Genesis 6:1-4 NIV

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Genesis 6:1-2

Now here we have an account of two things which occasioned the wickedness of the old world:?1. The increase of mankind: Men began to multiply upon the face of the earth. This was the effect of the blessing (Gen. 1:28), and yet man's corruption so abused and perverted this blessing that it was turned into a curse. Thus sin takes occasion by the mercies of God to be the more exceedingly sinful. Prov. 29:16; When the wicked are multiplied, transgression increaseth. The more sinners the more sin;... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Genesis 6:3

This comes in here as a token of God's displeasure at those who married strange wives; he threatens to withdraw from them his Spirit, whom they had grieved by such marriages, contrary to their convictions: fleshly lusts are often punished with spiritual judgments, the sorest of all judgments. Or as another occasion of the great wickedness of the old world; the Spirit of the Lord, being provoked by their resistance of his motions, ceased to strive with them, and then all religion was soon lost... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Genesis 6:4-5

We have here a further account of the corruption of the old world. When the sons of God had matched with the daughters of men, though it was very displeasing to God, yet he did not immediately cut them off, but waited to see what would be the issue of these marriages, and which side the children would take after; and it proved (as usually it does), that they took after the worst side. Here is, I. The temptation they were under to oppress and do violence. They were giants, and they were men of... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 6:1

And it came to pass, when men began to multiply upon the face of the earth ,.... Either mankind in general, or rather the posterity of Cain, who were mere natural men, such as they were when born into the world, and as brought up in it, destitute of the grace of God, and of the knowledge and fear of him; and who in proportion much more multiplied than the posterity of Seth, because of the practice of polygamy, which by the example of Lamech, one of that race, might prevail among them: and... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 6:2

That the sons of God saw the daughters of men, that they were fair ,.... Or "good" F11 טבת καλαι , Sept, "bonae" Cocceius. , not in a moral but natural sense; goodly to look upon, of a beautiful aspect; and they looked upon, and only regarded their external beauty, and lusted after them: those "sons of God" were not angels either good or bad, as many have thought, since they are incorporeal beings, and cannot be affected with fleshly lusts, or marry and be given in marriage, or... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 6:3

And the Lord said ,.... Not to Noah, as in Genesis 6:13 for, as yet, he is not taken notice of, or any discourse addressed to him; but rather to or within himself, he said what follows, or thus concluded, and resolved on in his own mind: my Spirit shall not always strive with man ; meaning either the soul of man, called the Spirit of God, Job 27:3 because of his creation, and is what he breathes and puts into men, and therefore is styled the Father of spirits; and which is in man, as... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 6:4

There were giants in the earth in those days ,.... That is, in the days before the sons of God took the daughters of men for wives, in such a general manner as before declared, or before the declension and apostasy became so universal; even in the times of Jared, as the Arabic writers F14 Elmacinus & Patricides apud Hottinger, p. 235, 236. understand it, who say that these giants were begotten on the daughters of Cain by the children of Seth, who went down from the mountain to them... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Genesis 6:1

When men began to multiply - It was not at this time that men began to multiply, but the inspired penman speaks now of a fact which had taken place long before. As there is a distinction made here between men and those called the sons of God, it is generally supposed that the immediate posterity of Cain and that of Seth are intended. The first were mere men, such as fallen nature may produce, degenerate sons of a degenerate father, governed by the desire of the flesh, the desire of the eye,... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Genesis 6:3

My spirit shall not always strive - It is only by the influence of the Spirit of God that the carnal mind can be subdued and destroyed; but those who wilfully resist and grieve that Spirit must be ultimately left to the hardness and blindness of their own hearts, if they do not repent and turn to God. God delights in mercy, and therefore a gracious warning is given. Even at this time the earth was ripe for destruction; but God promised them one hundred and twenty years' respite: if they... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Genesis 6:4

There were giants in the earth - נפלים nephilim , from נפל naphal , "he fell." Those who had apostatized or fallen from the true religion. The Septuagint translate the original word by γιγαντες , which literally signifies earth-born, and which we, following them, term giants, without having any reference to the meaning of the word, which we generally conceive to signify persons of enormous stature. But the word when properly understood makes a very just distinction between the sons... read more

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Genesis 6:1-2

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Genesis 6:3

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Genesis 6:4-5

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 6:1

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 6:2

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 6:3

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 6:4

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Genesis 6:1

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Genesis 6:3

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Genesis 6:4

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