THE OLD TESTAMENT - BOOK OF GENESIS - CHAPTER # 6

THE BOOK OF GENESIS CHAPTER # 6 !!!!!!! __6:1__8:22 A flood story, included in the Epic of Gilgamesh, has been found in the Mesopotamian liteture. It has similarities to the biblical account of the flood. A certain man named Utnapishtim built an ark, loaded it with animals, and survived a torrential rain. The relationship of the two accunts, if any, is uncertain, although  the appearance of a flood story in Mesopotamia gives some support and confimation to the historicity of the biblical event. That is, the existence of such stories elsewhere indicates that the Bible indeed preserves the memory of a momentous event, as does the Mesopotamian account. There are also key differences between the biblical and Measopotamian stories, particularly in regard to what motivated God or the gods to bring the flood.
6:1__8 _THE WICKEDNESS OF HUMANITY. The very specific list of descendants in chapter 5 isimmediatelly followed by this short passage that explains why God sent a flood to punish the whole of humanity. But this passage concludes by recognizing that, in contrast to everyone else, Noah (introduced in 5:28__32) finds favor in God's eyes.
6:1__2 _MAN BEGAN TO MULTIPLY. The motif of multiplying is first introduced by God in 1:28, where it is presented in a very positive light and viewed as necessary to fulfill God's plans for the earth. The present passage, however, reveals that this God-mandated task leads to increasing wickedness on the earth as the population expands. This problem is exacerbated by the coming together of the SONS OF GOD and the DAUGHTERS OF MAN (6:2). The identity of both groups is uncertain, and various solutions have been advocated, although none has gained universal support. Various scholars have proposed that the "sons of God" are (1) _fallen angels (JOB 1:6; some, however, suggest that this contradicts MARK 12:25, though the reference in Mark is to angels in heaven; see also 2 PETER 2:4__5; JUDE 5__6; or (2) _tyrannical human judges or kings (in the ungodly line of Lamech, possibly demon-possessed); or (3) followers of God among the male descendants of Seth (the godly line of Seth, but who married the ungodly daughters of Cain). Though it would be difficult to determine which of these three views may be correct, it is clear that kind of relationship described here involved some form of grievous sexual perversion, wherein the "sons of God" SAW and with impunity TOOK any woman ("daughters of man") that they wanted. The sequence here in GENESIS 6:2 ("saw . . . attractive [good] . . . took"). in both cases, something good in God's creation is used in disobedience and sinful rebellion against God, with tragic consequences. Only Noah stands apart from this sin 
                                                           (See 1 PETER 3:19   
6:3 _God announces that because of the immoral nature of people, their DAYS SHALL BE 120 YEARS. There are two possible interpretations of this number of years: either the lives of human beings will no longer exceed 120 years, or the coming of the flood is anticipated in 120 years. While the latter interpretation is simpler, the former interpretation is appealing, and would be true as a generalization even though some of those who live after the flood (Abraham ) enjoy lives in excess of 120 years.  
6:4 _NEPHILIM. The meaning of this term is uncertain. It occurs elsewhere in the OT only in NUMBERS 13:33, where it denotes a group living in Canaan. If both passage refer to the same people, then the Israelite spies (NUMBERS 13:33) are expressing their fears of the Canaanites by likening them to the ancient MEN OF RENOWN. Although in Hebrew Nepilim means "fallen ones," have been mistakenly deduced from NUMBERS 13:33; one must be cautious about reading it back into the present passage. The Nephilim were MIGHTY MEN or warriors and, as such, may well have contributed to the violence that filled the earth (See GENESIS 6:13).
6:5 _This verse concisely describes the universal intensity and pervasiveness of human wickedness.
6:6__7 _THE LORD REGRETTED . . . IT GRIEVED HIM TO HIS HEART. The Hebrew verb rendered "regretted" (Hebrew nakham) is sometimes translated "repent," and sometimes as "feel sorrow, be grieved." God is grieved over his creation, which he at first saw as very good (1:31) but which is now filled with sin (See 1 SAMUEL 15:11; 15:29; JONAH 3:10). The destruction of MAN ANS ANIMALS AND CREEPING THINGS AND BIRDS OF THE HEAVENS suggests that this will be reversal of God's creative work. The resulting flood reflects this, for the dry land is submerged under water, subequently to reappear, as in GENSIS 1:19. FROM THE FACE OF THE LAND. On the extent of the flood. (See 6:17.)
6:8 _Noah is distinguished from the rest of humanity. Apart from Noah, the only other person in the OT who is desscribed as finding FAVOR IN THE EYES OF THE LORD is Moses, in EXODUS 33:17 (and possibly Abraham; GENESIS 18:3). Placed on a par with Moses, Noah is rescued from the looming annihilation.
6:9__9:29 _Noah's Descendants. Centered on Noah and his descendants, this section of Genesis is dominated by the account of the flood that brings about a renewal of the earth, which has similarities to 1:1__2:3. While the land is cleansed of the defilement caused by human wrongdoing and a new start is made possible by God, the people's nature has not been transformed, as the final short episode in 9:20__28 reveals. The inclination of the human heart is still toward evil.
6:9__9:19 _Noah and the Flood. This long section recounts how Noah and his immediate family are rescued from the flood. By echoing chapter 1, the whole process is presented as the undoing of creation and then the "re-creation" of the earth as it emerges from the flood. But after the flood not everything returns to a pristine condition. Human nature is not renewed.
6:9 _THESE ARE THE GENERATIONS OF NOAH. A new heading introduces this section of Genesis (See 2:4). Noah's personal righteousness explains why he is warned about the forthcoming deluge. The Hebrew for BLAMELESS conveys the sense of being perfect, without evident flaw (although not necessarily sinless). WALK WITH GOD. See 5:22__24. Like Noah, Abraham is later required by God to walk before him and be blameless (See 17:1). The positive attributes listed here are rarely ascribed to human beings in the OT.
6:11__12 _In contrast to Noah, THE EARTH WAS CORRUPT IN GOD'S SIGHT. These verses confirm what has already been indicated in verse 1__7. Here, however, particular emphasis is given to the VIOLENCE that fills the earth. The mention of "corruption" here may lie behind Paul's "bondage to corruption" (ROMAN 8:21): the creation suffers as mankind corrupts its way, and as God punishes that corruption. Originally delegated to govern the earth of God's behalf, humans have aggressively and viciously asserted their rule over others, including both people and other living creatures. The ancient Near Eastern epics of Gilgamesh and Atrahasis also tell of a flood sent to punish human beings. In those stories, however, it is merely the disruptive noise of humanity that leads to their destruction. Genesis emphasizes that God destroys the people he has created because of their immoral behavior. 
6:13__17 _In a long speech, God gives Noah directions for the construction of an ARK (verse 14) that will be sufficiently large to house his family and a wide variety of other living creatures.
6:15 _In modern measurements, the ark would have been around 450 feet 140 m) long, 75 feet (23 m) wide, and 45 feet (14 m) high, yielding a displacement of about 43,000 tons (about 39 million kg). The inside capacity would have been 1.4 million cubic feet (39, 644 cubic m), with an approximate total deck area of 95,700 square feet (8,891 square m).
6:17 _EVERYTHING THAT IS ON THE EARTH SHALL DIE. Although God intends the flood to destroy every person and his remarks have a strong universal emphasis, this in itself does not necessarily mean that the flood had to cover the whole earth. Since the geographical perspective of ancient people was more limited than that of contemporary readers, it is possible that the flood, while universal from their viewpoint, did not cover the entire globe. Indeed, Genesis implies that prior to the Tower of Babel incident (See 11:1__9), people had not yet spread thoughout the earth. Many interpreters, therefore, argue that a huge regional flood may have been all that was necessary for God to destroy all human beings. The expression "all the earth" clearly referring to the eastern Mediterranean seaboard. In support of the view that the flood covered all the earth, other interpreters point out that the text says that "all the high mountains under the whole haven were covered" (7:19) and that the water was "fifteen cubits" above the tops of the mountains. If "the mountains of Ararat" (8:4) refers to the range that includes present-day Mount Ararat in Turkey (elevation 16,854 feet or 5,137 m), the amount of water necessary to cover it would be at least 16,854 feet above sea level.
6:18__22 _God indicates that he will establish a COVANTwith Noah (See 9:9__11; 9:12__17). By taking into the ark two EVERY LIVING THING, including birds, animals, and creeping things, Noah displays the caring oversight that people were expected to have for other living creatures.