12 And God seeth the earth, and lo, it hath been corrupted, for all flesh hath corrupted its way on the earth.
13 And God said to Noah, 'An end of all flesh hath come before Me, for the earth hath been full of violence from their presence; and lo, I am destroying them with the earth. 14 'Make for thyself an ark of gopher-wood; rooms dost thou make with the ark, and thou hast covered it within and without with cypress; 15 and this 'is' that which thou dost with it: three hundred cubits 'is' the length of the ark, fifty cubits its breadth, and thirty cubits its height; 16 a window dost thou make for the ark, and unto a cubit thou dost restrain it from above; and the opening of the ark thou dost put in its side,—lower, second, and third 'stories' dost thou make it. 17 'And I, lo, I am bringing in the deluge of waters on the earth to destroy all flesh, in which 'is' a living spirit, from under the heavens; all that 'is' in the earth doth expire. 18 'And I have established My covenant with thee, and thou hast come in unto the ark, thou, and thy sons, and thy wife, and thy son's wives with thee; 19 and of all that liveth, of all flesh, two of every 'sort' thou dost bring in unto the ark, to keep alive with thee; male and female are they. 20 Of the fowl after its kind, and of the cattle after their kind, of every creeping thing of the ground after its kind, two of every 'sort' they come in unto thee, to keep alive. 21 'And thou, take to thyself of all food that is eaten; and thou hast gathered unto thyself, and it hath been to thee and to them for food.'
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Genesis 6:12-21
Commentary on Genesis 6:12-21
(Read Genesis 6:12-21)
God told Noah his purpose to destroy the wicked world by water. The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him, Psalm 25:14. It is with all believers, enabling them to understand and apply the declarations and warnings of the written word. God chose to do it by a flood of waters, which should drown the world. As he chooses the rod with which he corrects his children, so he chooses the sword with which he cuts off his enemies. God established his covenant with Noah. This is the first place in the Bible where the word 'covenant' is found; it seems to mean, 1. The covenant of providence; that the course of nature shall be continued to the end of time. 2. The covenant of grace; that God would be a God to Noah, and that out of his seed God would take to himself a people. God directed Noah to make an ark. This ark was like the hulk of a ship, fitted to float upon the waters. It was very large, half the size of St. Paul's cathedral, and would hold more than eighteen of the largest ships now used. God could have secured Noah without putting him to any care, or pains, or trouble; but employed him in making that which was to be the means to preserve him, for the trial of his faith and obedience. Both the providence of God, and the grace of God, own and crown the obedient and diligent. God gave Noah particular orders how to make the ark, which could not therefore but be well fitted for the purpose. God promised Noah that he and his family should be kept alive in the ark. What we do in obedience to God, we and our families are likely to have the benefit of. The piety of parents gets their children good in this life, and furthers them in the way to eternal life, if they improve it.