Matthew Poole Commentary - Genesis 6:3 - 6:3

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Matthew Poole Commentary - Genesis 6:3 - 6:3


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This Chapter Verse Commentaries:





The Lord said; either,



1. To the men of that age by the mouth of Noah; or,



2. Within himself; {see Psa_14:1} he determined.



Strive with man, or, contend, or, debate in or against men, as it hath hitherto done, by inward motions and suggestions in the minds and consciences of wicked men, or by the mouths and ministry of that small remnant of holy men, and particularly of Noah, who protested against and contended with the world of the ungodly, and by their doctrines, admonitions, threatenings, and examples, endeavoured to bring them to repentance: 1Pe_3:19; or dispute with, or concerning, or because of men, i.e. whether I should destroy or save him, as God disputes with or about Ephraim, Hos_11:8.



For that he also, i.e. even the seed of Seth, or the sons of God also, no less than the offspring of Cain; the pronoun being here put for the foregoing noun, and the singular number put for the plural, he, i.e. they, to wit, the sons of God. Both which figures are frequent in the use of Scripture. Or, he, i.e. man, all mankind, the sons of God not excepted,



is flesh; not only fleshly in part, or in some actions, but altogether, in regard of soul as well as body, minding nothing but making provision for the flesh to fulfil its lusts, Rom_13:14.



Not having the Spirit, Jud_1:19, nor heeding its good motions, but suppressing and resisting them.



Flesh not only in the condition of their nature, but in the baseness and corruption of their hearts and lives; as the word flesh is commonly used when it is opposed to the Spirit, as Joh_3:6 Rom_7:18, Rom_8:5, Rom_8:7, Gal_5:17.



Yet, though he deserve a speedy destruction,



his days, i.e. the time allowed him for repentance, and the prevention of his ruin,



shall be an hundred and twenty years. During which time Noah was preaching; and, to assure them of the truth of his doctrine, preparing the ark. See 1Pe_3:20 2Pe_2:5.



Quest. How did God perform this promise, when there were but a hundred years between this time and the flood, by comparing Gen_5:32, with Gen_7:11?



Answ.



1. The increasing wickedness of mankind might justly hasten their ruin, and forfeit the benefit of this indulgence.



2. This promise, though mentioned after that, Gen_5:32, yet seems to have been made twenty years before it; for that verse is added there out of its proper place only to complete the genealogy; and therefore, after this narration, it is repeated here in its due order, Gen_6:10. And such hysteron proterons are frequently noted in Scripture.