Genesis 6 All

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Summary

This section should be very brief. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →

Scope of page. The stories of Cain and Lamech are related in Genesis 4 and are repeated in the Pearl of Great Price in Moses 5:16-6:3 (the Joseph Smith Translation of Genesis 4). Discussion of the Genesis account should appear on this wiki page. Discussion of additional understanding derived from the Joseph Smith Translation is better suited for the wiki page addressing Moses 5.

Relationship to Genesis 1-11b. The relationship of Chapter 4 to the rest of the Adam-Noah cycle is discussed at Genesis 1-11b.

Outline. An outline of the complete book of Genesis, including Chapter 4, is found at Genesis: Outline and page map.

Story. Chapter 4-6a relates the genealogy of the birthright line for ten generations from Adam to Noah, followed by a description of the generally wicked condition of mankind. Chapter 5-6a consists of two major sections:

• Gen 4:1-26: Two stories of murder. Cain murders his brother Abel. Non-birthright genealogy from Cain [Generation 2] to the three sons of his descendant Lamech [Generation 7]. Lamech murders his great grandfather Irad.

• Gen 5:1-32: Birthright genealogy from Adam to Noah. A list of the birthright genealogy from Adam [Generation 1] ten generations to the three sons of Noah [Generation 10].

• Gen 6:1-8: General wickedness after ten generations. A brief description of the wicked condition of mankind after ten generations.

Story. Chapter 4 is about a non-birthright line of descendants from Adam & Eve. This chapter relates the story of Cain & Abel, a genealogy from Cain to Lamech, and the story of Lamech. This chapter consists of four major sections:

• Gen 4:1-2: Cain and Abel are born. Brothers Cain & Abel are born.

• Gen 4:3-16: Cain kills Abel. Murder in Generation 2. Cain's sacrifice of produce is rejected, he kills his brother Abel, and he is then cursed.

• Gen 4:17-24: Genealogy, Lamech kills Irad. Murder in Generation 7. Lamech's genealogy back to Cain. Lamech kills his great grandfather Irad.

• Gen 4:25-26: Seth and Enos are born. Seth is born as a replacement son in place of Abel, and Seth’s son Enos is born.

Message. Themes, symbols, and doctrinal points emphasized in Chapter 4 include:

Discussion

This section is for detailed discussion such as the meaning of a symbol, how a doctrinal point is developed throughout a passage, or insights that can be further developed in the future. Contributions may range from polished paragraphs down to a single bullet point. The focus, however, should always be on understanding the scriptural text consistent with LDS doctrine. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →

Genesis 4: Cain and Lamech murder

• Outline.

1. Cain and Abel born (4:1-2)

2. Cain kills Abel (4:3-16)

a. Lord accepts Abel’s offering of sheep, but not Cain’s of produce (4:3-5)

c. Lord warns Cain not to sin (4:6-7)

d. Cain kills Abel (4:8)

c. where is Abel? Cain denies knowledge of his brother (4:9)

b. Cain cursed as a fugitive, ground cursed against him (4:10-12)

a. Cain driven from God and man, mark to prevent vengeance (4:13-16)

2. Lamech's genealogy, kills Irad (4:17-24)

• genealogical list of Lamech’s ancestors (4:17-18)

• genealogical list of Lamech’s descendants (4:19-22)

• Lamech kills and will be avenged even as Cain (4:23-24)

1. Seth as replacement for Abel, and Abel’s son (4:25-26)

• Genesis 4 contains two related stories from the non-birthright line: Cain who kills his brother Abel in 4:1-16, and Lamech who kills his great grandfather Irad in 4:17-24. The first two verses introduce Adam & Eve's two sons Cain and Abel, and the last two verses return to the generation of Cain and Abel with Seth, who is a replacement for Abel (4:1-2, 25-26).

Genesis 4:1-2: Cain and Abel are born

• There is a word play in verse 1 that is lost in translation. The verb, qanah, translated as "gotten," sounds much like Cain's name.

• Abel's name in Hebrew is hebel. This is the same word used in Ecclesiastes 1:2 that literally means "breath" but came to refer to something that is meaningless or fleeting, so it's possible that Abel's name is an allusion to the fleeting nature of his earthly life.

Gen 4:3-16: Cain kills Abel

• The use of the word "accepted" in verse 7 for the Hebrew saeth is a bit weak. The word can mean "lifted up" (perhaps referring to the lifting up of his countenance) and has connotations of dignity (as the same word is translated in Genesis 49:3).

• The verb, rabats, translated as "lieth" in verse 7 is a more active verb than this translation might indicate. It specifically refers to an animal crouching on all four legs. Several modern translations translate the phrase here as "sin crouches at the door" or something similar.

• In most modern translations of the second sentence of verse 7, the Hebrew words translated in the KJV as "his" and "him" are translated as "its" and "his." (Either translation is grammatically correct.) Thus, they refer to the sin of the previous sentence: Unto you shall be sin's desire, and you shall rule over it.

• Moses 5:23 renders verse 7 as follows: "If thou doest well, thou shalt be accepted. And if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door, and Satan desireth to have thee; and except thou shalt hearken unto my commandments, I will deliver thee up, and it shall be unto thee according to his desire. And thou shalt rule over him."

• Verse 7 shows a powerful contrast. Cain was understandably sad that his offering was not pleasing to God. But here, the Lord makes clear to Cain that he still has a choice, the same choice we all face when we make a mistake. He could choose to do right (although what that would be isn't specified here), in which case he would be happy and feel good about himself. Or, he could choose to do otherwise — in which case sin would be waiting for him. In the natural course of things, sin leads to more sin, but we have the choice to turn to a better way.

• "Nod" in verse 16 is the Hebrew word for "wandering."

Genesis 4:17-24: Genealogy, Lamech kills Irad

• The name of Enoch means "dedicated."

Genesis 4:25-26: Seth and Enos are born

Genesis 4: Identifying the principal blocks of text

Genesis 5-6a: Birthright genealogy and wickedness

Genesis 5:1-32: Birthright genealogy from Adam to Noah

• Genesis 1-6a recounts the first 1,500 years of human history between the fall and the flood. This "ante-diluvian period" corresponds roughly to 4,000 BC to 2,500 BC. However, uncertainties regarding the length of the Israelites' sojourn in Egypt and the length of the period of the judges have prevented any broad consensus regarding the exact dates of events prior to King Saul. For a detailed discussion of those uncertainties, see the first several footnotes at Historical Overview of the Old Testament. The dates below therefore count time forward from the fall of Adam and Eve according to the information provided in Genesis. See the discussion of Genesis 11b for a treatment similar to this page of the generations from Noah to Abraham and the discussion of Moses for changes to the dates on this page that are made in the Joseph Smith Translation.

• Gen 5:1-5: Adam (Generation 1). Fall in Year 0. Blessed descendants at Adam-ondi-Ahman at age 927 in Year 927. (D&C 107:53). Died at age 930 in Year 930. (Gen 5:5).

• Gen 5:3-8: Seth (2). Born in 130. (Gen 5:3). Ordained by Adam at age 69 in 199. (D&C 107:42). Adam-ondi-Ahman at age 797 in 927. Zion taken up when age 857 in 987. Died at age 912 in 1042. (Gen 5:8).

• Gen 5:6-11: Enos (3). Born in 235 when father age 105. (Gen 5:6). Ordained by Adam at age 134 in 369. (D&C 107:44). Adam-ondi-Ahman at age 692 in 927. Zion taken up when age 752 in 987. Died at age 905 in 1140. (Gen 5:11).

• Gen 5:9-14: Cainan (4). Born in 325 when father age 90. (Gen 5:9). Ordained by Adam at age 87 in 412. (D&C 107:45). Adam-ondi-Ahman at age 602 in 927. Zion taken up when age 662 in 987. Died at age 910 in 1235. (Gen 5:14).

• Gen 5:12-17: Mahaleel (5). Born in 395 when father age 70. (Gen 5:12). Ordained by Adam at age 496 in 891. (D&C 107:46). Adam-ondi-Ahman at age 532 in 927. Zion taken up when age 592 in 987. Died at age 895 in 1290. (Gen 5:17).

• Gen 5:15-20: Jared (6). Born in 460 when father age 65. (Gen 5:15). Ordained by Adam at age 200 in 660. (D&C 107:47). Adam-ondi-Ahman at age 467 in 927. Zion taken up when age 527 in 987. Died at age 962 in 1422. (Gen 5:20).

• Gen 5:18-24: Enoch (7). Born in 622 when father age 162. (Gen 5:18). Ordained by Adam at age 25 in 647. (D&C 107:48). Adam-ondi-Ahman at age 305 in 927. Taken up with Zion at age 365 in 987. (Gen 5:22-23).

• Enoch is given as the seventh generation from Adam, the previous major patriarch. Seven is an important biblical number, suggesting Enoch was foreordained to be a righteous patriarch.

• Gen 5:21-27: Methuselah (8). Born in 687 when father age 65. (Gen 5:21). Ordained by Adam at age 100 in 787. (D&C 107:50). Adam-ondi-Ahman at age 240 in 927. Zion taken up when age 300 in 987. Died at age 969 in 1656, the same year as the flood. (Gen 5:27).

• Gen 5:25-31: Lamech (9). Born in 874 when father age 187. (Gen 5:25). Ordained by Seth at age 32 in 906. (D&C 107:51). Zion taken up when age 113 in 987. Died at age 777 in 1651. (Gen 5:31).

• Gem 5:28-32: Noah (10). Born in 1056 when father age 182. (Gen 5:28-29). Ordained by Methuselah at age 10 in 1066. (D&C 107:52). Flood at age 600 in 1656. (Gen 7:6). Died at age 950 in 2006. (Gen 9:29).

Genesis 6:1-8: Wicked conditions after ten generations

Genesis 5-6a: Identifying the principal blocks of text

Unanswered questions

This section is for questions along the lines of "I still don't understand ..." Please do not be shy. The point of these questions is to identify things that still need to be addressed on this page. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →

Prompts for life application

This section is for prompts that suggest ways in which a passage can influence a person's life. Prompts may be appropriate either for private self reflection or for a class discussion. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →

Prompts for further study

This section is for prompts that invite us to think about a passage more deeply or in a new way. These are not necessarily questions that beg for answers, but rather prompts along the lines of "Have you ever thought about ..." Prompts are most helpful when they are developed individually, thoughtfully, and with enough background information to clearly indicate a particular direction for further study or thought. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →

Verse 4:7: Cain and Abel

• See "Timshel ('Thou Mayest')" for a commentary on John Steinbeck's midrash on the Cain and Abel story, East of Eden. The Steinbeck story pivots on a transliteration of the Hebrew word timshol, a second person imperfect referring to an act that has not yet occurred. The word occurs in verse 7 "and thou shalt rule over [sin]," which might also be translated "thou mayest rule..." indicating the possibility that Cain (and mankind as a whole) might yet overcome sin.

Resources

This section is for listing links and print resources, including those that are also cited elsewhere on this page. A short comment about the particular strengths of a resource can be helpful. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →

• LDS Institute Old Testament Student Manual, Vol. 1 (PDF version): Chapter 4/28: Gen 4-11. Salt Lake City: Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 2003.

Notes

Footnotes are not required but are encouraged for factual assertions that average readers cannot easily evaluate for themselves (such as the date of King Solomon’s death or the nuanced definition of a Greek word). In contrast, insights rarely benefit from footnoting, and the focus of this page should always remain on the scriptures themselves rather than what someone has said about them. Links are actively encouraged on all sections of this page, and links to authoritative sources (such as Strong's Bible Concordance or the Joseph Smith Papers) are preferable to footnotes.

Previous page: Chapter 2-3                      Next page: Chapter 6b-9

Home > The Old Testament > Genesis > Genesis 1-11b > Chapters 4-6a / 4:1-6:8
Previous page: Chapter 2-3                      Next page: Chapter 6b-9

This page would ideally always be under construction. You are invited to contribute.

Summary

This section should be very brief. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →

Scope of page. The stories of Cain and Lamech are related in Genesis 4 and are repeated in the Pearl of Great Price in Moses 5:16-6:3 (the Joseph Smith Translation of Genesis 4). Discussion of the Genesis account should appear on this wiki page. Discussion of additional understanding derived from the Joseph Smith Translation is better suited for the wiki page addressing Moses 5.

Relationship to Genesis 1-11b. The relationship of Chapter 4 to the rest of the Adam-Noah cycle is discussed at Genesis 1-11b.

Outline. An outline of the complete book of Genesis, including Chapter 4, is found at Genesis: Outline and page map.

Story. Chapter 4-6a relates the genealogy of the birthright line for ten generations from Adam to Noah, followed by a description of the generally wicked condition of mankind. Chapter 5-6a consists of two major sections:

• Gen 4:1-26: Two stories of murder. Cain murders his brother Abel. Non-birthright genealogy from Cain [Generation 2] to the three sons of his descendant Lamech [Generation 7]. Lamech murders his great grandfather Irad.

• Gen 5:1-32: Birthright genealogy from Adam to Noah. A list of the birthright genealogy from Adam [Generation 1] ten generations to the three sons of Noah [Generation 10].

• Gen 6:1-8: General wickedness after ten generations. A brief description of the wicked condition of mankind after ten generations.

Story. Chapter 4 is about a non-birthright line of descendants from Adam & Eve. This chapter relates the story of Cain & Abel, a genealogy from Cain to Lamech, and the story of Lamech. This chapter consists of four major sections:

• Gen 4:1-2: Cain and Abel are born. Brothers Cain & Abel are born.

• Gen 4:3-16: Cain kills Abel. Murder in Generation 2. Cain's sacrifice of produce is rejected, he kills his brother Abel, and he is then cursed.

• Gen 4:17-24: Genealogy, Lamech kills Irad. Murder in Generation 7. Lamech's genealogy back to Cain. Lamech kills his great grandfather Irad.

• Gen 4:25-26: Seth and Enos are born. Seth is born as a replacement son in place of Abel, and Seth’s son Enos is born.

Message. Themes, symbols, and doctrinal points emphasized in Chapter 4 include:

Discussion

This section is for detailed discussion such as the meaning of a symbol, how a doctrinal point is developed throughout a passage, or insights that can be further developed in the future. Contributions may range from polished paragraphs down to a single bullet point. The focus, however, should always be on understanding the scriptural text consistent with LDS doctrine. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →

Genesis 4: Cain and Lamech murder

• Outline.

1. Cain and Abel born (4:1-2)

2. Cain kills Abel (4:3-16)

a. Lord accepts Abel’s offering of sheep, but not Cain’s of produce (4:3-5)

c. Lord warns Cain not to sin (4:6-7)

d. Cain kills Abel (4:8)

c. where is Abel? Cain denies knowledge of his brother (4:9)

b. Cain cursed as a fugitive, ground cursed against him (4:10-12)

a. Cain driven from God and man, mark to prevent vengeance (4:13-16)

2. Lamech's genealogy, kills Irad (4:17-24)

• genealogical list of Lamech’s ancestors (4:17-18)

• genealogical list of Lamech’s descendants (4:19-22)

• Lamech kills and will be avenged even as Cain (4:23-24)

1. Seth as replacement for Abel, and Abel’s son (4:25-26)

• Genesis 4 contains two related stories from the non-birthright line: Cain who kills his brother Abel in 4:1-16, and Lamech who kills his great grandfather Irad in 4:17-24. The first two verses introduce Adam & Eve's two sons Cain and Abel, and the last two verses return to the generation of Cain and Abel with Seth, who is a replacement for Abel (4:1-2, 25-26).

Genesis 4:1-2: Cain and Abel are born

• There is a word play in verse 1 that is lost in translation. The verb, qanah, translated as "gotten," sounds much like Cain's name.

• Abel's name in Hebrew is hebel. This is the same word used in Ecclesiastes 1:2 that literally means "breath" but came to refer to something that is meaningless or fleeting, so it's possible that Abel's name is an allusion to the fleeting nature of his earthly life.

Gen 4:3-16: Cain kills Abel

• The use of the word "accepted" in verse 7 for the Hebrew saeth is a bit weak. The word can mean "lifted up" (perhaps referring to the lifting up of his countenance) and has connotations of dignity (as the same word is translated in Genesis 49:3).

• The verb, rabats, translated as "lieth" in verse 7 is a more active verb than this translation might indicate. It specifically refers to an animal crouching on all four legs. Several modern translations translate the phrase here as "sin crouches at the door" or something similar.

• In most modern translations of the second sentence of verse 7, the Hebrew words translated in the KJV as "his" and "him" are translated as "its" and "his." (Either translation is grammatically correct.) Thus, they refer to the sin of the previous sentence: Unto you shall be sin's desire, and you shall rule over it.

• Moses 5:23 renders verse 7 as follows: "If thou doest well, thou shalt be accepted. And if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door, and Satan desireth to have thee; and except thou shalt hearken unto my commandments, I will deliver thee up, and it shall be unto thee according to his desire. And thou shalt rule over him."

• Verse 7 shows a powerful contrast. Cain was understandably sad that his offering was not pleasing to God. But here, the Lord makes clear to Cain that he still has a choice, the same choice we all face when we make a mistake. He could choose to do right (although what that would be isn't specified here), in which case he would be happy and feel good about himself. Or, he could choose to do otherwise — in which case sin would be waiting for him. In the natural course of things, sin leads to more sin, but we have the choice to turn to a better way.

• "Nod" in verse 16 is the Hebrew word for "wandering."

Genesis 4:17-24: Genealogy, Lamech kills Irad

• The name of Enoch means "dedicated."

Genesis 4:25-26: Seth and Enos are born

Genesis 4: Identifying the principal blocks of text

Genesis 5-6a: Birthright genealogy and wickedness

Genesis 5:1-32: Birthright genealogy from Adam to Noah

• Genesis 1-6a recounts the first 1,500 years of human history between the fall and the flood. This "ante-diluvian period" corresponds roughly to 4,000 BC to 2,500 BC. However, uncertainties regarding the length of the Israelites' sojourn in Egypt and the length of the period of the judges have prevented any broad consensus regarding the exact dates of events prior to King Saul. For a detailed discussion of those uncertainties, see the first several footnotes at Historical Overview of the Old Testament. The dates below therefore count time forward from the fall of Adam and Eve according to the information provided in Genesis. See the discussion of Genesis 11b for a treatment similar to this page of the generations from Noah to Abraham and the discussion of Moses for changes to the dates on this page that are made in the Joseph Smith Translation.

• Gen 5:1-5: Adam (Generation 1). Fall in Year 0. Blessed descendants at Adam-ondi-Ahman at age 927 in Year 927. (D&C 107:53). Died at age 930 in Year 930. (Gen 5:5).

• Gen 5:3-8: Seth (2). Born in 130. (Gen 5:3). Ordained by Adam at age 69 in 199. (D&C 107:42). Adam-ondi-Ahman at age 797 in 927. Zion taken up when age 857 in 987. Died at age 912 in 1042. (Gen 5:8).

• Gen 5:6-11: Enos (3). Born in 235 when father age 105. (Gen 5:6). Ordained by Adam at age 134 in 369. (D&C 107:44). Adam-ondi-Ahman at age 692 in 927. Zion taken up when age 752 in 987. Died at age 905 in 1140. (Gen 5:11).

• Gen 5:9-14: Cainan (4). Born in 325 when father age 90. (Gen 5:9). Ordained by Adam at age 87 in 412. (D&C 107:45). Adam-ondi-Ahman at age 602 in 927. Zion taken up when age 662 in 987. Died at age 910 in 1235. (Gen 5:14).

• Gen 5:12-17: Mahaleel (5). Born in 395 when father age 70. (Gen 5:12). Ordained by Adam at age 496 in 891. (D&C 107:46). Adam-ondi-Ahman at age 532 in 927. Zion taken up when age 592 in 987. Died at age 895 in 1290. (Gen 5:17).

• Gen 5:15-20: Jared (6). Born in 460 when father age 65. (Gen 5:15). Ordained by Adam at age 200 in 660. (D&C 107:47). Adam-ondi-Ahman at age 467 in 927. Zion taken up when age 527 in 987. Died at age 962 in 1422. (Gen 5:20).

• Gen 5:18-24: Enoch (7). Born in 622 when father age 162. (Gen 5:18). Ordained by Adam at age 25 in 647. (D&C 107:48). Adam-ondi-Ahman at age 305 in 927. Taken up with Zion at age 365 in 987. (Gen 5:22-23).

• Enoch is given as the seventh generation from Adam, the previous major patriarch. Seven is an important biblical number, suggesting Enoch was foreordained to be a righteous patriarch.

• Gen 5:21-27: Methuselah (8). Born in 687 when father age 65. (Gen 5:21). Ordained by Adam at age 100 in 787. (D&C 107:50). Adam-ondi-Ahman at age 240 in 927. Zion taken up when age 300 in 987. Died at age 969 in 1656, the same year as the flood. (Gen 5:27).

• Gen 5:25-31: Lamech (9). Born in 874 when father age 187. (Gen 5:25). Ordained by Seth at age 32 in 906. (D&C 107:51). Zion taken up when age 113 in 987. Died at age 777 in 1651. (Gen 5:31).

• Gem 5:28-32: Noah (10). Born in 1056 when father age 182. (Gen 5:28-29). Ordained by Methuselah at age 10 in 1066. (D&C 107:52). Flood at age 600 in 1656. (Gen 7:6). Died at age 950 in 2006. (Gen 9:29).

Genesis 6:1-8: Wicked conditions after ten generations

Genesis 5-6a: Identifying the principal blocks of text

Unanswered questions

This section is for questions along the lines of "I still don't understand ..." Please do not be shy. The point of these questions is to identify things that still need to be addressed on this page. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →

Prompts for life application

This section is for prompts that suggest ways in which a passage can influence a person's life. Prompts may be appropriate either for private self reflection or for a class discussion. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →

Prompts for further study

This section is for prompts that invite us to think about a passage more deeply or in a new way. These are not necessarily questions that beg for answers, but rather prompts along the lines of "Have you ever thought about ..." Prompts are most helpful when they are developed individually, thoughtfully, and with enough background information to clearly indicate a particular direction for further study or thought. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →

Verse 4:7: Cain and Abel

• See "Timshel ('Thou Mayest')" for a commentary on John Steinbeck's midrash on the Cain and Abel story, East of Eden. The Steinbeck story pivots on a transliteration of the Hebrew word timshol, a second person imperfect referring to an act that has not yet occurred. The word occurs in verse 7 "and thou shalt rule over [sin]," which might also be translated "thou mayest rule..." indicating the possibility that Cain (and mankind as a whole) might yet overcome sin.

Resources

This section is for listing links and print resources, including those that are also cited elsewhere on this page. A short comment about the particular strengths of a resource can be helpful. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →

• LDS Institute Old Testament Student Manual, Vol. 1 (PDF version): Chapter 4/28: Gen 4-11. Salt Lake City: Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 2003.

Notes

Footnotes are not required but are encouraged for factual assertions that average readers cannot easily evaluate for themselves (such as the date of King Solomon’s death or the nuanced definition of a Greek word). In contrast, insights rarely benefit from footnoting, and the focus of this page should always remain on the scriptures themselves rather than what someone has said about them. Links are actively encouraged on all sections of this page, and links to authoritative sources (such as Strong's Bible Concordance or the Joseph Smith Papers) are preferable to footnotes.

Previous page: Chapter 2-3                      Next page: Chapter 6b-9

Home > The Old Testament > Genesis > Genesis 1-11b > Chapter 6b-9 / Verses 6:9-9:29
Previous page: Chapter 5-6a                      Next page: Chapter 10-11a

This page would ideally always be under construction. You are invited to contribute

Summary

This section should be very brief. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →

Relationship to Genesis 1-11b. The relationship of Chapter 6b-9 to the rest of the Adam-Noah cycle is discussed at Genesis 1-11b.

Outline. An outline of the complete book of Genesis, including Chapters 6b-9, is found at Genesis: Outline and page map.

Story. Chapter 6b-9 is the story of the flood and consists of eight sections, followed by the story of Noah's nakedness:

• Gen 6:9-22: Commandment to build the ark. The earth is corrupt. The Lord repents of creation and plans the destruction of all life.

• Gen 7:1-10: Entering the ark. Noah and the animals are given 7 days warning to enter ark before the rains begin.

• Gen 7:11-16: The Flood of rain.

• Gen 7:17-24: The effect of the Flood: death.

• Gen 8:1-5: God stops the flood and the ark comes to rest.

• Gen 8:6-14: The earth becomes dry.

• Gen 8:15-19: Leaving the ark.

• Gen 8:20-9:19: Blessings and commandments. The ground is no longer cursed. Noah is told to multiply and replenish earth. God gives the covenant of rainbow to not again flood the entire earth.

• Gen 9:20-29: Noah's nakedness. Noah unaware naked, curses son Ham (and his son Canaan)

Message. Themes, symbols, and doctrinal points emphasized in Chapter 6b-9 include:

Discussion

This section is for detailed discussion such as the meaning of a symbol, how a doctrinal point is developed throughout a passage, or insights that can be further developed in the future. Contributions may range from polished paragraphs down to a single bullet point. The focus, however, should always be on understanding the scriptural text consistent with LDS doctrine. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →

Genesis 6b-9: The Flood

• Outline. The major sections of Chapters 6b-9 can be outlined as a chiasmus.

a. earth corrupt, Lord repents of creation and plans destruction (6:9-13)

b. told to build ark, covenant to be established with Noah (6:14-22)

c. enter ark, flood begins, waters rise, 7 + 40 + 150 days (7:1-24)

c. waters recede, flood ends, leave ark, 150 + 40 + 7 + 7 days (8:1-19)

b. ground no longer cursed, told to multiply and replenish earth, covenant of rainbow to not again flood (8:20-9:17)

a. Noah unaware naked, curses son Ham (and his son Canaan) (9:18-29)

• Creation parallels. There are some strong parallels between what Noah and his sons were told here and the account given of the creation. In verse 1, God tells Noah and his sons to be fruitful and multiply, as the first people were told in Genesis 1:28. They were given authority over animals, as the first people were in Genesis 1:28. More interestingly, after the Fall, the Lord provided angelic beings to keep Adam and Eve from the tree of life Genesis 3:24, but presumably anything else edible could be eaten. Here (verse 4), they could eat anything except that which had "life," symbolized by blood.

Genesis 6:9-22: Commandment to build the ark

Genesis 7:1-10: Entering the ark

Genesis 7:11-16: The Flood of rain

Genesis 7:17-24: The effect of the Flood: death

Genesis 8:1-5: God stops the flood and the ark comes to rest

• Gen 8:1: Turning point. The turning point in the Flood story occurs at verse 8:1 when God remembered Noah and "made a win to pass over the earth, and the waters assuaged." In the ancient world, wind often symbolized good things from God such as life, breath, and spirit. Large bodies of untamed water, on the other hand, often symbolized the evil forces opposing God, namely death, chaos, and evil. (See, for example, Gen 2:7; Acts 2:2-4; Ether 6:5-11; Rom 6:3-5; Acts 27:21-44). It is thus significant that, at the central turning point of this story, the waters of the flood that have killed all life are tamed by a wind that comes from God.

Genesis 8:6-14: The earth becomes dry

Genesis 8:15-19: Leaving the ark

Genesis 8:20-9:19: Blessings and commandments

• Gen 9:3: Even as the green herb. This is likely a reference to the Garden of Eden when God gave Adam and Eve permission to eat seeds and fruit (Moses 2:29, Gen 1:29).

• Gen 9:3: JST. See the Joseph Smith Translation of this passage here.

• Gen 9:5: Repetition of "require." Cassuto (p. 127) notes that repitition of require three times in this verse emphasizes the sanctity of life, symbolized by blood.

• Gen 9:5: And surely your blood of your lives will I require. This phrase could be read as God saying he will avenge the blood of any human killed (see the Leibowitz reference below). Alterntively, a slightly different translation, "And surely for your own blood" suggests this could be saying that the injunction in v. 4 not to drink blood (eat raw meat?) is a commandment that will be beneficial for humans to follow (blood stands for human life in this reading; see the Cassuto reference below).

Genesis 9:20-29: Noah's nakedness

• Gen 9:22: Saw the nakedness of his father. Some scholars think that Ham is punished (verses 24-25) for some unchaste act that is described euphemistically as "saw the nakedness of his father" (see related links below). Others argue that the text should be read more literally: Ham not averting his eyes to his father's nakedness like his brothers did (v. 23) shows disrespect for his father and for God's law of chastity (cf. Lev 20:17 and Hab 2:15); see Cassuto reference below).

• Gen 9:25: Why is Canaan cursed? Verses 9:22-24 describe actions by Ham that may be deserving of a curse, but the curse is directed toward Canaan not Ham. There are at least four different ways this verse can be been interpreted:

(1) Posterity bears consequences. One view is that Ham's posterity will bear the consequences of Ham's act, either because the blessing in verse 1 cannot be reversed for some reason, or because the punishment for Ham should fit the crime: if Ham caused Noah not to have a fourth son, then Ham's fourth son Canaan is appropriately cursed.

(2) Canaan really means Ham. Another view is that although the name of Canaan is mentioned, the reference is really to Ham, Canaan's father. One conjecture is that the text was changed historically "to conform to the fact that the Canaanites were subjugated by the Israelites."

(3) Canaan was the transgressor. Another view is that Canaan was the transgressor, or at least involved in the iniquity against Noah. This view can be found in traditional Jewish literature more modern scholars (see the Cassuto reference below for details).

(4) People of Canaan cursed. Cassuto argues that Ham represents the Canaanite people who were guilty of sexual immorality. Thus "[t]he Canaanites were to suffer the curse and the bondage not because of the sins of Ham, but because they themselves acted like Ham, because of their own transgressions, which resembled those attributed to Ham in this allegory."

Genesis 6b-9: Identifying the principal blocks of text

Unanswered questions

This section is for questions along the lines of "I still don't understand ..." Please do not be shy. The point of these questions is to identify things that still need to be addressed on this page. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →

Prompts for life application

This section is for prompts that suggest ways in which a passage can influence a person's life. Prompts may be appropriate either for private self reflection or for a class discussion. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →

Prompts for further study

This section is for prompts that invite us to think about a passage more deeply or in a new way. These are not necessarily questions that beg for answers, but rather prompts along the lines of "Have you ever thought about ..." Prompts are most helpful when they are developed individually, thoughtfully, and with enough background information to clearly indicate a particular direction for further study or thought. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →

Resources

This section is for listing links and print resources, including those that are also cited elsewhere on this page. A short comment about the particular strengths of a resource can be helpful. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →

• LDS Institute Old Testament Student Manual, Vol. 1 (PDF version): Chapter 4/28: Gen 4-11. Salt Lake City: Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 2003.

• Parallels with Genesis account.

• Gen 7:23: Was the flood literal and universal? In the following article Duane Jeffery explores the problems related to interpreting the flood as an event that covered the whole earth and recounts theories of a localized flood. Jeffery also considers what LDS leaders have said on the topic: "Noah's Flood: Modern Scholarship and Mormon Traditions", Sunstone Oct. 2004, pp. 27-45.

• Gen 8:4: 277 days. Building on the rebirth/creation motif, Sheldon Greaves notes that this totals 277 days, or 9 months and one week, "almost precisely the period of human gestation. More interestingly, the waters reach their height at 150 days (7:4, 7:24), which also corresponds to the point at which the waters of the uterus swell to their maximum point of expansion." See the following article for this quote (p. 159); other sources are given in footnote 4: “Cosmos, Chaos, and Politics: Biblical Creation Patterns in Secular Contexts.” Dialogue 31 (3) Fall 1998: 157-166.

• Gen 8:7: Raven. For a poetic attempt to think through the presence of the raven in this story, see User: Joe Spencer/(a quaint, but curious) volume of forgotten lore.

• Gen 8:10: Creation motif. Greaves article. The seven days referred to in v. 10 is reminiscent of the seven days of creation (cf. Gen 2:2 and Moses 3:2). In the following article, Sheldon Greaves discusses the creation motif in various scriptural contexts and how mankind's measure of creation has boundaries which, if overstepped as in Noah's days, may lead to a new destruction and creation process: Greaves, Sheldon. “Cosmos, Chaos, and Politics: Biblical Creation Patterns in Secular Contexts.” Dialogue 31 (3) Fall 1998: 157-166 [p. 158]

• Gen 9:3: Moving things as meat. Contrast what God seems to be saying here about eating meat with what God says in Moses 2:29-30 about eating seeds and fruit with no mention of eating "moving things" (animals).

• Gen 9:22: What did Ham do to Noah? Hugh Nibley in Temple and Cosmos pp. 128-130 discusses some history of a sacred garment and how Book of Jasher 7:27 relates that Ham stole the garment from Noah.

Notes

Footnotes are not required but are encouraged for factual assertions that average readers cannot easily evaluate for themselves (such as the date of King Solomon’s death or the nuanced definition of a Greek word). In contrast, insights rarely benefit from footnoting, and the focus of this page should always remain on the scriptures themselves rather than what someone has said about them. Links are actively encouraged on all sections of this page, and links to authoritative sources (such as Strong's Bible Concordance or the Joseph Smith Papers) are preferable to footnotes.

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Home > The Old Testament > Genesis > Genesis 1-11b > Chapter 6b-9 / Verses 6:9-9:29
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This page would ideally always be under construction. You are invited to contribute

Summary

This section should be very brief. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →

Relationship to Genesis 1-11b. The relationship of Chapter 6b-9 to the rest of the Adam-Noah cycle is discussed at Genesis 1-11b.

Outline. An outline of the complete book of Genesis, including Chapters 6b-9, is found at Genesis: Outline and page map.

Story. Chapter 6b-9 is the story of the flood and consists of eight sections, followed by the story of Noah's nakedness:

• Gen 6:9-22: Commandment to build the ark. The earth is corrupt. The Lord repents of creation and plans the destruction of all life.

• Gen 7:1-10: Entering the ark. Noah and the animals are given 7 days warning to enter ark before the rains begin.

• Gen 7:11-16: The Flood of rain.

• Gen 7:17-24: The effect of the Flood: death.

• Gen 8:1-5: God stops the flood and the ark comes to rest.

• Gen 8:6-14: The earth becomes dry.

• Gen 8:15-19: Leaving the ark.

• Gen 8:20-9:19: Blessings and commandments. The ground is no longer cursed. Noah is told to multiply and replenish earth. God gives the covenant of rainbow to not again flood the entire earth.

• Gen 9:20-29: Noah's nakedness. Noah unaware naked, curses son Ham (and his son Canaan)

Message. Themes, symbols, and doctrinal points emphasized in Chapter 6b-9 include:

Discussion

This section is for detailed discussion such as the meaning of a symbol, how a doctrinal point is developed throughout a passage, or insights that can be further developed in the future. Contributions may range from polished paragraphs down to a single bullet point. The focus, however, should always be on understanding the scriptural text consistent with LDS doctrine. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →

Genesis 6b-9: The Flood

• Outline. The major sections of Chapters 6b-9 can be outlined as a chiasmus.

a. earth corrupt, Lord repents of creation and plans destruction (6:9-13)

b. told to build ark, covenant to be established with Noah (6:14-22)

c. enter ark, flood begins, waters rise, 7 + 40 + 150 days (7:1-24)

c. waters recede, flood ends, leave ark, 150 + 40 + 7 + 7 days (8:1-19)

b. ground no longer cursed, told to multiply and replenish earth, covenant of rainbow to not again flood (8:20-9:17)

a. Noah unaware naked, curses son Ham (and his son Canaan) (9:18-29)

• Creation parallels. There are some strong parallels between what Noah and his sons were told here and the account given of the creation. In verse 1, God tells Noah and his sons to be fruitful and multiply, as the first people were told in Genesis 1:28. They were given authority over animals, as the first people were in Genesis 1:28. More interestingly, after the Fall, the Lord provided angelic beings to keep Adam and Eve from the tree of life Genesis 3:24, but presumably anything else edible could be eaten. Here (verse 4), they could eat anything except that which had "life," symbolized by blood.

Genesis 6:9-22: Commandment to build the ark

Genesis 7:1-10: Entering the ark

Genesis 7:11-16: The Flood of rain

Genesis 7:17-24: The effect of the Flood: death

Genesis 8:1-5: God stops the flood and the ark comes to rest

• Gen 8:1: Turning point. The turning point in the Flood story occurs at verse 8:1 when God remembered Noah and "made a win to pass over the earth, and the waters assuaged." In the ancient world, wind often symbolized good things from God such as life, breath, and spirit. Large bodies of untamed water, on the other hand, often symbolized the evil forces opposing God, namely death, chaos, and evil. (See, for example, Gen 2:7; Acts 2:2-4; Ether 6:5-11; Rom 6:3-5; Acts 27:21-44). It is thus significant that, at the central turning point of this story, the waters of the flood that have killed all life are tamed by a wind that comes from God.

Genesis 8:6-14: The earth becomes dry

Genesis 8:15-19: Leaving the ark

Genesis 8:20-9:19: Blessings and commandments

• Gen 9:3: Even as the green herb. This is likely a reference to the Garden of Eden when God gave Adam and Eve permission to eat seeds and fruit (Moses 2:29, Gen 1:29).

• Gen 9:3: JST. See the Joseph Smith Translation of this passage here.

• Gen 9:5: Repetition of "require." Cassuto (p. 127) notes that repitition of require three times in this verse emphasizes the sanctity of life, symbolized by blood.

• Gen 9:5: And surely your blood of your lives will I require. This phrase could be read as God saying he will avenge the blood of any human killed (see the Leibowitz reference below). Alterntively, a slightly different translation, "And surely for your own blood" suggests this could be saying that the injunction in v. 4 not to drink blood (eat raw meat?) is a commandment that will be beneficial for humans to follow (blood stands for human life in this reading; see the Cassuto reference below).

Genesis 9:20-29: Noah's nakedness

• Gen 9:22: Saw the nakedness of his father. Some scholars think that Ham is punished (verses 24-25) for some unchaste act that is described euphemistically as "saw the nakedness of his father" (see related links below). Others argue that the text should be read more literally: Ham not averting his eyes to his father's nakedness like his brothers did (v. 23) shows disrespect for his father and for God's law of chastity (cf. Lev 20:17 and Hab 2:15); see Cassuto reference below).

• Gen 9:25: Why is Canaan cursed? Verses 9:22-24 describe actions by Ham that may be deserving of a curse, but the curse is directed toward Canaan not Ham. There are at least four different ways this verse can be been interpreted:

(1) Posterity bears consequences. One view is that Ham's posterity will bear the consequences of Ham's act, either because the blessing in verse 1 cannot be reversed for some reason, or because the punishment for Ham should fit the crime: if Ham caused Noah not to have a fourth son, then Ham's fourth son Canaan is appropriately cursed.

(2) Canaan really means Ham. Another view is that although the name of Canaan is mentioned, the reference is really to Ham, Canaan's father. One conjecture is that the text was changed historically "to conform to the fact that the Canaanites were subjugated by the Israelites."

(3) Canaan was the transgressor. Another view is that Canaan was the transgressor, or at least involved in the iniquity against Noah. This view can be found in traditional Jewish literature more modern scholars (see the Cassuto reference below for details).

(4) People of Canaan cursed. Cassuto argues that Ham represents the Canaanite people who were guilty of sexual immorality. Thus "[t]he Canaanites were to suffer the curse and the bondage not because of the sins of Ham, but because they themselves acted like Ham, because of their own transgressions, which resembled those attributed to Ham in this allegory."

Genesis 6b-9: Identifying the principal blocks of text

Unanswered questions

This section is for questions along the lines of "I still don't understand ..." Please do not be shy. The point of these questions is to identify things that still need to be addressed on this page. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →

Prompts for life application

This section is for prompts that suggest ways in which a passage can influence a person's life. Prompts may be appropriate either for private self reflection or for a class discussion. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →

Prompts for further study

This section is for prompts that invite us to think about a passage more deeply or in a new way. These are not necessarily questions that beg for answers, but rather prompts along the lines of "Have you ever thought about ..." Prompts are most helpful when they are developed individually, thoughtfully, and with enough background information to clearly indicate a particular direction for further study or thought. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →

Resources

This section is for listing links and print resources, including those that are also cited elsewhere on this page. A short comment about the particular strengths of a resource can be helpful. Click the "edit" link to edit or add content to this section. →

• LDS Institute Old Testament Student Manual, Vol. 1 (PDF version): Chapter 4/28: Gen 4-11. Salt Lake City: Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 2003.

• Parallels with Genesis account.

• Gen 7:23: Was the flood literal and universal? In the following article Duane Jeffery explores the problems related to interpreting the flood as an event that covered the whole earth and recounts theories of a localized flood. Jeffery also considers what LDS leaders have said on the topic: "Noah's Flood: Modern Scholarship and Mormon Traditions", Sunstone Oct. 2004, pp. 27-45.

• Gen 8:4: 277 days. Building on the rebirth/creation motif, Sheldon Greaves notes that this totals 277 days, or 9 months and one week, "almost precisely the period of human gestation. More interestingly, the waters reach their height at 150 days (7:4, 7:24), which also corresponds to the point at which the waters of the uterus swell to their maximum point of expansion." See the following article for this quote (p. 159); other sources are given in footnote 4: “Cosmos, Chaos, and Politics: Biblical Creation Patterns in Secular Contexts.” Dialogue 31 (3) Fall 1998: 157-166.

• Gen 8:7: Raven. For a poetic attempt to think through the presence of the raven in this story, see User: Joe Spencer/(a quaint, but curious) volume of forgotten lore.

• Gen 8:10: Creation motif. Greaves article. The seven days referred to in v. 10 is reminiscent of the seven days of creation (cf. Gen 2:2 and Moses 3:2). In the following article, Sheldon Greaves discusses the creation motif in various scriptural contexts and how mankind's measure of creation has boundaries which, if overstepped as in Noah's days, may lead to a new destruction and creation process: Greaves, Sheldon. “Cosmos, Chaos, and Politics: Biblical Creation Patterns in Secular Contexts.” Dialogue 31 (3) Fall 1998: 157-166 [p. 158]

• Gen 9:3: Moving things as meat. Contrast what God seems to be saying here about eating meat with what God says in Moses 2:29-30 about eating seeds and fruit with no mention of eating "moving things" (animals).

• Gen 9:22: What did Ham do to Noah? Hugh Nibley in Temple and Cosmos pp. 128-130 discusses some history of a sacred garment and how Book of Jasher 7:27 relates that Ham stole the garment from Noah.

Notes

Footnotes are not required but are encouraged for factual assertions that average readers cannot easily evaluate for themselves (such as the date of King Solomon’s death or the nuanced definition of a Greek word). In contrast, insights rarely benefit from footnoting, and the focus of this page should always remain on the scriptures themselves rather than what someone has said about them. Links are actively encouraged on all sections of this page, and links to authoritative sources (such as Strong's Bible Concordance or the Joseph Smith Papers) are preferable to footnotes.

Previous page: Chapter 5-6a                      Next page: Chapter 10-11a