes of Jehovah.
9 These are the generations of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, andperfect in his generations: Noah walked with God.
10 And Noah begat three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
11 And the earth was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.
12 And God saw the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted their way upon the earth.
13 And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.
14 Make thee an ark of gopher wood; rooms shalt thou make in the ark, and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch.
15 And this is how thou shalt make it: the length of the ark three hundred cubits, the breadth of it fifty cubits, and the height of it thirty cubits.
16 A light shalt thou make to the ark, and to a cubit shalt thou finish it upward; and the door of the ark shalt thou set in the side thereof; with lower, second, and third stories shalt thou make it.
17 And I, behold, I do bring the flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, from under heaven; everything that is in the earth shall die.
18 But I will establish my covenant with thee; and thou shalt come into the ark, thou, and thy sons, and thy wife, and thy sons’ wives with thee.
19 And of every living thing of all flesh, two of every sort shalt thou bring into the ark, to keep them alive with thee; they shall be male and female.
20 Of the birds after their kind, and of the cattle after their kind, of every creeping thing of the ground after its kind, two of every sort shall come unto thee, to keep them alive.
21 And take thou unto thee of all food that is eaten, and gather it to thee; and it shall be for food for thee, and for them.
22 Thus did Noah; according to all that God commanded him, so did he.
Summary
As humanity multiplies, wickedness spreads until every imagination of the human heart is continually evil. The mysterious union of God's sons with human daughters and the presence of the Nephilim mark a deeply corrupted age. Yahweh is grieved to his heart that he made humanity and resolves to blot out people and creatures from the earth. But Noah finds favor in Yahweh's eyes. Noah is a righteous, blameless man who walks with God, and he has three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Because the earth is filled with violence and corruption, God announces a flood to end all flesh. He instructs Noah to build an ark of gopher wood to precise dimensions, promises to establish his covenant with him, and commands him to bring his family and pairs of every living creature aboard with food. Noah does everything God commands.
Main Characters
- Yahweh (God) — The Lord who grieves over human wickedness, resolves to judge the earth with a flood, and provides for rescue through Noah.
- Noah — A righteous and blameless man who walks with God, finds favor in God's eyes, and obeys God's command to build the ark.
- Shem, Ham, and Japheth — Noah's three sons, who are to enter the ark with their wives and be preserved through the flood.
Key Verse
Genesis 6:8 (WEB)
But Noah found favor in Yahweh’s eyes.
Lessons Learned
- Sin, when left to spread, corrupts the whole human heart and fills the world with violence.
- Human evil genuinely grieves the heart of God; he is not indifferent to wrongdoing.
- God's grace reaches even into a corrupt world, finding and favoring those who walk with him.
- Faith shows itself in obedience; Noah did all that God commanded.
- Sin corrupts the human heart at its root. Yahweh saw 'that every imagination of the thoughts of man's heart was continually only evil' (Genesis 6:5, WEB). Sin is not merely outward behavior but a deep condition of the heart.
- Human evil grieves the heart of God. 'Yahweh was sorry that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him in his heart' (Genesis 6:6, WEB). God is not detached; sin genuinely wounds him.
- Grace finds us amid a fallen world. 'But Noah found favor in Yahweh's eyes' (Genesis 6:8, WEB). Even when judgment is deserved, God extends favor and makes a way of rescue.
- Walking with God sets a person apart. 'Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time. Noah walked with God' (Genesis 6:9, WEB). A life of integrity is possible even in a corrupt generation.
- God's judgment and covenant promise go together. Alongside the flood that will destroy all flesh, God says, 'But I will establish my covenant with you' (Genesis 6:18, WEB). God judges sin yet binds himself to preserve and bless his people.
- True faith expresses itself in obedience. 'Thus Noah did. He did all that God commanded him' (Genesis 6:22, WEB). Trusting God means doing what he says, even on a costly, long-term scale.
- How does the chapter describe the extent of human wickedness, and how deep does it reach?
- What does it mean that God 'was sorry' and 'grieved' over making humanity, and what does that reveal about him?
- What is said about Noah's character, and how does he stand out from the world around him?
- How do God's judgment and his covenant promise appear together in his instructions to Noah?
- In a culture that often drifts from God, what would it look like for you to 'walk with God' and obey him fully as Noah did?
- The chapter says the wickedness of man was 'great in the earth' and that 'every imagination of the thoughts of man's heart was continually only evil' (Genesis 6:5, WEB), and that the earth was 'filled with violence' (Genesis 6:11, WEB). Evil reaches to the very thoughts of the heart, not just outward actions.
- God being 'sorry' and 'grieved... in his heart' (Genesis 6:6, WEB) shows that he is personally affected by human sin. Rather than cold indifference, it reveals a God who feels the weight of evil and responds out of holiness and sorrow.
- Noah is called 'a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time,' who 'walked with God' (Genesis 6:9, WEB) and 'found favor in Yahweh's eyes' (Genesis 6:8, WEB). He stands in sharp contrast to a corrupt, violent generation.
- God announces he will bring an end to all flesh (Genesis 6:13, WEB), yet promises, 'I will establish my covenant with you' (Genesis 6:18, WEB). Judgment on sin and a saving covenant promise stand side by side in the same instructions.
- This is a personal-application question. Encourage voluntary, honest responses. Draw on Noah's example, who 'walked with God' and 'did all that God commanded him' (Genesis 6:9, 22, WEB), to discuss faithful obedience and integrity within a surrounding culture that drifts from God.