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Post by Admin on Oct 27, 2016 5:46:10 GMT -6
4:26 To Seth, to him also a son was born; and he called his name Enosh. Then men began to call upon the name of the Lord. 5:1 This is the book of the generations of Adam. In the day when God created man, He made him in the likeness of God. 2 He created them male and female, and He blessed them and named them Man in the day when they were created. 3 When Adam had lived one hundred and thirty years, he became the father of a son in his own likeness, according to his image, and named him Seth. 4 Then the days of Adam after he became the father of Seth were eight hundred years, and he had other sons and daughters. 5 So all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years, and he died. 6 Seth lived one hundred and five years, and became the father of Enosh. 7 Then Seth lived eight hundred and seven years after he became the father of Enosh, and he had other sons and daughters. 8 So all the days of Seth were nine hundred and twelve years, and he died. 9 Enosh lived ninety years, and became the father of Kenan. 10 Then Enosh lived eight hundred and fifteen years after he became the father of Kenan, and he had other sons and daughters. 11 So all the days of Enosh were nine hundred and five years, and he died. 12 Kenan lived seventy years, and became the father of Mahalalel. 13 Then Kenan lived eight hundred and forty years after he became the father of Mahalalel, and he had other sons and daughters. 14 So all the days of Kenan were nine hundred and ten years, and he died. 15 Mahalalel lived sixty-five years, and became the father of Jared. 16 Then Mahalalel lived eight hundred and thirty years after he became the father of Jared, and he had other sons and daughters. 17 So all the days of Mahalalel were eight hundred and ninety-five years, and he died. 18 Jared lived one hundred and sixty-two years, and became the father of Enoch. 19 Then Jared lived eight hundred years after he became the father of Enoch, and he had other sons and daughters. 20 So all the days of Jared were nine hundred and sixty-two years, and he died. 21 Enoch lived sixty-five years, and became the father of Methuselah. 22 Then Enoch walked with God three hundred years after he became the father of Methuselah, and he had other sons and daughters. 23 So 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. 25 Methuselah lived one hundred and eighty-seven years, and became the father of Lamech. 26 Then Methuselah lived seven hundred and eighty-two years after he became the father of Lamech, and he had other sons and daughters. 27 So all the days of Methuselah were nine hundred and sixty-nine years, and he died. 28 Lamech lived one hundred and eighty-two years, and became the father of a son. 29 Now 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.” 30 Then Lamech lived five hundred and ninety-five years after he became the father of Noah, and he had other sons and daughters. 31 So all the days of Lamech were seven hundred and seventy-seven years, and he died. 32 Noah was five hundred years old, and Noah became the father of Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
New American Standard Bible (NASB)
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JB
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Post by JB on Nov 15, 2016 22:30:57 GMT -6
4:26a To Seth also a son was born, and he called his name Enosh.
Note that Seth’s first son was named “Enosh” in 4:26 and Cain’s first son was named “Enoch” in 4:18. These are not identical names. [The two Hebrew words are “Chanowk” (חֲנוֹךְ) in 4:18 and “'Enowsh” (אֱנוֹשׁ) in 4:26]. Though they look very different from each other in our alphabet, they sound very similar to each other in Hebrew. It’s important to understand that Hebrew is primarily a spoken language. Its alphabet didn’t even have vowels until the 9th Century A.D.!
4:26b At that time people began to call upon the name of the Lord.
From this point onward humanity in Genesis will be depicted in two general types: Those who desire reconciliation with God and those who move on through life without Him. The distinctions between the two will become clear in their lifestyles. The former won’t live perfectly by any stretch of the imagination, but God’s presence in their lives will be continually visible.
5:1 This is the book of the generations of Adam. When God created man, he made him in the likeness of God. 2 Male and female he created them, and he blessed them and named them Man when they were created. 3 When Adam had lived 130 years, he fathered a son in his own likeness, after his image, and named him Seth.
Verse 1 is there to show the contrast in verse 3. As God created Adam in His image and likeness, so Adam produced a man in his own image and likeness. Seth was born not in God’s sinless image but in Adam’s sinful image. This highlights the change that took place in Adam after his sin. His only likeness to God after the fall was his knowledge of good and evil a quality that caused him continuous trouble.
5:4 The days of Adam after he fathered Seth were 800 years; and he had other sons and daughters. 5 Thus all the days that Adam lived were 930 years, and he died.
Adam’s family, who were presumably but not necessarily all born through Eve, was much larger than Cain, Abel, and Seth. He had sons and daughters that the Bible doesn’t name. Those three are highlighted for specific purposes to the reader: - Cain and Abel to show us the evil that was now in the world and the sin that was passed from generation to generation;
- Seth to show us that God would not abandon His fallen creatures if they would not abandon Him.
6 When Seth had lived 105 years, he fathered Enosh. 7 Seth lived after he fathered Enosh 807 years and had other sons and daughters. 8 Thus all the days of Seth were 912 years, and he died.
Notice the recurring phrase structure in this genealogy: “X lived Y years after he fathered Z, and he died.” This is a formula. It’s intended to drive a point home, and I think that point is the futility of earthly life. You live so many years, you have so many offspring, then you die and your offspring repeat the process. That’s the sum of meaning that this fallen world has to offer.
9 When Enosh had lived 90 years, he fathered Kenan. 10 Enosh lived after he fathered Kenan 815 years and had other sons and daughters. 11 Thus all the days of Enosh were 905 years, and he died.
It’s obvious that people lived much longer earthly lives in those days. Bible students have posited various possible for this: The gradual fading of the Spirit of life which God breathed into Adam and Eve; the progressive development of the ground’s curse, such as bacteria, decay, and disease; God growing weary of people having so many years to mess things up; and an interesting suggestion that, as generations moved further away from original sin, God increasingly BLESSED people with shorter lifespans so they wouldn’t have to endure life in a corrupt world for as long of a time. SIDE NOTE: LONGEVITY
Many times I have heard or read interpreters using Genesis 6:3 as the explanation, but that is a careless application of that verse. It is unrelated to this question. But no explanation is given in the Bible. Every explanation is mere conjecture.
12 When Kenan had lived 70 years, he fathered Mahalalel. 13 Kenan lived after he fathered Mahalalel 840 years and had other sons and daughters. 14 Thus all the days of Kenan were 910 years, and he died. 15 When Mahalalel had lived 65 years, he fathered Jared. 16 Mahalalel lived after he fathered Jared 830 years and had other sons and daughters. 17 Thus all the days of Mahalalel were 895 years, and he died. 18 When Jared had lived 162 years he fathered Enoch. 19 Jared lived after he fathered Enoch 800 years and had other sons and daughters. 20 Thus all the days of Jared were 962 years, and he died. 21 When Enoch had lived 65 years, he fathered Methuselah. 22 Enoch walked with God after he fathered Methuselah 300 years and had other sons and daughters. 23 Thus all the days of Enoch were 365 years. 24 Enoch walked with God, and he was not, for God took him.
There is no way to know from the words in Genesis what is meant by “and he was not, for God took him” (Enoch). - The phrase can mean that God literally took his life which, as I said above, is truly a blessing for a man “who walked with God” for hundreds of years.
- It could also mean that God whisked him away.
On the surface Hebrews 11:5 seems explain it for us: “ By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death, and he was not found, because God had taken him.” Thus, like He later did for Elijah, God saved Enoch from death. But the Bible nowhere teaches that either Enoch or Elijah never died. In fact, just eight verses later, Hebrews 11:13 says “ These all [that includes Enoch] died in faith, not having received the things promised.” In Elijah’s case, 2 Kings 2:11 does say that “ Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.” But that was clearly not the end of the story because, 10 years later, 2 Chronicles 21:12ff tells us that King Jehoram of Judah received a letter from Elijah telling him that God was going to bring a plague on his kingdom. Therefore, the only way I know to understand what Genesis tells us about Enoch and what 2 Kings tells us about Elijah is that God TEMPORARILY saved them from death by carrying them off to safety from whatever they were facing at that time in their lives. Perhaps they were about to be murdered. We’re not told. But they eventually died like everyone else – even our Savior – has died according to Hebrews 11.
25 When Methuselah had lived 187 years, he fathered Lamech. 26 Methuselah lived after he fathered Lamech 782 years and had other sons and daughters. 27 Thus all the days of Methuselah were 969 years, and he died.
It is interesting, but doesn’t carry any significance as far as I can tell, that main of Cain’s and Seth’s descendants had very similar names. - Cain had Enoch, Seth had Enoch and Enosh.
- Cain had Irad. Seth had Jared.
- Cain had Methushael. Seth had Methuselah.
- Cain had Lamech and Seth also had Lamech.
I guess language would have been much less developed in that time, so the pool of available names would have been too. Methuselah had the longest lifespan recorded in the Bible.
28 When Lamech had lived 182 years, he fathered a son 29 and called his name Noah, saying, “Out of the ground that the Lord has cursed, this one shall bring us relief from our work and from the painful toil of our hands.” 30 Lamech lived after he fathered Noah 595 years and had other sons and daughters. 31 Thus all the days of Lamech were 777 years, and he died.
What is significant here is how Genesis 3:15 is subtly being fulfilled. Genesis 3:15 reads “ And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, And you shall bruise him on the heel." We know that Jesus Christ is ultimately the fulfillment of that promise. And we also know that Seth’s lineage produced the baby Jesus. Only Seth’s lineage, 9 generations later through Noah, was continued after the flood. The rest were destroyed. Luke’s genealogy of Jesus in Luke 3:23-38 differs from Matthew’s in that it moves backward rather than forward. Thus it ends at the beginning with the words “the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God”
32 After Noah was 500 years old, Noah fathered Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
This verse sets up the incredible story that is soon to come. SIDE NOTE: WORLD POPULATION
SIDE NOTE: MARRYING RELATIVES
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