Prologue to the Flood (6:5-13)

1. Prologue to the Flood (6:5-13)The immediately preceding Yahwist story of the sons of God and the daughters of men in Genesis 6:1-4 provides the premier instance of moral erosion. Following this episode, both Yahwist and Priestly writers analyze the state of the world and why God decided to "uncreate" it.

Yahwist version

Priestly Version

   These two versions are not contradictory; they just use different vocabulary to get the point across. In the Yahwist version, humanity is at fault and humanity along with all other living things become the focus of Yahweh's wrath. In the Priestly version, the earth and how flesh had corrupted it is the focus.

Source Analysis. This difference in outlook of the two sources is consistent with what we saw in the creation accounts. The Priestly account in Genesis 1 is world-focused compared to the Yahwist account in Genesis 2 which is humanity-focused. Also note that the Priestly version here is introduced by this version's characteristic toledot notice, "these are the generations of . . . " (for an explanation of toledot see Chapter 2.4).

⁹ This is the account (Hebrew toledot ) of Noah: Noah was a righteous man, upright was he in his generation. Noah walked with the gods. ¹⁰ Noah sired three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth. ¹¹ And the earth was corrupt before Elohim, and the earth was full of violence. ¹² And Elohim saw the earth: it was corrupt. For all flesh corrupted his way on the earth. ¹³ And Elohim said to Noah, "The end of all flesh before me is coming. For the earth is full of their violence. I am destroying them with the earth." (6:9-13)

⁵ And YHWH saw that the evil of humanity on the earth was great; every willful plan of its mind was only evil every day. ⁶ YHWH regretted that he had made humanity on the earth, and he was pained to his heart. ⁷ YHWH said, "I will wipe out humanity which I had created from the face of the ground, from humanity to beast to reptile to bird of the sky. For I regret that I had made them. ⁸ And Noah found favor in the eyes of YHWH. (6:5-8)