Genesis 5:1

This is the book, &c. The word rendered "book" (Heb. sêpher) is used of any written document. Our word "book" gives rather too much the meaning of a piece of literature. The word is often used in a much more general sense, e.g. Isaiah 50:1, "where is the bill (Heb. sêpher) of your mother's divorcement?" Jeremiah 32:10, "and I subscribed the deed (Heb. sêpher), and sealed it"; 2 Samuel 11:14, "David wrote a letter (Heb. sêpher) to Joab." Here it is equivalent to "a written list."

the generations See note on Genesis 2:4, "The generations of Adam," i.e. the genealogy from Adam to Noah. LXX γενέσεως, Vulg. "generationis," regarded the Hebrew word as singular.

Adam The proper name, Adam, not ha-adam= "the man" or "mankind."

God created man The words "God" (Elohim), "created" (bara), "in the likeness," reproduce the distinctive language of Genesis 1:26-28.