God looked upon the earth, &c.— God observing that his patience was to no effect, and that the hundred and twenty years, which we may now suppose near expiring, produced no fruits of repentance, resolved to destroy that incorrigible race. "The patience of God," says Archbishop Tillotson, "did not expire till he saw that the wickedness of man was grown great, and that all flesh had corrupted his way; nor till it was necessary to drown the world to cleanse it, and to destroy mankind to reform it, by beginning a new world upon the only righteous family that was left of all the last generations of the old." All flesh signifies "all the human race," who had, and who only could, corrupt their way. His way means their principles and conduct, their faith and manners. With the earth, at the end of the next verse, may be read, as in the margin of our Bibles, from the earth; though the former may be understood to refer to all the natural and artificial products of the earth, as well as the animals; every thing that serves, upon earth, for the use and convenience of men.
God takes repeated notice of the wickedness of men. He will not only be, but be seen to be, just in his judgments. Violence and spoil disfigured the earth, and, like devouring beasts let loose, the fallen sons of men preyed one on another. It was surely high time to interpose. Sin is the cause of every mischief: if kingdoms fall, or houses are divided, to this it must be ascribed. We may here observe, that the people of God are usually looked upon as the burden and the troublers of the earth. How little do men know, that for their sakes only, judgment this hour lingereth!