Genesis 6:3Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

The Holy Scriptures frequently refer to the ungodly as fleshly, while virtuous individuals are described as spiritual, as Paul expresses, “Ye do not live according to the flesh” (Rom. 8:9). This does not imply that they were not physically clothed, but rather that even while in the flesh, they transcended worldly desires. Thus, Paul indicated that those who disregard the physical do not exist according to the flesh; conversely, those preoccupied with earthly matters are termed flesh. “Because they are flesh,” therefore, I will no longer allow them to be ensnared by sin. Have you witnessed the magnitude of God's anger? Have you perceived the tremendous power behind His warning? Observe how the Lord has tempered judgment with compassion. Such is our God: often, He issues threats not to bring them to fruition but to guide sinners toward repentance, sparing them from judgment. If His sole intent was punishment, why would He forewarn? Yet, since His desire is not just punishment, He consistently shows patience and forbearance, issuing warnings to turn the guilty from their iniquity, to choose righteousness, and to avoid retribution. Therefore, after declaring His intention to bring them to total ruin (expressed in His words, “My Spirit shall not be forever disregarded by men; for they are flesh,” meaning I will not permit them to continue living), He, unsatisfied with five centuries of patience—which served as a warning through Noah—again postpones His anger, assigning another period. He proclaims: I have already issued threats and expressed My wrath, to which you should have yielded due to the multitude of your offenses; but since I wish for even the guilty to find salvation, and for no one to be lost, I grant you an additional hundred and twenty years, so that you may, if you choose, cleanse your sins through repentance and embrace goodness to evade judgment.

These words, “Thou art dust,” imply that He is essentially stating, “My spirit shall not abide with these beings, for they are merely flesh.” Thus, it becomes clear that humanity is betrayed to the one who was told, “Thou shalt eat dust.”

And the Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. So the Lord said, 'I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man and beast, creeping thing and birds of the air, for I am sorry that I have made them'" (Gen. 6:5-7). Furthermore, Noah proclaimed, "The end of all flesh has come before Me, for the earth is filled with violence through them; and behold, I will destroy them with the earth" (Gen. 6:13). These events illustrate that the sons of God were indeed individuals who led lawless lives. If angels had mingled with the daughters of men, humanity would have suffered injustice at the hands of angels for their forceful actions against women, and they would also have faced punishment from God for those angels' desires. Even the father of lies would hesitate to assert such a claim. The Holy Scripture clearly demonstrates, through various passages, that humanity has sinned and that God's judgment is pronounced upon them. Many fall into ignorance due to a cursory reading of the Divine texts. The writer notes that from Adam came Seth, and from Seth came Enos, adding, "Then men began to call on the name of the Lord" (Gen. 4:26). Aquila translated this as, "then began to be called by the name of the Lord," which clarifies that Enos, through his righteousness, was the first to honor the divine name, leading his descendants to be recognized as sons of God, similar to how we are called Christians by the name of Christ. If this interpretation is not accepted because of Aquila’s wording, consider the words of God through the prophet David: "I said, 'You are gods, and all of you are children of the Most High'" (Ps. 82:6); and again, "God stands in the congregation of the mighty; He judges among the gods" (Ps. 82:1), referring to rulers as indicated in the following verses: "How long will you judge unjustly, and show partiality to the wicked? Defend the poor and fatherless; do justice to the afflicted and needy" (Ps. 82:2-3). Additionally, "The God of gods, the Lord, has spoken and called the earth" (Ps. 50:1), emphasizing that He speaks of those who have received this title by grace. Similarly, the lawgiver instructs, "You shall not revile God, nor curse a ruler of your people" (Ex. 22:28). Thus, the descendants of Seth, as righteous individuals, were deemed sons of God, for Seth's lineage remained distinct and did not intermingle with the descendants of Cain due to the divine decree imposed upon him. Yet, after a considerable period (the flood occurred over two thousand years later), they were ensnared by the allure of the beautiful daughters of Cain's lineage, possibly seduced by the musical talents attributed to them (as Jubal, a descendant of Cain, was the inventor of musical instruments, including the harp and flute [Gen. 4:21]). They united with these women and thereby compromised their noble heritage, suffering the same fate as the Israelites, who, by consorting with the daughters of the Midianites, fell into wrongdoing and faced divine retribution. Similarly, the psalmist states, "They mingled with the nations and learned their works; they served their idols" (Ps. 106:35-36). Thus, the offspring of Seth were once recognized as sons of God, celebrated as exemplars of virtue; however, captivated by the beauty of sinful women, they intermingled with the previously separate generations and ultimately faced demise due to the consequences of their actions. It must be noted, however, that the sacred text condemns them not merely for sin, but for iniquity, which they pursued with intent and diligence. This is evident in the phrase, "Every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually" (Gen. 6:5). Those who are tormented by the weight of sin but succumb to vice may have some measure of excuse; yet those who have completely surrendered to immorality and become enslaved to their desires, constantly birthing new evils throughout their lives, are devoid of any claim to forgiveness. What punishment would be too great for those who have willingly led themselves to ruin?

One potential misunderstanding of this passage could be that God was indicating a new standard lifespan of one hundred and twenty years, although generally this is not the case; however, St. Maximus makes it clear that he does not endorse such an interpretation.

As noted, while there is no explicit mention of the construction period of the ark in Scripture, it can be contextually inferred from the genealogies and events surrounding Noah. St. Maximus may also be responding to the interpretations of Chrysostom, who suggested that God’s warning during Noah’s life was meant to lead the people to repentance, although they failed to act on the opportunities given to them for reform before the flood came.

St. Maximus emphasizes that God, in His remarkable compassion, first granted time for repentance (the initial twenty years), then provided a living example of righteousness through Noah (the subsequent hundred years), before ultimately executing judgment. This reflects God’s nature of offering chances for repentance and His unwavering pursuit of the salvation of humanity prior to executing justice.

Essentially, this implies: Since these individuals are entrenched in fleshly indulgence and wallowing in sinful filth, as swine in muck, I have turned my heart against them, and I intend to erase them from the earth; however, I will grant them a bit more time, hoping for their repentance. The duration of their lives, in which I will extend my patience, shall total one hundred and twenty years. Yet once that period is complete and I observe no signs of their turning back to Me, I will no longer endure them but will purge the earth through a flood, cleansing it from the taint of humanity’s wickedness. This revelation concerning the flood was noted in Russian Bibles as occurring in 2042, and chronicled in summer 2122. The Chaldean historian Beroz states that not only Noah but also other righteous individuals foretold the impending deluge and inscribed this prophecy on stone. Who were these righteous men? It is commonly accepted by interpreters that Lamech (the one from Seth's line, not Cain's), Noah's father, and Methuselah, Noah's grandfather and Lamech's father, were both godly men still alive at the time; they supported Noah in his mission to call sinners to repentance. However, the wicked, entrenched in their evil ways, remained indifferent, their hearts hardened, as they mocked and scorned the warnings issued by the holy men Noah, Lamech, and Methuselah.

In this condition, a person behaves as if they are solely of a carnal nature and lack a higher calling, hence they are referred to as flesh in light of this state. However, such an unnatural condition cannot persist among all humanity, as it fails to draw in the breath of God and instead merely reflects it. Thus, it is inevitably redirected; and consequently, not only the life of mankind, destined for close communion with the Spirit of God, but also that of every creature cannot endure (Psalm 103:29). The Spirit of God, having warned those guided by the flesh, endeavors to infuse them with His life-giving breath. Different translations of this passage may reflect the necessity of the preceding context without fully addressing the inquiry. The Septuagint states: My Spirit shall not dwell in these men forever, because they are flesh. In seeking the interpretation of the term דרן, one might struggle to find an accurate meaning of dwell. It is often understood in Hebrew as: My Spirit shall not judge or correct these men eternally, for they are flesh. But what does God do during the flood if not judge and rebuke the carnal? Their days shall be a hundred and twenty years. Some interpret this divine announcement as a decree to shorten human life, yet this interpretation does not hold, as it fails to materialize in historical context. Following the flood, humanity lived for up to 500 years; post-Babel turmoil saw a lifespan of up to 300 years, down to 150 during the time of Abraham, up to 120 in Moses's era, and then it declined further. Another view suggests that the 120 years represents a period allotted for repentance and redemption, a perspective supported by the Church Fathers such as Chrysostom, Jerome, and Augustine, as seen in Holy Scriptures (1 Pet. 3:20). It is significant to note that the opportunity for repentance was proclaimed to the world by Noah, recognized as a preacher of righteousness (2 Pet. 2:5). Before the flood, humanity was wholly carnal, devoid of the Spirit of God, and filled with wickedness in every thought and deed; this reflected the condition of mankind outside the purifying grace of baptism and rebirth. The flood resulted in the burial of the old human race, while simultaneously, a new lineage was safeguarded within the ark; similarly, we are buried with Christ in death through baptism for the severance of our old selves, and concurrently, we are ushered by Him into His eternal Church, commencing a new existence (Rom. 6:4-6).

Conversely, when the flesh is subordinate to the spirit in spiritual matters, it yields its inherent claims to nourishment through fasting, to slumber through vigilant prayer, to relaxation through tireless work and exertion, and to sensory pleasures through solitude and tranquility. God cannot dwell where flesh holds dominion, as the means of His communion with humanity is the spirit, which stands outside its rightful place. The initial awareness of God's presence emerges when the spirit begins to claim its entitlements through the motions of reverence and conscience. When conscience and freedom align with this pursuit, God engages with humanity and begins to make His residence within them. From that point forward, there will be a transformation of both soul and body, encompassing the entirety of the inner and outer person, until God is fully realized in humanity, and the individual, having been transformed, will become divine. What an extraordinary blessing this is, yet how often it is overlooked, undervalued, and sought after with little fervor!