"The Hundred and Twenty

Years" of Genesis 6:3

This Is Appendix 24 From The Companion Bible.

These are generally taken as meaning 120 years before the Flood.

But this mistake has been made by not observing that the word for

"men" in Genesis 6:1,2 is in the singular number with the definite

article, as in verse 3 "man", and means THE MAN ADAM. The word

"also" clearly refers to him. It has no meaning if "men" be read, in

the plural. It means, and can mean, only that Adam himself, "also",

as well as the rest of mankind, had "corrupted his way".1 If

"men" be the meaning, then it may be well asked, who are the

others indicated by the word "also"?

In Genesis 2:17, the Lord God had declared that Adam should die.

Here, in Genesis 6, it was made more clear that though he had lived

810 years he should surely die; and that his breath, or the spirit of

life from God, should not for ever remain in him. See the notes on

Genesis 6.

This fixes the chronology of verse 3, and shows that long before

that time, Anno Mundi. 810, and even before Enoch, this irruption

of fallen angels had taken place. This was the cause of all the

"ungodliness" against which the prohecy of Enoch was directed in

Jude 14, and which ultimately brought on the fulfilment of his

prohecy in the Judgement of the Flood. See Appendix 23 and

Appendix 25.

1 (b

e

shaggam) because that also is so pointed in the Codex

Hilleli. This makes it the Infantry Kalends (calends) of shagag, to

transgress, go astray, and means, "because that in their going

astray, he (Adam) also is flesh".