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Genesis 6:1

EOB (Eastern / Greek Orthodox Bible):

As people increased on the earth, they had daughters. The sons of God saw that these daughters were attractive, so they married any of them they liked.

EOB Footnote:

The MT reads “the daughters of man” (using the singular “man” collectively), while the LXX reads “the daughters of men” (using the plural). This difference is stylistic rather than substantive. The phrase “when men began to multiply” renders the Greek literally; the Hebrew is identical in meaning.

Other Translations:

KJV (King James Version):

And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them,

WEB (World English Bible):

It happened, when men began to multiply on the surface of the ground, and daughters were born to them,

Benton LXX (Vaticanus):

And it came to pass when men began to be numerous upon the earth, and daughters were born to them.

Douai-Rheims (Vulgate):

“And after that men began to be multiplied upon the earth, and daughters were born to them,”

Apostoliki Diakonia (LXX):

When people began to multiply on the earth and daughters were born to them

YLT (Young Literal Translation )(MT):

And it comes to pass that men begin to multiply on the face of the ground, and daughters are born to them.

BBE (Bible in Basic English):

And after a time, when men were increasing on the earth, and had daughters,

EOB COMMENTARY:

EOB Commentary:

Genesis 6:1 – Commentary

The Multiplication of Humanity and the Prelude to Corruption

This verse marks a pivotal transition in the Genesis narrative, moving from the genealogies of the patriarchs to the account of humanity’s moral decline preceding the Flood. The phrase “when men began to multiply on the face of the earth” signals not merely numerical increase but the spreading of human civilization—and with it, the spreading of sin inherited from Adam.

Patristic Interpretation: The Church Fathers understood this multiplication as bearing theological significance beyond mere demographics. Saint John Chrysostom notes that the increase of humanity was accompanied by an increase in wickedness, demonstrating that numerical growth without spiritual growth leads to corruption. The multiplication described here stands in contrast to the blessed fruitfulness commanded in Genesis 1:28, for what was intended as blessing became occasion for the spread of transgression.

Christological and Ecclesial Dimensions: The Orthodox tradition reads this passage typologically as prefiguring the state of humanity before Christ’s coming. Just as mankind multiplied yet fell into deepening sin before the Flood, so too did humanity multiply in transgression before the coming of the true Noah—Christ Himself—who would save mankind not through an ark of wood but through the wood of the Cross. The waters of the Flood find their fulfillment in the waters of Baptism, wherein the old humanity is drowned and new life emerges.

Liturgical Connections: This passage is read during the Vespers of Theophany as part of the Old Testament readings, connecting the primordial waters of judgment with the sanctifying waters of Christ’s Baptism in the Jordan. The Church sees in the Flood narrative a type of baptismal regeneration, and this opening verse sets the stage for understanding why such cleansing was necessary.

Spiritual Application: For Orthodox spirituality, this verse reminds the faithful that mere existence and multiplication are insufficient for salvation. The Desert Fathers would later teach that the spiritual life requires not simply living but living rightly—theosis rather than mere biological continuation. The multiplication of men without the multiplication of virtue leads inevitably to the judgment that follows in subsequent verses. This serves as perpetual warning to the Church that growth must be accompanied by holiness, lest the community face divine correction.

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