Genesis 5

1

This is the book of the generations of Adam. In the day that God created man, he made him in God’s likeness.

2

He created them male and female, and blessed them. On the day they were created, he named them Adam.

ExplanationCommentary

EXPLANATION

Verse 2. Adam: the common name of mankind, made to the likeness of God. Bible.

EXPLANATION

“Adam” and “Man” are spelled with the exact same consonants in Hebrew, so this can be correctly translated either way.

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3

Adam lived one hundred thirty years, and became the father of a son in his own likeness, after his image, and named him Seth.

4

The days of Adam after he became the father of Seth were eight hundred years, and he became the father of other sons and daughters.

5

All the days that Adam lived were nine hundred thirty years, then he died.

ExplanationCommentary

EXPLANATION

Verse 5. He died. Ecclus. 14:12 says very justly, the covenant of this world is, he shall surely die. God prolonged the lives of the patriarchs to a more advanced age, that the world might be sooner filled. Their constitution was then more excellent, the fruits of the earth more nourishing, and so forth But the sole satisfactory reason for their living almost a thousand years, while we can hardly arrive at 70, is, because so it pleased God, in whose hands are all our lots. There is a great difference in the number of years assigned by the Hebrew and Vulgate, from that which the Samaritan copy mentions; and the Septuagint differs from both. Whether the difference be real, or only apparent, we shall not pretend to determine. The Church has not decided which system of chronology is the most accurate. In the Martyrology, she adopts that of the Septuagint and placed the birth of Christ in 5199, after Eusebius and Bede, though Riccioli calculates the Septuagint at 5634 years. Bible.—Adam died penitent, as we are assured by the Holy Ghost. Wisdom 10:2.; and tradition affirms the same of Eve, insomuch that the heresy of the Encratites, who condemned our first parents to hell, was exploded with horror. Epip. Saint Augustine in hæres. Tirinus.

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6

Seth lived one hundred five years, then became the father of Enosh.

7

Seth lived after he became the father of Enosh eight hundred seven years, and became the father of other sons and daughters.

8

All of the days of Seth were nine hundred twelve years, then he died.

9

Enosh lived ninety years, and became the father of Kenan.

10

Enosh lived after he became the father of Kenan eight hundred fifteen years, and became the father of other sons and daughters.

11

All of the days of Enosh were nine hundred five years, then he died.

12

Kenan lived seventy years, then became the father of Mahalalel.

13

Kenan lived after he became the father of Mahalalel eight hundred forty years, and became the father of other sons and daughters

14

and all of the days of Kenan were nine hundred ten years, then he died.

15

Mahalalel lived sixty-five years, then became the father of Jared.

16

Mahalalel lived after he became the father of Jared eight hundred thirty years, and became the father of other sons and daughters.

17

All of the days of Mahalalel were eight hundred ninety-five years, then he died.

18

Jared lived one hundred sixty-two years, then became the father of Enoch.

19

Jared lived after he became the father of Enoch eight hundred years, and became the father of other sons and daughters.

20

All of the days of Jared were nine hundred sixty-two years, then he died.

21

Enoch lived sixty-five years, then became the father of Methuselah.

22

After Methuselah’s birth, Enoch walked with God for three hundred years, and became the father of more sons and daughters.

23

All the days of Enoch were three hundred sixty-five years.

24

Enoch walked with God, and he was not found, for God took him.

ExplanationCommentary

EXPLANATION

Verse 24. Walked with God. Septuagint “was pleasing to God,” by continual recollection and watchfulness over himself. Thus he became perfect.—Was seen no more; or, as Saint Paul reads, after the Septuagint he was not found. Hebrews 11:5.—God took him alive to some place unknown, which is commonly supposed to be Paradise, conformably to Ecclus. 44:16 though in Greek we do not read Paradise. Henoch pleased God, and was translated [into Paradise,] that he may give repentance to the nations. To him, that of Wisdom 4:10 may be applied: He … was beloved, and living among sinners, he was translated. He will come again, when the charity of many of his children, (for we all spring from him) shall have grown cold; and shall at last suffer death for opposing Antichrist. Revelation 11. Bible.—“Though it be not an article of faith, whether Henoch be now in that Paradise, from which Adam and Eve were driven, or in some other delightful place; yet the holy Scriptures affirm, that God translated him alive, that he might not experience death,” Saint John Chrysostom hom. 21. with whom the other fathers agree, cited in the Douay Bible; so that it is a matter of surprise, how any Protestant can call it in question. He is the other witness, who will come with Elias, before the great day of the Lord, to perform the same office to the nations, as the latter will to the Jews. Malac. 4. God preserves these two alive, perhaps to give us a striking proof how he could have treated Adam and his posterity, if they had not sinned; and also to confirm our hopes of immortality, when we shall have paid the debt of nature. Worthington.

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25

Methuselah lived one hundred eighty-seven years, then became the father of Lamech.

26

Methuselah lived after he became the father of Lamech seven hundred eighty-two years, and became the father of other sons and daughters.

27

All the days of Methuselah were nine hundred sixty-nine years, then he died.

28

Lamech lived one hundred eighty-two years, then became the father of a son.

29

He named him Noah, saying, “This one will comfort us in our work and in the toil of our hands, caused by the ground which the LORD has cursed.”

ExplanationCommentary

EXPLANATION

Verse 29. Noe means consolation, or repose. After he had beheld the most dreadful catastrophe or disturbance that ever happened in the world, he settled mankind once more in the friendship of God, and merited a blessing both for himself and for the whole earth. He gave, likewise, comfort to all, by useful inventions in agriculture, and in the art of making wine. He saw an end of the distractions caused by the wicked sons of Cain, and became the restorer of a new world: in a word, he was the progenitor of the Messias, who is the King of Peace, and our only solid comfort. Menochius. Bible.

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30

Lamech lived after he became the father of Noah five hundred ninety-five years, and became the father of other sons and daughters.

31

All the days of Lamech were seven hundred seventy-seven years, then he died.

ExplanationCommentary

EXPLANATION

Verse 31. Old. It is wonderful if Noe had no children before this time; but he might have had many, whom the Scripture does not mention, either because they were dead before the deluge, or taking evil courses with the daughters of men, deserved to perish with them. Noe kept the three, who were born after God had foretold the deluge, with the greatest care, under his own eyes. Saint Augustine (Calmet. D. xv. 20.) thinks, however, that many of the Patriarchs had no children till they were pretty far advanced in years. As Sem was born when Noe was 502, and Cham was the youngest, Japheth must have been the first-born. Comp. Calmet. 10:21., with Calmet. 9:24. There is no reason to suppose they were all born the same year. Calmet.

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32

Noah was five hundred years old, then Noah became the father of Shem, Ham, and Japheth.