Men began—daughters—sons of God, &c — An evident distinction has been made in sacred scripture between the children of God and the children of men; between those who were the true servants of Jehovah, and those who were the slaves of their own evil desires and passions. The former, by intermarrying with the daughters of those who had apostatized from God or never known him, were drawn themselves into the same degeneracy; whence that universal depravation succeeded, which brought on the deluge. Intermarriages of believers with unbelievers have always been looked upon in the scriptures as peculiarly pernicious. See Genesis 24:3; Genesis 26:35; Genesis 27:46. Nehemiah 13:23; Nehemiah 13:31. Malachi 2:11. 1 Corinthians 7:39. 2 Corinthians 6:14; 2 Corinthians 6:18. It is observed by the authors of the Universal History, that "if we consider the length of men's lives, and that they then began to beget children as early, and left off as late, in proportion as they do now, we shall find that the number of mankind before the deluge might easily be above one hundred thousand millions; that is, twenty times as many as our present earth has in all probability now upon it, or can be supposed capable of maintaining in its present constitution."
Took them wives of all which they chose— A regard to nothing but their external beauty. "Not only their lust," says Mr. Locke, "but their impiety and irreligion are here taxed, who, revolting from the faith and manners of their forefathers, preferred beauty of body to beauty of mind."