GENESIS 5
From Adam to Noah
About This Chapter
Genesis 5 traces the generations from Adam to Noah, connecting the first human family to the man whose story will soon take center stage. Although the chapter is largely a record of names, ages, and descendants, it also shows how life continues from one generation to the next.
Notice the phrase that keeps returning throughout the genealogy: each person's life comes to an end. Against that repeated pattern, one account stands apart. The chapter closes by introducing Noah, preparing the way for the events that follow.
1This is the written record of Adam's family line.
When God created human beings, he made them to be like himself. 2He created them male and female, and he blessed them. And when they were created, he called them "human beings."
3When Adam was 130 years old, he had a son who was like him, in his own image, and he named him Seth. 4After Seth was born, Adam lived 800 more years and had other sons and daughters. 5Adam lived 930 years in all, and then he died.
6When Seth was 105 years old, he became the father of Enosh. 7After Enosh was born, Seth lived 807 more years and had other sons and daughters. 8Seth lived 912 years in all, and then he died.
9When Enosh was 90 years old, he became the father of Kenan. 10After Kenan was born, Enosh lived 815 more years and had other sons and daughters. 11Enosh lived 905 years in all, and then he died.
12When Kenan was 70 years old, he became the father of Mahalalel. 13After Mahalalel was born, Kenan lived 840 more years and had other sons and daughters. 14Kenan lived 910 years in all, and then he died.
15When Mahalalel was 65 years old, he became the father of Jared. 16After Jared was born, Mahalalel lived 830 more years and had other sons and daughters. 17Mahalalel lived 895 years in all, and then he died.
18When Jared was 162 years old, he became the father of Enoch. 19After Enoch was born, Jared lived 800 more years and had other sons and daughters. 20Jared lived 962 years in all, and then he died.
21When Enoch was 65 years old, he became the father of Methuselah. 22After Methuselah was born, Enoch walked closely with God for 300 years and had other sons and daughters. 23Enoch lived 365 years in all. 24Enoch walked closely with God, and then he was gone, because God took him away.
What This Means | Enoch Walked with God Enoch's story stands out from the rest of this genealogy. While the other accounts end with the person's death, Genesis says that God took Enoch. Hebrews 11:5 explains that Enoch was taken from this life without experiencing death because he pleased God through his faith. Enoch is one of only two people in the Old Testament described as being taken by God without a recorded death. The other is Elijah, whose departure is described in 2 Kings 2:11.
25When Methuselah was 187 years old, he became the father of Lamech. 26After Lamech was born, Methuselah lived 782 more years and had other sons and daughters. 27Methuselah lived 969 years in all, and then he died.
28When Lamech was 182 years old, he had a son. 29He named him Noah and said, "He will give us relief from our hard work and from the painful labor of our hands on this ground the LORD has cursed." 30After Noah was born, Lamech lived 595 more years and had other sons and daughters. 31Lamech lived 777 years in all, and then he died.
32After Noah was 500 years old, he became the father of Shem, Ham, and Japheth.