Genesis: Chapter Six: Build an Ark

This month we begin looking at one of the most famous episodes in human history. Virtually everyone (in literate countries at least) has heard of Noah’s Ark. Many cultures have flood stories: Incas, Mayans, Chinese, India, American Indians, and many more. Many even have a god who is angry at the sin of mankind and destroys the earth with a flood, but saves a single family (and some have eight people in their stories). But we know that the Bible has the correct account of how God repented that He had made man because of their wickedness.

So, God sent a flood over all the earth and destroyed all living things having the breath of life, except for those He saved through the Ark of Noah.

General Outline:

The Wickedness of the World (6:1-6:7)
Noah Finds Grace in the Eyes of the Lord (6:8-6:12)
The Ark Described and Built (6:13-6:22)

Genesis 6:

And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them, 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 a hundred and twenty years. 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 bore children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown. And GOD 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. And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. 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.

At this point it would seem that God’s grand experiment has gone off the rails. Mankind has become so corrupt and sinful that God has decided that they must all be wiped out. Such a sad state of affairs. An entire generation across the globe has become irredeemable. Cannot be saved. Is only wicked continually. God must either end His experiment of having humans after His own image with eternal souls who can fellowship in holiness with Him, or abandon it altogether.

To complicate the wickedness, fallen angels began to co-habituate with women and bare children: mighty men, perhaps all giants. This hybrid race of people, half angel and half human, were not redeemable at all and were an abomination of life on the earth. I imagine that as they grew in numbers and prominence, their influence over regular humans grew strong and, thus, all mankind was tainted by their wickedness.

But Noah and his family were still faithful to Elohim/Yahweh. Thus, mankind can start over with the giants and wicked removed form the earth, and all their influence removed with them. A great flood was about to erase the whiteboard, and God was about to start over with a clean slate. Take note that all life (save those in the ark) that had the breath of life would perish. Plants do not breath as we do. In fact, most insects do not breath as we do and, therefore, they may not have needed to be in the ark.

But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD. These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God. And Noah begot three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth. The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.

Few people are described as having walked with God. Adam was before he fell. Enoch walked with God and walked right into heaven! Noah is described as one who walked with God. Many others have had visions, dreams, an exemplary prayer life, prophetic messages, etc. but few were said to have walked with God. Amazing considering the wickedness that surrounded Noah and his family for he could have easily succumbed to the prevalent views and activities of the time.

And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth. Make thee an ark of gopher wood; rooms shalt thou make in the ark, and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch. And this is the fashion which thou shalt make it of: The length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits, the breadth of it fifty cubits, and the height of it thirty cubits. A window shalt thou make to the ark, and in a cubit shalt thou finish it above; and the door of the ark shalt thou set in the side therefore; with lower, second, and third, stories shalt thou make it. And behold, I, even I, do bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, from under heaven; and every thing that is in the earth shall die. But with thee will I establish my covenant; and thou shalt come into the ark, thou, and thy sons, and thy wife, and thy sons’ wives with thee. And of every living thing of all flesh, two of every sort shalt thou bring into the ark, to keep them alive with thee; they shall be male and female. Of fowls after their kind, and of cattle after their kind, of every creeping thing of the earth after his kind, two of every sort shall come unto thee, to keep them alive. And take thou unto thee of all flood that is eaten, and thou shalt gather it to thee; and it shall be for food for thee, and for them. Thus did Noah; according to all that God commanded him, so did he.

Let’s now dig into some interesting facts that we can glean from this section of Scripture.

Definitions:

Some of the older commentators (such as John Calvin – called the Sethite view (Davidsschrock)), believe that the “sons of god” were the godly Seth line of people as opposed to the evil Cain line of people, and then Seth’s line started intermixing with Cain’s line. This could not be so for several reasons: Adam and Eve had other sons and daughters (Genesis 5:4); therefore, how many other lines were their besides Cain and Seth? Also note that the KJV translators capitalized God – thus indicating their understanding that these were not a reference to a man, but related to . . . what? Fallen angels?

Sons of God: (Strong’s H1121; H430): ben elohiym – most interpret this to be the fallen angels for two reasons: (1) God does not describe man as His sons until we have a relationship through Christ; (2) their offspring are mighty unlike other men; (3) Elohim is plural and can mean “divine ones” (Brown-Driver-Briggs’ H430); (4) many other locations describe God talking to the ben Elohim and tells them that they (I assume the fallen angels) will die like men (Psalm 82:6-7).

Mighty: (Strong’s H1368): gibbor gibbor: Powerful, mighty, tyrant.

Daughters of men (Strong’s H1323; H120): bath adam: daughters of Adam, Adam used here for all men.

Note that the text does not say that “the sons of Adam saw the daughters of Adam . . .

Took them wives: Wives is ‘ishshah nashiym (Strong’s H802) which can be translated women. It is more than likely lawful marriages were not performed so we could say that the sons of god took them women of the daughters of men.

Since we know that we are roughly 1,600 years past the garden, the multiplying has been going on for some time. We surmise that Lamech (Genesis 4:19) has killed someone who he did not know, etc. This led us to conclude that Genesis 6:1 is referring to a long time period of multiplying that has been going on since the time of Adam.

Some have calculated that the earth has all but filled up. Although no formula that we would use today would accurately depict conditions before the flood, we can do the following: Assume that any given couple would have six children in their first one hundred years. So every one hundred years the population tripled and the original parents were still alive, so really the population quadruped. That would happen sixteen times before the years of the flood. This is an extremely conservative calculation. It yields 2.147 billion people. If we add just one additional generation (they multiplied every ninety-six years) it would be 8.6 billion people!

Giants: (Strong’s H5303): nephiyl nephil: translated as giant where ever used in KJV.

Verse 4 basically says: The sons of God lay with the daughters of men and that giants were born from this union who became mighty men or bullies/tyrants.

Some translations use the word heroes (NIV/NCB for instance) but nowhere in the Hebrew is it used this way.

Wickedness of man: (Strong’s H7451; H120): ra’ ra ah adam: wicked, evil, grievous, mischief, etc.

Repented the Lord (Strong’s H5162; H3068): nacham YHWH: sorry, rue the day, repent, changed his mind, turn around.

Grace: (Strong’s H2580): chen: “graciousness, that is, subjectively (kindness, favor) or objectively (beauty) :- favour, grace (-ious), pleasant, precious, [well-] favoured.”

Perfect: (Strong’s H8549): tamiym: “entire (literally, figuratively or morally); also (as noun) integrity, truth :- without blemish, complete, full, perfect, sincerely (-ity), sound, without spot, undefiled, upright (-ly), whole.”

Walked with God: (Strong’s H1980): halak: “a primitive root; to walk (in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively) . . . behave (self), come, (on) continually, be conversant, . . . exercise (self), + follow.” Implies a close fellowship with God.

The ARK (a Box)

The following dimensions are a speculation of its size from various websites and creation materials:

Would displace easily somewhere between 22,000 tons to 44,000 pounds of water.

In excess of 1.7 million cubic feet.

Cubits measurements range from 17.5″ to 21.5″ (length of fingertip to elbow).

Over 101,000 square feet on three decks.

No ship bigger until into the 1800s AD when metal was used to build ships.

Used a ratio of 1:6 – A very special ratio found naturally in nature (like sea shell construction) and the most stable for a sea-going vessel.

Remember, there are not that many really large animals, such as elephants or dinosaurs. More than likely only young, and thus small, ones would be taken. The ark could hold thousands, even tens of thousands of animals.

No aquatic, most insects, single-cell animals, etc. need not be on the ark.

Inside would be dim. Occupants were in the ark for a year. How many animals did God place into hibernation?

Scholars think the ark may have contained a moon pool. What is a moon pool? Well, picture a ship with a hole in the bottom of the hull and a wall surrounding the hole all the way up through the top deck – in the Ark’s case, the roof. Water won’t enter the ship because it’s contained inside the moon pool’s walls, moving up and down like a piston as the ship rides the waves.

One window near the top measuring one cubit by one cubit

A single door was to be fashioned in the side of the ark – many believed it had to be closed from the outside (Genesis 7:16 “. . . and the Lord shut them in.”) In Chapter 8, we see them leaving the ark, but no indication who opened the door – so how it opened/closed is speculation.

Noah had three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth, and they all had wives. No mention of grandchildren yet. So, we know that eight people were saved in the ark.

Interesting observations:

- Noah and family were saved through the flood, not from the flood.

- Only those who believed were saved – yet we know Noah preached for approximately one hundred years trying to get others to enter the ark and flee from the wrath to come (1 Peter 3:20; 2 Peter 2:5).

- So many today will also not believe and heed the warnings (Luke 17:26-27): “And as it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. They did eat, they drink, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all.”)

- God shut the ark, thus protecting Noah’s family – so will Christ protect us from the wrath to come (1 Thessalonians 1:10: “And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.”)

Earth was corrupt and filled with violence – sound familiar? (Genesis 6:11)

The word gopher wood is no longer known to us, but may have been ash, cedar, or oak since all make excellent wooden vessels.

The pitch may have been from a tree or petroleum based (or something else). It is all speculation. The word pitch actually means to cover and doesn’t specify with what (Strong’s H3722).

Rooms is qen and can mean nests, dwellings, rooms, chambers (Strong’s H7064). I am sure Noah knew somehow exactly what God meant.

Food storage could have been in large sealed clay jars.

Water need only be filtered since we believe it was fresh, not salt water yet. Running water through several feet of sand and pebbles is like filtering water through the earth making it clean.

Waste could have been collected in troughs along the chambers and pushed into the moon pool.

All life with the breath of life was to die and, therefore, animals had to be preserved. Insects do not technically breath and may have survived in other ways (as eggs or larvae attached to floating debris).

Again, creeping things (Strong’s H7431) in the Hebrew means animals that creep along the ground: snakes, reptiles, mice. etc.

Two of every kind (male and female) were brought into the ark. But they may not have needed to be adult (as in rhinos, dinosaurs, elephants, etc.). Clean animals and fowls had seven each brought aboard.

All of the fowl kinds were brought into the ark.

No mention of sea life even though sea life includes breathing animals like whales, dolphins, etc. Presumably these were protected from the devastation supernaturally by God outside the ark.

All the cattle kind which includes cattle, elk, deer, horses, etc.

We can assume some special dispensation was at work during this time in include:

- A lot of the animals may have hibernated in the darkness of the ship – thus reducing food strains and requirements – what Noah ate, they ate as well (Genesis 6:21).

- That most were juveniles – not adults.

- That only the main “kind” was represented. In other words, one “master” dog kind from which all dogs were then descended, etc.

- God supernaturally prevented any of the animals from attempting to attack or eat the other animals.

- God may have supernaturally brought all the animals to Noah so that he did not have to go get them all.

As the Days of Noah . . .

Here are a number of conditions that we will/are experiencing because the last days are going to be like the days of Noah: (Morris, pgs 174-175). Note: I added verses to his list:

1. Preoccupation with physical appetites: (Luke 17:27: “They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all.”)

2. Rapid advances in technology: (Genesis 4:22: “And Zillah, she also bore Tubal-cain, an instructor of every artificer in brass and iron: and the sister of Tubal-cain was Naamah.”)

3. Grossly materialistic attitudes and interests: (Luke 17:28: “Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded;”)

4. Uniformitarian philosophies: (2 Peter 3:4: “And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.” Hebrews 11:7: “By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.”)

5. Inordinate devotion to pleasure and comfort: (Genesis 4:21: “And his brother’s name was Jubal: he was the father of all such as handle the harp and organ.” Romans 1:32: “Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.” James 5:5: “Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton; ye have nourished your hearts, as in a day of slaughter.”)

6. No concern for God (belief or conduct): (2 Peter 2:5: “And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly;” Romans 1:21: “Because that, when they knew God they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.”

7. Disregard for the sacredness of marriage and proper sexual relationships: (Matthew 24:38: “For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark,” 1 Timothy 4:3: “Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.” Jude 7: “Even as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.”)

8. Rejection of the inspired Word of God: (1 Peter 3:20: “Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was apreparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.”)

9. Population explosion: (Genesis 6:1: “And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them,”)

10. Widespread Violence: (Genesis 6:11: “The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth and filled with violence.”)

11. Widespread societal corruption: (Genesis 6:12: “And God looked upon the earth, and behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.”)

12: Preoccupation with illicit sex activities: (Genesis 4:19: “And Lamech took unto him two wives: the name of the one was Adah, and the name of the other Zillah.” Genesis 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.” Romans 1:29-32: “Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, Without understanding, covenant breakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.”)

13. Widespread words and thoughts of blasphemy: (Jude 14-16: “And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, 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. These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men’s persons in admiration became of advantage.”)

14. Organized Satanic activities: (Genesis 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.” 1 Timothy 4:1: “Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;”)

15. Growth of wickedness and abnormal depravity: (Genesis 6:5: “And GOD 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.” Genesis 6:12: “And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.” 2 Timothy 3:1-4: “This know also, that in the last perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;”)

Noah – “Perfect” in His Generation

Hebrews 11:7: “By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.”

2 Peter 2:5: “And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly;”

Genesis 6:9: “These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God.”

“Noah did all that God commanded him”: (Genesis 6:22; 7:5; 7:9; 7:16).

Just: (Strong’s H6662): tsaddiyq: (Strong’s H6663 – the root word): “A primitive root; to be (causatively make) right (in a moral or forensic sense): – cleanse, clear self, (be, do) just (-ice, -ify, -ify self), (be, turn to) righteous (-ness).” ; Just: “just, lawful, righteous (man).”

Perfect: (Strong’s H8549) tamiym: . . . “enter (literally, figuratively or morally); also (as noun) integrity, truth: – without blemish, complete, full, perfect, sincerely (-ity), sound, without spot, undefiled, upright (-ly), whole.” Implied mature.

One Door in the Ark – a Type of Christ?

Genesis 6:16: “A window shalt thou make to the ark, and in cubit shalt thou finish it above; and the door of the ark shalt thou set in the side thereof; with lower, second, and third stories shalt thou make it.”

Genesis 7:16: “And they that went in, went in male and female of all flesh, as God had commanded him: and the LORD shut him in.”

John 14:6: “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”

John 10:7-9: “Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep. All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.”

Acts 4:12: “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”

Maranatha!

Bro. Joe

(If you desire to more specifics what scholars believe/conjecture/have studied about the ark, find creationist material from places like Answers in Genesis, Institute for Creation Research, Dr. Morris, and there are many more.)

References

Brown, F., Driver, S., & Briggs, C. Brown-Drivers-Briggs’ Hebrew Definitions. Meyers, R. (2005). e-Sword. [computer software] . Franklin, TN: Equipping Ministries Foundation.

How Big Was Noah’s Ark? Answers in Genesis. Retrieved October 28, 2025. Retrieved from: https://arkencounter.com/noahs-ark/size/

Morris, H. (1976) The Genesis Record. Grand Rapids, MI: Backer Book House.

Morris, J. (December 28, 2012). The Survival of Noah’s Ark. Institute for Creation Research. Retrieved from: https://www.icr.org/content/survival-noahs-ark

Schrock, D. (May 3, 2024). The Sons of God: Three Interpretations of Genesis 6:1-4. Via Emmaus. Retrieved from: https://davidschrock.com/2024/05/03/the-sons-of-god-three-interpretations-of-genesis-61-4/#_ftn3

Strong, J. Strong's Hebrew and Greek Dictionaries. Meyers, R. (2005). e-Sword. [computer software] . Franklin, TN: Equipping Ministries Foundation. (Original work published 1539)

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