Genesis Chapter 5, Let the Toledot Begin
I. This is a written account of Adam's line (Adam first and Noah last).
This is the book of the generations of Adam. In the day when God created man, He made him in the likeness of God.
A. Adam F. Jared
B. Seth G. Enoch
C. Enosh H. Methuselah
D. Kenan I. Lamech
E. Mahalalel J. Noah
II. He created them male and female, and He blessed them and named them "man" in the day when they were created.
A. In verse one, there is no definite article. Adam is a proper name meaning God named Adam, Adam. In the following verse we have an article meaning mankind.
B. There is a point to the way the writer has passed this on to us. The first parents named their sons (4:25-26), God named Adam (v.2) and in turn Adam named his son Seth (v.3). Therefore, God is the Father of all.
C. Also, notice the word play. God created “Adam in his own image” and Adam gave birth to a son “in his own likeness.” Genesis goes to great lengths to depict God as the patriarch overseeing His family. No only is Adam the Father of Seth and Seth the father of Enosh, but God is the Father of them all.
D. It ought not be overlooked that God "blessed man." This also is a recurring theme from here on. (Gen. 9:26-27; 27:27; 48:15; 49:1-28). The "blessings" on man here are a prelude to Galatians chapter 3.
III. The Relative chronologies and ages of the ten men.
A. If we add the age of each patriarch at the time of the birth of the son who continues the line, we have a complete chronology from Adam to Noah. The flood began in the year 1656 after creation and ended in 1657. The lives of Patriarch's overlapped each other.
B. Liberals reject these accounts in Genesis. If from Adam to the Flood 1656 years passed, then from the flood to Abraham another 365 years then all human history fits into a 2000 year period of time.
Genesis
5: 4-32
| 4Then
the days of Adam after he became the father of Seth were eight
hundred years, and he had other sons and daughters.5So all the days
that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years, and he died.
6Seth lived one hundred and five years, and became the father of
Enosh. 7Then Seth lived eight hundred and seven years after he became
the father of Enosh, and he had other sons and daughters. 8So all the
days of Seth were nine hundred and twelve years, and he died. 9Enosh
lived ninety years, and became the father of Kenan. 10Then Enosh
lived eight hundred and fifteen years after he became the father of
Kenan, and he had other sons and daughters. 11So all the days of
Enosh were nine hundred and five years, and he died. 12Kenan lived
seventy years, and became the father of Mahalalel. 13Then Kenan lived
eight hundred and forty years after he became the father of
Mahalalel, and he had other sons and daughters. 14So all the days of
Kenan were nine hundred and ten years, and he died. 15Mahalalel lived
sixty-five years, and became the father of Jared. 16Then Mahalalel
lived eight hundred and thirty years after he became the father of
Jared, and he had other sons and daughters. 17So all the days of
Mahalalel were eight hundred and ninety-five years, and he died.
18Jared lived one hundred and sixty-two years, and became the father
of Enoch. 19Then Jared lived eight hundred years after he became the
father of Enoch, and he had other sons and daughters. 20So all the
days of Jared were nine hundred and sixty-two years, and he died.
21Enoch lived sixty-five years, and became the father of Methuselah.
22Then Enoch walked with God three hundred years after he became the
father of Methuselah, and he had other sons and daughters. 23So all
the days of Enoch were three hundred and sixty-five years. 24(Enoch
walked with God; and he was not, for God took him. 25Methuselah lived
one hundred and eighty-seven years, and became the father of Lamech.
26Then Methuselah lived seven hundred and eighty-two years after he
became the father of Lamech, and he had other sons and daughters.
27So all the days of Methuselah were nine hundred and sixty-nine
years, and he died. 28Lamech lived one hundred and eighty-two years,
and became the father of a son. 29Now he called his name Noah,
saying, "This one will give us rest from our work and from the
toil of our hands arising from the ground which the LORD has cursed."
30Then Lamech lived five hundred and ninety-five years after he
became the father of Noah, and he had other sons and daughters. 31So
all the days of Lamech were seven hundred and seventy-seven years,
and he died. 32Noah was five hundred years old, and Noah became the
father of Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
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IV. Verses 4-32
A. In form, chapter 4 and the Toledot (the generations of) list is exactly as the one we find in chapter 11:10-26.
B. The only difference in form between the two is the phrase "and then he died" we find in Chapter 5, which begs the question why is it important to have those words in chapter 5?
C. The answer I think is because of Enoch (v.24) "was no more" and God took him away." So, it seems that the case of Enoch is meant to be highlighted.
D. Notice further, Enoch "walked with God" (vs.22,24). Although the subject of what his means exactly is debated, it clearly has a meaning to our author. The exact same phrase is used of Noah, as a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time" (6:9) and Abraham and Isaac as faithful servants of God (17:1;24:40). The point of this of course is to tell us that Enoch did not suffer the fate of Adam. Walking with God then is a way of life. One can find life (as opposed to Adam the father of the seed line) if one walks with God, even in the middle of a sin ridden world.
V. The second of the ten patriarchs to receive special attention is Noah.
A. Noah was to bring comfort and rest from the curse (v.29) In light of Gen. 8:21, Noah brought salvation to mankind by the ark. Noah was a "type Christ."
B. Second, Noah and his family were the sole survivors of the flood. We are not told about Noah's death until 9:28-29. More to say about Noah as we move on. (See 1st Peter 3:21ff).