Bible Commentaries

With the passing of the centuries, the degeneration of the individual and the family became that of society. There had been intermixture between the descendants of Cain and those of Seth, resulting in the Nephilim. These were strong and godless men, ultimately swept away by the Flood.

The description of life is a terrible one. "The wickedness of man was great" that describes the outward condition; "every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually" that describes the inward character. The completeness of the depravity is revealed in the use of the words, "every," "only," "continually." God was defied and the flesh with its passions and lusts was regnant.

All this "Jehovah saw." His fiat went forth that His Spirit should not always strive with man, and the limit of one hundred and twenty years was set.

Amid this degeneration Noah is seen as a man walking with God. With this man God holds communion and brings him into co-operation with Himself for the preservation of a seed and the bearing of testimony. The closing declaration, "Thus did Noah; according to all that God commanded him, so did he," is a remarkable revelation of his faith. It was a period of strange experiences. Strong men and godless were living and flourishing in all things mental and material. There is no doubt that for material gain they co-operated with Noah in the building of the Ark, which they must have held in supreme disdain. Nevertheless, in every nail driven and foot of work completed, space was given to them to repent. Noah preached righteousness by the very building of the Ark. Yet it would seem as though none profited, save Noah and his family; and his carpenters were finally destroyed outside the Ark which they had helped to construct.