H. P. Mansfield Bible notes — checked and arranged in verse-by-verse Expositor style

Source: HPB 01-Gen01-Gen41.PDF, principally photographed Bible page 48

CHAPTER OVERVIEW

Mansfield heads the page “AN ADULTEROUS UNION OF THE RACES LEADS TO THE GREATEST CALAMITY HISTORY HAS KNOWN,” with Psalm 29:10 nearby, and gives the chapter heading “THE TRUTH CORRUPTED.” The pre-Flood world is presented as deeply religious in form but proud, materialistic, violent and indifferent to God’s revelation.

The Flood is treated as both judgment and mercy. If the corruption had continued unchecked, the righteous line itself would have been swallowed up. Divine intervention therefore preserved a remnant while ending a society that had become universally corrupt and violent.

Mansfield’s published Expositor describes three divine inspections at verses 3, 5/7 and 13, comparing them with the three inspections of a leprous house in Leviticus 14:33–45. The 120 years are a period of warning and longsuffering, not a new maximum human lifespan.

Genesis 6:1 — “when men began to multiply on the face of the earth”

Mansfield marks the multiplication of mankind and the birth of daughters as the setting of the apostasy. The uncertain note about “men” can be recovered: the Hebrew is ha-adam, “the Adam,” a collective reference to mankind. The emphasis on daughters prepares for the physical and sexual motive of verse 2.

Genesis 6:2 — “the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair”

“Sons of God,” “daughters of men,” “fair,” and “took them wives” are marked. Mansfield rejects a supernatural interpretation and understands the passage as intermarriage between the faithful line and the flesh-dominated line.

The “sons of God” are mortal believers, compared with Israel as Yahweh’s son or firstborn (Exodus 4:22–23; Deuteronomy 14:1; Hosea 1:10; Isaiah 43:6–7) and with believers in 1 John 3:1–2. Mansfield deliberately parallels Eve’s fall: she “saw,” judged the fruit “good,” and “took”; these believers likewise saw beauty and took wives according to fleshly choice. Deuteronomy 7:3 and 1 Corinthians 7:39 are used for the principle of separation in marriage.

Genesis 6:3 — “My spirit shall not always strive with man”

“My spirit,” “flesh,” and “an hundred and twenty years” are strongly marked. Mansfield’s published Expositor recovers the lexical note: diyn normally means contend, judge or strive, while the form duwn here was understood by several ancient versions in the sense “remain among” or “dwell in.” He therefore links the sentence with God gathering back the life-principle of His Spirit (compare Job 34:14).

The phrase “for that he also is flesh” is connected with beshaggim, from shagah, “to wander / go astray.” Mansfield’s point is that flesh tends to wander from righteousness. The 120 years are the reprieve before judgment; Ezekiel 33:11 and 1 Peter 3:20 support the emphasis on divine longsuffering and appeal.

Genesis 6:4 — “There were giants in the earth in those days”

“Giants,” “mighty men,” and “men of renown” are marked. Nephilim is correctly related to naphal, “to fall,” hence “fallen ones.” Mansfield treats them as fallen from righteousness and powerful in stature, violence and fleshly prowess rather than as angelic hybrids.

The same term occurs after the Flood in Numbers 13:33. Hagibborim is “the heroes / mighty men,” commonly warriors. Mansfield also notes that the “men” described as renowned are enosh — frail or morally depraved mortal men — while hashem, “the name,” indicates that they possessed a celebrated reputation among contemporaries even though God knew their true moral condition. Numbers 16:2 provides a later parallel to “men of renown.”

Genesis 6:5 — “every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually”

“Yahweh saw,” “wickedness,” “every imagination,” “only evil,” and “continually” are heavily marked. Mansfield gives yetzer behind “imagination”: something formed or fashioned, hence a purpose, plan or desire formed within the mind.

He connects ra‘ah, wickedness/evil, with a root carrying the idea of breaking or destroying established order. The point is total and habitual corruption rather than occasional wrongdoing. Judges 16:15, Psalm 10:6 and Proverbs 5:12 are among the passages used to illustrate the “heart” as the seat of thought and intention.

Genesis 6:6 — “it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth”

“Repented Yahweh” and “grieved him at his heart” are marked. The uncertain grief-note can be recovered precisely: yinnahem is from nacham, “to sigh, groan, lament, grieve.” Mansfield treats the statement anthropomorphically — language accommodated to human understanding.

He explicitly distinguishes this from human regret or ignorance. Numbers 23:19 and 1 Samuel 15:29 affirm that God does not repent as man does; Exodus 32:14, 1 Samuel 15:11, Jeremiah 18:7–8, Jeremiah 26:3, 13, 19 and Jonah 3:10 show changes in declared dealings when human circumstances or relationships change. Ephesians 4:30 is used beside the language of grief.

Genesis 6:7 — “I will destroy man whom I have created”

“I will destroy man” is strongly marked. Mansfield stresses the Creator’s authority over His creation and again understands “it repenteth me” through the grief/change-of-dealing sense established in verse 6. Hebrews 11:7 and Amos 3:7 are relevant to the communicated warning given to Noah.

Genesis 6:8 — “But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD”

The contrast is prominent: amid universal corruption, Noah “found grace.” Grace precedes the detailed instructions for deliverance. The nearby nacham-style word association belongs more securely to the grief/comfort theme surrounding Noah’s name and Genesis 5:29 than to the noun “grace” itself, so it is not forced into the lexical explanation of this verse.

Genesis 6:9 — “Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations”

“Just,” “perfect in his generations,” and “walked with God” form Mansfield’s threefold description of Noah. Tamim means complete, whole, without blemish. Mansfield is careful to define this as moral integrity and maturity within human capacity, not absolute sinlessness.

Romans 3:24 and Hebrews 11:7 are used to connect Noah’s justification and righteousness with faith in the promised redemption. Exodus 12:5 and 29:1 illustrate tamim as “without blemish”; 1 Corinthians 2:6 and 14:20 illustrate New Testament maturity; Hebrews 10:14 points to perfection through the one offering. Noah’s walking with God is compared with Enoch, 1 John 1:7 and Micah 6:8.

Genesis 6:10 — “Noah begat three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth”

Shem, Ham and Japheth are marked. Mansfield notes that three is a number of completeness and that these three sons become the three broad family-lines from which post-Flood humanity develops.

Genesis 6:11 — “the earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence”

“Corrupt before God” and “filled with violence” are heavily marked. Mansfield stresses that the same Hebrew family can describe both corrupting and destroying: the society had corrupted itself and therefore came under destruction. The decisive perspective is “before God” — its condition stood exposed in His sight.

Genesis 6:12 — “all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth”

“God looked,” “corrupt,” and “all flesh” are marked. Mansfield treats the corruption as universal in human society and as a distortion of “his way,” not merely isolated acts of violence.

Genesis 6:13 — “The end of all flesh is come before me”

“The end of all flesh,” “filled with violence,” and “I will destroy them with the earth” are strongly marked. This is the formal announcement after the period of probation. Mansfield compares it with the prophetic principle that God reveals impending judgment to His servants (Amos 3:7).

Genesis 6:14 — “Make thee an ark of gopher wood”

The margin heading is “A WAY OF ESCAPE.” “Ark,” “gopher wood,” “rooms,” and “pitch it within and without” are marked. Mansfield’s published Expositor clarifies “rooms” as qinnim/ginnim, “nests” — sheltered abiding places.

The earlier transcription “kaphar = cover” needs refinement. The noun for the pitch is kopher, “covering.” Mansfield writes that the command is literally of the force “cover it with a covering.” Kopher is related to ransom/covering language (Exodus 30:12; Isaiah 43:3; Job 33:24), while the plural kappurim is used for atonement and kapporeth for the mercy-seat. Mansfield therefore develops the ark as a divinely appointed covering from judgment, typologically related to the covering in Christ (Galatians 3:26–29).

Gopher wood itself is linked by Mansfield with cut wood and the suffering of Christ, using 1 Peter 2:24 and the Greek xulon, “wood/tree,” as part of the typological argument.

Genesis 6:15 — “the length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits”

The dimensions are marked as precise divine instructions. Mansfield discusses the ordinary cubit and the larger sacred cubit and concludes that the ark was a very substantial vessel under either measure. Deuteronomy 3:11 and Ezekiel 40:5 are used in discussing cubit lengths.

He also gives the dimensions 300 × 50 × 30 a numerical significance, noting their common factor ten as an expression of completeness. The practical point remains that Noah followed a specified pattern rather than improvising his own means of salvation.

Genesis 6:16 — “A window shalt thou make to the ark”

The previously uncertain transliteration can be recovered: the word is tsohar, entirely different from the ordinary window-word used in Genesis 8:6. Mansfield derives it from a root meaning “to glisten” and gives the sense “a light.” He suggests either a series of windows or a continuous opening near the roof for light and ventilation.

He interprets “in a cubit shalt thou finish it above” as referring to the ark, not to one cubit-square window. The single door is also marked and treated typologically as one appointed entrance, compared with the side of Adam in Genesis 2:21–22. The three storeys are part of the ordered construction.

Genesis 6:17 — “I, even I, do bring a flood of waters upon the earth”

“I, even I,” “flood,” “destroy all flesh,” and “breath of life” are marked. The Hebrew note ruach chayim, “breath/spirit of life,” is retained. Mansfield emphasises that the Flood is expressly divine judgment, not an accidental natural catastrophe.

Genesis 6:18 — “with thee will I establish my covenant”

“My covenant” and Noah’s household are marked. The covenant is Yahweh’s pledge to preserve Noah and his family through judgment. Mansfield reads the preservation typologically in relation to the later redemptive work centred in Christ.

Genesis 6:19–20 — “to keep them alive with thee”

The repeated preservation of living creatures “after their kind” is marked. Mansfield stresses ordered categories and divine provision so that life may continue after the judgment.

Genesis 6:21 — “take thou unto thee of all food that is eaten”

The practical command concerning food is marked as part of the same divine plan. The God who appoints the means of escape also provides for life within it.

Genesis 6:22 — “according to all that God commanded him, so did he”

The closing statement is strongly marked. Mansfield makes exact obedience the climax of the chapter: Noah’s faith is visible in doing all that God commanded, matching Hebrews 11:7 and the wider biblical principle that living faith expresses itself in works.

PRINCIPAL THEMES

Religious apostasy. The world can retain religious forms while becoming godless in practice.

Compromise of the two lines. The sons of God and daughters of men describe moral and marital compromise, not supernatural mating.

Probation before judgment. The 120 years are a merciful warning period.

Universal corruption. Purpose, desire, violence and social order become habitually evil.

Noah’s contrast. He is just, complete in his generation and walking with God.

Grace before deliverance. Noah first finds grace, then receives the appointed means of escape.

Covering from judgment. The ark and its kopher covering are developed typologically as divine provision.

One appointed way. The ark is built to God’s pattern, with one door and ordered provision.

Faith expressed in obedience. Noah does all that God commands.

EDITORIAL VERIFICATION AND RECOVERED READINGS

Location	Checked / corrected reading	Basis
Gen. 6:1	ha-adam — “the Adam” / mankind	Recovered from Mansfield’s published Expositor.
Gen. 6:2	Isaiah 43:6–7	Corrects the OCR-like “Isa. 43: 67”; context is Yahweh’s sons/daughters gathered to Him.
Gen. 6:3	duwn / diyn; beshaggim from shagah	Mansfield’s Expositor supplies the exact lexical discussion.
Gen. 6:4	nephilim from naphal; hagibborim; enosh; hashem	Published Mansfield Expositor resolves the obscured lexical sequence.
Gen. 6:5	yetzer — formed plan/purpose; ra‘ah — wickedness/evil	Published Mansfield Expositor.
Gen. 6:6	yinnahem from nacham — sigh/grieve	Published Mansfield Expositor plus Num. 23:19; 1 Sam. 15:29 for the anthropomorphic distinction.
Gen. 6:9	tamim — complete / without blemish	Published Mansfield Expositor; moral completeness, not sinlessness.
Gen. 6:14	kopher — covering; kappurim / kapporeth related forms	Refines the earlier “kaphar = cover” transcription to Mansfield’s actual noun-based explanation.
Gen. 6:16	tsohar — light / glistening opening	Recovers the previously uncertain window/opening transliteration.
Gen. 6:17	ruach chayim — breath/spirit of life	HPB reading retained and context checked.

RESIDUAL UNCERTAINTIES

• exact wording of the faint archaeological/top-page quotation concerning the religious and material culture before the Flood;

• several very small marginal cross-references beside Genesis 6:1–4 and the announced judgment at verse 13;

• some wording in the HPB lower-page note that summarises Noah’s threefold character beyond the readings recovered from the published Expositor.

The major lexical uncertainties in verses 1, 3, 4, 6, 9, 14 and 16 have been resolved from Mansfield’s own published Expositor rather than guessed.