4 There were giants H5303 in the earth H776 in those days; H3117 and also after H310 that, H3651 when H834 the sons H1121 of God H430 came in H935 unto the daughters H1323 of men, H120 and they bare H3205 children to them, the same H1992 became mighty men H1368 which were of old, H5769 men H582 of renown. H8034
And there we saw H7200 the giants, H5303 the sons H1121 of Anak, H6061 which come of the giants: H5303 and we were in our own sight H5869 as grasshoppers, H2284 and so we were in their sight. H5869
(That also was accounted H2803 a land H776 of giants: H7497 giants H7497 dwelt H3427 therein in old time; H6440 and the Ammonites H5984 call H7121 them Zamzummims; H2157 A people H5971 great, H1419 and many, H7227 and tall, H7311 as the Anakims; H6062 but the LORD H3068 destroyed H8045 them before H6440 them; and they succeeded H3423 them, and dwelt H3427 in their stead:
For only Og H5747 king H4428 of Bashan H1316 remained H7604 of the remnant H3499 of giants; H7497 behold, his bedstead H6210 was a bedstead H6210 of iron; H1270 is it not H3808 in Rabbath H7237 of the children H1121 of Ammon? H5983 nine H8672 cubits H520 was the length H753 thereof, and four H702 cubits H520 the breadth H7341 of it, after the cubit H520 of a man. H376
Moreover the Philistines H6430 had yet war H4421 again with Israel; H3478 and David H1732 went down, H3381 and his servants H5650 with him, and fought H3898 against the Philistines: H6430 and David H1732 waxed faint. H5774 And Ishbibenob, H3430 which was of the sons H3211 of the giant, H7497 the weight H4948 of whose spear H7013 weighed three H7969 hundred H3967 shekels of brass H5178 in weight, H4948 he being girded H2296 with a new H2319 sword, thought H559 to have slain H5221 David. H1732 But Abishai H52 the son H1121 of Zeruiah H6870 succoured H5826 him, and smote H5221 the Philistine, H6430 and killed H4191 him. Then the men H582 of David H1732 sware H7650 unto him, saying, H559 Thou shalt go H3318 no more out with us to battle, H4421 that thou quench H3518 not the light H5216 of Israel. H3478 And it came to pass after this, H310 that there was again a battle H4421 with the Philistines H6430 at Gob: H1359 then Sibbechai H5444 the Hushathite H2843 slew H5221 Saph, H5593 which was of the sons H3211 of the giant. H7497 And there was again a battle H4421 in Gob H1359 with the Philistines, H6430 where Elhanan H445 the son H1121 of Jaareoregim, H3296 a Bethlehemite, H1022 slew H5221 the brother of Goliath H1555 the Gittite, H1663 the staff H6086 of whose spear H2595 was like a weaver's H707 beam. H4500 And there was yet a battle H4421 in Gath, H1661 where was a man H376 of great stature, H4067 H4055 that had on every hand H3027 six H8337 fingers, H676 and on every foot H7272 six H8337 toes, H676 four H702 and twenty H6242 in number; H4557 and he also was born H3205 to the giant. H7497 And when he defied H2778 Israel, H3478 Jonathan H3083 the son H1121 of Shimea H8092 the brother H251 of David H1732 slew H5221 him. These four H702 were born H3205 to the giant H7497 in Gath, H1661 and fell H5307 by the hand H3027 of David, H1732 and by the hand H3027 of his servants. H5650
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Genesis 6
Commentary on Genesis 6 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 6
Ge 6:1-22. Wickedness of the World.
2. the sons of God saw the daughters of men—By the former is meant the family of Seth, who were professedly religious; by the latter, the descendants of apostate Cain. Mixed marriages between parties of opposite principles and practice were necessarily sources of extensive corruption. The women, religious themselves, would as wives and mothers exert an influence fatal to the existence of religion in their household, and consequently the people of that later age sank to the lowest depravity.
3. flesh—utterly, hopelessly debased.
And the Lord said, My spirit shall not always strive—Christ, as God, had by His Spirit inspiring Enoch, Noah, and perhaps other prophets (1Pe 3:20; 2Pe 2:5; Jude 14), preached repentance to the antediluvians; but they were incorrigible.
yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years—It is probable that the corruption of the world, which had now reached its height, had been long and gradually increasing, and this idea receives support from the long respite granted.
4. giants—The term in Hebrew implies not so much the idea of great stature as of reckless ferocity, impious and daring characters, who spread devastation and carnage far and wide.
5, 6. God saw it … repented … grieved—God cannot change (Mal 3:6; Jas 1:17); but, by language suited to our nature and experience, He is described as about to alter His visible procedure towards mankind—from being merciful and long-suffering, He was about to show Himself a God of judgment; and, as that impious race had filled up the measure of their iniquities, He was about to introduce a terrible display of His justice (Ec 8:11).
8. But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord—favor. What an awful state of things when only one man or one family of piety and virtue was now existing among the professed sons of God!
9. Noah … just … and perfect—not absolutely; for since the fall of Adam no man has been free from sin except Jesus Christ. But as living by faith he was just (Ga 3:2; Heb 11:7) and perfect—that is, sincere in his desire to do God's will.
11. the earth was filled with violence—In the absence of any well-regulated government it is easy to imagine what evils would arise. Men did what was right in their own eyes, and, having no fear of God, destruction and misery were in their ways.
13. And God said unto Noah—How startling must have been the announcement of the threatened destruction! There was no outward indication of it. The course of nature and experience seemed against the probability of its occurrence. The public opinion of mankind would ridicule it. The whole world would be ranged against him. Yet, persuaded the communication was from God, through faith (Heb 11:7), he set about preparing the means for preserving himself and family from the impending calamity.
14. Make thee an ark—ark, a hollow chest (Ex 2:3).
gopher wood—probably cypress, remarkable for its durability and abounding on the Armenian mountains.
rooms—cabins or small cells.
pitch it within and without—mineral pitch, asphalt, naphtha, or some bituminous substance, which, when smeared over and become hardened, would make it perfectly watertight.
15. And this is the fashion—According to the description, the ark was not a ship, but an immense house in form and structure like the houses in the East, designed not to sail, but only to float. Assuming the cubit to be 21.888 inches, the ark would be five hundred forty-seven feet long, ninety-one feet two inches wide, and forty-seven feet two inches high.
16. A window—probably a skylight, formed of some transparent substance unknown.
in a cubit shalt thou finish it above—a direction to raise the roof in the middle, seemingly to form a gentle slope for letting the water run off.
17-22. And, behold, I, even I, do bring a flood—The repetition of the announcement was to establish its certainty (Ge 41:32). Whatever opinion may be entertained as to the operation of natural laws and agencies in the deluge, it was brought on the world by God as a punishment for the enormous wickedness of its inhabitants.
18. But with thee will I establish my covenant—a special promise of deliverance, called a covenant, to convince him of the confidence to be reposed in it. The substance and terms of this covenant are related at Ge 6:19-21.
22. Thus did Noah—He began without delay to prepare the colossal fabric, and in every step of his progress faithfully followed the divine directions he had received.