16 | Genesis 5:1
From Adam to Noah
5
This is the writ ten ac count of Adam ’ s fam i ly line .
When God cre at ed man kind , he made them in the like ness of God . 2 He cre at ed them male and fe male and blessed them . And he named them “ Man kind ” a when they were created .
3
When Adam had lived 130 years , he had a son in his own like ness , in his own im age ; and he named him Seth . 4 Af ter Seth was born , Adam lived 800 years and had oth er sons and daughters . 5 Al to geth er , Adam lived a to tal of 930 years , and then he died .
6
When Seth had lived 105 years , he be came the fa ther b of Enosh . 7 Af ter he be came the fa ther of Enosh , Seth lived 807 years and had oth er sons and daugh ters . 8 Al to geth er , Seth lived a to tal of 912 years , and then he died .
9
When Enosh had lived 90 years , he be came the fa ther of Ke nan . 10 Af ter he be came the fa ther of Ke nan , Enosh lived 815 years and had oth er sons and daugh ters . 11 Al to geth er , Enosh lived a to tal of 905 years , and then he died .
12
When Ke nan had lived 70 years , he be came the fa ther of Ma ha la lel . 13 Af ter he be came the fa ther of Ma ha la lel , Ke nan lived 840 years and had oth er sons and daugh ters . 14 Al to geth er , Ke nan lived a to tal of 910 years , and then he died .
15
When Ma ha la lel had lived 65 years , he be came the fa ther of Ja red . 16 Af ter he be came the fa ther of Ja red , Ma ha la lel lived 830 years and had oth er sons and daugh ters . 17 Al to geth er , Ma ha la lel lived a to tal of 895 years , and then he died .
18
When Ja red had lived 162 years , he be came the fa ther of Enoch . 19 Af ter he be came the fa ther of Enoch , Ja red lived 800 years and had oth er sons and daugh ters . 20 Al to geth er , Ja red lived a to tal of 962 years , and then he died .
21
When Enoch had lived 65 years , he be came the fa ther of Me thu se lah . 22 Af ter he be came the fa ther of Me thu se lah , Enoch walked faith ful ly with God 300 years and had oth er sons and daughters . 23 Al to geth er , Enoch lived a to tal of 365 years .
24
Enoch walked faith ful ly with God ; then he was no more , be cause God took him away .
25
When Me thu se lah had lived 187 years , he became the fa ther of La mech . 26 Af ter he be came the fa ther of La mech , Me thu se lah lived 782 years and had oth er sons and daugh ters . 27 Al to geth er , Me thu se lah lived a to tal of 969 years , and then he died .
28
When La mech had lived 182 years , he had a son . 29 He named him Noah c and said , “ He will com fort us in the la bor and pain ful toil of our hands caused by the ground the Lord has cursed .”
30
Af ter Noah was born , La mech lived 595 years and had oth er sons and daugh ters . 31 Al to geth er , La mech lived a to tal of 777 years , and then he died .
32
Af ter Noah was 500 years old , he be came the fa ther of Shem , Ham and Ja pheth .
a
2 Hebrew adam b
6 Father may mean ancestor ; also in verses 7-26 . c
29 Noah sounds like the Hebrew for comfort .
5:1 – 32 The genealogy in Ge 5 moves the narrative from one major character ( Adam ) to the next ( Noah ). This list of generations traces the descent of Noah one generation at a time , naming one ancestor from each . One of the most striking features of this genealogy is the long lifespans . The notable exception is Enoch ( 5:22 – 23 ), whose time on earth is a comparatively short 365 years . See the people diagram “ Adam ’ s Family Tree ” on p . 17 .
5:1 family line The Hebrew word used here , toledoth , is used to mark family histories in Genesis ( 6:9 ; 10:1 ; 11:10,27 ; 25:12,19 ; 36:1,9 ; 37:2 ). Generally speaking , there are two types of genealogies in the OT , linear and vertical . Linear genealogies focus on one person in each generation — they connect one individual to one specific ancestor in a previous generation . Vertical ( segmented ) genealogies treat more than one person per generation — they depict relationships within a generation and from one generation to another . in the likeness of God See 1:26 .
5:3 – 31 The genealogy of vv . 3 – 31 is deliberately arranged to conclude with Noah and his sons in preparation for the flood narrative . The generations are described formulaically . Each person is given the same description : When A lived x years , he fathered B . After he fathered B , A lived y years and had other sons and daughters . And all the days of A were x + y years ; then he died . The pattern is broken only twice . In vv . 22 – 23 , the unusual case of Enoch requires a break in the formula . The birth of Noah in v . 29 — the climax of the list — also interrupts the pattern , as Noah ’ s father describes his son ’ s special destiny .
5:3 his own likeness , in his own image This phrase echoes God ’ s language about humanity being in his image ( see 1:26 – 27 ; 5:1 ). 5:5 930 years It is unclear whether the ages of the individuals in this genealogy are meant to be taken literally or not . The long lifespans are paralleled ( and far exceeded ) in the Sumerian King List , an ancient Near Eastern document that describes a line of rulers before a great flood . 5:22 Enoch walked faithfully with God This phrase occurs twice , perhaps to demonstrate to readers that Enoch ’ s short life span in this list is not due to negative judgment . The description is also used of Noah ( 6:9 ). 5:23 Altogether , Enoch lived a total of 365 years Enoch is the seventh generation from Adam in this genealogy ( Jude 14 ). The number 365 corresponds to the number of days in a solar year , so Enoch became a central figure in later Jewish calendrical mysticism ( as seen in the work 1 Enoch ). 5:24 he was no more The writer omits the typical formulaic ending referring to the death of the individual ( see note on Ge 5:3 – 31 ), suggesting that Enoch did not experience a normal death . The NT also asserts that Enoch did not die ( Heb 11:5 ). took him away Similar language appears in the description of Elijah ’ s departure from earth in God ’ s fiery chariot ( 2Ki 2:1,5,9 – 11 ).