Noah was found righteous in the eyes of God. Noah became the savior of the world. This PowerPoint on Genesis 6:1-12 is free to download and use for instruction in righteousness at www.BibleGuy.org
3. The Earth Was Defiled
Genesis 6:1–2 (NIV)1 When men began to
increase in number on the earth and
daughters were born to them, 2 the sons of
God saw that the daughters of men were
beautiful, and they married any of them they
chose.
4. Who were the Sons of God?
The Children of Cain
The Children of Seth
A group of Angelic beings
5. Are the Sons of God the Children of
Cain
• 1. There are several ancient translations that support
this view
– a. Targum of Onkelos (second century A.D.) translates
“sons of God” as “sons of nobles”
– b. Symmachus (second century A.D.) Greek translation of
the OT, translated “sons of God” as “the sons of the kings”
– c. The term “elohim” is used of Israelite leaders (cf. Ex.
21:6; 22:8; Ps. 82:1,6), note NIV and NET Bible
– d. Nephilim linked to Gibborim in Gen 6:4, Gibborim is
from Gibbor meaning “ a mighty man of valor; strength;
wealth or power
– e. This interpretation and its evidence is taken from Hard
Sayings of the Bible pp. 106-108.
6. The Children of Seth
• 1. The immediate literary context of Gen. 4 and 5 shows the
development of the rebellious line of Cain and the chosen line of
Seth. Therefore, contextual evidence seems to favor the godly line
of Seth
• 2. The rabbis have been divided over their understanding of this
passage. Some assert that it refers to Seth (but most to angels).
• 3. The plural phrase “the sons of God,” though most often used for
angelic beings, rarely refers to human beings
– a. Deut. 14:1 – “sons of YHWH your God”
– b. Deut. 32:5 –“His sons”
– c. Exod. 22:8-9; 21:6 (possibly Levitical judge)
– d. Psalm 73:15 – “Thy children”
– e. Hosea 1:10 – “sons of living God”
7. A Group of Angelic Beings
• 1. This has been the most common traditional understanding of the
passage. The larger context of Genesis could support this view as another
example of supernatural evil trying to thwart God’s will for mankind (the
rabbis say out of jealousy)
• 2. The plural phrase (“sons of God”) is used overwhelmingly in the OT for
angels :
– Job 1:6; Job 2:1, Job 38:7; Psalm 29:1; Psalm 89:6,7; Daniel 89:6
• 3. The inter-testamental book of I Enoch (cf. I Enoch 6:1-8:4; 12:4-6; 19:1-
3; 21:1-10) and Jubilees (cf. Job 5:1), which was very popular among
believers in the NT period, along with the Genesis Apocryphon from the
Dead Sea Scrolls, interprets these as rebellious angels
• 4. The immediate context of chapter 6 seems to imply that “the mighty
men who were of old, men of renown” came from this improper mixing of
the orders of creation
• 5. The Septuagint translates the phrase “sons of God” as “angels of God”
• 6. I Enoch even asserts that Noah’s Flood came to destroy this
angelic/human union which was hostile towards YHWH and His plan for
creation (cf. I Enoch 7:1ff; 15:1ff; 86:1ff)
• 7. In Ugaritic literature “sons of God” refers to members of the pantheon
(i.e. lesser spiritual beings)
8. Jude 6–7 6 And the angels who did not keep their
positions of authority but abandoned their own
home—these he has kept in darkness, bound
with everlasting chains for judgment on the great
Day. 7 In a similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah and
the surrounding towns gave themselves up to
sexual immorality and perversion. They serve as
an example of those who suffer the punishment
of eternal fire.
The New Testament Implies they
were Angels
9. 2 Peter 2:2–6 2 Many will follow their shameful ways and
will bring the way of truth into disrepute. 3 In their
greed these teachers will exploit you with stories they
have made up. Their condemnation has long been
hanging over them, and their destruction has not been
sleeping. 4 For if God did not spare angels when they
sinned, but sent them to hell, putting them into
gloomy dungeons to be held for judgment; 5 if he did
not spare the ancient world when he brought the flood
on its ungodly people, but protected Noah, a preacher
of righteousness, and seven others; 6 if he condemned
the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by burning them to
ashes, and made them an example of what is going to
happen to the ungodly;
10. A Limit on God’s Patience
Genesis 6:3 Then the Lord said, “My Spirit will
not contend with man forever, for he is mortal;
his days will be a hundred and twenty years.”
What is meant by 120 years?
Mankind’s lifespan will decrease to 120
years
Mankind has only 120 years left before
judgment
11. Giants ruled
the Earth
Genesis 6:4 The
Nephilim were on
the earth in those
days—and also
afterward—when
the sons of God
went to the
daughters of men
and had children by
them. They were
the heroes of old,
men of renown.
Numbers 13:33 We saw the Nephilim there
(the descendants of Anak come from the
Nephilim). We seemed like grasshoppers in
our own eyes, and we looked the same to
them.”
12. God grieves over the Wickedness of
Men
Genesis 6:5–6 5 The Lord saw how great man’s
wickedness on the earth had become, and
that every inclination of the thoughts of his
heart was only evil all the time. 6 The Lord was
grieved that he had made man on the earth,
and his heart was filled with pain.
13. God’s Pronounces Judgment
Genesis 6:7 So the Lord said, “I will wipe
mankind, whom I have created, from the face
of the earth—men and animals, and creatures
that move along the ground, and birds of the
air—for I am grieved that I have made them.”
14. God Found One Righteous Man
Genesis 6:8 But Noah found favor in the eyes of
the Lord.
15. Others are Saved because of the
Righteousness of One
Genesis 6:9–10 9 This is the account of
Noah. Noah was a righteous man,
blameless among the people of his
time, and he walked with God. 10
Noah had three sons: Shem, Ham
and Japheth.
16. Conclusion: A World Defiled
Genesis 6:11–12 11 Now the earth was corrupt in
God’s sight and was full of violence. 12 God
saw how corrupt the earth had become, for all
the people on earth had corrupted their ways.
17. Is the World better now than before
the Flood
• The Spread of the Occult and false religions
• The Sensuality, sex out of marriage
• The preoccupation with the entertainment
and sport’s world (giants)
• Murder, theft, hate crimes
18. The Day Is Coming
Matthew 24:37–39 37 As it was in the days of
Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of
Man. 38 For in the days before the flood,
people were eating and drinking, marrying
and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah
entered the ark; 39 and they knew nothing
about what would happen until the flood
came and took them all away. That is how it
will be at the coming of the Son of Man.