July 2022 - 22 August 2022 index-genesis
Genesis 6 is the sixth chapter of the Hebrew Bible. It comes after Genesis 5 and before Genesis 7.
The first bit (Genesis 6:1-4) is a very odd story in which divine beings mate with human women, producing the rough equivalent of demigods, the Nephilim, who are not described in detail but tantalizingly described in legendary terms.
At verse 5, the text abruptly announces that God is fed up with human wickedness, and, because he regrets creating them, will destroy the earth and its inhabitants. The text now introduces Noah, briefly mentioned at the end of Genesis 5. Noah is a good man. God announces the planned extermination, but provides a way for Noah and his family to survive.
Beginning at Genesis 6:5, we have the Genesis Flood narrative, which extends through Genesis 8. The flood narrative is noteworthy for a number of reasons. Literarily, it echoes the creation, only it reverses the events: as creation saw the earth formed from watery chaos, the flood narrative deliberately echoes the language of creation, putting it in reverse. It is one of the clearer examples of evidence for the Documentary Hypothesis. In terms of comparative mythology, it echoes earlier flood stories from the Ancient Near East. In terms of the broader biblical narrative, it provides the backdrop for how the world's nations came to be, how they found their lands, and thus sets the backdrop against which the story of Israel's rise will be told.
For a look at the documentary sources hypothesized to lie behind this chapter, see Bill Pringle's website. His website follows the influential work of Richard Elliott Friedman.
(6:1) humankind. Hebrew ha-ʾadam.
(6:1) multiply. The increase of human population is also a key factor in at least one related ancient Flood story in which the gods decide to wipe out humanity. In the story of Atrahasis, the multiplication of the humans leads to so much noise that the gods want to wipe them out.
(6:2) sons of God. Hebrew bᵉnei ha-ʾelohim, which could also be read as "sons of the gods," referring to a class of beings superior to humans but inferior to the high god Yahweh. Whether they are referred to as lesser deities or angels is almost a semantic question rather than one of substance. For a highly detailed and exhaustive treatment of the relationship of the Bible to polytheistic thought, I'd recommend getting ahold of the Dictionary of Deities and Demons and just reading whatever entries interest you.
Kittel wonders if "sons of" is a later addition, leaving only ha-ʾelohim, "the gods", originally.
(6:2) daughters of humankind. That is, human women, or perhaps more specifically young unmarried women.
(6:2) On the meaning of this verse, see here.
(6:3) Yahweh. The Septuagint reads God.
(6:3) spirit. Or, breath. Compare Genesis 2:7, in which God breathes the breath of life (the same Hebrew word is used) into man's nostrils, making him alive.
(6:3) ydwn. The meaning of this Hebrew verb is uncertain. One suggestion (KJV, ASV, WEB) is that the verb means "strive".
(6:3) in. Or, with, or against. The exact meaning of a preposition in Hebrew -- as in English -- will often depend on the verb associated with it, but with such a little-known verb as ydwn, it is hard to say what a good English equivalent for the Hebrew b- would be.
(6:3) not ... forever. Hebrew lo ... le'olam. This could also be read as "never more" -- "My spirit will never more ydwn with/in humankind." Dillmann argues that "not forever" is appropriate here, because it sets up the reason for the statement, "His days will be one hundred twenty years".
(6:3) beshaggam. The meaning of this Hebrew term is unclear. Some render it as roughly equivalent to "because" or "because ... also"; others read "in their erring." Either option involves some grammar that is odd, and it is possible that neither of these readings are correct. See Dillmann for more discussion of possibilities.
(6:3) they. Literally, he [is].
(6:3) one hundred twenty years. Does this mean that human lifespans will be decreased to one hundred and twenty years, or that the Flood is one hundred twenty years away? See Dillmann for a weighing of the options. Says Driver -- "It is wisest to acknowledge the simple truth, which is that both textually and exegetically the verse is very uncertain, and that it is impossible to feel any confidence as to its meaning."
(6:4) Nephilim. See Nephilim.
(6:4) go in. A biblical euphemism for sexual relations.
(6:4) At the end of this verse, the Masoretic Text has a 'paragraph' break (petuhah).
(6:5-8). These verses, according to Driver, make up the Yahwist prologue to the Deluge.
(6:5) Yahweh. The Septuagint reads God.
(6:5) every thought in his mind. Literally, "every formation of thought of his [humanity's] heart".
(6:6) Yahweh. The Septuagint reads God.
(6:6) regretted. In determining whether or not the author of this passage believed in divine omniscience, it is worth noting that experiencing regret would seem to be in conflict with traditional theological formulations of omniscience.
(6:7) Yahweh. The Septuagint reads God.
(6:7) blot out. According to Driver, this term is characteristic of the Yahwist.
(6:7) livestock. Hebrew behemah. The word somewhere refers specifically to domestic animals, sometimes to animals more generally. Dillmann, here following August Knobel, takes it in a more general sense.
(6:8) As in verse 4, there is a petuha at the end of this verse.
(6:9-12) According to Driver, these verses make up the Priestly introduction to the Flood narrative.
(6:9) generations. Hebrew twldt, a word without a precise English equivalent, used repeatedly in Genesis to introduce family histories, especially of a genealogical nature. According to Driver the expression "These are the generations" is characteristic of the Priestly source.
(6:9) blameless. Or "perfect" (RV). Because of the common Judeo-Christian understanding that no human being is morally perfect or blameless, this verse has caused some discussion about Noah's moral status. among his contemporaries. One interpretation, mentioned in Rashi, is that "in his generations" means that Noah was only "blameless" in comparison with his peers.
(6:9) contemporaries. Hebrew dorot, which literally means "generations". But it is a different word from toldot, the famous term "generations" that creates a framework for Genesis.
(6:10) Ham. Kittel notes the existence of both Masoretic and Samaritan manuscripts that read and Ham.
(6:11) cruelty. Hebrew hamas. The KJV has "violence", but the word embraces a wider range of types of mistreatment than the word "violence". So also in verse 13.
(6:12) all flesh. According to Dillmann, this term as used in P refers not only to humans, but even to animals, who had apparently taken up cruel behavior.
(6:12) ruined. Some translate "corrupted". But the verb is the same one used in 6:14 for what God will do to the earth.
(6:12) At the end of this verse is a Hebrew paragraph marker (setumah).
(6:13) cruelty. As in verse 11.
(6:13) make ruins of them with the earth. See here.
(6:14) ark. Hebrew teba, a word used only of Noah's vessel and the vessel by which Moses was saved from death in water.
(6:14) gopher. This is the Hebrew term, and its meaning is not clear.
(6:14) Nests ... This bit is difficult in Hebrew. More than one theory of what is meant has been proposed. See here.
(6:14) pitch. Hebrew kofer. The word appears only here; generally interpreters regard this as bitumen -- Driver adduces the example of the Assyrian kupru, which also refers to bitumin. The ark of Moses is smeared similarly, but in that case the Hebrew term hemar is used.
(6:15) cubits. More than one biblical cubit is known: measures of perhaps 17-18 inches and another more like 21 inches are known.
(6:16) The identity of the tsohar and its precise position on the ark are not clear. Some read it as a window, which other read it as a roof -- the window being one cubit in height, or the roof perhaps slanted in such a way that the center highest part of the roof is a cubit taller than along the sides of the ark.
(6:16) to a cubit. Kittel thinks perhaps we should read to its width.
(6:16) to a cubit you shall finish it. See here.
(6:17) deluge. Hebrew mabbul. The word is used, according to Driver, only of the Flood of Noah. This depends on whether the mabbul of Psalm 29 is a flood of Noah, or whether it is some other flood.
(6:17) water. See here.
(6:17) breath. Or "spirit". Cf. Driver.
(6:17) expire. A term generally used only in poetry, except by the Priestly source, which uses it twelve times in prose.
(6:19) all living things. Masoretic Text kol haḥai. According to Kittel, the the Samaritan Pentateuch and Septuagint have kol ḥayah. I don't think this makes much difference.
two. Hebrew šanim. According to Kittel, the Septuagint and Peshitta indicate šanim šanim, "two [by] two".
(6:20) of all the various kinds of crawling things. According to Kittel, eleven Masoretic manuscripts, the Samaritan Pentateuch, the Septuagint, the Peshitta, and the Targums Onkelos and Pseudo-Jonathan indicate and of all the various kinds of crawling things.
(6:22) "The form of sentence is characteristic of" the Priestly source, says Driver, giving as other examples Exodus 7:6, 12:28, 50, 40:16; Numbers 1:54, etc.
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