Genesis 6

Common voluptuousness and great impiety among men do cause the Deluge after one hundred and twenty years verse 2 &c. of giants 4 Noah finds grace with God and receiveth a charge and model of making the ark 8.14 Gods covenant with Noah 18 orders for all manner of creatures of provision to be put in the ark 19.

1. And it came to pass when men began to multiply upon the earth [Heb upon the face of the earth that is they say upon the plain or flat parts thereof] daughters were born to them.

2. The Gods sons looked on the daughters of men [by these sons and daughters are understood the posterity of the faithful forefathers making profession of the true religion and being with their families which constituted the church of God separate from the unbelieving and the carnal generation of Cain. As the contrary by the daughters of men they are truly understood of Karin’s posterity practicing idolatry and living after the flesh see Deuteronomy 14:1 John 1:12 Luke 17:27 Jude 19] that they were fair [Heb. Good that is fair see chapter 24.16 7 41.22 Exodus 2:2] and they took them wives out of al that they have chosen [regarding only the outward beauty and the outward pleasure not the true religion and fear of the Lord nor their honest parents consent see chapter 36.34,35 and 28.8.]

3. Then said the Lord my spirit shall not forever [that is always] contend or strive with men [that is my holy spirit shall argue it no longer with these stiff-necked man to wit by the mouth of the honest Godly remnant and especially by Noah others my mind that is I myself shall debate or deliberate longer spoken after the manner of men what cause namely I shall take with this evil generation seeing that by no admonition nor punishment they will be reclaimed see 2 Peter 2:5] because also he is flesh [that is corrupt understand this not only the children of men but likewise of Gods children thus the word flesh is taken for the corrupt nature of men 1John 3.6 Romans 7:18 & 8.7] yet his days shall one hundred and twenty years [that is so much time I will allow them yet and after that defer my judgment no longer see 1Peter 3.20.]

4. In those days were giants upon earth [that is men of taller stature and strength than others see Numbers 13:33 the Hebrew words signifying giants is deduced from falling in regard that they being fallen off from God fell upon men with all manner of violence and tyranny fearing neither God nor man whereby every one that saw them dejected his heart and courage failing and falling to ground as it were before them this matter is likewise brought in here a particular cause and provocation of Gods wrath] and thereafter when Gods sons were gone into the daughters of men [or come whereby is modestly and soberly implied the cohabitation of men and wife see below chapter 16.2 & 30.3 &c] and had gotten to themselves children [or then they those namely did hear children to their husbands] these are the mighty or powerful ones that have been of old [Hebrews from eternity see Jeremiah 2 on verse 20.] men of name [that is famous and renowned men who according to the world’s accompt and judgment had achieved great things as on the contrary Job 30:8 it is said of others that they are men of no name.]

5. And the lord saw [in the verse there is contained a very naked and fundamental description of the original sin and the fruits thereof] that the iniquity of man was manifold upon the earth and all the imaginations of the thought of the heart all day are always only evil.

6. Then it repented the Lord [thus the holy scripture speaks of God after the humane manner when he altereth his work or doing although n himself he remained unalterable see the next verse and Numbers 23:19 1samuel 15.11 ,29 2 Samuel 24:16 Malachi 3:6 James 1:17 Acts 15:18] that he had made men upon the earth and it pained him at his heart [likewise humanly spoken of God to shew us the great displeasure against God against men by reason of his perverseness compare Isaiah 63:10 thus sorrow likewise is attributed to god Ephesians 4:30.]

7. And the Lord said I will destroy men whom I have created from off the earth [Heb. Out of from the face of the earth] from men to the cattle [the Hebrew word doth here signify not only the tame but also the wild beast of the earth so below verse 20 see above chapter 1 verse 24, 25, 26, 28, 30.] and unto the fowl of the heaven for it repents me that I made them.

8. But Noah found grace in their eyes of the Lord [that is the Lord of his grace took pleasure in Noah not for his worthiness see of this phrase below chapter 19.19 Exodus 33:13 &c.]

9. These are the births of Noah [that is the generations and acts of Noah or that which befell him in the generation for the Hebrew word doth not signify only the off-spring descent and posterity but likewise that which betides and befall them which is as much as to say the history and relation of such a one and his affair compare below chapter 25.19 and 37.2 and Numbers 3:1] Noah was a righteous upright men [that is one that is matter of the true profession of faith and honest life and conversation was without hypocrisy and falsehood see below chapter 7.1] Noah walked with God [see above chapter 5 on verse 22.]

10. And Noah begat three sons Sem, Cham, and Japheth [see above chapter 5.32.]

11. But the earth [understand by the men inhabiting the earth see below chapter 41.57 2 Samuel 15:23 1 Kings 10:24 Ezekiel 14:13] was corrupted before the face of God: [that is sinning openly daringly presumptuously without either shame before men of fear before Gods presence see below chapter 10.9] and the earth was filled with violence.

12. Then God saw the earth and behold it was corrupted for all flesh [that is all man and thus the word flesh I to be taken likewise Isaiah 40:6 Psalms 78:39 and elsewhere] had corrupted his way [that is to say his purpose manners, life and conversation so Job 23:10 Psalms 1:1 Proverbs 13:15 &c.] upon the earth.

13. Therefore God said to Noah the end of all flesh has come before my face [that is the time of their destruction is at hand as Ezekiel 7:2, 3, 6 Amos 8:2] for the earth is filled with violence by them [Heb. From their face] and loe I will destroy them with the earth [others from the earth.]

14. Make thee an ark [a covered ship of wood in the manner of almost of a chest fitted to float upon the water] of gopher wood [what kind of wood or tree is gopher was is uncertain] with chambers [Heb. Nests] shalt thou make this ark and thou shalt pitch it within and without and with pitch [the Hebrew word doth signify a very tough glutenous and tenacious matter not unlike to our pitch.]

15. And thus it is that thou shalt make it three hundred ells [or cubits or elbows dyers are of opinion that this kind of measure was threefold the common or vulgar the holy one and the geometrical the common to have contained five palms each palm holding the breath of four fingers the holy six palms Ezekiel 40:5 though some conceive the common was to six palm and the holy one as long again which was used in the holy structure of the building as that of the tabernacle and the temple but the geometrical they say was six times as long and the building of the ark some hold that this latter sort was made use of] be the length of the ark fifty ells the breadth of it and thirty the height.

16. Thou shalt make a window [others clear light which by one or more windows may conveniently defuse and spread itself throughout the ark] on the ark and shall perfect it [the ark namely] to an ell from above [some do understand this of the cover of the ark as if the same should have been from both these sides a top slopping downward one ell for the falling off of the water] and the door of the ark thou shall set in the side thereof thou shalt make it with the lowermost second and third stories.

17. For I behold I bring a water-flood [Heb. Mabbul signifying a falling and overthrowing flood] over the earth, for to destroy all flesh [viz. of man and beast, the fish excepted and al that was in the ark] wherein there is a spirit of life [others: a living soul see above chapter 1.20] all that is upon the earth shall give up ghosts [Heb expire or breath out.]

18. But with thee I will establish my covenant [understand hereby, besides the common covenant made with all the faithful and particular covenant to preserve Noah in the ark on condition that Noah should trust and obey God] and thou shalt go into the ark thou and thy sons and thy wife and the wives of thy sons with thee.

19. And thou shalt cause to come into the ark all that lives [that is of all manner of earthly living creatures] of all flesh two of each to keep a live with thee male and female they shall be.

20. of the fowl after its kind and of the cattle [see above on verse 7] after its kind of al the creeping creatures of the earth after its kind two of each shall come unto thee [viz. by my instinct and ordering without thy pains or carefulness compare this with chapter 2.19.]For to keep the same alive.

21. And thou take for thee of al food [that is all manner of food see above chapter 1.29, 30] which is eaten and gather it to thee that it may be food for thee and them.

22. And Noah did according to all that God had commanded him so did he [that is Noah did execute and perform all that which and in the same manner as god had commanded him compare Exodus 40 verse 16.]