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. read more
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; and thus, instead of being the oldest, he is made the youngest of the antediluvian patriarchs, excepting his father Enoch: and begat sons and daughters ; some, it is highly probable, before... read more
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 Psalm 90:4 and no man is suffered to arrive to that. His name carried in it a prediction of the time of the flood, which was to be quickly after his death, as has been observed; see Gill on Genesis 5:21 . Some say he died in the... read more
The days of Methuselah were nine hundred sixty and nine years - This is the longest life mentioned in Scripture, and probably the longest ever lived; but we have not authority to say positively that it was the longest. Before the flood, and before artificial refinements were much known and cultivated, the life of man was greatly protracted, and yet of him who lived within thirty-one years of a thousand it is said he died; and the longest life is but as a moment when it is past. Though life... read more
The antediluvian saints. I. DESCENDANTS OF ADAM . AS such they were— 1. A sinful race. Adam's son Seth was begotten in his father's image. Though still retaining the Divine image ( 1 Corinthians 11:7 ) as to nature, in respect of purity man has lost it. Inexplicable as the mystery is of inherited corruption, it is still a fact that the moral deterioration of the head of the human family has transmitted itself to all the members. The doctrine of human depravity, however... read more
The shortest life was followed by the longest, Methuselah begetting, at the advanced age of 187, Lamech ,—strong or young man (Gesenius); overthrower, wild man (Furst); man of, prayer (Murphy),—continuing after his son's birth 782 years, and at last succumbing to the stroke of death in the 969th year of his age, the year of the Flood. Lamech, by whom the line was carried forward, was similarly far advanced when he begat a son, at the age of 182, and called his name Noah ,—"rest," from ... read more
- Section V - The Line to Noah- The Line of Sheth1. ספר sepher “writing, a writing, a book.”9. קינן qēynān, Qenan, “possessor, or spearsman.”12. <מהללאל mahelal'ēl, Mahalalel, “praise of ‘El.”15. ירד yerĕd, Jered, “going down.”21. מתוּשׁלה metûshālach, Methushelach, “man of the missile.”29. נה noach, Noach, “rest,” נחם nācham “sigh; repent; pity; comfort oneself; be revenged.”32. שׁם shēm, Shem, “name, fame; related: be high.” חם chām Cham, “hot.” יפת yāpet, Japheth, “spreading;... read more
5:1-32 GENEALOGY FROM ADAM TO NOAHAs the human race expanded, the minority of people who remained faithful to God became smaller and smaller. The purpose of the genealogy recorded in this chapter is to trace from Adam to Noah that thin line of believers who kept alive the knowledge of God.The genealogy does not name every descendant in the line from Adam to Noah, but selects ten important people to form an overall framework. Selective genealogies such as this, being easy to remember, were... read more
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Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Genesis 5:25-27
Concerning Methuselah observe, 1. The signification of his name, which some think was prophetical, his father Enoch being a prophet. Methuselah signifies, he dies, or there is a dart, or, a sending forth, namely, of the deluge, which came the very year that Methuselah died. If indeed his name was so intended and so explained, it was fair warning to a careless world, a long time before the judgment came. However, this is observable, that the longest liver that ever was carried death in his... read more