Bible/Genesis/6

Genesis 6:3

6:2 That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose.
And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.

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Yahweh said, “My Spirit will not strive with man forever, because he also is flesh; so his days will be one hundred twenty years.”

And the Lord said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.

And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.

6:4 There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown.

What does Genesis 6:3 mean?

Genesis 6:3 is a verse in the book of Genesis, in the Old Testament. In the original Hebrew, key words include יְהֹוָה (Yᵉhôvâh), אָמַר (ʼâmar), רוּחַ (rûwach). It connects to 14 cross-referenced passages elsewhere in Scripture.

Hebrew interlinear

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And
the
LORDיְהֹוָהYᵉhôvâh/yeh-ho-vaw'/H3068Jehovah, Jewish national name of God
said,אָמַרʼâmar/aw-mar'/H559to say (used with great latitude)
My
spiritרוּחַrûwach/roo'-akh/H7307wind; by resemblance breath, i.e. a sensible (or even violent) exhalation; figuratively, life, anger, unsubstantiality; by extension, a region of the sky; by resemblance spirit, but only of a rational being (including its expression and functions)
shall
not
alwaysעוֹלָםʻôwlâm/o-lawm'/H5769properly, concealed, i.e. the vanishing point; generally, time out of mind (past or future), i.e. (practically) eternity; frequentatively, adverbial (especially with prepositional prefix) always
striveדִּיןdîyn/deen/H1777a straight course, i.e. sail direct
with
man,אָדָםʼâdâm/aw-dawm'/H120ruddy i.e. a human being (an individual or the species, mankind, etc.)
for
that
he
alsoגַּםgam/gam/H1571properly, assemblage; used only adverbially also, even, yea, though; often repeated as correl. both...and
is
flesh:בָּשָׂרbâsâr/baw-sawr'/H1320flesh (from its freshness); by extension, body, person; also (by euphemistically) the pudenda of aman
yet
his
daysיוֹםyôwm/yome/H3117a day (as the warm hours), whether literal (from sunrise to sunset, or from one sunset to the next), or figurative (a space of time defined by an associated term), (often used adverb)
shall
be
an
hundredמֵאָהmêʼâh/may-aw'/H3967a hundred; also as a multiplicative and a fraction
and
twentyעֶשְׂרִיםʻesrîym/es-reem'/H6242twenty; also (ordinal) twentieth
years.שָׁנֶהshâneh/shaw-neh'/H8141a year (as a revolution of time)

Commentary on Genesis 6:3

HENRY_FULL · Genesis 6:3–4
> 1 And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them, 2 That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose. For the glory of God's justice, and for warning to a wicked world, before the history of the ruin of the old world, we have a full account of its degeneracy, its apostasy from God and rebellion against him. The destroying of it was an act, not of an absolute sovereignty, but of necessary justice, for the maintaining of the honour of God's government. Now here we have an account of two things which occasioned the wickedness of the old world:—1. The increase of mankind: Men began to multiply upon the face of the earth. This was the effect of the blessing ( ch. i. 28 ), and yet man's corruption so abused and perverted this blessing that it was turned into a curse. Thus sin takes occasion by the mercies of God to be the more exceedingly sinful. Prov. xxix. 16 , When the wicked are multiplied, transgression increaseth. The more sinners the more sin; and the multitude of offenders emboldens men. Infectious diseases are most destructive in populous cities; and sin is a spreading leprosy. Thus in the New-Testament church, when the number of the disciples was multiplied, there arose a murmuring ( Acts vi. 1 ), and we read of a nation that was multiplied, not to the increase of their joy, Isa. ix. 3 . Numerous families need to be well-governed, lest they become wicked families. 2. Mixed marriages ( v. 2 ): The sons of God (that is, the professors of religion, who were called by the name of the Lord, and called upon that name), married the daughters of men, that is, those that were profane, and strangers to God and godliness. The posterity of Seth did not keep by themselves, as they ought to have done, both for the preservation of their own purity and in detestation of the apostasy. They intermingled themselves with the excommunicated race of Cain: They took them wives of all that they chose. But what was amiss in these marriages? (1.) They chose only by the eye: They saw that they were fair, which was all they looked at. (2.) They followed the choice which their own corrupt affections made: they took all that they chose, without advice and consideration. But, (3.) That which proved of such bad consequence to them was that they married strange wives, were unequally yoked with unbelievers, 2 Cor. vi. 14 . This was forbidden to Israel, Deut. vii. 3, 4 . It was the unhappy occasion of Solomon's apostasy ( 1 Kings xi. 1-4 ), and was of bad consequence to the Jews after their return out of Babylon, Ezra ix. 1, 2 . Note, professors of religion, in marrying both themselves and their children, should make conscience of keeping within the bounds of profession. The bad will sooner debauch the good than the good reform the bad. Those that profess themselves the children of God must not marry without his consent, which they have not if they join in affinity with his enemies. 3 And the Lord said, My spirit shall not always stri

Cross-references

Related passages from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.

Numbers 11:17

And I will come down and talk with thee there: and I will take of the spirit which is upon thee, and will put it upon them; and they shall bear the burden of the people with thee, that thou bear it not thyself alone.

Nehemiah 9:30

Yet many years didst thou forbear them, and testifiedst against them by thy spirit in thy prophets: yet would they not give ear: therefore gavest thou them into the hand of the people of the lands. forbear: Heb. protract over them in thy: Heb. in the hand of thy prophets

Isaiah 5:4

What could have been done more to my vineyard, that I have not done in it? wherefore, when I looked that it should bring forth grapes, brought it forth wild grapes?

Jeremiah 11:7

For I earnestly protested unto your fathers in the day that I brought them up out of the land of Egypt, even unto this day, rising early and protesting, saying, Obey my voice.

Jeremiah 11:11

Therefore thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will bring evil upon them, which they shall not be able to escape; and though they shall cry unto me, I will not hearken unto them. to escape: Heb. to go forth of

John 3:6

That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

Romans 8:1

There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

Galatians 5:16

This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. ye: or, fulfil not

Galatians 5:17

For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.

1 Thessalonians 5:19

Quench not the Spirit.

1 Peter 3:18

For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:

1 Peter 3:20

Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.

Jude 1:14

And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints,

Jude 1:15

To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.

Topics

Repentance

Verses like this

Other verses that share key original-language words with Genesis 6:3.

Genesis 3:22

And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever:

Genesis 2:16

And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: thou: Heb. eating thou shalt eat

Genesis 2:18

And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him. meet: Heb. as before him

Genesis 2:23

And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. Woman: Heb. Isha Man: Heb. Ish

Genesis 3:8

And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden. cool: Heb. wind

Genesis 3:9

And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?

Genesis 4:1

And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the LORD. Cain: that is, Gotten, or, Acquired

Genesis 6:7

And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them. both: Heb. from man unto beast

Frequently asked questions

What does Genesis 6:3 say?

Genesis 6:3 (King James Version) reads: "And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years."

Is Genesis 6:3 in the Old or New Testament?

Genesis 6:3 is in the Old Testament of the Bible, in the book of Genesis.

Who wrote the book of Genesis?

The book of Genesis is traditionally attributed to Moses.

Reflect

As you read Genesis 6:3, what is one truth here you can carry into today?

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6:2Read all of Genesis 66:4