Year of the Bible
Genesis 6
Commentary on the Book of Genesis, Chapter 6:
The Great Flood narrative begins by explaining why the Flood is necessary. First, there is a short account of the origins of the Nephilim who later become enemies of God’s people (13:31-33). Second, we are told that humans have only evil thoughts in their hearts and the earth is filled with violence and corruption. In contrast to the society around him, there is Noah, a man who is righteous, blameless in his generation, and walks with God. God uses this one righteous man to save His good creation (1:4, 10, 12, 18, 21, 25, 31) from the destruction that is coming to everyone else. God gives Noah commands for saving his family and the animals, and Noah’s righteousness is demonstrated as he follows God’s command.
The Book of Genesis, Chapter 6:
The Wickedness of Mankind
1 When men began to multiply on the face of the ground, and daughters were born to them, 2 the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were fair; and they took to wife such of them as they chose. 3 Then the Lord said, “My spirit shall not abide in man for ever, for he is flesh, but his days shall be a hundred and twenty years.” 4 The Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of men, and they bore children to them. These were the mighty men that were of old, the men of renown.
5 The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. 6 And the Lord was sorry that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart. 7 So the Lord said, “I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the ground, man and beast and creeping things and birds of the air, for I am sorry that I have made them.” 8 But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.
9 These are the generations of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation; Noah walked with God. 10 And Noah had three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
Noah Makes the Ark as God Commands
11 Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight, and the earth was filled with violence. 12 And God saw the earth, and behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted their way upon the earth. 13 And God said to Noah, “I have determined to make an end of all flesh; for the earth is filled with violence through them; behold, I will destroy them with the earth. 14 Make yourself an ark of gopher wood; make rooms in the ark, and cover it inside and out with pitch. 15 This is how you are to make it: the length of the ark three hundred cubits, its breadth fifty cubits, and its height thirty cubits. 16 Make a roof for the ark, and finish it to a cubit above; and set the door of the ark in its side; make it with lower, second, and third decks. 17 For behold, I will bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh in which is the breath of life from under heaven; everything that is on the earth shall die. 18 But I will establish my covenant with you; and you shall come into the ark, you, your sons, your wife, and your sons’ wives with you. 19 And of every living thing of all flesh, you shall bring two of every sort into the ark, to keep them alive with you; they shall be male and female. 20 Of the birds according to their kinds, and of the animals according to their kinds, of every creeping thing of the ground according to its kind, two of every sort shall come in to you, to keep them alive. 21 Also take with you every sort of food that is eaten, and store it up; and it shall serve as food for you and for them.” 22 Noah did this; he did all that God commanded him.
*Daily Lectio Divina Question:
"Noah walked with God..." (v9) Lord help me to take this moment to imagine 'walking with you' myself. What do I want to share with you or ask you about in this moment? Or does it seem that I'm just to walk with you in silence?
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Génesis 6
1 Cuando los hombres comenzaron a
multiplicarse sobre la faz de la tierra y
les nacieron hijas, 2 los hijos de Dios vieron
que las hijas de los hombres eran hermosas,
y tomaron por mujeres a las que más
les gustaban de entre todas ellas. 3 Entonces
dijo el Señor:
–No permanecerá siempre mi espíritu
en el hombre, porque no es más
que un ser mortal: sus días serán ciento
veinte años.
4 En aquellos días –y también después–
había gigantes en la tierra, cuando
los hijos de Dios se unieron a las
hijas de los hombres y ellas les dieron
hijos; éstos fueron los héroes famosos
de antaño.
5 El Señor, al ver cuánto había crecido
la maldad del hombre sobre la tierra,
y que todos los pensamientos de su corazón
tendían siempre al mal, 6 se arrepintió
de haber hecho al hombre sobre
la tierra, y se entristeció en el corazón.
7 Y dijo el Señor:
–Borraré de la faz de la tierra al
hombre que he creado –desde los hombres
hasta los animales salvajes, los reptiles
y las aves del cielo–, pues me pesa
haberlos hecho.
8 Pero Noé halló gracia a los ojos del
Señor.
9 Ésta es la historia de Noé:
Noé fue un hombre justo e íntegro
entre sus contemporáneos; él caminaba
con Dios. 10 Noé engendró tres hijos:
Sem, Cam y Jafet. 11 Pero la tierra estaba
corrompida ante Dios y se había llenade
do de violencia. 12 Dios miró a la tierra, y
he aquí que estaba corrompida, porque
todo mortal sobre la tierra llevaba una
conducta depravada.
13 Dijo Dios a Noé:
–He decidido poner fin a todo mortal,
porque a causa de ellos la tierra se ha
llenado de violencia; por eso voy a exterminarlos
de la tierra. 14 Hazte un arca
de madera de ciprés; harás en el arca diversos
compartimentos y la calafatearás
con brea por dentro y por fuera. 15 Así
has de fabricarla: el arca tendrá trescientos
codos de largo, cincuenta codos de
ancho y treinta codos de alto. 16 Abrirás
unos tragaluces a un codo del techo, colocarás
la puerta del arca en su costado,
y harás tres pisos. 17 Voy a traer el diluvio
sobre la tierra para exterminar todo
ser con hálito de vida bajo el cielo: todo
cuanto hay en la tierra perecerá. 18 Contigo,
en cambio, voy a establecer mi
alianza: entraréis en el arca tú y tus hijos,
tu mujer y las mujeres de tus hijos.
19 Meterás en el arca una pareja de todo
ser vivo, de toda carne, para que sobrevivan
contigo; serán macho y hembra.
20 De cada especie de aves, de animales y
de reptiles del suelo, de cada una entrará
una pareja contigo para que sobrevivan.
21 Tú mismo procúrate todo tipo de
alimento, y almacénalo para que os sirva
de comida a ti y a ellos.
22 Noé hizo todo tal y como Dios le
había ordenado
Pregunta de Lectio Divina del día de hoy
"Noé caminó con Dios..." (v9) Señor, ayúdame en este momento a imaginarme "caminando contigo". ¿Qué quiero compartir contigo o preguntarte en este momento? ¿O tal vez sólo debo caminar contigo en silencio?
La Biblia de Navarra
Permiso para usar esta versión de la primera edición de la Biblia de Navarra
para el Año de la Biblia del Obispo
dado por Ediciones Universidad de Navarra, S.A. (EUNSA).