Genesis 6:3

[Christine]

'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.
(Gen 6:3)  

Hello there,

This verse was quoted in the thread 'the Bible verse by verse', it was quoted in another version to my own (which is the KJV) and caught my attention, for it appeared to alter the meaning.  As the thread does not allow comment, I felt the need to start a thread here in order to express my concern.

The margin of my Bible tells me that the reference to 'man' in this verse is emphatically Adam, and not mankind in the plural. When it says that 'he also is flesh' it means that he also had erred as others had, and it is his days that 'shall be an hundred and twenty years'.

In Genesis 2:17 the Lord God had declared that Adam should die.  Here, in Gen. 6, it is made more clear that though he had lived 810 years, he should surely die; and that his breath, or the spirit of life from God, should not for ever remain in him.  

Long before Enoch the irruption of fallen angels had taken place, which is the subject of the context in which this verse is found in Gen. 6.  This was the cause of all the 'ungodliness' against which the prophecy of Enoch was directed in Jude 14, and which ultimately brought on the fulfillment of his prophecy in the judgment of the flood. Noah only was found to be uncontaminated genealogically by that irruption, only he could be spoken of as, 'a just man and perfect in his generations'.

Thank you.

In Christ Jesus
Chris 

 

[Michael37]

23 minutes ago, Christine said:

The margin of my Bible tells me that the reference to 'man' in this verse is emphatically Adam, and not mankind in the plural. When it says that 'he also is flesh' it means that he also had erred as others had, and it is his days that 'shall be an hundred and twenty years'.

Adam is Hebrew for man, either the individual person or mankind in general. 

Strongs Reference H120

אָדָם
'âdâm
aw-dawm'
From H119; ruddy, that is, a human being (an individual or the species, mankind, etc.): - X another, + hypocrite, + common sort, X low, man (mean, of low degree), person.
Total KJV occurrences: 541
 

In this context (Gen 6:3) it is mankind in general which is in view. The reference to flesh and the limitation of God's striving with it is one of the great themes of the Bible.

[Christine]

17 minutes ago, Michael37 said:

Adam is Hebrew for man, either the individual person or mankind in general. 

Strongs Reference H120

אָדָם
'âdâm
aw-dawm'
From H119; ruddy, that is, a human being (an individual or the species, mankind, etc.): - X another, + hypocrite, + common sort, X low, man (mean, of low degree), person.
Total KJV occurrences: 541
 

In this context (Gen 6:3) it is mankind in general which is in view. The reference to flesh and the limitation of God's striving with it is one of the great themes of the Bible.

'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.
(Gen 6:3)  

Hello Michael37,

I thank you for responding, and I agree that Adam is Hebrew for man, either the individual or in general, but I disagree that in Genesis 6:3 it is man in general which is in view. The reference to 'he' and 'his', and 'also', is personal and individual, singular and not plural. Also, how do you explain the reference to 120 years in relation to man, unless it refers to Adam himself, and the length of life he had remaining to him?

‘And Adam lived an hundred and thirty years, 
and begat a son in his own likeness, after his image; 
and called his name Seth:
and the days of Adam after he had begotten Seth were eight hundred years: 
and he begat sons and daughters:
and all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years: 
and he died.'
(Gen 5:3-5)  

Thank you
In Christ Jesus
Chris

Edited July 17, 2018 by Christine

[Michael37]

3 minutes ago, Christine said:

Hello Michael37,

I thank you for responding, and I agree that Adam is Hebrew for man, either the individual or in general, but I disagree that in Genesis 6:3 it is man in general which is in view. The reference to 'he' and 'his', and 'also', is personal and individual, singular and not plural. Also, how do you explain the reference to 120 years in relation to man, unless it refers to Adam himself, and the length of life he had remaining to him?

Thank you
In Christ Jesus
Chris

Hi Christine, To me it reads as mankind. It's normal to use the singular when doing so. The 120 years is a limitation due to the disobedient taking of wives regardless of their godliness or otherwise. Can I recommend a search of commentaries to you. Goggle some and they will confirm my take on this verse.

[Christine]

28 minutes ago, Michael37 said:

Hi Christine, To me it reads as mankind. It's normal to use the singular when doing so. The 120 years is a limitation due to the disobedient taking of wives regardless of their godliness or otherwise. Can I recommend a search of commentaries to you. Goggle some and they will confirm my take on this verse.

Hello again, @Michael37,

Thank you for this further response, and for your recommendation.  I have done as you suggest, and yes the three that I referenced do say that mankind in general are in view in Genesis 6:3, and in two of them, the 120 years are considered to be the years remaining for man before God's judgment would fall, during which opportunity was given for repentance through the preaching of Noah. Interesting, and possible, but not conclusive.

Thank you again.

In Christ Jesus
Chris
 

Edited July 17, 2018 by Christine

[Michael37]

8 minutes ago, Christine said:

Hello again, @Michael37,

Thank you for this further response, and for your recommendation.  I have done as you suggest, and yes the three that I referenced do say that mankind in general are in view in Genesis 6:3, and in two of them, the 120 years are considered to be the years remaining for man before God's judgment would fall, during which opportunity was given for repentance through the preaching of Noah. Interesting, and possible, but not conclusive.

Thank you again.

In Christ Jesus
Chris
 

Just a point to note. The translators referrence Adam by name when referring to him, so the small case word "man" that your footnote picks up on is not consistent with this. Interesting study, blessings in that you are "searching the Scriptures to see if it is so".

 Act 17:10-11
(10)  And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews.
(11)  These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.

[Christine]

2 hours ago, Michael37 said:

Just a point to note. The translators referrence Adam by name when referring to him, so the small case word "man" that your footnote picks up on is not consistent with this. Interesting study, blessings in that you are "searching the Scriptures to see if it is so".

 Act 17:10-11
(10)  And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews.
(11)  These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.

Hello @Michael37,

Thank you for your continued interest.  It is significant I believe that this comes within, 'The book of the generations of Adam,'(Gen.5:1), here in Genesis chapter six, the chronology having brought us up to Noah and his sons, now takes us 'back' into the history of the generations of Adam, to Adam and Eve and the fact that daughters were born unto them (6:1). The word 'men' in verse one being 'the man Adam' as in Gen. 1:27 and 5:2. the Heb. word being 'Adam' denoting his origin, as being made from the (dust of the Adamah)  ground.

* There are apparently four Hebrew words translated man, representing him from four different points of view. (Adam, Ish, Enosh & Geber), Adam without the article denotes man of mankind in general, followed by a plural pronoun.  With the article, as in Gen. 6:3 and in 6:1, it denotes 'the man Adam', though rendered 'man' and 'men' by translators.  With the article 'eth' in addition to the article it is very emphatic, and means 'self', 'very', 'this same', 'this very': it's first occurrence is found in Genesis 2:7 :-

‘And the LORD God formed man 
of the dust of the ground, 
and breathed into his nostrils 
the breath of life; 
and man became 
a living soul.’
(Gen 2:7)  

* It is found also in Genesis 6:3 where the word, 'he,' gives the same emphatic emphasis upon the word (Adam), or 'the man Adam': as in 6:1 & 2 when reference is emphatically upon the words 'men' being, again, 'the man Adam'.

Thank you for your time and patience.

In Christ Jesus
Chris

 

 

Edited July 17, 2018 by Christine

[Michael37]

8 hours ago, Christine said:

Hello @Michael37,

Thank you for your continued interest.  It is significant I believe that this comes within, 'The book of the generations of Adam,'(Gen.5:1), here in Genesis chapter six, the chronology having brought us up to Noah and his sons, now takes us 'back' into the history of the generations of Adam, to Adam and Eve and the fact that daughters were born unto them (6:1). The word 'men' in verse one being 'the man Adam' as in Gen. 1:27 and 5:2. the Heb. word being 'Adam' denoting his origin, as being made from the (dust of the Adamah)  ground.* There are apparently four Hebrew words translated man, representing him from four different points of view. (Adam, Ish, Enosh & Geber), Adam without the article denotes man of mankind in general, followed by a plural pronoun.  

So the translators are wrong and this is what is really meant:

Gen 6:1-7
(1)  And it came to pass, when men literal Adam 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 literal Adam that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose.
(3)  And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man literal Adam, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.
(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 literal Adam, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men literal Adam which were of old, men literal Adam of renown.
(5)  And GOD saw that the wickedness of man literal Adam was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
(6)  And it repented the LORD that he had made [man] literal Adam on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.
(7)  And the LORD said, I will destroy man literal Adam whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man literal Adam, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them.
 

Very strange doctrine indeed, methinks...

Edited July 17, 2018 by Michael37

[Willa]

I do believe that men lived much longer prior to Noah than today.  But some say that the patriarch of a family was listed with the generations to mean that his family lasted the 800 some years.  Perhaps Adam lived only the 120 due to his sin.   I don't know, but it is something to consider that might explain the discrepancy.      

[Christine]

8 hours ago, Michael37 said:

So the translators are wrong and this is what is really meant:

Gen 6:1-7
(1)  And it came to pass, when men literal Adam 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 literal Adam that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose.
(3)  And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man literal Adam, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.
(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 literal Adam, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men literal Adam which were of old, men literal Adam of renown.
(5)  And GOD saw that the wickedness of man literal Adam was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
(6)  And it repented the LORD that he had made [man] literal Adam on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.
(7)  And the LORD said, I will destroy man literal Adam whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man literal Adam, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them.
 

Very strange doctrine indeed, methinks...

 

17 hours ago, Christine said:

Adam without the article denotes man of mankind in general, followed by a plural pronoun.  With the article, as in Gen. 6:3 and in 6:1, it denotes 'the man Adam', though rendered 'man' and 'men' by translators.  With the article 'eth' in addition to the article it is very emphatic, and means 'self', 'very', 'this same', 'this very': it's first occurrence is found in Genesis 2:7

Hello @Michael37

In verses 1 & 2 the article determines that it is 'the man Adam' that is meant, as the first human, as in verse two and three. To make the sweeping assumption that it is the same in every following use of the word 'man' or 'men' would be wrong, but if the article is there in the original then it is 'the man Adam' that is meant.

Thank you
In Christ Jesus
Chris