Genesis5

World English Bible · Public Domain

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¹This is the book of the generations of Adam. In the day that God created man, he made him in God’s likeness.

²He created them male and female, and blessed them. On the day they were created, he named them Adam.

³Adam lived one hundred thirty years, and became the father of a son in his own likeness, after his image, and named him Seth.

⁴The days of Adam after he became the father of Seth were eight hundred years, and he became the father of other sons and daughters.

⁵All the days that Adam lived were nine hundred thirty years, then he died.

⁶Seth lived one hundred five years, then became the father of Enosh.

⁷Seth lived after he became the father of Enosh eight hundred seven years, and became the father of other sons and daughters.

⁸All of the days of Seth were nine hundred twelve years, then he died.

⁹Enosh lived ninety years, and became the father of Kenan.

¹⁰Enosh lived after he became the father of Kenan eight hundred fifteen years, and became the father of other sons and daughters.

¹¹All of the days of Enosh were nine hundred five years, then he died.

¹²Kenan lived seventy years, then became the father of Mahalalel.

¹³Kenan lived after he became the father of Mahalalel eight hundred forty years, and became the father of other sons and daughters

¹⁴and all of the days of Kenan were nine hundred ten years, then he died.

¹⁵Mahalalel lived sixty-five years, then became the father of Jared.

¹⁶Mahalalel lived after he became the father of Jared eight hundred thirty years, and became the father of other sons and daughters.

¹⁷All of the days of Mahalalel were eight hundred ninety-five years, then he died.

¹⁸Jared lived one hundred sixty-two years, then became the father of Enoch.

¹⁹Jared lived after he became the father of Enoch eight hundred years, and became the father of other sons and daughters.

²⁰All of the days of Jared were nine hundred sixty-two years, then he died.

²¹Enoch lived sixty-five years, then became the father of Methuselah.

²²After Methuselah’s birth, Enoch walked with God for three hundred years, and became the father of more sons and daughters.

²³All the days of Enoch were three hundred sixty-five years.

²⁴Enoch walked with God, and he was not found, for God took him.

²⁵Methuselah lived one hundred eighty-seven years, then became the father of Lamech.

²⁶Methuselah lived after he became the father of Lamech seven hundred eighty-two years, and became the father of other sons and daughters.

²⁷All the days of Methuselah were nine hundred sixty-nine years, then he died.

²⁸Lamech lived one hundred eighty-two years, then became the father of a son.

²⁹He named him Noah, saying, “This one will comfort us in our work and in the toil of our hands, caused by the ground which Yahweh has cursed.”

³⁰Lamech lived after he became the father of Noah five hundred ninety-five years, and became the father of other sons and daughters.

³¹All the days of Lamech were seven hundred seventy-seven years, then he died.

³²Noah was five hundred years old, then Noah became the father of Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

Study Guide

Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Genesis 5.

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Chapter Summary

In this chapter: Adam and Seth. (1–5). The patriarchs from Seth to Enoch. (6–20). Enoch. (21–24). Methuselah to Noah. (25–32).

vv1-5

Adam was made in the image of God; but when fallen he begat a son in his own image, sinful and defiled, frail, wretched, and mortal, like himself. Not only a man like himself, consisting of body and soul, but a sinner like himself. This was the reverse of that Divine likeness in which Adam was made; having lost it, he could not convey it to his seed. Adam lived, in all, 930 years; and then died, according to the sentence passed upon him, “To dust thou shalt return.” Though he did not die in the day he ate forbidden fruit, yet in that very day he became mortal. Then he began to die; his whole life after was but a reprieve, a forfeited, condemned life; it was a wasting, dying life. Man's life is but dying by degrees.

vv6-20

Concerning each of these, except Enoch, it is said, “and he died.” It is well to observe the deaths of others. They all lived very long; not one of them died till he had seen almost eight hundred years, and some of them lived much longer; a great while for an immortal soul to be prisoned in a house of clay. The present life surely was not to them such a burden as it commonly is now, else they would have been weary of it. Nor was the future life so clearly revealed then, as it now under the gospel, else they would have been urgent to remove to it. All the patriarchs that lived before the flood, except Noah, were born before Adam died. From him they might receive a full account of the creation, the fall, the promise, and the Divine precepts about religious worship and a religious life. Thus God kept up in his church the knowledge of his will.

vv21-24

Enoch was the seventh from Adam. Godliness is walking with God: which shows reconciliation to God, for two cannot walk together except they be agreed, Am 3:3. It includes all the parts of a godly, righteous, and sober life. To walk with God, is to set God always before us, to act as always under his eye. It is constantly to care, in all things to please God, and in nothing to offend him. It is to be followers of him as dear children. The Holy Spirit, instead of saying, Enoch lived, says, Enoch walked with God. This was his constant care and work; while others lived to themselves and the world, he lived to God. It was the joy of his life. Enoch was removed to a better world. As he did not live like the rest of mankind, so he did not leave the world by death as they did. He was not found, because God had translated him, Heb 11:5. He had lived but 365 years, which, as men's ages were then, was but the midst of a man's days. God often takes those soonest whom he loves best; the time they lose on earth, is gained in heaven, to their unspeakable advantage. See how Enoch's removal is expressed: he was not, for God took him. He was not any longer in this world; he was changed, as the saints shall be, who are alive at Christ's second coming. Those who begin to walk with God when young, may expect to walk with him long, comfortably, and usefully. The true christian's steady walk in holiness, through many a year, till God takes him, will best recommend that religion which many oppose and many abuse. And walking with God well agrees with the cares, comforts, and duties of life.

Key Words

ThisH2088Hebrew

זֶה: the masculine demonstrative pronoun, this or that

bookH5612Hebrew

סֵפֶר: properly, writing (the art or a document); by implication, a book

generationsH8435Hebrew

תּוֹלְדָה: (plural only) descent, i.e. family; (figuratively) history

AdamH121Hebrew

אָדָם: Adam the name of the first man, also of a place in Palestine

WhenH3117Hebrew

יוֹם: a day (as the warm hours), whether literal (from sunrise to sunset, or from one sunset to the next), or figurative (a space of time defined by an associated term), (often used adverb)

GodH430Hebrew

אֱלֹהִים: gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the supreme God; occasionally applied by way of deference to magistrates; and sometimes as a superlative

createdH1254Hebrew

בָּרָא: (absolutely) to create; (qualified) to cut down (a wood), select, feed (as formative processes)

manH120Hebrew

אָדָם: ruddy i.e. a human being (an individual or the species, mankind, etc.)

madeH6213Hebrew

עָשָׂה: to do or make, in the broadest sense and widest application

likenessH1823Hebrew

דְּמוּת: resemblance; concretely, model, shape; adverbially, like