Beginning in 6:22, the author gives statements summarizing events he tells about again in the text that follows. In the next chapter, the author sometimes gives summary statements that introduce events for the first time. If these statements, and the surrounding events, are not carefully translated, readers can believe that the same events happened twice or three times instead of only one time. Translators should be careful not to give this impression.
This phrase is used here to mark the beginning of a new part of the story. If your language has a way for doing this, you could consider using it here.
This can be active. Alternate translation: "the women bore daughters" (See: /WA-Catalog/en_tm?section=jit#figs-activepassive)
Translators could add a footnote saying: "It is not clear whether this refers to heavenly beings or human beings. In either case, they were beings that God created." Some believe these words refer to angels who rebelled against God, that is, evil spirits or demons. Others think this may refer to powerful political rulers, and others think this may refer to the descendants of Seth.
Here Yahweh is talking about himself and his spirit, which is the Spirit of God.
This means that they have physical bodies that will one day die.
"They will live one hundred and twenty years." Possible meanings are 1) the normal lifespan of people would decrease to 120 years. Alternate translation: "They will not live more than 120 years" or 2) in 120 years everyone would die. Alternate translation: "They will live only 120 years" (See: /WA-Catalog/en_tm?section=jit#translate-numbers)
These seem to have been giants, very tall, large people.
"The Nephilim were born because"
See how you translated this in Genesis 6:2.
"These Nephilim were the mighty men who lived long ago" or "These children grew to become the powerful fighters who lived long ago"
men who are courageous and victorious in battle
"famous men"
"everything their hearts wanted to think about"
The writer speaks of the heart as if it were the part of the body that thinks. Your language may use a word other than "heart" to talk about the part of people that thinks. Alternate translation: "their inner, secret thoughts" (See: /WA-Catalog/en_tm?section=jit#figs-metonymy)
The writer speaks of the heart as if it were the part of the body that feels sadness. Your language may use a word other than "heart" to talk about the emotions. Alternate translation: "he was very, very sad about it" (See: /WA-Catalog/en_tm?section=jit#figs-metonymy)
The writer speaks of God killing people as if God were wiping dirt off a flat surface. Alternate translation: "I will destroy mankind ... so that there will not be any people on the earth" (See: /WA-Catalog/en_tm?section=jit#figs-metaphor)
Some languages would need to translate this as two sentences. Alternate translation: "I created mankind. I will wipe them away" (See: /WA-Catalog/en_tm?section=jit#figs-distinguish)
"completely destroy." Here "wipe away" is used in a negative sense, for God is talking about destroying the people because of their sin.
The phrase "found favor" is an idiom which means to be approved of by someone. Also, the eyes represent seeing, and seeing represents thoughts or judgment. Alternate translation: "Yahweh looked favorably on Noah" or "Yahweh was pleased with Noah" (See: /WA-Catalog/en_tm?section=jit#figs-idiom and /WA-Catalog/en_tm?section=jit#figs-metaphor)
This begins the story of Noah, which continues into chapter 9.
See how you translated this in Genesis 5:21.
"Noah had three sons" or "Noah's wife had three sons"
Translators may add the following footnote: "The sons are not listed in the order in which they were born."
Possible meanings are 1) the people who lived on the earth or 2) "The earth itself." (See: /WA-Catalog/en_tm?section=jit#figs-metonymy)
The people doing what is evil is spoken of as if they were food that has become rotten. Alternate translation: "was rotten" or "was completely evil" (See: /WA-Catalog/en_tm?section=jit#figs-metaphor)
Possible meanings are 1) "in God's sight" or 2) "in the presence of Yahweh" as in Genesis 4:16.
The writer speaks of violence as if it were something that could be put into a container and of the earth as a container. Alternate translation: "and there were very many violent people on the earth" or "because it was full of people who did evil things to each other" (See: /WA-Catalog/en_tm?section=jit#figs-metaphor)
The word "behold" here alerts us to pay attention to the surprising information that follows.
Possible meanings for what "all flesh" represents are 1) all human beings or 2) all physical beings, including humans and animal. (See: /WA-Catalog/en_tm?section=jit#figs-synecdoche)
How a person behaves is spoken of as if it were a way or road. Alternate translation: "had stopped living the way God wanted" or "had behaved in an evil way" (See: /WA-Catalog/en_tm?section=jit#figs-metaphor)
See how you translated these words in Genesis 6:12.
"people everywhere on earth are violent"
"I will destroy both them and the earth" or "I will destroy them when I destroy the earth"
This refers to a very large box that would be able to float on water even in a very bad storm. "a large boat" or "a ship" or "a barge"
People do not know exactly what kind of tree this was. "wood used for building boats" or "good wood"
The reason for doing this can be made explicit. Alternate translation: "spread pitch on it" or "paint tar on it" or "cover it with pitch to make it waterproof" (See: /WA-Catalog/en_tm?section=jit#figs-explicit)
This is a thick, sticky or oily liquid that people put on the outside of a boat to stop water from going through gaps in the wood into the boat.
A cubit was a unit of measure, a little less than half a meter long. (See: /WA-Catalog/en_tm?section=jit#translate-bdistance)
"138 meters." You may use the Hebrew measuring units from the ULB or the metric units from the UDB or your own culture's units if you know how they compare to the metric units. You may also write a footnote that says: "Three hundred cubits is about 138 meters." (See: /WA-Catalog/en_tm?section=jit#translate-bdistance)
"twenty-three meters" (See: /WA-Catalog/en_tm?section=jit#translate-bdistance)
"fourteen meters" (See: /WA-Catalog/en_tm?section=jit#translate-bdistance)
This was probably a peaked or slanted roof. Its purpose was to protect everything in the ark from the rain.
A cubit was a little less than half a meter long. See how you translated this in Genesis 6:15. (See: /WA-Catalog/en_tm?section=jit#translate-bdistance)
"a lower deck, a middle deck, and an upper deck" or "three decks inside"
"floor" or "level"
God said this in order to emphasize that he would do what he was about to say. "Pay attention" or "Listen to what I am saying"
In some languages it may b e better to say "to send" instead of "to bring. It is also possible to avoid the direction and say "to cause." Alternate translation: "I am about to send a flood of waters" or "I am about to cause a flood" (See: /WA-Catalog/en_tm?section=jit#figs-go)
Here "flesh" represents all physical beings, including humans and animals. (See: /WA-Catalog/en_tm?section=jit#figs-synecdoche)
Here "breath" represents life. Alternate translation: "that lives" (See: /WA-Catalog/en_tm?section=jit#figs-metonymy)
"make a covenant between you and me"
with Noah
"You will enter the ark." Some translations say "You will go into the ark."
"You must bring into the ark two of every kind of living creature"
an animal God created
See how you translated these words in Genesis 6:12.
"of each different kind"
This refers to small animals that move on the ground .
This refers to two of every kind of bird and animal.
This refers to Noah and so is singular. (See: /WA-Catalog/en_tm?section=jit#figs-you)
"so you can keep them alive"
These refer to Noah and are singular. (See: /WA-Catalog/en_tm?section=jit#figs-you)
"food that people and animals eat"
These two sentences mean the same thing. The second sentence explains the first and emphasizes that Noah obeyed God. These parallel sentences can be combined into one. Alternate translation: "So Noah did everything that God commanded him to do" (See: /WA-Catalog/en_tm?section=jit#figs-parallelism)