I can't read Hebrew or ancient Masoretic text, so I'm kind of buggered. My illiteracy in ancient languages means that I must base my theology on translations.

I can't read Hebrew or ancient Masoretic text, so I'm kind of buggered. My illiteracy in ancient languages means that I must base my theology on translations. That said, before the other day when you raised the question, I've always just taken Genesis 6:3 to mean that God shortened human life expectancy, and I've never looked it up in a commentary. Anyway, thanks for alerting me to the alternative. I don't think I can explore it further at this time, as attaining the required linguistic skills is a bit "out of scope" for me at this time.