The Sons of God
Demons or Men?
By Dr. Ken Matto
(Gen 6:4-5 KJV) 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, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown. {5} And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
There is a teaching which has been around for a number of years. I know when I became a Christian in 1981, the teaching was already around. It is the misguided belief that the angels who fell with Satan had sexual relations with women at some point in the antediluvian age. Many deduce this by reason of taking the phrase "sons of God" and applying it unilaterally across every usage in the Scripture. We will also see that this type of belief is based partly on medieval superstition. Primarily though, it is just bad interpretation on the part of those who believe this.
Superstitious Beliefs
There are two terms which had its beginning in the middle ages, at the height of the time of superstition. Those terms are Incubus and Succubus. The Succubus is a demon which takes the form of a female who has sexual intercourse with men while the men are asleep. The other term, "Incubus" is the one which is in relation to the topic at hand. The Incubus is a demon which takes the form of a male and lies on top of a woman and has sexual intercourse with her while she is asleep. It is interesting to note that the description of these two mythical beings had their start in the 13th century. That was the century when the Roman Catholic Institution removed the Bible from the people at the Council of Valencia in 1229. Once we remove the Bible, then it is only a matter of a short time before all sorts of mythology begins to invade the population, especially their belief systems. Now we will see in the next section that it is impossible for an angel or demon to have any sexual relations with a human being.
The Nature of Angels
(Mat 22:30 KJV) For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven.
The above verse is part of an answer that Jesus gave to some Sadducees who tried to trick Him. Their question was if a woman was married seven times here on earth, then in Heaven, whose wife will she be? Which one of the seven will be her husband? Jesus told them that they did not understand the nature of the resurrection. These Sadducees, like many Christians, fail to make a great discernment when dealing with Heaven. They were applying principles of earthly living to heavenly living. They were looking at the corporeal and trying to impose it on the spiritual. Jesus is making the assertion that after the resurrection of the last day, there will no longer be any need for marriage. The primary reason for marriage is procreation and in Heaven believers will have their spiritual bodies and will no longer need to procreate. Keep in mind that procreation is the method whereby the Elect of God are brought into the world and in the course of their life, God will save them. Once all the Elect are in Heaven, then there is no need for God to continue creating more people since His salvation plan is completed. It must also be noted that angels do not procreate. God created the angels and did not give them the ability to procreate, as He did the human race. (Psa 104:4 KJV) Who maketh his angels spirits; his ministers a flaming fire: This verse teaches us plainly that angels are spirits and not physical beings. The angels and the demons have no sexuality.
(Rom 8:26 KJV) Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
We gain a little more insight into this as we see in Romans 8:26 as we see the wisdom of the King James Translators as they described the Holy Spirit by using the term "itself," not as male nor female, but without sex. The word in the Greek is a neuter gender. The Holy Spirit is neither male nor female simply because He is a spirit. Even though we refer to the Holy Spirit as "He," the fact remains that spirit does not have sexuality.
When Angels appear as human
(Gen 19:5 KJV) And they called unto Lot, and said unto him, Where are the men which came in to thee this night? bring them out unto us, that we may know them.
Now some may try to make a case and say that angels in the Bible have appeared as physical men. We know that this is true as we read the above verse as one example of this. However, whenever we read of an angel coming in the form of a human, it is always with an express purpose for a short period of time. God dispatches his angels for a specific purpose and then they go right back to Heaven. If you notice one thing, no demon has ever appeared as a man in the Bible as the angels of God did. There is only one time that I can recall where a demon posed as a man to deceive someone and that was when the witch of Endor brought back to life a false Samuel.
(1 Sam 28:14-15 KJV) And he said unto her, What form is he of? And she said, An old man cometh up; and he is covered with a mantle. And Saul perceived that it was Samuel, and he stooped with his face to the ground, and bowed himself. {15} And Samuel said to Saul, Why hast thou disquieted me, to bring me up? And Saul answered, I am sore distressed; for the Philistines make war against me, and God is departed from me, and answereth me no more, neither by prophets, nor by dreams: therefore I have called thee, that thou mayest make known unto me what I shall do.
Two phrases which must be looked at carefully. The first is that the Bible does not say it was Samuel but "Saul perceived that it was Samuel." This was Saul's belief in the midst of a satanic deception. The next phrase is "bring me up?" The Scriptures teach that once a believer dies, they go into the presence of Christ immediately and Christ is in Heaven. (2 Cor 5:8 KJV) We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord. No true believer can ever be brought out of Heaven by the evil power of a witch. If that was possible, then evil would have authority over the believers in Heaven. Notice the terminology, "bring me up." Death and Hell is associated with being below while Heaven is always up. Samuel would have been in Heaven and not in a place below.
The Term "Sons of God"
Now we look at the single term "Sons of God" and see if we can unravel the reason why people continue to think that spirits have the ability to procreate with humans. The term "sons of God" is used in eleven verses and carries with it three distinct meanings. It is a phrase which must be interpreted according to its immediate usage.
Godly line of Seth
(Gen 6:2 KJV) That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose.
(Gen 6:4 KJV) 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, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown.
After Cain had slain Abel, there was another son born to Adam and Eve whose name was Seth. Seth had a godly line as we see his lineage in detail in Genesis 5 as compared to the short lineage of Cain's descendants in Genesis 4. In Cain's line we read there was murder but in Seth's line we read there was godliness. At the end of that lineage we see Noah. Noah was a saved man and it was through him that the line was to continue till it brought in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Angels
(Job 1:6 KJV) Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them.
(Job 2:1 KJV) Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them to present himself before the LORD.
(Job 38:7 KJV) When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?
These three verses show us that the term is also used when speaking of the angels. Now it is important to know that these angels are the ones who DID NOT rebel with Satan. (1 Tim 5:21 KJV) I charge thee before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, and the elect angels, that thou observe these things without preferring one before another, doing nothing by partiality. Notice this verse speaks of the "elect angels." God never refers to any demon as a son of God. This is why it is absolutely reprehensible that anyone can teach that the demons who rebelled with Satan are still called the "Sons of God." Notice in Job 1:6 and 2:1 above we read that the sons of God presented themselves before the LORD and notice that when Satan is mentioned, he is mentioned as a separate entity and not as a son of God. The hebrew bears this out succinctly.
Christians
(John 1:12 KJV) But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
(Rom 8:14 KJV) For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
(Rom 8:19 KJV) For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.
(Phil 2:15 KJV) That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;
(1 John 3:1-2 KJV) Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. {2} Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
These six verses use the term "sons of God" as a description of the born again Christian. If you notice in Luke 3:38, Adam was called "the son of God" because he was God's first human creation.
(Luke 3:38 KJV) Which was the son of Enos, which was the son of Seth, which was the son of Adam, which was the son of God.
Now that we have looked at all the ways the term "sons of God" are used in Scripture and if you notice, we didn't have to make any guesses, now we can get to the matter at hand.
Cain - The Ungodly Line
(Gen 4:16 KJV) And Cain went out from the presence of the LORD, and dwelt in the land of Nod, on the east of Eden.
After Cain had murdered his brother, he was banished from the presence of the Lord and from his family. No doubt Cain had married one of his sisters and the line of evil had begun. In Genesis 4:19 we read that one of his descendants, Lamech, took two wives. In Genesis 4:23, we read that Lamech had slain a man.
Cain's direct son was named Enoch. This is not the Enoch who walked with God for he was of the line of Seth. The name "Enoch" means "dedicated or disciplined," which means that the city he built may have been a center of learning. Then after that we gain some insight into the milieu of the city as we see the name of the next descendant. Irad was born to Enoch and his name means "wild --- or heap of descents." Then further on we read of "Lamech." Lamech means "poor or made low." Then we read that Lamech's son was Tubalcain. Tubalcain means "worldly possession." So we can see that in the progression of the line of Cain, there was a degeneration of morals and sin began to progress in this family line.
Seth - The Godly Line
(Gen 4:26 KJV) And to Seth, to him also there was born a son; and he called his name Enos: then began men to call upon the name of the LORD.
Here we have insight into the beginning of the line of Seth. Apparently Enos had maintained the worship of God and there was probably even public worship. This is why Seth would have maintained a distance from the evil brother of his, Cain. Seth had lived 912 years which would have given him ample time to continue the godly line. It was through the line of Seth that the Lord Jesus Christ would eventually come. When we look at the generations in Genesis 5, we see that it ends with Noah who was called "a preacher of righteousness." (2 Pet 2:5 KJV) And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly; This gives us insight that there was still a gospel witness being preached from the time of Seth. However, by the time Noah came on the scene, the situation was much different as we will see in Genesis 6.
Genesis 6:1
(Gen 6:1 KJV) And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them,
We have just read about two lines: The line of Seth and the line of Cain. Now we begin to see that the earth is beginning to become populated. Noah was 500 years old when he had his three sons. This means that much time had elapsed and the earth was now being filled with people. This verse gives us a key to the following verses. If you notice the term "men" is used in this verse. It is the Hebrew word "Adham" from which we derive our word "Adam" which is the word used for the entire human race. The wording does not say that these are demons or angels, instead it is specifically pointing out that human beings were beginning to populate the earth. In the latter portion of this verse we see that daughters were born. As we saw before, angels cannot reproduce, so we are strictly dealing with corporeal beings.
Genesis 6:2
(Gen 6:2 KJV) That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose.
Let us begin in this verse with the phrase "they were fair." These women which were born at that time were beautiful women. Keep in mind that we are still in the pre-flood era which means that sin had not yet spread to the fullest. In our present day, because of thousands of years of sin, the truly beautiful woman is a scarce person. The majority of women today have to use gobs of make up because when they hit 30 or 40, the reality of age begins to set in. The women of Noah's day, still lived long lives which means they retained their natural beauty much longer. I am sure Eve would probably have been an extremely beautiful woman until she sinned and then degeneration set in.
So now because of the sin infection beginning to magnify itself, it affected everyone including the godly line which was in existence. The sons of God had seen these beautiful women and took them as wives. Remember the words of Jesus. (Mark 12:25 KJV) For when they shall rise from the dead, they neither marry, nor are given in marriage; but are as the angels which are in heaven. The angels do not marry nor are they given in marriage and just because many of the angels rebelled with Satan, there is absolutely no biblical evidence to suggest that these demons had acquired the ability to procreate in any manner after their fall.
What was beginning to happen here was the that the godly line of Seth was beginning to assimilate into the world, as we see today. Some of the Biblical insights we have on this situation are found in two places. We see the melding of unbelievers with the pure line of Israelites in the book of Ezra, when they were required to divorce their pagan wives. (Ezra 10:2 KJV) And Shechaniah the son of Jehiel, one of the sons of Elam, answered and said unto Ezra, We have trespassed against our God, and have taken strange wives of the people of the land: yet now there is hope in Israel concerning this thing. This is exactly what happened in the time of Noah. The sons of God began to marry unbelieving wives which started to dilute the godly line and now sin was growing in the godly line. Any time a believer yokes with an unbeliever, it is always the believer who makes continual compromise until they are no different than their unbelieving spouse.
The second example we have in Scripture of this type of situation is Solomon. When Solomon started his rule of Israel, he was a very wise king but his love of women brought him down. We know he had seven hundred wives and three hundred concubines and all of these women began to bring him down spiritually until he got to the point of building false places of worship and even adhering to these pagan religions himself. This is why God warns us to never marry or go into business with an unbeliever because the unbelievers never make compromise, only the believers. In the modern ecumenical movement, how many Roman Catholics are running to the Protestant church? The sad situation is that it is the Protestants and their dumb leaders who are running to the Roman Catholic Church!
(1 Ki 11:1-3 KJV) But king Solomon loved many strange women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites; {2} Of the nations concerning which the LORD said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall not go in to them, neither shall they come in unto you: for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods: Solomon clave unto these in love. {3} And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines: and his wives turned away his heart.
This was the same situation in the book of Genesis when the sons of God were looking at the women, but if you notice they were not looking at the women because of their dedication to God, they were looking at the women because of their beauty. Ask Samson what a trap that is!
Genesis 6:3
(Gen 6:3 KJV) 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.
Since the godly line was now being infected with sinful actions, God now pronounces another judgment on the human race. In the previous chapter we read that people lived up to 969 years but now because of the multiplication of evil on the earth, God is now shortening man's lifespan to 120 years. Notice God is also making the assertion that man is flesh. We know this but God makes a point of it to let us know that the ones being judged here are not demons but mankind. During the time leading up to the flood from Noah's 500th year, we read that Christ had preached to the spirits in prison.
(1 Pet 3:18-20 KJV) For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: {19} By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison; {20} Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.
Now some try to erroneously teach that Christ went to Hell to preach to the fallen angels after His death on the cross. This makes no sense and is not supported biblically. The connection between 1 Peter 3 and Genesis 6 is that Christ had preached the gospel through Noah to the Antediluvian population. These were the spirits who were in prison. In fact, all unbelievers are considered to be in prison. (Isa 14:17 KJV) That made the world as a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof; that opened not the house of his prisoners? This verse coupled with its context speaks about Satan keeping the unbelievers as prisoners. So Christ did not go to Hell to preach to unsaved angels, but He spoke through Noah who was bringing the Gospel message to the pre-flood world. This is why God shortened the lifespan of humanity to 120 because His spirit was bringing convictions and judgments through preaching which had not yielded any fruit except the immediate family of Noah. It was this evil mindset which had pervaded the entire earth, even the godly line of Seth had degenerated.
Genesis 6:4
(Gen 6:4 KJV) 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, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown.
The word "giants" is the word "Nephilim" and there is much difference of opinion as to who they are. This word could be referring to people who are large in stature. In Numbers 13:33, when the spies came back from spying out the land, they saw giants there. No doubt these were very large people and obviously they had a fierce look. This is why 10 out of 12 spies came back with the report that they would be unable to take the land. There is no grammatical reason to think that the Nephilim of Genesis 6:4 would be any different than those of Numbers 13:33. (Num 13:33 KJV) And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight. These people were probably a race of large people. Today we have the Pygmy race which are short people, so why couldn't there be a race of large people. I am 5' 2" tall and if I stood in the middle of the Los Angeles Lakers or the Chicago Bulls, they would look like giants in the land compared to me. Archaeological digs have unearthed skeletons of people who were eight feet tall. It seems that the word "nephilim" is referring to a race of large people and nothing else. The nephilim are not the results of sexual relations with angels simply because the nephilim of Numbers 13:33 are human beings. It may be that the anakim of Numbers 13:33 may be descendants of the nephilim of Genesis 6:4. I cannot be dogmatic but there may be a chance that Noah was a nephilim since he and his family were the only ones who survived the antediluvian world. There would have been several thousand years between the nephilim of Genesis 6:4 and the anakim of Numbers 13:33. If their seed was completely destroyed in the world wide deluge, then there could not have been anakim in the land in 1447 BC.
The next phrase in that verse teaches that the sons of God went into the daughters of men and they bore the mighty men. The Hebrew word for "mighty men" is "gever" which carries with it the meaning of "strong man." It denotes a young man at the height of his power. The verse also speaks about the men of renown. In Numbers 16:2, we find an interesting parallel. (Num 16:2 KJV) And they rose up before Moses, with certain of the children of Israel, two hundred and fifty princes of the assembly, famous in the congregation, men of renown: Here we see the same word is used in reference to the rebellion of Korah. Who were the ones that were leading the rebellion against Moses? It was those who were the famous or influential in the congregation of Israel. From the wording, we find that in Genesis 6:4, the result of the sons of God procreating with the ungodly women and that result was men who had become influential and mighty, resulting in an increase in sinful activity. In Genesis 6:5, the Bible tells us that every thought of man was wickedness and that wickedness was spread throughout the entire earth. By the time Noah had begun to build the Ark, his was the only family which was worshipping the true God. As we saw before, the godly line of Seth began to marry unbelievers and they had corrupted themselves with the ways of the unsaved world, just as Solomon and the men of Israel did in Ezra's time. The men of renown in the time of Genesis 6:4 were also those of influence and power. They had the ability to lead people astray. It doesn't take much coaxing when you peddle sin to people, because they will be right there to follow.
Summary
As we have seen in our study, there is no way that these nephilim are a result of sexual relations with demons. The angels that fell with Satan did not pick up any ability to procreate. The giants which were in the land in Numbers 13 and Genesis 6, were a race of large human beings and nothing else. There is only poor hermeneutics which support the idea that the nephilim are fallen angels but as we have read the words of Jesus, the angels do no procreate, therefore all of the sinful people which were born in that generation, were born to human parents. So the sons of God were the godly line of Seth which began to prostitute itself to the worldly ways and eventually it degenerated and was destroyed with the rest of the world in the deluge. There is no biblical evidence to support the idea of a sexual exchange between demons and people, that idea comes from mythology as we have already seen.
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The Classic Commentaries
<< Genesis 6:4 >>
Geneva Study BibleThere were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of {f} renown.(f) Who usurped authority over others, and degenerated from that simplicity, in which their father's lived.
Wesley's Notes
6:4 There were giants, and men of renown - They carried all before them,
1. With their great bulk, as the sons of Anak, Nu 13:33, and,
2. With their great name, as the king of Assyria, Isa 37:11. Thus armed, they daringly insulted the rights of all their neighbours, and trampled upon all that is just and sacred.
Scofield Reference Notes
[1] sons of God
Some hold that these "sons of God" were the "angels which kept not their first estate" Jude 1:6. It is asserted that the title is in the O.T. exclusively used of angels. But this is an error Isa 43:6. Angels are spoken of in a sexless way. No female angels are mentioned in Scripture, and we are expressly told that marriage is unknown among angels. Mt 22:30.
The uniform Hebrew and Christian interpretation has been that verse Gen 6:2 marks the breaking down of the separation between the godly line of Seth and the godless line of Cain, and Song the failure of the testimony to Jehovah committed to the line of Seth Gen 4:26. For apostasy there is no remedy but judgment Isa 1:2-7,24,25 Heb 6:4-8 10:26-31. Noah, "a preacher of righteousness," is given 120 years, but he won no convert, and the judgment predicted by his great-grandfather fell Jude 1:14,15 Gen 7:11.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
4. giants-The term in Hebrew implies not so much the idea of great stature as of reckless ferocity, impious and daring characters, who spread devastation and carnage far and wide.
Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary
6:1-7 The most remarkable thing concerning the old world, is the destroying of it by the deluge, or flood. We are told of the abounding iniquity of that wicked world: God's just wrath, and his holy resolution to punish it. In all ages there has been a peculiar curse of God upon marriages between professors of true religion and its avowed enemies. The evil example of the ungodly party corrupts or greatly hurts the other. Family religion is put an end to, and the children are trained up according to the worldly maxims of that parent who is without the fear of God. If we profess to be the sons and daughters of the Lord Almighty, we must not marry without his consent. He will never give his blessing, if we prefer beauty, wit, wealth, or worldly honours, to faith and holiness. The Spirit of God strove with men, by sending Enoch, Noah, and perhaps others, to preach to them; by waiting to be gracious, notwithstanding their rebellions; and by exciting alarm and convictions in their consciences. But the Lord declared that his Spirit should not thus strive with men always; he would leave them to be hardened in sin, and ripened for destruction. This he determined on, because man was flesh: not only frail and feeble, but carnal and depraved; having misused the noble powers of his soul to gratify his corrupt inclinations. God sees all the wickedness that is among the children of men; it cannot be hid from him now; and if it be not repented of, it shall be made known by him shortly. The wickedness of a people is great indeed, when noted sinners are men renowned among them. Very much sin was committed in all places, by all sorts of people. Any one might see that the wickedness of man was great: but God saw that every imagination, or purpose, of the thoughts of man's heart, was only evil continually. This was the bitter root, the corrupt spring. The heart was deceitful and desperately wicked; the principles were corrupt; the habits and dispositions evil. Their designs and devices were wicked. They did evil deliberately, contriving how to do mischief. There was no good among them. God saw man's wickedness as one injured and wronged by it. He saw it as a tender father sees the folly and stubbornness of a rebellious and disobedient child, which grieves him, and makes him wish he had been childless. The words here used are remarkable; they are used after the manner of men, and do not mean that God can change, or be unhappy. Does God thus hate our sin? And shall not we be grieved to the heart for it? Oh that we may look on Him whom we have grieved, and mourn! God repented that he had made man; but we never find him repent that he redeemed man. God resolves to destroy man: the original word is very striking, 'I will wipe off man from the earth,' as dirt or filth is wiped off from a place which should be clean, and is thrown to the dunghill, the proper place for it. God speaks of man as his own creature, when he resolves upon his punishment. Those forfeit their lives who do not answer the end of their living. God speaks of resolution concerning men, after his Spirit had been long striving with them in vain. None are punished by the justice of God, but those who hate to be reformed by the grace of God.
Matthew Henry's Whole Bible Commentary
Verses 4-5
We have here a further account of the corruption of the old world. When the sons of God had matched with the daughters of men, though it was very displeasing to God, yet he did not immediately cut them off, but waited to see what would be the issue of these marriages, and which side the children would take after; and it proved (as usually it does), that they took after the worst side. Here is,
I. The temptation they were under to oppress and do violence. They were giants, and they were men of renown; they became too hard for all about them, and carried all before them, 1. With their great bulk, as the sons of Anak, Num. 13:33. 2. With their great name, as the king of Assyria, Isa. 37:11. These made them the terror of the mighty in the land of the living; and, thus armed, they daringly insulted the rights of all their neighbours and trampled upon all that is just and sacred. Note, Those that have so much power over others as to be able to oppress them have seldom so much power over themselves as not to oppress; great might is a very great snare to many. This degenerate race slighted the honour their ancestors had obtained by virtue and religion, and made themselves a great name by that which was the perpetual ruin of their good name.
II. The charge exhibited and proved against them, v. 5. The evidence produced was incontestable. God saw it, and that was instead of a thousand witnesses. God sees all the wickedness that is among the children of men; it cannot be concealed from him now, and, if it be not repented of, it shall not be concealed by him shortly. Now what did God take notice of? 1. He observed that the streams of sin that flowed along in men's lives, and the breadth and depth of those streams: He saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth. Observe the connection of this with what goes before: the oppressors were mighty men and men of renown; and, then, God saw that the wickedness of man was great. Note, The wickedness of a people is great indeed when the most notorious sinners are men of renown among them. Things are bad when bad men are not only honoured notwithstanding their wickedness, but honoured for their wickedness, and the vilest men exalted. Wickedness is then great when great men are wicked. Their wickedness was great, that is, abundance of sin was committed in all places, by all sorts of people; and such sin as was in its own nature most gross, and heinous, and provoking; it was committed daringly, and with a defiance of heaven, nor was any care taken by those that had power in their hands to restrain and punish it. This God saw. Note, All the sins of sinners are known to God the Judge. Those that are most conversant in the world, though they see much wickedness in it, yet they see but little of that which is; but God sees all, and judges aright concerning it, how great it is, nor can he be deceived in his judgment. 2. He observed the fountain of sin that was in men's hearts. Any one might see that the wickedness of man was great, for they declared their sin as Sodom; but God's eye went further: He saw that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually-a sad sight, and very offensive to God's holy eye! This was the bitter root, the corrupt spring: all the violence and oppression, all the luxury and wantonness, that were in the world, proceeded from the corruption of nature; lust conceived them, Jam. 1:15. See Mt. 15:19. (1.) The heart was naught; it was deceitful and desperately wicked. The principles were corrupt, and the habits and dispositions evil. (2.) The thoughts of the heart were so. Thought is sometimes taken for the settled judgment or opinion, and this was bribed, and biased, and misled; sometimes it signifies the workings of the fancy, and these were always either vain or vile, either weaving the spider's web or hatching the cockatrice's egg. (3.) The imagination of the thoughts of the heart was so, that is, their designs and devices were wicked. They did not do evil through mere carelessness, as those that walk at all adventures, not heeding what they do; but they did evil deliberately and designedly, contriving how to do mischief. It was bad indeed; for it was only evil, continually evil, and every imagination was so. There was no good to be found among them, no, not at any time: the stream of sin was full, and strong, and constant; and God saw it; see Ps. 14:1-3.
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