five. See chronology of Patriarchs. App-22 . begat. See Genesis 6:10 below. Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Named in inverted order. Japheth was the elder (Genesis 10:21 ), Shem the youngest, and, as in other cases, the youngest chosen for the blessing. Compare the inversion of the order in Genesis 10:1 , and Genesis 2:6 , and Genesis 2:21 , and See Genesis 11:10 and note on Genesis 9:24 ; Genesis 10:1 . read more
Toledoth II (Genesis 5:1)This remarkable chapter bridges the time-lapse between the Creation and the Flood, that is, from Adam to Noah. It is an error to view this genealogy as merely a variation of the Cainite line given earlier. The resemblance between some of the names is of no significance whatever, but a characteristic exhibited in many Hebrew genealogies. We also reject the notion that this chapter should be identified with so-called "P," the alleged priestly document. The whole... read more
"This is the book of the generations of Adam. In the day that God created man, in the likeness of God made he him; male and female created he them, and blessed them, and called their name Adam, in the day when they were created.""The generations of Adam ..." Here is the same Hebrew word, [~toledowth], used nine other times in Genesis. Note the recapitulation regarding God having created man "in the image of God," etc., thus exhibiting the same pattern observable in the account of the... read more
"And Adam lived a hundred and thirty years, and begat a son in his own likeness, after his image; and called his name Seth."Some commentators make a big thing out of Seth's being begotten after "the image" of Adam, concluding from this that he was also "in the image of God", but to us it appears that there is a world of difference. While true enough that some vestiges of the "image of God" belong to every man ever born, it does not follow that certain persons (Seth, for example) are born in... read more
"And the days of Adam after he begat Seth were eight hundred years: and he begat sons and daughters. And all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years: and he died."The pattern that appears here is repeated exactly throughout the rest of the chapter. Archbishop Usher formed his famous Bible chronology upon the basis of the ages given for the patriarchs in this chapter. However, the distinctive habit of the Hebrews of omitting names from genealogies, together with the obvious... read more
These verses relate, after the same pattern, the nine other names in this list. Instead of copying the text, we have arranged a table as follows: Name of PatriarchAge atBirth ofYears lived afterTotal age ADAM130SETH800930 SETH105ENOSH807912 ENOSH90KENAN815905 KENAN70MAHALALEL840910 MAHALALEL65JARED830895 JARED162ENOCH800962 ENOCH65METHUSELAH300365 METHUSELAH187LAMECH782969 LAMECH182NOAH595777 NOAH500SHEM, HAM, JAPHETH There are several points of unusual interest regarding what is added... read more
"And he called his name Noah, saying, This same shall comfort us in our work, and in the toil of our hands, which cometh because of the ground which Jehovah hath cursed."Unger has pointed out that Jewish scholars insist that Noah's name means "to comfort" instead of "rest," referring it rather to the occupation of Noah than to the strict etymology of the word.[14] The Jewish traditions make Noah an inventor of agricultural instruments and a rescuer of the soil from the ravages of poor tillage.... read more
"And Noah was five hundred years old; and Noah begat Shem, Ham, and Japheth.""Shem" means fame; and, although he stands ahead of his brothers in this list, he was not the oldest[15], but he received this pre-eminence because he was the head of the Messianic line. This whole chapter is designed especially with the ancestry of the Lord Jesus Christ constantly in view. Of course, Noah could have had many other sons and daughters, but these three sons are specifically mentioned because of their... read more
CHAP. V. The genealogy, age, and death of the patriarchs descended from Adam by Seth to Noah. Enoch pleases God, and, after having begotten Methuselah, is taken up to heaven. GENERAL REFLECTIONS. on Chap. IV. and V. CHAP. V. The greatest part of the events happening between the fall of our first parents and the present period, had been (as it were) so many consequences of their sin, and of the sentence pronounced upon them. God seems to have shewn himself to mankind chiefly on the side of his... read more
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E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes - Genesis 5:29
Noah = rest, comfort, or consolation. Genesis 8:21 . comfort us concerning = give us rest from. work: should be works (with Samaritan Pentateuch, Septuagint, Syriac, &c). work and toil = grievous toil, or trouble, " works " reference probably to the evil deeds going on around. See Genesis 6:3 , and compare Exodus 23:24 .Leviticus 18:3 .Micah 6:16 . Ecclesiastes 4:3 .Job 33:17 . Probably Figure of speech Hendiadys ( App-6 ), for emph. = toilsome labour. the LORD. Hebrew. Jehovah.... read more