John Calvin Commentary Genesis 6:9

"These are the generations of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, [and] perfect in his generations: Noah walked with God." — Genesis 6:9 (ASV)

These are the generations of Noah. The Hebrew word תולדות (toledoth) properly means generation. However, it sometimes has a more extended sense and applies to the whole history of life; this indeed seems to be its meaning in the present place. For when Moses had stated that one man was found whom God—when He had determined to destroy the whole world—would yet preserve, he briefly describes what kind of person he was.

And, in the first place, he asserts that Noah was just and upright among the men of his age, for here is a different Hebrew noun, דור (dor), which signifies an age, or the time of a life. The word תמים (tamim), which the ancient interpreter is accustomed to translate as perfect, has the same force as upright or sincere, and is opposed to what is deceitful, pretended, and vain.

And Moses does not rashly connect these two things together, for the world, being always influenced by external splendor, estimates justice not by the affection of the heart but by bare works. If, however, we desire to be approved by God and accounted righteous before Him, we must not only regulate our hands, eyes, and feet in obedience to His Law, but integrity of heart is above all things required and holds the chief place in the true definition of righteousness.

Let us, however, know that they are called just and upright, not who are in every respect perfect and in whom there is no defect, but who cultivate righteousness purely and from their heart. We are assured that God does not act towards His own people with the rigor of justice, as requiring of them a life according to the perfect rule of the Law. For if only no hypocrisy reigns within them, but the pure love of rectitude flourishes and fills their hearts, He pronounces them, according to His clemency, to be righteous.

The clause “in his generations” is emphatic. For Moses has already often said, and will soon repeat, that nothing was more corrupt than that age. Therefore, it was a remarkable instance of constancy that Noah, surrounded on every side with the filth of iniquity, should have contracted no contagion from it.

We know how great the force of custom is, so that nothing is more difficult than to live a holy life among the wicked and to avoid being led away by their evil examples. Scarcely is there one in a hundred who does not have in his mouth that diabolical proverb, ‘We must howl when we are among the wolves’; and the greater part—framing a rule for themselves from common practice—judge everything to be lawful which is generally received.

However, as the singular virtue of Noah is commended here, let us remember that we are instructed what we ought to do, even though the whole world were rushing to its own destruction. If, at the present time, the morals of men are so corrupted and the whole way of life so confused that integrity has become most rare, still more vile and dreadful was the confusion in the time of Noah, when he did not have even one associate in the worship of God and in the pursuit of holiness.

If he could bear up against the corruptions of the whole world and against such constant and vehement assaults of iniquity, no excuse is left for us unless, with equal fortitude of mind, we pursue a right course through innumerable obstacles of vice. It is not improbable that Moses uses the word generations in the plural number to declare more fully what a strenuous and invincible combatant Noah was, who, through so many ages, had remained unaltered.

Besides, the manner of cultivating righteousness that he had adopted is explained in the context: namely, that he had walked with God, an excellence that Moses had also commended in the holy father Enoch in the preceding chapter, where we have stated what the expression means.

When the corruption of morals was so great in the earth, if Noah had regarded man, he would have been cast into a profound labyrinth. He saw, therefore, this to be his only remedy: namely, to disregard men so that he might fix all his thoughts on God and make Him the sole Arbiter of his life.

From this it appears how foolishly the Papists clamor that we ought to follow the fathers, when the Spirit expressly recalls us from the imitation of men, except insofar as they lead us to God.

Moses again mentions Noah’s three sons for the purpose of showing that, in the greatest sorrow by which he was almost consumed, he was still able to have offspring, so that God might have a small remnant of seed for Himself.