Genesis 6: Corruption and the ark

God resolves to destroy a violent, corrupt earth, but Noah finds favor with the LORD and builds the ark as commanded.

Chapter 6 of 5022 verses5 sectionsBSB

Where Genesis 6 sits

Genesis66 books · 1,189 chaptersRevelation

In the story: Act II, Fall: Genesis 3–11
In the Bible: Old Testament · The Law · chapter 6 of 50 in Genesis
In Genesis: Noah: the flood and the covenant, 6:9–9:29 · part of All humanity
Before: Genesis 5: And then he died
After: Genesis 7: The LORD shut him in

Genesis 6 summary

As mankind multiplies, the sons of God take wives as they please, the LORD limits man's days, and mighty men fill the earth. The LORD sees that every inclination of man's heart is altogether evil all the time and resolves to blot out what He made, but Noah finds favor in His eyes. Under Noah's heading, God tells this righteous man that He will destroy all corrupt flesh, gives him the plan of the ark, promises His covenant, and Noah obeys in everything.

Genesis 6 in context

Speaking: Moses, narrating; the LORD speaks His verdict and then His instructions to Noah
Written for: Israel, learning that God judges the world's evil and saves by grace those He calls into His appointed refuge
Around it: Closes Adam's line (6:1–8) and opens Noah's (6:9); the flood itself follows (ch. 7)

How Genesis 6 points to Christ

Jesus says His coming will be as in the days of Noah (Matt 24:37–39); the ark, in which a few were saved through water, answers to the salvation that baptism signifies (1 Pet 3:20–21)

The sections of Genesis 6

Sons of God, daughters of men
The sons of God take wives of the daughters of men; the LORD limits man's days, and mighty men fill the earth.
6:1–4
Grief and grace
The LORD grieves that man's every thought is evil and resolves to blot him out, but Noah finds favor in His eyes.
6:5–8
Noah walked with God
Noah's heading: a righteous man, blameless in his generation, who walks with God; his sons are Shem, Ham and Japheth.
6:9–10
All flesh corrupt
The earth is corrupt and full of violence, and God tells Noah He will destroy all flesh with the earth.
6:11–13
Build the ark
God gives the ark's plan, warns of the flood and promises His covenant to Noah, who does all that God commands.
6:14–22

Read Genesis 6

Corruption on the Earth

¹Now when men began to multiply on the face of the earth and daughters were born to them, ²the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful, and they took as wives whomever they chose.

³So the LORD said, “My Spirit will not contend with man forever, for he is mortal; his days shall be 120 years.”

⁴The Nephilim were on the earth in those days—and afterward as well—when the sons of God had relations with the daughters of men. And they bore them children who became the mighty men of old, men of renown.

⁵Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great upon the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was altogether evil all the time. ⁶And the LORD regretted that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. ⁷So the LORD said, “I will blot out man, whom I have created, from the face of the earth—every man and beast and crawling creature and bird of the air—for I am grieved that I have made them.”

Noah’s Favor with God

⁸Noah, however, found favor in the eyes of the LORD.

⁹This is the account of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation; Noah walked with God. ¹⁰And Noah had three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

¹¹Now the earth was corrupt in the sight of God, and full of violence. ¹²And God looked upon the earth and saw that it was corrupt; for all living creatures on the earth had corrupted their ways.

Preparing the Ark

¹³Then God said to Noah, “The end of all living creatures has come before Me, because through them the earth is full of violence. Now behold, I will destroy both them and the earth.

¹⁴Make for yourself an ark of gopher wood; make rooms in the ark and coat it with pitch inside and out. ¹⁵And this is how you are to build it: The ark is to be 300 cubits long, 50 cubits wide, and 30 cubits high. ¹⁶You are to make a roof for the ark, finish its walls a cubit from the top, place a door in the side of the ark, and build lower, middle, and upper decks.

¹⁷And behold, I will bring floodwaters upon the earth to destroy every creature under the heavens that has the breath of life. Everything on the earth will perish. ¹⁸But I will establish My covenant with you, and you will enter the ark—you and your sons and your wife and your sons’ wives with you.

¹⁹And you are to bring two of every living creature into the ark—male and female—to keep them alive with you. ²⁰Two of every kind of bird and animal and crawling creature will come to you to be kept alive. ²¹You are also to take for yourself every kind of food that is eaten and gather it as food for yourselves and for the animals.”

²²So Noah did everything precisely as God had commanded him.

Berean Standard Bible, 22 verses. The BSB is in the public domain.

Around Genesis 6

Also in Noah: the flood and the covenant

Read alongside

Genesis 8:21 The same verdict on man's heart after the flood: evil from his youth.
Hebrews 11:7 Noah, in godly fear, built an ark and became heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.
2 Peter 2:5 Noah, a preacher of righteousness.
Matthew 24:37–39 As it was in the days of Noah, so will it be at the coming of the Son of Man.
Jude 1:6–7 Angels who did not stay within their own domain, set beside Sodom pursuing strange flesh.
2 Peter 2:4–5 God did not spare the angels when they sinned, nor the ancient world, but preserved Noah.
Job 1:6 "Sons of God" used of heavenly beings presenting themselves before the LORD.

Chapters that point here

Exodus 2
Numbers 13
Luke 17
1 Peter 3

How Genesis 6 connects

Faith · Genesis 6:22 · By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, built an ark. (Hebrews 11:7)
The Seed Line · Genesis 6:8 · Grace keeps the line of promise alive through the coming judgment.
Type · The ark, in which a few were saved through water pictures Salvation in Christ, signified in baptism (1 Peter 3:20–21)
Type · The days of Noah, eating and marrying until the flood came pictures The coming of the Son of Man (Matthew 24:37–39; Luke 17:26–27)
Covenant with Noah · Genesis 6:18 · Promised before the flood, the first time Scripture uses the word: God will establish His covenant with Noah and keep his household alive through the judgment.

Doctrines Genesis 6 teaches

The last judgment · Genesis 6:7; Genesis 6:13; 2 Peter 2:5
Saving faith · Genesis 6:22; Hebrews 11:7
Free will · Genesis 6:5

Questions on Genesis 6

What does 6:8 say about Noah before it describes his righteousness?
Show the answer
That Noah “found favor in the eyes of the LORD” (6:8). The LORD’s favor comes first; only then does 6:9 call him righteous, blameless in his generation, a man who walked with God.
What does God promise Noah in 6:18, before the flood comes?
Show the answer
God promises to establish His covenant with Noah, and that he will enter the ark with his sons, his wife and his sons’ wives (6:18). The covenant is pledged before the flood and spelled out after it (9:8–17).
Whose “account” begins at 6:9?
Show the answer
Noah’s: “This is the account of Noah” (6:9). The whole flood story, from the ark to Noah’s death, falls under his heading, which runs to the end of chapter 9.

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