Gen. 6 Unlawful matches of the sons of God with the daughters of men, Gen. 6:1–2, grieve the Spirit of God, who threatens their destruction, Gen. 6:3. Giants and mighty men born; a general degeneracy of mankind, Gen. 6:4–5. God repents that he had made man, and resolves to destroy that world, Gen.

Men, i.e. wicked men, the posterity of Cain, as appears from Gen. 6:2; who are here called men, and the sons of men, by way of contempt, and of distinction; mere men, such as had only the natures and qualities of corrupt men, without the image of God.

The sons of God; either, 1. Persons of greatest eminency for place and power, for such are called gods, and children of the Most High, Ps. 82:6; where also they are opposed to men, Gen. 6:7, i.e. to meaner men.

The Lord said; either, 1. To the men of that age by the mouth of Noah; or, 2. Within himself; (see Ps. 14:1) he determined. Strive with man, or, contend, or, debate in or against men, as it hath hitherto done, by inward motions and suggestions in the minds and consciences of wicked men, or by the…

Giants; men so called, partly from their high stature, but principally for their great strength and force, whereby they oppressed and tyrannized over others: for this is mentioned as another sin, and cause of the flood; and therefore they seem to be here noted, not for the height of their stature,…

To the heart the Scripture commonly ascribes all men’s actual wickedness, as Ps. 41:6, Prov. 4:23, Prov. 6:14, Prov. 6:18, Jer. 17:9, Matt. 15:19, Rom. 3:10;c. thereby leading us from acts of sin to the original corruption of nature, as the cause and source of them. Evil continually, i.e.

Properly God cannot repent, Num. 23:19, 1 Sam. 15:11, 1 Sam. 15:29, because he is unchangeable in his nature and counsels, Mal. 3:6, James 1:17, and perfectly wise, and constantly happy, and therefore not liable to any grief or disappointment.

Both man and beast; for as the beasts were made for man’s use and service, so they are destroyed for man’s punishment, and to discover the malignity of sin, and God’s deep abhorrency thereof, by destroying those innocent creatures that had been made instrumental to it.

i.e. Obtained mercy and favour; which is noted to show that Noah was so far guilty of the common corruption of human nature, that he needed God’s grace and mercy to pardon and preserve him from the common destruction.

The generations of Noah; either, 1. Properly the posterity of Noah, as the word is commonly used, and as it is explained Gen. 6:10. So the rest of this verse comes in by way of parenthesis, which is frequent. Or, 2.

The earth is here put for its inhabitants, as 1 Kings 10:24, Ezek. 14:13. Before God, or, before the face of God; q.d. in despite and contempt of God, and of his presence and justice. Compare Gen. 10:9, Gen. 13:13; q. d.

All men, as the word flesh is taken, Ps. 78:39, Isa. 40:5, and oft elsewhere, had corrupted his way; either, 1. God’s way, his precepts concerning religion and righteousness; or, 2. Their own way or manner of living.

i.e. The time of ruin, as this word is used, Ezek. 7:2–3, Ezek. 7:6, Amos 8:2, of all flesh, to all men, as Gen. 6:12, though the beasts also were involved in the same destruction, is come, i.e. is approaching, and at the very door, and shall as certainly come as if it were actually come.

An ark; a little ship made in the form of an ark or chest, but probably sloping at the bottom for the convenience of navigation, as it was for another reason sloping at the top.

This is the fashion, or, this is the measure, or the manner according to which thou shalt make it; and it was a just and regular proportion, the length being six times more than the breadth, and ten times more than the height.

A window, or a light; or lights, or windows; the singular number being put for the plural, which is most frequent: or it might be one great light or lantern, by which light might be derived and distributed into several rooms. Shalt thou finish it above, i.e. either, 1.

I, even I, which is thus emphatically repeated, to signify that this flood did not proceed from natural causes, but from the immediate hand and judgment of God, do bring, i.e. will assuredly and speedily bring, all flesh, i.e. all men, birds, and beasts. Every thing that is in the earth.

Either, 1. My promise to preserve thee and thine, both till the flood and in it, notwithstanding all the scoffs and threats of the wicked world against thee all the time of thy preaching and building of the ark.

Of all flesh two; i.e. either, 1. By couples, or male and female; but this is mentioned as a distinct thing in the close of the verse. Or rather, 2. Two at least of every sort, even of the unclean; but of the clean more, as is noted Gen. 7:2.

After their kind, i.e. according to their several kinds. They shall come unto thee of their own accord, by my impulse, or by the conduct of angels, as Gen. 2:19.

See Gen. 1:29–30.

Both for the matter and the manner of it, although the work of building the ark was laborious, costly, tedious, dangerous, and seemingly foolish and ridiculous; especially when all things continued in the same posture and safety for so many scores of years together; whereby Noah, without doubt, was…