זָקֵ֡ן בָּח֣וּר וּבְתוּלָה֩ וְטַ֨ף וְנָשִׁ֜ים תַּהַרְג֣וּ לְמַשְׁחִ֗ית וְעַל־כָּל־אִ֨ישׁ אֲשֶׁר־עָלָ֤יו הַתָּו֙ אַל־תִּגַּ֔שׁוּ וּמִמִּקְדָּשִׁ֖י תָּחֵ֑לּוּ וַיָּחֵ֙לּוּ֙ בָּאֲנָשִׁ֣ים הַזְּקֵנִ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֖ר לִפְנֵ֥י הַבָּֽיִת׃
töte ganz den alten Mann, den jungen Mann und die Jungfrau und kleine Kinder und Frauen; aber komm keinem Menschen nahe, auf dem das Zeichen ist; und beginne in meinem Heiligtum.' Dann begannen sie bei den Ältesten, die vor dem Haus standen.
Zohar
Rabbi (Eleazar opened) Yitzchak said: As long as the wicked multiply in the world, when a righteous person is found among them, he is punished first. As it is written, "And begin at My sanctuary" (Ezekiel 9:6), and we have learned to read this not as mimikdashi ('at My sanctuary'), but rather as mimkudashai ('from My holy ones'). How did the Holy One, blessed be He, save Noah who was righteous among the wicked? He was saved so that he could bring further generations into the world. For he was truly righteous (and therefore fit to beget children).