[. . . in?] man for ever; [. . .?] he is, and his days shall be 120 years.
A complete exegesis of these words is impossible, owing first to the
obscurity of certain leading expressions (see the footnote), and second
to the want of explicit connexion with what precedes. The record has
evidently undergone serious mutilation. The original narrative must
have contained a statement of the effects on human life produced by
the superhuman alliances,—and that opens up a wide field of speculation;[1]—and
possibly also an account of the judgment on the sons of
God, the really guilty parties in the transaction. In default of this
guidance, all that can be done is to determine as nearly as possible
the general sense of the v., assuming the text to be fairly complete,
and a real connexion to exist with vv.1. 2.—(i.) Everything turns on the
meaning of the word (
Hebrew characters), of which four interpretations have been given:
(1) That (Hebrew characters) is the Spirit of Yahwe as an ethical principle, striving
against and 'judging' the prevalent corruption of men (as in Is. 6310);
so ΣTJ, Luther, al. There is nothing to suggest that view except
the particular acceptation of the vb. (Hebrew characters) associated with it, and it is
now practically abandoned. (2) Even less admissible is the conception
of Klostermann, who understands (Hebrew characters) subjectively of the divine feeling
(Gemüt) excited by human sin[2] (similarly Ra.). (3) The commonest
view in modern times (see Di.) has been that (Hebrew characters) is the divine principle
word by Aeth. shegā = 'body'; but the proposed rendering, 'inasmuch
as their body (or substance) is flesh,' is not grammatically admissible.
The correct Mass. reading is (Hebrew characters) (i.e. (Hebrew characters) + (Hebrew characters) + (Hebrew characters)) = inasmuch as he too.
The objections to this are (a) that the rel. (Hebrew characters) is never found in Pent., and
is very rare in the older literature (Ju. 57 617 712 826), while compounds
like (Hebrew characters) do not appear before Eccl. (e.g. 216); and (b) that the (Hebrew characters) has no
force, there being nothing which serves as a contrast to (Hebrew characters). We.
observes that (Hebrew characters) must represent a causal particle and possibly nothing
more. The old translators, G ((Greek characters)) SVTO seem to
have been of the same opinion; and it is noticeable that none of them
attempt to reproduce the (Hebrew characters). The conjectures of Ols. (((Hebrew characters)), Cheyne
((Hebrew characters)), and others are all beside the mark.—(Hebrew characters)] The only
natural reference is to the (maximum) term of human life (so Jos. Tu.
Ew. and most since), a man's (Hebrew characters) being a standing expression for his
lifetime, reckoning from his birth (see ch. 5. 3528, Is. 6520 etc.). The
older view (TOJ, Jer. Ra. IEz. Calv. al.: so De. Klost.), that the
clause indicates the interval that was to elapse before the Flood, was
naturally suggested by the present position of the passage, and was
supported by the consideration that greater ages were subsequently
attained by many of the patriarchs. But these statements belong to P,
and decide nothing as to the meaning of the words in J.
