Then the LORD said, “My Spirit shall not abide in man forever, for he is flesh: his days shall be 120 years.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
This verse reveals that God’s Spirit isn't endlessly pushing against human stubbornness. The emphasis on "he also is flesh" highlights that even those who might have started with a spiritual inclination are now deeply entangled in their physical, corrupted nature. This declaration isn't just a statement of fact, but a divine sigh of resignation before a significant, life-altering judgment.
Then the LORD said, “My Spirit shall not abide in man forever, for he is flesh: his days shall be 120 years.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
The text describes a world rapidly descending into extreme wickedness and violence, marked by the unsettling union of the "sons of God" (likely referring to the godly line of Seth) with the "daughters of men." This intermingling, and the resulting offspring, signifies a deep spiritual corruption that grieves God, leading Him to decree a drastic reduction in human lifespan as a prelude to judgment.
Why does God's Spirit 'strive' with humanity? And what happens when that striving stops?
Genesis 6:3 is a pivotal moment. God declares, 'My Spirit shall not always strive with man.' This isn't about God giving up, but about a righteous judgment. The Spirit had been working, likely through prophets like Enoch and Noah, calling humanity back to Himself. But when persistent calls to repentance are met with hardened hearts, the Spirit's striving reaches a limit.
This phrase 'strive with' suggests a struggle, a wrestling. It implies a divine effort to persuade, convict, and draw people away from destruction. However, the verse continues, 'for he is flesh.' This 'flesh' represents humanity's deep-seated corruption, their inclination toward sin. When this corruption becomes so pervasive and stubborn that God's Spirit cannot prevail, the decision is made to cease striving in that particular way and to move towards judgment.
What does this specific, seemingly arbitrary, number of years signify?
The phrase 'yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years' is fascinating. It's not necessarily a reduction in the lifespan of every individual, but rather a decree concerning the timeframe before God's judgment of the flood would be executed. It marks a specific period of grace, a reprieve given to a world steeped in sin.
Think of it as a final warning, a deadline set by God. This period allowed for Noah and his family to build the ark and for a last chance for others to repent. It shows God's patience – He doesn't rush to judgment. Even when the situation is dire, and His Spirit has ceased striving in the usual way, He still extends a measure of time, giving humanity a final opportunity to turn from their destructive path.
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Understand the original words
ruach · Hebrew Noun
The third person of the Trinity, the active presence of God in creation, sustaining life and convicting humanity. In this context, it refers to the divine life-force that sustains human existence.
basar · Hebrew Noun
A term used to describe humanity in its fallen, limited, and mortal state, distinct from the eternal nature of God. It highlights the frailty and corruptibility of human nature.
The Genesis 6 passage speaks to a moment of profound human corruption prior to the flood. The limited lifespan of 120 years is presented not just as a biological change, but as a divinely ordained period for repentance before judgment, a stark contrast to the much longer lifespans recorded before the flood. This sets the stage for a new phase of human history focused on a covenant lineage, starting with Noah and later Abraham.
c. 2500 BC
Post-Flood Era Begins
Following the devastating global flood, Noah and his family repopulate the earth. The timeline for human lifespans is significantly reduced compared to pre-flood generations.
c. 2500 BC - 2400 BC
Re-establishment of Human Society
Humanity, having been reduced to a single family, begins to rebuild society. This period sees the development of new cultures and nations.
c. 2100 BC
Tower of Babel Incident
Humanity, unified in language, attempts to build a city and tower to reach the heavens. God intervenes by confusing their languages, scattering them across the earth, and establishing diverse nations.
c. 2000 BC - 1700 BC
Era of Abraham and the Patriarchs
God calls Abraham and establishes a covenant with him, promising to make him a great nation and bless the world through his descendants. This period marks a significant turning point in God's interaction with humanity, focusing on a specific lineage.
c. 1700 BC - 1300 BC
Egyptian Sojourn and Exodus
The descendants of Abraham, the Israelites, sojourn in Egypt and eventually endure slavery. God delivers them through Moses in the Exodus, a foundational event of their national and religious identity.
c. 1400 BC
Giving of the Law at Sinai
God gives the Ten Commandments and the Law to Moses and the Israelites at Mount Sinai, establishing a covenant relationship and a framework for holy living.
c. 1400 BC - 586 BC
Period of Judges and Monarchy
Israel experiences cycles of faithfulness and unfaithfulness, leading to periods of oppression by neighboring nations, deliverance through judges, and eventually the establishment of a monarchy.
This passage echoes the sentiment of Genesis 6:3 by stating that 'all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,' highlighting humanity's inherent fleshly corruption that grieves the Spirit.
1 Peter 3:18-20This New Testament passage directly references the 'striving' of God's Spirit in the 'days of Noah' through Noah's preaching, connecting the concept of the Spirit's persistent call to repentance with the impending judgment.
Jude 1:6-7The description of angels who 'did not keep their proper domain' and are preserved 'in darkness' for judgment serves as a stark parallel to the extreme corruption and divine judgment described in Genesis 6, emphasizing the consequences of deviating from God's order.
Galatians 5:16-17The Apostle Paul's contrast between 'walking by the Spirit' and 'gratifying the desires of the flesh' directly illuminates the core tension presented in Genesis 6:3, where the Spirit's striving is met by man's fleshly nature.
Psalm 103:8This psalm speaks of the LORD as 'merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love,' which provides the theological backdrop for God's Spirit striving and offering a 120-year reprieve before judgment, showcasing His longsuffering nature.
calvinGenesis 6:1-22: "And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them,"
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.
Gigantes fuerunt in terra in diebus illis: et etiam postquam ingressi sunt filii Dei ad filias hominum, genuerunt eis: isti sunt potentes, qui a saec…
gillGenesis 6:3: "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."
And the Lord said,.... Not to Noah, as in Genesis 6:13 for, as yet, he is not taken notice of, or any discourse addressed to him; but rather to or within himself, he said what follows, or thus concluded, and resolved on in his own mind: my Spirit shall not always strive with man; meaning either the soul of man, called the Spirit of God, Job…
This verse reveals that God’s Spirit isn't endlessly pushing against human stubbornness. The emphasis on "he also is flesh" highlights that even those who might have started with a spiritual inclination are now deeply entangled in their physical, corrupted nature. This declaration isn't just a statement of fact, but a divine sigh of resignation before a significant, life-altering judgment.
The text describes a world rapidly descending into extreme wickedness and violence, marked by the unsettling union of the "sons of God" (likely referring to the godly line of Seth) with the "daughters of men." This intermingling, and the resulting offspring, signifies a deep spiritual corruption that grieves God, leading Him to decree a drastic reduction in human lifespan as a prelude to judgment.
The text describes a world rapidly descending into extreme wickedness and violence, marked by the unsettling union of the "sons of God" (likely referring to the godly line of Seth) with the "daughters of men." This intermingling, and the resulting offspring, signifies a deep spiritual corruption that grieves God, leading Him to decree a drastic reduction in human lifespan as a prelude to judgment.
"Then the LORD said, “My Spirit shall not abide in man forever, for he is flesh: his days shall be 120 years.”" — This verse reveals that God’s Spirit isn't endlessly pushing against human stubbornness. The emphasis on "he also is flesh" highlights that even those who might have started with a spiritual inclin…
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Last reviewed October 2026