Genesis 5:32

King James Version:

(The Lord speaking is red text)

And Noah was five hundred years old: and Noah begat Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

Complete Jewish Bible:

Noach was 500 years old; and Noach fathered Shem, Ham and Yefet.

Berean Standard Bible:

After Noah was 500 years old, he became the father of Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

American Standard Version:

And Noah was five hundred years old: and Noah begat Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

KJV with Strong’s Numbers:

And Noah{H5146} was five{H2568} hundred{H3967} years{H8141} old{H1121}: and Noah{H5146} begat{H3205} Shem{H8035}, Ham{H2526}, and Japheth{H3315}.

Cross-References (KJV):

Genesis 6:10

  • And Noah begat three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

Genesis 10:21

  • ¶ Unto Shem also, the father of all the children of Eber, the brother of Japheth the elder, even to him were [children] born.

Genesis 9:22

  • And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brethren without.

Genesis 9:27

  • God shall enlarge Japheth, and he shall dwell in the tents of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant.

Genesis 10:32

  • These [are] the families of the sons of Noah, after their generations, in their nations: and by these were the nations divided in the earth after the flood.

1 Chronicles 1:4

  • Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

1 Chronicles 1:28

  • ¶ The sons of Abraham; Isaac, and Ishmael.

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Commentary for Genesis 5:32

Genesis 5:32 is part of the genealogy from Adam through Noah, detailing the lineage of Seth, the third son of Adam and Eve. This verse specifically marks the birth of Noah's sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth, when Noah was 500 years old. The verse is set within the context of the pre-flood narrative, a time when human lifespans were extraordinarily long, as indicated by the ages listed for each patriarch in this genealogy.

Themes present in this verse and the surrounding context include:

1. **Divine Blessing and Providence**: The long lifespans and the eventual deliverance of Noah and his family from the flood suggest a theme of God's blessing and providential care over the line of Seth, which is contrasted with the wickedness that prevailed in the world at that time.

2. **Genealogy and Legacy**: The detailed genealogies in Genesis emphasize the importance of familial lines and the passing down of heritage, both physical and spiritual, which is a significant theme throughout the Bible.

3. **Human Longevity**: The extraordinary ages of the pre-flood patriarchs reflect a time when human longevity was the norm, which is unique to this era in biblical history.

4. **Moral Corruption**: The verse is on the cusp of the flood narrative, which describes the moral corruption of humanity and the subsequent decision by God to reset creation through the flood, saving only Noah and his family.

5. **Covenantal Relationship**: Noah's righteousness and the salvation of his family prefigure the covenantal relationship God will establish with humanity, first through Noah, then more fully through Abraham and his descendants.

Historically, this verse is part of the Primeval History in Genesis, which covers from creation to the Tower of Babel. It reflects ancient Near Eastern literary conventions of the time, including the use of genealogies to establish historical and theological continuity. The story of Noah would have been familiar to the ancient Israelites, serving as a backdrop for understanding God's expectations of righteousness and the consequences of sin.

*This commentary is produced by Microsoft/WizardLM-2-8x22B AI model

Strong's Numbers and Definitions:

Note: H = Hebrew (OT), G = Greek (NT)

  1. Strong's Number: H5146
    There are 39 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: נֹחַ
    Transliteration: Nôach
    Pronunciation: no'-akh
    Description: the same as נוּחַ; rest; Noach, the patriarch of the flood; Noah.
  2. Strong's Number: H2568
    There are 273 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: חָמֵשׁ
    Transliteration: châmêsh
    Pronunciation: khaw-maysh'
    Description: masculine חֲמִשָּׁה; a primitive numeral; five; fif(-teen), fifth, five ([idiom] apiece).
  3. Strong's Number: H3967
    There are 512 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: מֵאָה
    Transliteration: mêʼâh
    Pronunciation: may-aw'
    Description: or מֵאיָה; properly, a primitive numeral; a hundred; also as a multiplicative and a fraction; hundred((-fold), -th), [phrase] sixscore.
  4. Strong's Number: H8141
    There are 647 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: שָׁנֶה
    Transliteration: shâneh
    Pronunciation: shaw-neh'
    Description: (in plural or (feminine) שָׁנָה; from שָׁנָה; a year (as a revolution of time); [phrase] whole age, [idiom] long, [phrase] old, year([idiom] -ly).
  5. Strong's Number: H1121
    There are 3654 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: בֵּן
    Transliteration: bên
    Pronunciation: bane
    Description: from בָּנָה; a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etc., (like father or brother), etc.); [phrase] afflicted, age, (Ahoh-) (Ammon-) (Hachmon-) (Lev-) ite, (anoint-) ed one, appointed to, ([phrase]) arrow, (Assyr-) (Babylon-) (Egypt-) (Grec-) ian, one born, bough, branch, breed, [phrase] (young) bullock, [phrase] (young) calf, [idiom] came up in, child, colt, [idiom] common, [idiom] corn, daughter, [idiom] of first, [phrase] firstborn, foal, [phrase] very fruitful, [phrase] postage, [idiom] in, [phrase] kid, [phrase] lamb, ([phrase]) man, meet, [phrase] mighty, [phrase] nephew, old, ([phrase]) people, [phrase] rebel, [phrase] robber, [idiom] servant born, [idiom] soldier, son, [phrase] spark, [phrase] steward, [phrase] stranger, [idiom] surely, them of, [phrase] tumultuous one, [phrase] valiant(-est), whelp, worthy, young (one), youth.
  6. Strong's Number: H3205
    There are 403 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: יָלַד
    Transliteration: yâlad
    Pronunciation: yaw-lad'
    Description: a primitive root; to bear young; causatively, to beget; medically, to act as midwife; specifically, to show lineage; bear, beget, birth(-day), born, (make to) bring forth (children, young), bring up, calve, child, come, be delivered (of a child), time of delivery, gender, hatch, labour, (do the office of a) midwife, declare pedigrees, be the son of, (woman in, woman that) travail(-eth, -ing woman).
  7. Strong's Number: H8035
    There are 16 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: שֵׁם
    Transliteration: Shêm
    Pronunciation: shame
    Description: the same as שֵׁם; name; Shem, a son of Noah (often includ. his posterity); Sem, Shem.
  8. Strong's Number: H2526
    There are 15 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: חָם
    Transliteration: Châm
    Pronunciation: khawm
    Description: the same as חָם; hot (from the tropical habitat); Cham, a son of Noah; also (as a patronymic) his descendants or their country; Ham.
  9. Strong's Number: H3315
    There are 11 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: יֶפֶת
    Transliteration: Yepheth
    Pronunciation: yeh'-feth
    Description: from פָּתָה; expansion; Jepheth, a son of Noah; also his posterity; Japheth.