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The Torah · Old Testament

Genesis 6

Preparing an ark amid violence

General context

After a brief account of the sons of God, the daughters of men and mighty people, the chapter describes continual human wickedness and an earth filled with violence. God expresses regret and grief over making humanity and announces destruction. Noah finds grace and is described as just, blameless in his generation and walking with God. God tells him to build an ark, gives its dimensions and arrangement, and announces a flood. A covenant is promised with Noah, who is to enter with his family, bring male and female pairs of living creatures and gather food for all. The chapter ends by reporting his obedience to everything commanded.

Cited passages: Genesis 6:1, Genesis 6:2, Genesis 6:4, Genesis 6:5, Genesis 6:6, Genesis 6:7, Genesis 6:8, Genesis 6:9, Genesis 6:10, Genesis 6:11, Genesis 6:12, Genesis 6:13, Genesis 6:14, Genesis 6:15, Genesis 6:16, Genesis 6:17, Genesis 6:18, Genesis 6:19, Genesis 6:20, Genesis 6:21, Genesis 6:22

Genesis 6 (KJV)

1And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them,

2That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose.

3And the Lord said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.

4There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown.

5And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

6And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.

7And the Lord said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them.

8But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.

9These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God.

10And Noah begat three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

11The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.

12And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.

13And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.

14Make thee an ark of gopher wood; rooms shalt thou make in the ark, and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch.

15And this is the fashion which thou shalt make it of: The length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits, the breadth of it fifty cubits, and the height of it thirty cubits.

16A window shalt thou make to the ark, and in a cubit shalt thou finish it above; and the door of the ark shalt thou set in the side thereof; with lower, second, and third stories shalt thou make it.

17And, behold, I, even I, do bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, from under heaven; and every thing that is in the earth shall die.

18But with thee will I establish my covenant; and thou shalt come into the ark, thou, and thy sons, and thy wife, and thy sons’ wives with thee.

19And of every living thing of all flesh, two of every sort shalt thou bring into the ark, to keep them alive with thee; they shall be male and female.

20Of fowls after their kind, and of cattle after their kind, of every creeping thing of the earth after his kind, two of every sort shall come unto thee, to keep them alive.

21And take thou unto thee of all food that is eaten, and thou shalt gather it to thee; and it shall be for food for thee, and for them.

22Thus did Noah; according to all that God commanded him, so did he.

This page shows the King James Version. In the app, reading opens in the Berean Standard Bible unless you have chosen another translation. The reader includes five translations: the Berean Standard Bible (BSB), the King James Version (KJV), the World English Bible (WEB), the Bible in Basic English (BBE), and the American Standard Version (ASV). Search covers three of them: Berean Standard, King James, and World English. Basic English and American Standard readers search the King James words.

Historical context

The scene belongs to the generations of Noah before the announced flood. Shem, Ham and Japheth are named as his sons; Noah's wife and his sons' wives are included in the promised entry into the ark but are not named. The instructions specify gopher wood, pitch, rooms, three levels, a window and a side door. The length is 300 cubits, the width 50 and the height 30. The opening mentions the sons of God, daughters of men and renowned mighty figures without supplying further identities for the sons of God. God also speaks of human days as 120 years. The construction site is not named.

Cited passages: Genesis 6:1, Genesis 6:2, Genesis 6:4, Genesis 6:9, Genesis 6:10, Genesis 6:14, Genesis 6:15, Genesis 6:16, Genesis 6:17, Genesis 6:18, Genesis 6:3

Literary context

The account narrows from multiplying humanity and widespread wickedness to Noah and the instructions addressed to him. The statement that Noah finds grace interrupts the announcement of destruction. Repeated descriptions of corruption and violence give the judgment its stated setting, while the detailed ark instructions introduce a means of preserving life. The warning that living creatures will die is followed by the promised covenant and the command to keep creatures alive. The final sentence answers the sequence of commands with Noah's comprehensive obedience; the flood itself is still ahead.

Cited passages: Genesis 6:1, Genesis 6:5, Genesis 6:7, Genesis 6:8, Genesis 6:9, Genesis 6:11, Genesis 6:12, Genesis 6:13, Genesis 6:14, Genesis 6:15, Genesis 6:16, Genesis 6:17, Genesis 6:18, Genesis 6:19, Genesis 6:20, Genesis 6:21, Genesis 6:22

Key moments

  1. Noah finds grace (Genesis 6:8). The announcement of destruction is followed by the statement that Noah finds grace in the Lord’s eyes.
  2. The ark is commanded (Genesis 6:14). God tells Noah to make an ark with rooms and coat it with pitch inside and outside.
  3. A covenant is promised (Genesis 6:18). God promises to establish a covenant with Noah and tells him to enter the ark with his family.
  4. Noah follows the commands (Genesis 6:22). The chapter reports that Noah does everything God commands him.

For reflection

How do the detailed instructions for preserving life sit alongside the chapter’s account of corruption, violence and judgment?

People in this chapter

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