Genesis 5:3-29

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Genesis 5:1-5

I. His creation, Gen. 5:1, 2, where we have a brief rehearsal of what was before at large related concerning the creation of man. This is what we have need frequently to hear of and carefully to acquaint ourselves with. Observe here, 1. That God created man. Man is not his own maker, therefore he must not be his own master; but the Author of his being must be the director of his motions and the centre of them. 2. That there was a day in which God created man. He was not from eternity, but of... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Genesis 5:6-20

We have here all that the Holy Ghost thought fit to leave upon record concerning five of the patriarchs before the flood, Seth, Enos, Cainan, Mahalaleel, and Jared. There is nothing observable concerning any of these particularly, though we have reason to think they were men of eminence, both for prudence and piety, in their day: but in general, I. Observe how largely and expressly their generations are recorded. This matter, one would think, might have been delivered in fewer words; but it is... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Genesis 5:21-24

The accounts here run on for several generations without any thing remarkable, or any variation but of the names and numbers; but at length there comes in one that must not be passed over so, of whom special notice must be taken, and that is Enoch, the seventh from Adam: the rest, we may suppose, did virtuously, but he excelled them all, and was the brightest star of the patriarchal age. It is but little that is recorded concerning him; but this little is enough to make his name great, greater... read more

Matthew Henry

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

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Genesis 5:28-32

Here we have the first mention of Noah, of whom we shall read much in the following chapters. Observe, I. His name, with the reason of it: Noah signifies rest; his parents gave him that name, with a prospect of his being a more than ordinary blessing to his generation: This same shall comfort us concerning our work and toil of our hands, because of the ground which the Lord hath cursed. Here is, 1. Lamech's complaint of the calamitous state of human life. By the entrance of sin, and the entail... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 5:3

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 here meant; who was begotten in his own likeness, after his image ; not in the likeness, and after the image of God, in which Adam was created; for having sinned, he lost that image, at... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 5:4

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 he begat sons and daughters ; not only after the birth of Seth, but before, though we have no account of any, unless of Cain's wife; but what their number was is not certain, either before or... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 5:5

And all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years ,.... Not lunar years, as Varro F4 Apud Lactant. Institut. l. 2. c. 13. , 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 posterity in this chapter, and of other patriarchs in this book; or otherwise, some must be said to beget children at an age unfit for it,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 5:6

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 was to spring; whose genealogy to give is a principal view of this book, or account of generations from Adam to Noah. read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 5:7

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 probably both before and after Enos was born; but how many is not said. read more

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