Genesis chapter 5
5:1, 2 Called their name Adam: This is the generic use of adam, which contrasts with Adam as a proper name in this
same context (verse 3).
5: 3-20 Adam...begat a son in his own likeness: Man, too reproduces after his kind (1:11, 12, 21, 24, 25). This
likeness is now sinful, in contrast to 1:26. It is helpful to note that Cain and Abel are not included. Therefore the list
does not include all descendants. There are 10 patriarchs mentioned in this chapter. The last one, Noah, has three
sons listed. This symmetry is the same in chapter 11. In Matthew 1 there are three sets with 14 names to a set, plus
obvious omissions. Certainly no strict chronology can be determined from any of the lists. Nine hundred and thirty
years: Seven patriarchs lived more than nine hundred years; contrast this fact with the much shorter life span in 11:
10-32--an average span of about two hundred years. The purpose of this chapter, and the source of its historical
importance, is its testimony to the development of the human race from Adam to Noah, citing the godly line. It
appears to be God's answer to Satan's blasphemous lie: "Ye shall not surely die" (3:4). Death reigned, and God's
word was fully vindicated.
5:21-24 Enoch walked with God: The verb employed signifies "to walk about" or "to live," and the preposition denotes
intimacy, fellowship (Jude 14 and 15 reveal his ministry and evidently powerful preaching). And he was not; for God
took him (Hebrews 11:5): The same Hebrew word is used for the "translation'' of Elijah in 2 Kings 2:3-5. He went to
heaven without dying. His bodily translation (during the long antediluvian sway of the curse) was a sign that,
ultimately, reconciliation with God includes victory over death.
5:28 -32. Noah: The oracle of the birth of the son of Lamech involves a wordplay, passing over the obvious
etymology of the name Noah, meaning “Rest.” There is a somewhat similar verb, nacham, meaning “comfort.” The
allusion to 3:17 may be a sign that he treasured the promise of 3:15 . Noah begat Shem, Ham, and Japheth: Japheth
was the oldest (cf. 10:21 ), Ham the youngest ( 9:24 ). Shem is mentioned first because it was through him that God’s
Messiah would come. This chapter serves at least three purposes in the scheme of Genesis: (1) It bears witness to
man’s value to God: by naming individuals and stages in this early human phase, each is known and remembered.
(2) It shows how line of Seth, “the Appointed,” led to Noah, he Deliverer.” And (3) it demonstrates both the reign of
death by the refrain and he died, and the standing pledge of death’s defeat by the “taking” of Enoch.
Genesis chapter 6
6:1-4 Sons of God (Hebrew bene elohim) refers to the the godly line of Seth, which intermarried with the daughters of
men, the ungodly line of Cain. The result of these spiritually mixed marriages brought the judgment of God upon the
primeval world. While the term sons of God refers to angels in some passages (e.g., Job 1:6), this is certainly not the
case here. Jesus clearly taught that angels do not "marry or give in marriage" (Matthew 22:30). My spirit shall not
always strive with man is a reference to the Holy Spirit striving with, in the sense of judging or convicting, with
mankind for its sinfulness. Man was given 120 years after the warning, before the judgment of the Flood actually
came. Giants (Hebrew nephilim, perhaps "fallen ones" or "princes"): When the Israelites saw the Anakim they
concluded they had seen "the nephilim" (Numbers 13:33). Mighty men (giborim, "warriors"): Note in verse 11 that the
earth was filled with violence. Men of renown were literally "men of a name." In 11:4 the "reputation" or "name" is
used in a derogatory sense, contrasted with God's giving Abram a good "name" in 12:2. "Mighty one" is used of
Nimrod in a negative sense in 10:8-10. These giants already existed on earth and were not the offspring of the
marriages mentioned.
6:5 Every imagination: The "formations" (2:7 where God "formed" man) is the same word as imagination (yester).
Only evil continually: Man's design or purpose was "nothing but evil all the day."
6:6-8 Repented does not imply that God made a mistake in His dealings with men, but rather indicates a change in
divine direction resulting from the actions of men. It is "an anthropopathism" (a human emotion applied to God),
describing the pain that is caused God by the destructiveness of His creatures. It is used 30 times with God as its
subject, each time speaking of a change of mind or intention that accords with His righteous purposes, and results in
action commensurate with those purposes. But Noah found grace: This is the first occurrence of the word grace in
Scripture. Its root meaning is "to bend or stoop," implying the condescending or unmerited favor of a superior person
to an inferior one. It is often used redemptively (Jeremiah 31:2; Zechariah 12:10). Mankind, the beasts of the field,
and the fowl of the air would be destroyed; but God would call out a remnant for Himself.
6:9-13 Noah was a just mane and perfect in his generations: basically means conformity to an ethical or moral
standard. It is used of Noah, Daniel, and Job in Ezekiel 14:14, 20. Perfect has the idea of “completeness” or “that
which is entirely in accord with truth and fact.” Noah, like his godly ancestor Enoch ( 5:22 , 24), “walked with God.” He
separated himself from the wickedness of his contemporaries and followed the Lord.
6:14 Ark of gopher wood: This may be a reference to cedar or cypress, though its meaning is uncertain. The
dimensions of the ark given in verse 15 indicate it was more like a barge than a ship. It was about 450 feet long, 75
feet wide, and 45 feet high. It had about 95,700 square feet on three decks, 1,400,000 cubic feet, and a gross
tonnage of 13,960. It was fully large enough to carry its prescribed cargo. Its carrying capacity equaled that of 522
standard railroad stockcars, which can carry 125,000 sheep. Thus, the ark was about the size of an oil tanker and
was of proper seagoing dimensions for an ocean voyage. Pitch to tar, which like oil is plentiful in the Near East .
6:16 A window as cut all the way around the ark under the roofline for light and ventilation. The door allowed an
entrance for embarkation and debarkation. The three stories were to separate animals for safety and cooperation
during the voyage.
Genesis chapter 7
7:2 Clean...not clean: The distinction relates to sacrifice in 8:20. Later, it has to do with eating with Leviticus 11 and
Deuteronomy 14. By sevens...by two: Literally, "seven sevens" of every clean beast, which may mean seven pairs or
three pairs, plus one, with the extra one being used for sacrifice later on.
7:9 Went in two and two unto Noah: God supernaturally brought them to Noah.
7:16 And the Lord shut him in: God preserved Noah and his family.
7:17 The flood of waters is described as a global flood. Universal terms ("all flesh," "everything") are used 30 times in
describing this Flood. The double superlatives ("every living thing of all flesh," and "all the high hills under the whole
heaven"), clearly indicated the author intended to state his case unmistakably. The Hebrew word mabul ("deluge")
describes only this Flood, as does the New Testament Greek word kataklysmos, "cataclysm" (2 Peter 3:3-7). The
depth of the Flood and its duration (371 days) indicate that it was no mere local flood. The size of the ark (95,700
square feet of deck space) and its gross tonnage indicate the magnitude of this Flood. God's promise (9:11) that He
would never again send such a flood upon the earth also confirms its uniqueness. Our Lord Jesus referred to both
the historicity and universality of this Flood as an example of the worldwide judgment to accompany His second
coming (Matthew 24:37-44). The conclusion is inescapable: the universal Flood is presented as a fact of history in
the Bible.
7:20 Fifteen cubits upward: The water level was 15 cubits (or about 22.5 feet) higher than the highest mountain.
Since water seeks its own level, certainly this was no local flood.
Genesis chapter 8
8:1-5 God remembered Noah: This is not to intimate that during the days of the Flood, God had forgotten His
righteous servant; the verb remember refers to the special attention or personal care that God gives to His own. The
verb is used the same way concerning Samson (Judg. 16:28 ); Hannah (1 Sam. 1:11 ); Abraham, for Lot ’s benefit
(Genesis 19:29 ); on behalf of Israel (Ex. 2:24 ); and for the repentant thief on the cross (Luke 23:42 ). Mountains of
Ararat: The text says mountains, which indicates a range of mountains and not necessarily one peak. Today, Ararat
rises about 17,000 feet above sea level. The ark rested on land 74 days after the end of the 150 days while the
water abated (cf. 7:11 ).
8:20-22. Noah builded an altar, illustrating his walk with God. The Lord regarded this sacrifice as a “sweet savor,” or
more literally a smell of satisfaction (Lev. 1:9, 13, 17, 2:2, 9, 3:5, 16, all for the voluntary offerings of consecration).
He promised never again to curse the ground that is, to destroy the earth by a flood, and not a reversal of 3:17 or 5:
29 . Note 9:9-17 in this regard. If the Flood of Noah’s day had been merely a local one, the Lord has violated His
promise many times over. Shall not cease: This may be considered the basic text for the doctrine of “limited
uniformitarianism.” The theory of “ uniformitarianism” is refuted in 2 Peter 3:1-6, for such a theory denies the
possibility of a universal flood and a final supernatural judgment of the world. Genesis 8:22 guarantees that after the
flood, uniformitarianism the seasonal cycle will continue uninterrupted while the earth “remaineth”- until the end of the
Millennium. Thus the doctrine of “limited uniformitarianism” assures us that the world cannot be destroyed by water
during our lifetime.
Genesis chapter 9.
9:1-7 Fear and dread take the place of the previous harmony between men and animals. God now sanctions man to
eat animals. However, further revelation in Leviticus 17:10 prohibits executing murderers involves the establishment
of human government following the Flood. This right of capital punishment has not been rescinded during the
Christian era (Acts 25:11; Romans 13:4). The really terrible thing about murder is that it strikes at the very image of
God in man, which makes man of vital importance to God.
9:18 Shem was not the oldest, but he was in the messianic line (note the order in 5:32; 6:10; 7:13; and 10:1). Ham is
the father of Canaan: This circumstantial clause actually traces the beginnings of the family of Canaanites and shows
that Ham, acting as he did, revealed himself as the true "father" of Canaan, which would recall to the Israelite mind
many unfavorable images because of their corrupting influence (12:6; 13:7; 15:16; 18:20-22; 19:38; Leviticus 18:2-6).
9:20 Noah began: The word began brings an ominous note to the early stories in Genesis (10:8; 11:16).
Husbandman literally means "man of the soil," perhaps indicating "master of the earth," or "lord of the earth."
9:21 He drank of the wine, and was drunken; and he was uncovered ["uncovered himself"] within his tent: Noah had
been so faithful to God that it is unlikely that he did that deliberately. His drunken condition may have been a totally
expected result of the changed environment after the Flood.
9:22 Ham...saw the nakedness of his father: While many explanations have been suggested for this phrase, it is best
to take it to mean merely what it says. There is no indication of any gross violation. The phrase is not the same as in
Leviticus 20:17, where it is parallel to another term used exclusively for sexual violations. The phrase indicates that
this violation of privacy was merely the beginning of eventual sexual degradation.
9:25 Cursed be Canaan: The essence of this prophetic curse is that only the Canaanites are cursed, not all of Ham's
descendants. Servant of servants literally denotes the most abject slavery. Even when the blessings are declared for
the brothers, the theme of Canaan's servitude is repeated both times. The Canaanites were white. In no way is this to
be interpreted as a curse on the black race. The Canaanites inhabited Palestine and were first subjugated by Joshua
and later by Solomon (1 Kings 9:20, 21). They were partly exterminated by the Israelites, and their western colonies
(such as Carthage) were finally conquered by the Japhetic Romans. They practiced ritual prostitution, homosexuality,
and various orgiastic rites, and were the center of God's prophecy of judgment in Genesis 15:16, to be carried out by
Israel after they sojourn in Egypt. But the curse did not preclude individual salvation, for Rahab joined Israel, and
Hiram, king of Tyre, gave materials for the temple.
9:26 Blessed be the Lord God of Shem: Shem's blessing is a spiritual one, by virtue of his knowing Yahweh. It looks
to his descendants--Israel--who would enter a covenant relationship with Him in Exodus 19, 20. By blessing one's
God, the man himself is blessed. The Jews are of Semitic origin--from Shem.
9:27 Japheth is from the verb meaning "to enlarge," and Japheth's descendants would receive the temporal
blessings along with the prospect of participation with Shem (dwell in the tents of Shem). They dominated the great
northern frontier from the Aegean Sea to the highlands of Iran and northward to the steppes beyond the shores of
the Black Sea.