This [is] the book of the generations of Adam. In the day that God created man, in the likeness of God made he him; Ver. 1. _This is the book of the generations._] Sepher, _a_ a ciphering of their names, acts, and accidents; that we might know, first, who were Christ's progenitors; secondly, by who... [ Continue Reading ]
Male and female created he them; and blessed them, and called their name Adam, in the day when they were created. Ver. 2. _Male and female created he them._] The Jews at this day have base conceits of women: as that they have not so divine a soul as men; that they are of a lower creation, made only... [ Continue Reading ]
And Adam lived an hundred and thirty years, and begat [a son] in his own likeness, after his image; and called his name Seth: Ver. 3. _Adam lived one hundred and thirty years, and begat._] This was a great trial to his faith, to wait so long for a better issue, when the Cainites spread abroad, erec... [ Continue Reading ]
And the days of Adam after he had begotten Seth were eight hundred years: and he begat sons and daughters: Ver. 4. _He begat sons and daughters._] Philo and Epiphanius give him twelve sons; Beda thirty sons, and as many daughters.... [ Continue Reading ]
And all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years: and he died. Ver. 5. _Nine hundred and thirty years._] Till the fifty-sixth year of the patriarch Lamech. In all which time he doubtless instructed his good nephews in all those great things which himself had learned from God's mo... [ Continue Reading ]
And Seth lived an hundred and five years, and begat Enos: Ver. 6. _And begat Enos,_] that is, Sorry-man, which was _appellatio a dolore. Nomen cure re convenit. Homo enim est animal aerumnis plenum, imo ipsa aerumna, et calamitas, ut est apud Herodotum_ _See Trapp on "_ Gen 5:9 _"_ .... [ Continue Reading ]
And Seth lived after he begat Enos eight hundred and seven years, and begat sons and daughters: Ver. 7. _Eight hundred and seven years._] _See Trapp on "_ Gen 5:20 _"_... [ Continue Reading ]
And all the days of Seth were nine hundred and twelve years: and he died. Ver. 8. _And he died._] _See Trapp on "_ Gen 5:5 _"_ _Omnes una manet nox: Et calcanda semel via lethi_ _a_ Death is the way of all flesh, saith David: of all the world, says Joshua. Jos 23:14 On this condition came I into th... [ Continue Reading ]
And Enos lived ninety years, and begat Cainan: Ver. 9. _Enos begat Cainan._] Enos, that is, Sorry-man, begat Cainan, that is, A man of sorrows. Thus the fathers, though long-lived, were not unmindful of their mortality and misery.... [ Continue Reading ]
And Enos lived after he begat Cainan eight hundred and fifteen years, and begat sons and daughters: Ver. 10. _And begat sons and daughters._] Epiphanius in his _Leptogenesis_, as he calls it, will tell you how many: but you are not bound to believe him.... [ Continue Reading ]
And all the days of Enos were nine hundred and five years: and he died. Ver. 11. _And he died._] This final account is given in of them all, though never so dear to God. And it puts me in mind of a speech of Theodosius the good emperor; - It _a_ is no news that a man dies: but that a man, dead in t... [ Continue Reading ]
And Cainan lived seventy years, and begat Mahalaleel: Ver. 12. _And begat Mahalaleel,_] i.e., _Praised be God_; a good name; imminding him of a good duty. God is to be incessantly praised for his excellency, thanked for his benefits. “Thou art good, and doest good.”... [ Continue Reading ]
And Cainan lived after he begat Mahalaleel eight hundred and forty years, and begat sons and daughters: Ver. 13. _And begat sons and daughters._] Everything is generative of itself, says the philosopher. _a_ And, that man is unworthy to be born, of whom another is not born, says the orator. _ a_ _... [ Continue Reading ]
And all the days of Cainan were nine hundred and ten years: and he died. Ver. 14. _Nine hundred and ten years._] A long while to live: _sed nemo propter canos et annos, diu vixit_ .... [ Continue Reading ]
And Mahalaleel lived sixty and five years, and begat Jared: Ver. 15. _And begat Jared,_] i.e., _One that is going down, sc._, to the dust of death: for, to live, is but to lie a-dying: every day we yield somewhat to death, and a man's cradle stands in his grave.... [ Continue Reading ]
And Mahalaleel lived after he begat Jared eight hundred and thirty years, and begat sons and daughters: Ver. 16. _And begat._] _See Trapp on "_ Gen 5:13... [ Continue Reading ]
And all the days of Mahalaleel were eight hundred ninety and five years: and he died. Ver. 17. _And he died._] _Mors, omnibus finis, multis remedium, quibusdam votum_. It was so doubtless to these holy patriarchs, more willing to die, than ever they had been to dine.... [ Continue Reading ]
And Jared lived an hundred sixty and two years, and he begat Enoch: Ver. 18. _And he begat Enoch,_] i.e., Dedicated, and catechised. Consecrated he was to God, and accordingly brought up “in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.” Eph 6:8 What wonder then that he became eminent and outstanding in... [ Continue Reading ]
And Jared lived after he begat Enoch eight hundred years, and begat sons and daughters: Ver. 19. _And Jared lived after he begat Enoch._] He lived the longer, likely, for the great content he took in so good a son. Towardly and hopeful children do help to lengthen their parents' days. God therefore... [ Continue Reading ]
And all the days of Jared were nine hundred sixty and two years: and he died. Ver. 20. _Nine hundred sixty and two years._] Rabbi Livi citing Genebrardus, the longevity of the patriachs was the work of providence, not the result of nature. _Rabbi Levi, citante Genebrardo, longevitatem patriarcharum... [ Continue Reading ]
And Enoch lived sixty and five years, and begat Methuselah: Ver. 21. _And begat Methuselah,_] that is, _Death's dart,_ or _piercing death_ (death is a skilful archer, that never misseth the mark it shoots at); or, _He once dead, in comes the dart_, i.e., the deluge: and so it did, even in the very... [ Continue Reading ]
And Enoch walked with God after he begat Methuselah three hundred years, and begat sons and daughters: Ver. 22. _And Enoch walked with God,_] i.e., he walked in the fear of the Lord, as the Chaldee here paraphraseth: and this he did _without intermission_, not for a time or two, but continually, co... [ Continue Reading ]
And all the days of Enoch were three hundred sixty and five years: Ver. 23. _All the days of Enoch were three hundred sixty and five years._] So many years only lived Enoch as there be days in the year. But what he wanted in the shortening of his time, was made up in his son Methuselah, the longest... [ Continue Reading ]
And Enoch walked with God: and he [was] not; for God took him. Ver. 24. _And Enoch walked with God._] And so “condemned the world”: Heb 11:7 first, by his life; secondly, at his death. By his life, in that he kept a constant counter-motion to the corrupt courses of the times; not only not swimming... [ Continue Reading ]
And Methuselah lived an hundred eighty and seven years, and begat Lamech: Ver. 25. _And begat Lamech,_] i.e., Poverty: but yet he was endued with the gift of prophecy. Gen 5:29 He might be “ _Nudus opum, sed cui coelum terraeque paterent_ .” We used to call them _poor_ souls, whom we pity: but a... [ Continue Reading ]
And Methuselah lived after he begat Lamech seven hundred eighty and two years, and begat sons and daughters: Ver. 26. _And Methuselah lived._] But had the less joy of his longest life, because he lived in the very _rust of that iron age; _ and so felt _ultima senescentis mundi deliria_, the utmost... [ Continue Reading ]
And all the days of Methuselah were nine hundred sixty and nine years: and he died. Ver. 27. _And all the days of Methuselah._] He lived longest of any, yet wanted thirty-one years of a thousand. Oecolampadius thinks there was a mystery in this, that they all died short of a thousand, which is a ty... [ Continue Reading ]
And Lamech lived an hundred eighty and two years, and begat a son: Ver. 28. _And Lamech._] _See Trapp on "_ Gen 5:25 _"_... [ Continue Reading ]
And he called his name Noah, saying, This [same] shall comfort us concerning our work and toil of our hands, because of the ground which the LORD hath cursed. Ver. 29. _This same shall comfort us._] Herein a figure of Christ. And Peter Martyr thinks that Lamech was in hope that this son of his woul... [ Continue Reading ]
And Lamech lived after he begat Noah five hundred ninety and five years, and begat sons and daughters: Ver. 30. _Five hundred, &c._] And yet if one had asked old Lamech, as he in Gerson did an old Frenchman, _Quot annos habes_ ? How many years old are you? he might have answered as there, _Annos no... [ Continue Reading ]
And all the days of Lamech were seven hundred seventy and seven years: and he died. Ver. 31. _And he died._] Death is that mistress of the world that will not be courted, nor yet cast off, by any. Hesiod may tell of Nectar and Ambrosia, the sweet wines of the gods, that will make men immortal. Plin... [ Continue Reading ]
And Noah was five hundred years old: and Noah begat Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Ver. 32. _And Noah begat Shem, Ham, and Japheth._] Twenty years had he heard from God, that the world should be destroyed, before he had any child. Here was “the faith and patience of this saint.” Rev 13:10 At length he hat... [ Continue Reading ]