Gen 6:8–10: Noah finds favor; "these are the generations of Noah"
Says 6:8: וְנֹחַ מָצָא חֵן בְּעֵינֵי יְהוָה, "but Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord" (BDB on the noun, "favour, grace," "favour, acceptance"). The name נֹחַ and the noun חֵן have the same two consonants in reverse order. The MT closes the section after 6:8, and 6:9 opens אֵלֶּה תּוֹלְדֹת נֹחַ, "these are the generations of Noah," the formula of 2:4 and 5:1 (note.language.Gen.2.4.toledot-boundary). Noah is אִישׁ צַדִּיק תָּמִים, "a righteous man, blameless" (BDB "complete, whole, entire," "having integrity"), הָיָה בְּדֹרֹתָיו, "he was, in his generations" ("blameless in his generation," BSB, singular). Then אֶת־הָאֱלֹהִים הִתְהַלֶּךְ־נֹחַ, "with God walked Noah": the Hithpael said of Enoch at 5:22 and 24, here with the object first (xref.Gen.5.22-Gen.5.24.Gen.6.9.heb; note.language.Gen.5.21-Gen.5.24.enoch-walked-with-god); Swete has τῷ θεῷ εὐηρέστησεν Νῶε, "Noah pleased God," as there. 6:10 names the three sons of 5:32 and adds "three" (xref.Gen.5.32.Gen.6.10.heb; note.language.Gen.5.32.shem-ham-japheth).
Says The NT speaks of Noah as a man of the past: Heb 11:7, "By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen"; 2 Pet 2:5, "Noah, a preacher of righteousness"; Matt 24:37 and Luke 17:26, "the days of Noah."
Uncertain Whether "in his generations" means among the people of his time or through the generations of his life; no lean is taken here.
Claims
- Saysוְנֹחַ מָצָא חֵן בְּעֵינֵי יְהוָה (BDB "favour, grace"); the name and the noun share two consonants in reverse; MT break after 6:8; אֵלֶּה תּוֹלְדֹת נֹחַ (toledot note); אִישׁ צַדִּיק תָּמִים; plural "generations"; the Hithpael of 5:22, 24, Swete εὐηρέστησεν; 6:10 and 5:32.
- SaysHeb 11:7; 2 Pet 2:5; Matt 24:37; Luke 17:26 speak of Noah as a man of the past.
- Uncertain"In his generations": his contemporaries or the generations of his life; no lean.
Citations
- OSHB CC BY 4.0 Gen 6:8–10 (WLC/OSHB; morph HNcmsa, HNcfpc, HAamsa, HR/Ncmpc/Sp3ms, HVtp3ms; petuchah after 6:8 from the OSHB)
- BDB CC BY 4.0 s.v. H2580, p. 336, entry h.dz.ab; BDB 1906 page image, archive.org hebrewenglishlex00browuoft, leaf n359
- BDB CC BY 4.0 s.v. H8549, p. 1071, entry w.az.ae; BDB 1906 page image, archive.org hebrewenglishlex00browuoft, leaf n1094
- LXX (Swete) CC BY-SA 4.0 Gen 6:9. LXX read on the Swete page image, vol. 1 (1901), p. 9 (leaf n40).
- BSB public domain Gen 6:8–10; Heb 11:7; 2 Pet 2:5; Matt 24:37; Luke 17:26
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2026-11-10
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