Scofield Reference Bible Notes
Genesis 6

Gen 6:3 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.

spirit

Holy Spirit. Ex 28:3. (Gen 1:2; Mal 2:15.)

Gen 6:4 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.

sons of God

Some hold that these "sons of God" were the "angels which kept not their first estate" Jude 1:6. It is asserted that the title is in the O.T. exclusively used of angels. But this is an error (Isaiah 43:6). Angels are spoken of in a sexless way. No female angels are mentioned in Scripture, and we are expressly told that marriage is unknown among angels (Matthew 22:30). The uniform Hebrew and Christian interpretation has been that Genesis 6:2 marks the breaking down of the separation between the godly line of Seth and the godless line of Cain, and so the failure of the testimony to Jehovah committed to the line of Seth (Genesis 4:26). For apostasy there is no remedy but judgment (Isaiah 1:2-7, 24, 25; Hebrews 6:4-8; 10:26-31). Noah, "a preacher of righteousness," is given 120 years, but he won no convert, and the judgment predicted by his great-grandfather fell (Jude 1:14, 15; Genesis 7:11).

Gen 6:5 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.

imagination

Or, the whole imagination. The Hebrew word signifies not only the imagination but also the purposes and desires.

Gen 6:6-7 And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. 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.

repented the LORD … repenteth me

Scofield Zechariah 8:14, note.

Gen 6:9 These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God.

just man

Righteousness. Gen 7:1. (Gen 6:9; Luk 2:25.)

perfect

i.e. upright or sincere.

walked with God

Noah and Enoch are the two antediluvians of whom it is said that they "walked with God" (Genesis 5:24; 6:9). Enoch, "translated that he should not see death" (Hebrews 11:5), becomes a type of the saints who will be "caught up" before the great tribulation (1 Thes 4:14-17; Revelation 3:10; Daniel 12:1; Matthew 24:21). Noah, preserved through the Flood, is a type of the Israelitish people who will be preserved through the tribulation (Jeremiah 30:5-9). See "Tribulation" (Scofield Psalm 2:5; Revelation 7:14).

Gen 6:14 Make thee an ark of gopher wood; rooms shalt thou make in the ark, and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch.

ark

"Ark": type of Christ as the refuge of His people from judgment (Hebrews 11:7). In strictness of application this speaks of the preservation through the "great tribulation" (Matthew 24:21, 22) of the remnant of Israel who will turn to the Lord after the Church (typified by Enoch, who was translated to heaven before the judgment of the Flood) has been caught up to meet the Lord (Genesis 5:22-24; 1 Thes 4:15-17; Hebrews 11:5; Isaiah 2:10, 11; 26:20, 21). But the type also has a present reference to the position of the believer "in Christ" (Eph 1), etc. It should be noted that the word translated "pitch" in Genesis 6:14 is the same word translated "atonement" in Leviticus 17:11, etc. It is atonement that keeps out the waters of judgment and makes the believer's position "in Christ" safe and blessed.

Gen 6:15 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.

cubits

One cubit—18 inches; also Gen 6:16. [Length = 450 ft; Width = 75 ft; Heighth = 45 ft]

Gen 6:17 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.

die

Death (physical). Luk 16:22, 23. (Gen 3:19; Heb 9:27.)

Gen 6:19 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.

two of every sort

Cf. Genesis 7:2. In addition to two animals, etc., commanded (Genesis 6:19) to be preserved for future increase ("they shall be male and female"), the further command was given more than 100 years later to take of clean beasts, i.e, beasts acceptable for sacrifice, seven each. Exodus gives ten such beasts, or but seventy in all. Modern ships carry hundreds of live beasts, with their food, besides scores of human beings.

Gen 6:22 Thus did Noah; according to all that God commanded him, so did he.

did Noah

Faith. Gen 12:1-5. (Gen 3:20; Heb 11:39.)