5:3

Now begins the genealogy with this structure:

  1. The age of the father at the birth of his firstborn son
  2. The name of his son
  3. How many years the father lived after the birth of his firstborn son
  4. A reference to the father having other sons and daughters
  5. The father’s age at his death

 

The Descending Life Spans in the Old Testament

  1. Adam to Lamech is 1000-800 years
  2. Noah to Abraham is 600-200 years
  3. Abraham to Joseph and Moses is 200-200  years
  4. Psalm 90:10 says 70 years

 

5:3-31, Adam to Lamech, it is said of each of them “then he died”.  This is written:

  1. Only in this set of the genealogy
  2. To separate them from the seventh name, Enoch, who did not die.
  3. To remind us that the ultimate blessing and the ultimate purpose can not be found in man’s life but must be found in the promised seed.
  4. To remind us that no matter how productive, pleasant or convenient your years on earth you must still face death

 

    1. Adam
    2. Seth
    3. Enosh means “man”
    4. Kenan close to the name “Cain”.  He may have been the one to bring Cain’s technology to Seth’s line.
    5. Mahalalel means “Praise of God”.  You can see the word for “praise” (“halal”) and the word for God (“El”) in his name.
    6. Jared this word may mean “descent” if it is originally Hebrew.  Some people think Hebrew was the original language.
    7. Enoch
    8. Methuselah
    9. Lamech here is remembered for what he said concerning a need for deliverance from earth.  The Lamech in Cain’s line is remembered for his arrogance concerning his lack of need for God in his life.  Both of these men are remembered for what they said that sums up their genealogy line.
    10. Noah means “rest”.  His father uses a word play with a similar word “nahem” which means “comfort” to make a prophecy at the child’s birth. 

 

 

5:22

“walked with God” (“wayyithallek ‘et-ha elohim”) is mentioned twice about Enoch.

“Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked with God.”

“I am God Almighty (“el shaddai”); walk before me and be blameless.  I will confirm my covenant between me and you and will greatly increase your numbers.”

The idea of walking with God refers to keeping your part of the covenant obligations.


But, these men Enoch, Noah and Abraham are “walking with God” and fulfilling covenant obligations with YHWH before the Law of Moses.  This shows there is a better way to walk with God than to follow a legalistic code.

 

It was said of Abraham that he “believed the LORD (YHWH), and he credited it to him as righteousness” (Gen. 15:6)

 

The phrase “walked with God” is more focused on fellowship than a legal standard.
Fellowship, though, would have included obedience to God’s ways just as Jesus indicated when he said, “If you love me, you will obey what I command.” (John 14:15)

 

For the author of Genesis, “walking with God” is a way of life.  It will be seen in many other OT examples.

 

Moses established the law but remember:

    1. it was secondary – Deuteronomy 31:27- they were rebellious while Moses lived among them.  The law was a means to lead the people to the answer.  See Romans 3:20, 5:20; Galatians 3:11; 2:16
    2. and itself promised a better way – Deuteronomy 30:5-6

 

Enoch is referred to in Hebrews 11:5,6.  The writer of Hebrews quotes the LXX (the Greek Septuagint).  The Hebrew has the phrase “walked with God” twice, but the LXX paraphrased “walked with God” as “pleased God.”  The Septuagint also changes the Hebrew “was not” to say “was not found.”

 

The LXX (Septuagint) says:
”And Enoch lived a hundred and sixty and five years, and begat Mathusala.

And Enoch was well-pleasing to God after his begetting Mathusala, two hundred years, and he begot sons and daughters.
And all the days of Enoch were three hundred and sixty and five years.
And Enoch was well-pleasing to God, and was not found, because God translated him.”

 

Enoch is quoted in Jude 14

 

“God took him” is the Hebrew word “laqakh” is interpreted as:

1)     a technical word for “translate” which means to pass directly from the earth to the heavenly realm.

2)     Some interpret “he was no more” to mean a sudden and unexplainable death like Psalm 39:13.  The problem with this interpretation is that Enoch’s account is still missing the phrase “then he died” that is used in all of the other men’s account.  This alone is a strong indication that something other than death happened to Enoch.

3)     This word is used again in Psalms 49:15 and 73:24 where “receive” = “take”

a.      Psalms 49:15

b.      Psalms 73:24

The emphasis on Enoch is NOT that he did not die because the author only refers to this once.  But, the author twice says, that Enoch “walked with God.”  So the emphasis on Enoch is that he walked with God, it is secondary that he did not die.

 

Enoch lived about 1/3 as long as his contemporaries.

Enoch’s translation indicates:

    1. Death is not the ultimate power since God overrode death’s authority.  The curse of death is not the final word.
    2. There is hope of Life after death or an after life.  The way to the tree of life is still available.
    3. Man’s hope is in God
    4. There is a greater blessing than prosperity and long life.  It is better to be with the Lord.
    5. God will respond to our obedience, righteousness and walking with him.
    6. Fellowship with God counters the curse
    7. Enoch found life amid the curse of death

 

 

 

The Book of Enoch is a book written between the Old and New Testaments. Probable date of writing was between 150-80 B.C. Copies of the Book of Enoch have been found among the Dead Sea scrolls.

                              

Jude 14, 15 quotes 1 Enoch 1:9,

“And behold! He comes  with ten thousands of His holy ones to execute judgment upon all, and to destroy all the ungodly; And to convict all flesh of all the works of their ungodliness which they have ungodly committed, and of all the hard things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him. “

 

5:25

 

5:26

 

5:27

 

5:28

 

5:29

 

5:30

Noah means “rest”.  His father uses a word play with a similar word “nahem” which means “comfort” to make a prophecy at the child’s birth. 

 

The birth of a child was often a time of prophecy in the OT.  This is carried on into the book of Isaiah at a higher level.

Lamech may be thinking about the seed of the woman of Genesis 3:15 when he refers to the curse of Genesis 3:17 when he names his son Noah.

 

 

5:31

 

5:32

 

 Genealogy from Shem to Isaac