Men Multiply
Now it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born to them
Here we read about the growth of the antediluvian world. The generation during which Noah lived was characterized by evil and wicked human beings (verse 5). Part of this evil came from the increase in population. We have already covered how the rapid growth of the human population before the Flood was helped by the long life spans of individuals, which allowed couples to produce possibly many dozens of children. The Hebrew word translated multiply in this verse simply means “to become many” (Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon).
The growth of the human race due to rapid reproduction was not a problem by itself, since the first human beings were told to “be fruitful and multiply” (Genesis 1:28). The problem was the wicked characteristics of the growing population. The Bible teaches that “when the wicked are multiplied, transgression increases” (Proverbs 29:16). The rapid reproduction of a wicked society produced even greater wickedness that resulted in God deciding to destroy the majority of humanity and restart through one righteous family.
Tomorrow on the Daily Bible Verse Blog: “Sons of God and the Daughters of Men: Part 1.”
