Walk in the Bible - Genesis 6

Genesis - Chapter 6

     Chapter 6 starts by focusing on the general population at the time, then it zooms in to Noah. The first thing that it tells us is that as the population increased, the judges of the land, those that were supposed to keep law and order were actually subverting it by taking any woman as their own, whether they were married or not didn't matter to them.    Now, some of the rabbinical scholars argue that verse 2 refers to the judges as angels, others point out the word used to designate them ,"Elohim", is used for both THE LORD and Lord (not a divine being). Rabineu Bachya, for example argues as much in his commentary on Genesis 6, as does Rabineu Chananel. Radak does this as well, with the same explanation. It's also understood that angels don't have physical forms and humans do, so it would have been impossible for any angel to mate with a human. Only God and the Holy Spirit (as Luke states, later on in the Bible) can do that. 

     Verse 3 shows GOD becoming displeased with all of that evil, but rather than wiping out man on the spot, HE SHOWS compassion and says that he'll give mankind 120 years to change their ways.  Remember, at this time, everyone's LIVING well past 100 so this isn't too terribly long in their lifespan to make that change.  GOD is , in essence saying "Man's not going to live forever, since he's a fleshly being, so let me give him time to repent and call on me before he  dies".  This shows that GOD is still compassionate, even though the men of the earth are committing evil and turning away from GOD himself, who created them.

     Verse 4 is talking about giants that were created by the "lords" , the judges and the men of esteem mating with those women, that were described in chapter 2.   It's the first time giants are mentioned, but definitely not the last time. They're mentioned in Numbers 13:33 , Joshua 13:12 , in the person of "Og", the king of Bashan, Joshua 14:15 ( and 15:14) , 2 Samuel 21:16 in the person of "Gat". The Old Testament also describes them as "heros" and "men of reknown", at least as far as the world's concerned, but as we can see from in the next verse, GOD's not too impressed by their great deeds, which is opposite of how the Canaanite gods would have behaved. 

     Verse 5 shows man choosing to do evil rather than good. Man did have the choice, you know. Hezekiah ben Manoah, in his commentary, titled "Chizkuni", reminds us that GOD gave us free will in Deuteronomy 5:26, 10:12 and 30:40. Also, some Rabbinic scholars believe that man was committing some kind of evil TO the Earth because of the exact wording of this scripture, and the next verse as well. They all don't agree on it, but to be sure, there was definitely some rape and adultery going on in verses 1,2 and 4!

     Verse 6 is sometimes translated as "... it repented the Lord that he made man". The word "repented" is the word "nacham" (pronounced "Naw - kham") and yes, it does mean "repent", but it also means "sorrow" or "was sorry" among other meanings, and "was sorry" seems to convey the message better.  He'd made us, set up a garden for us, gave us easy jobs to do, we even got to see HIM face to face, only to have us turn our backs on HIM. I'm sure it grieved HIM plenty. 

     Verse 7 shows GOD literally wanting to clean the Earth of mankind, all of us! The use of water was no accident, just as Pontius Pilate would wash his hands publicly of JESUS'S death, and make himself clean or innocent of his bloodshed, GOD was washing the entire Earth of us to make the Earth clean once again. This seems to bolster the thought, expressed in verse 5 that man was doing evil TO the Earth, otherwise, why clean the Earth?  As to why the animals had to die too, Shlomo Yitzaki, better known as the Rabbinic scholar, Rashi, quotes Sangedrin 108a by stating that since all things were created for man's benefit, there would be no need for them when man wasn't around.

     Verse 8 is where we're finally introduced to Noah, and the first thing we're told is that he's found favor in the eyes of the Lord. The Italian Rabbinic scholar, Obadiah ben Jacob Sforno, better known by his surname, Sforno, states that the original word in Hebrew for "favor", which is "chen" (pronounced as "khane") means that the favor was groundless. In part, he's right, as there was really nothing Noah could do to earn this favor from GOD. The Canaanite myths show men earning favor by performing heroic tasks or by being a mighty warrior. None of that has any meaning to GOD.

     In verse 9 we're introduced to the generations of Noah. The Bible does this as a way to turn the focus on Noah and his family only. It also tells us that despite the evil that was going on in that time, he held himself apart from it. He didn't participate in the mess that society made, rather he walked with GOD.

     Verse 10 mentions Noah's name a third time because GOD wanted us to remember his name, and that he was the only one that found favor in GOD'S sight. Chuzkuni, the Rabbinic scholar, says as much in his commentary as well! This is also the second time the Bible's mentioned the names of his three sons as well. GOD'S dropping a big hint that their names are definetly important and needed to be remembered! 

    Verse 11 not only reiterates that the world is evil, but it adds more detail, it says that the world is corrupt. This doesn't mean violence, it means acts of robbery and idolatry were being committed. Some Rabbinic scholars point to the phrase "before GOD" as an indication that they were doing this out in the open, rather than trying to hide it in private. Considering the fact that nothing can be hidden from GOD, that's doubtful! The Bible adds to this by saying that the world is filled with violence. The exact word used here literally mean "absolute violence", just to show us how bad it really was at that time!

     Verse 12 shows us that GOD knew about the evil that was going on in the world, it didn't escape HIS notice. HE saw it, all of it. In fact, some rabinic scholars think that it went beyond just mankind, that it actually included the animals as well, because the word used for "all flesh" in this verse is the word "basar" which means every living thing.  This didn't include the fish, because they were in the water, not on the land.

     In verse 13, GOD comes to Noah and lets him know that the times up for the Earth. He'd given them 120 years to clean up their act and they'd gotten worse not better. HE told Noah that he'd use the very Earth they stood on and called their home to destroy them. This is likely what GOD would refer to over in Leviticus 1 - 5 when HE said that the Ancient Hebrews needed to follow HIS commandments, and if they did, they'd live.

    In verse 14 we see Noah being told to make an Ark. Now considering who GOD is why would he tell Noah to make an ark when he could have just spoke and created it, like he did the rest of the world? Rabbineu Bahya says that it was done to give the world a warning of what was to come and give them yet more time to come back to HIM.  By the way, that "gopher wood" that GOD told him to use was  likely cedar , per David Kimchi, who quotes the ancient Jewish philosopher Philo Judeaus, also known as Philo of Alexandria.

     The "pitch" he was told to use was likely Bitumen, which is known to be water-proof and very long lasting. In fact, bitumen's known to have been around since 3800 B. C since 3800 BC , so it was certainly nothing new at the time of Noah. Notice that he's told to pitch the inside as well as the outside. This would protect Noah and his family and all of the animals in the ark while the Earth was flooded. Also note that he had Noah prepare the Ark for the animals ahead of time, just like GOD prepared the Earth for us!

     In verse 15, GOD gives Moses exact measurements for the ark using cubits. The ancient Hebrews weren't the only people using cubits, the Egyptians and the Babylonians did as well. There was one slight problem with using a cubit as a measurement, however. The cubit was based on the length of your arm from your elbow to the tip of your middle finger, and since our arms aren't the same size, we wound up with different measurements for a cubit. A cubit could range anywhere from 17.5 inches to 20.6 inches!

     Even using the largest cubit size (20.6 inches), according to Rabbineu Bahya, one ark would have been too small to accommodate ALL of the animals on Earth at the time. Yet, as we'll see later on, they all fit, and no animal got left behind, GOD made 'em all fit. Later on JESUS would do something similar when he took a lunch that was sufficient for one young boy and caused it to feed a crowd of people!

     In verse 16 GOD commands that certain things be in the ark, like "a light shalt thou make". Rabbinical Scholar Rashi comments that some people think it's a gemstone, set up to refract light, other believe it's a window. I believe it's the same window mentioned in Genesis 8:6 where Noah let's a raven out of the window in the ark. HE also commands Noah to slope the roof up by one cubit. Pretty smart idea actually, as a sloped roof would cause the rain to slide off the roof and not collect on it!

     GOD also commands Moses to put a door in the ark. Most believe this door was on the broadside of the ark, however, Rabbinical scholar Chizkuni disagrees and states that the door was actually in the corner where it would be less exposed to the elements. Most scholars totally agree that the ark was set up with the top floors for the humans, the middle for the animals and the bottom floor for the waste, per Rashi and Sanhedrin 108b.

     In verse 18, GOD repeats HIS name twice to prove that it's HE that's causing the flood, not any natural occurance, per Meir Leibush ben Yehiel Michel Wisser, also known as Malbim ("Malbim" comes from the Hebrew initials of his name) , rabbi, master of Hebrew Grammer and Bible commentator. This is also the first time HE tells Noah how he'll destroy the people and all living animals on the Earth. He literally tells Noah that nothing will survive. 

     Verse 18 shows the first covenant between GOD and man between GOD and Noah. He's literally telling him this after HE told Noah that all life on Earth would be destroyed. HE's saying the equivalent of "Everyone on Earth will die except you, your son's, your wife and your son's wives." HE didn't have to save Noah's sons just because they were his sons, indeed, as we'll see later, HE kills two of Aaron's sons, Nadab and Abihu for burning a strange fire before him. Really, HE didn't, HE could have saved Noah and the animals and made more humans from clay like HE did with Adam and Eve. 

     In verse 19 GOD tells Noah to bring two of every living thing into the ark.  Now, HE could have just as easily told Noah not to and have created the animals HIMSELF, However I think the curse (and promise) made to Adam and Eve were still in effect, showing that GOD keeps HIS word, no matter what. In verse 20, GOD lists the animals to bring in the order he created them, and HE also says they need to be kept together. Pretty smart move since some of those animals were carnivores and they would have eaten the other animals! 

     In verse 21, Shlomo Ephraim ben Aaron Luntschitz, also known as Kli Yakar, Rabbi, poet and Torah commentator, points out that Noah was told to take from his own food, not from the food of others, even though the other people were going to die, and that that food would be for himself and the animals he was going to be taking with himself and his family on the ark. GOD would allow the food to last, just like he allowed the oil in the lamps to last that's celebrated on Chanukha, by his power, not through any careful planning or calculations on Noah's part, just GOD and his power.

     Finally, verse 22 shows Noah doing just what GOD said. Now, he hasn't entered the ark just yet, that will come later. Right now, he's building it (all by hand, no power tools were available yet!) and stocking it full of food. As you'll see, he won't enter it until the next chapter.

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In summary, GOD saw the world go wicked, and despite that, HE gave the world a chance to repent and return to him up to the moment HE would shut Noah up in the ark.  He also saw Noah, HIS faithful servant, who refused to bow to what was likely tremendous peer pressure around him and just do what everyone else was doing. GOD promised him he would survive, even though everyone around him wouldn't and his food supply would sustain him, his family and all the animals he brought with him.

Are you feeling alone and un-noticed by anyone, GOD included? Take heart. GOD sees everything, you included. If you're not sure about that, drop me a line, I'd love to talk to you!