INTRODUCTION TO GENESIS 5
This chapter contains a list or catalogue of the posterity of Adam in
the line of Seth, down to Noah; it begins with a short account of the
creation of Adam, and of his life and death, Genesis 5:1 next of five
of the antediluvian patriarchs, their age and death, namely Set... [ Continue Reading ]
THIS IS THE BOOK OF THE GENERATIONS OF ADAM,.... An account of persons
born of him, or who descended from him by generation in the line of
Seth, down to Noah, consisting of ten generations; for a genealogy of
all his descendants is not here given, not of those in the line of
Cain, nor of the collate... [ Continue Reading ]
MALE AND FEMALE CREATED HE THEM,.... Adam and Eve, the one a male, the
other a female; and but one male and one female, to show that one man
and one woman only were to be joined together in marriage, and live as
man and wife for the procreation of posterity; and these were not made
together, but fir... [ Continue Reading ]
AND ADAM LIVED AN HUNDRED AND THIRTY YEARS,.... The Septuagint
version, through mistaken, gives the number two hundred and thirty
years:
AND BEGAT [A SON]; not that he had no other children during this time
than Cain and Abel; this is only observed to show how old he was when
Seth was born, the son... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE DAYS OF ADAM, AFTER HE HAD BEGOTTEN SETH, WERE EIGHT HUNDRED
YEARS,.... The Septuagint version is seven hundred; for having added
one hundred years more the should be, to the years of his life before
the birth of Seth, here they are taken away to make the number of his
years complete:
AND H... [ Continue Reading ]
AND ALL THE DAYS THAT ADAM LIVED WERE NINE HUNDRED AND THIRTY
YEARS,.... Not lunar years, as Varro d, but solar years, which
consisted of three hundred and sixty five days and odd hours, and such
were in use among the Egyptians in the times of Moses; and of these
must be the age of Adam, and of his... [ Continue Reading ]
AND SETH LIVED AN HUNDRED AND FIVE YEARS, AND BEGAT ENOS. Not that
this was his firstborn, no doubt but he had other children before this
time; but this is only mentioned, because it carried the lineage and
descent directly from Adam to Noah, the father of the new world, and
from whom the Messiah wa... [ Continue Reading ]
AND SETH LIVED, AFTER HE BEGAT ENOS, EIGHT HUNDRED AND SEVEN
YEARS,.... The Septuagint version makes the same mistake in the
numbers of Seth as of Adam, giving him two hundred and five years
before the birth of Enos, and but seven hundred and seven years after:
AND BEGAT SONS AND DAUGHTERS; very pr... [ Continue Reading ]
AND ALL THE DAYS OF SETH WERE NINE HUNDRED AND TWELVE YEARS, AND HE
DIED. As his father Adam before him. Seth, according to Josephus l,
was a very good man, and brought up his children well, who trod in his
steps, and who studied the nature of the heavenly bodies; and that the
knowledge of these thi... [ Continue Reading ]
AND ENOS LIVED NINETY YEARS, AND BEGAT CAINAN. According to the
Septuagint a hundred and ninety years; it can hardly be thought but
that he had sons or daughters before, but this is only taken notice of
for a reason before given.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND ENOS LIVED, AFTER HE BEGAT CAINAN, EIGHT HUNDRED AND FIFTEEN
YEARS,.... The Septuagint version is seven hundred and fifteen; the
hundred which is wanting is to be supplied from the preceding verse,
which in that version has an hundred too much:
AND BEGAT SONS AND DAUGHTERS; others besides Enos,... [ Continue Reading ]
AND ALL THE DAYS OR ENOS WERE NINE HUNDRED AND FIVE YEARS, AND HE
DIED. According to the Arabic writers n, this man was a very good man,
governed his people well, and instructed them in the ways of
righteousness, and the fear of God; and when his end drew nigh, his
offspring gathered about him for h... [ Continue Reading ]
AND CAINAN LIVED SEVENTY YEARS, AND BEGAT MAHALALEEL. Here the
Septuagint version adds an hundred years, as before.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND CAINAN LIVED, AFTER HE BEGAT MAHALALEEL, EIGHT HUNDRED AND FORTY
YEARS,.... The Septuagint has seven hundred and forty, which, added to
the years given him before, makes the same sum:
AND BEGAT SONS AND DAUGHTERS; as his progenitors did.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND ALL THE DAYS OF CAINAN WERE NINE HUNDRED AND TEN YEARS, AND HE
DIED. The Arabic writers o also commend him as a good ruler of his
people; and at his death he charged them not to desert the holy
mountain, and join themselves with Cain's posterity; and having
appointed Mahalaleel, who they say was... [ Continue Reading ]
AND MAHALALEEL LIVED SIXTY AND FIVE YEARS, AND BEGAT JARED. A hundred
and sixty, according to the Septuagint version.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND MAHALALEEL LIVED, AFTER HE BEGAT JARED, EIGHT HUNDRED AND THIRTY
YEARS,.... Seven hundred and thirty, as the above version, still
making the same mistake:
AND HE BEGAT SONS AND DAUGHTERS; how many cannot be said.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND ALL THE DAYS OF MAHALALEEL WERE EIGHT HUNDRED NINETY AND FIVE
YEARS, AND HE DIED. He also is spoken well of by the Arabic writers p
as a good governor, a pious man that walked in the way of
righteousness; and when he died blessed his children, and adjured them
by the blood of Abel, not to suffer... [ Continue Reading ]
AND JARED LIVED AN HUNDRED AND SIXTY TWO YEARS, AND HE BEGAT ENOCH.
Here the Septuagint agrees with the Hebrew text, and the Samaritan
version differs, reading only sixty two; but this can hardly be
thought to be his first son at such an age.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND JARED LIVED, AFTER HE BEGAT ENOCH, EIGHT HUNDRED YEARS,.... And
so, the Greek version, but the Samaritan is seven hundred and eighty
five:
AND BEGAT SONS AND DAUGHTERS; in that time, as well as before; for it
is not to be imagined in this, or either of the foregoing or following
instances, that... [ Continue Reading ]
AND ALL THE DAYS OF JARED WERE NINE HUNDRED SIXTY AND TWO YEARS, AND
HE DIED. The name of this patriarch signifies "descending"; and,
according to the Arabic writers q, he had his name from the posterity
of Seth, descending from the holy mountain in his time; for upon a
noise being heard on the moun... [ Continue Reading ]
AND ENOCH LIVED SIXTY AND FIVE YEARS, AND BEGAT METHUSELAH. Here the
Septuagint version adds again an hundred years; and that Enoch had a
son, whose name was Methuselah, is affirmed by Eupolemus r, an Heathen
writer; and Enoch being a prophet gave him this name under a spirit of
prophecy, foretellin... [ Continue Reading ]
AND ENOCH WALKED WITH GOD, AFTER HE BEGAT METHUSELAH, THREE HUNDRED
YEARS,.... The Greek version is two hundred. He had walked with God
undoubtedly before, but perhaps after this time more closely and
constantly: and this is observed to denote, that he continued so to do
all the days of his life, no... [ Continue Reading ]
AND ALL THE DAYS OF ENOCH WERE THREE HUNDRED AND SIXTY FIVE YEARS. A
year of years, living as many years as there are days in a year; not
half the age of the rest of the patriarchs: our poet t calls him one
of middle age; though his being taken away in the midst of his days
was not a token of divine... [ Continue Reading ]
AND ENOCH WALKED WITH GOD,.... Which is repeated both for the
confirmation of it, and for the singularity of it in that corrupt age;
and to cause attention to it, and stir up others to imitate him in it,
as well as to express the well pleasedness of God therein; for so it
is interpreted, "he had thi... [ Continue Reading ]
AND METHUSELAH LIVED AN HUNDRED AND EIGHTY AND SEVEN YEARS, AND BEGET
LAMECH. The Septuagint version is an hundred and sixty seven; the
Samaritan only sixty seven; the same names were given to some of the
posterity of Seth as were to those of Cain, as Lamech here, and Enoch
before.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND METHUSELAH LIVED, AFTER HE BEGAT LAMECH, SEVEN HUNDRED EIGHTY AND
TWO YEARS,.... The Greek version is eight hundred and two years, and
so makes the sum total of his life the same; but the Samaritan version
only six hundred and fifty three, and so makes his whole life but
seven hundred and twenty... [ Continue Reading ]
AND ALL THE DAYS OF METHUSELAH WERE NINE HUNDRED AND SIXTY NINE YEARS,
AND HE DIED,.... This was the oldest man that ever lived, no man ever
lived to a thousand years: the Jews give this as a reason for it,
because a thousand years is God's day, according to
Psalms 90:4 and no man is suffered to ar... [ Continue Reading ]
AND LAMECH LIVED AN HUNDRED EIGHTY AND TWO YEARS, AND BEGAT SON.
According to the Septuagint version he was an hundred and eighty eight
years old; but according to the Samaritan version only fifty three;
the name, of his son, begotten by him, is given in the next verse,
with the reason of it.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE CALLED HIS NAME NOAH,.... Which signifies rest and comfort; for
rest gives comfort, and comfort flows from rest, see
2 Samuel 14:17, where a word from the same root is rendered
"comfortable", and agrees with the reason of the name, as follows:
SAYING, THIS SAME SHALL COMFORT US, CONCERNING... [ Continue Reading ]
AND LAMECH LIVED, AFTER HE BEGAT NOAH, FIVE HUNDRED NINETY AND FIVE
YEARS,.... The Septuagint version is five hundred and sixty five; and
the Samaritan version six hundred:
AND BEGAT SONS AND DAUGHTERS; of which we have no account.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND ALL THE DAYS OF LAMECH WERE SEVEN HUNDRED SEVENTY AND SEVEN YEARS,
AND HE DIED. According to the Greek version, he lived but seven
hundred and fifty three; and according to the Samaritan version, only
six hundred and fifty three: but it is best and safest in these, and
all the above numbers, to... [ Continue Reading ]
AND NOAH WAS FIVE HUNDRED YEARS OLD,.... Or "the son of five hundred
years" f; he was in his five hundredth year: it can hardly be thought
that he should live to this time a single life, and have no children
born to him, which he might have had, but were dead; though some think
it was so ordered by... [ Continue Reading ]