Bible character overview - Noah

In the time leading up to the flood, the world had descended into a state of profound wickedness and corruption. The term "sons of God" is traditionally understood to refer to fallen angels or divine beings who took human wives, resulting in the birth of a hybrid race known as the Nephilim. This union led to a corrupt and violent generation that was opposed to the natural order established by God.

Genesis 6:1-5 describes this period:

' When human beings began to increase in number on the earth and daughters were born to them,² the sons of God saw that the daughters of humans were beautiful, and they married any of them they chose.³ Then the Lord said, “My Spirit will not contend with humans forever, for they are mortal; their days will be a hundred and twenty years.”

⁴ The Nephilim were on the earth in those days—and also afterward—when the sons of God went to the daughters of humans and had children by them. They were the heroes of old, men of renown.

⁵ The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time.'

The pervasive wickedness and corruption of humanity led God to decide to bring judgment upon the earth through the Great Flood. This flood was intended to cleanse the earth of its corruption and to start anew with Noah, who was found to be righteous in his generation.

So God flooded the earth, and everything living outside of the ark was destroyed. As the waters persisted, God remembered Noah and everyone on the ark, and the waters began to recede. After forty days, Noah sent out a raven to search for dry land, followed by a dove. The dove could find no place to land and returned to Noah. He waited another seven days and sent out the dove again. This time, the dove did not return, signaling that dry ground was starting to appear.

Eventually, the earth dried, and Noah and all those on the ark were able to step out onto dry ground. Noah worshiped and praised God, and God blessed Noah and his family, commanding them with the same directive given to Adam and Eve: "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth." God then promised never again to flood the earth and set a rainbow in the clouds as a sign of this covenant.

Noah became a farmer and planted a vineyard. However, he became drunk on the wine from his vineyard and lay uncovered in his tent. Ham entered the tent, saw his father in this state, and told his brothers. Shem and Japheth took a garment, walked backward into the tent, and covered their father without looking at him. When Noah awoke from his drunkenness and learned what Ham had done, he cursed Ham but blessed Shem and Japheth.