SUBJECT:  Noah and Genesis 6:9

QUESTIONS:  What does this verse mean?  What does it mean, “perfect in his generations?  Does this have to do with race or race purity?

ANSWER:

Another scripture misunderstood is found in Genesis 6:9 where it says, "... Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations and Noah walked with God." Some believe the phrase, "perfect in his generations," means Noah was racially pure. This view is found in the Companion Bible.

Methuselah lived 187 years before he begat Lamech, and after that he lived another 782 years for a total of 969 years.  When  Lamech was 182 he begat Noah. Based on the scriptures (Genesis 5:25-32), at the time of Noah's birth, Methuselah was 369 years old. Genesis 7:11 shows that Noah was 600 years old when he entered the Ark (600 + 369 - 969). Thus the flood came at the same time Methuselah died. Yet, Noah was building the Ark and preaching righteousness for 120 years before the flood came, during which time God says Noah was the only one perfect in his generations. How could Noah be racially pure and his grandfather be racially impure? Noah's father was also alive during this time; he died 5 years before the flood. If racial purity was God's concern, Lamech should have been considered perfect in his generations too.

Obviously, being perfect in your generations has nothing to do with race. Being just and perfect according to the scriptures refers to the keeping of God's commandments (Matthew 5:48; Psalm 119:172). Nowhere in the Bible does God equate perfection with racial purity. If perfection had anything to do with racial purity, why didn't God keep Jesus' blood pure? As we have seen above, Jesus had gentile blood in his ancestry. Was Noah more pure than Jesus?

When we look at the usage of the word "perfect" in Genesis 6:9, Hebrew "tamiym," we find that the word refers to Noah's character, his relationship with God, and the way he lived his life—according to God's commandments. Some desire to translate the Hebrew word "tamiym" with the English word "unblemished." But in Ephesians 5:27 we find Christ is currently washing the Church with his Word, "that he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish." To be without blemish refers to righteousness, not racial purity.

The word "generations" can mean "among his contemporaries.” As one who lived 600 years before the flood, Noah evidently lived through several generations. Noah was righteous all that time. Notice how this verse is translated in the New American Standard translation, "These are the records of the generations of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his time; Noah walked with God." Salvation is always by grace, never by race.

After Noah's descendants began to repopulate the earth, God divided the nations (Genesis 10:32). Some have misused this verse to suggest that God divided the nations to keep the races separate. Why did God divide the nations?

The scriptural reason given is found in Genesis 11:1-8. Nimrod led an organized rebellion against God in the building of the tower of Babel. God scattered mankind abroad so that unified opposition to God, leading to worldwide destruction, would not occur until its appointed time (Acts 17:26-30).

 
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