TRV
Translation
King James Version
And Mahalaleel lived after he begat Jared eight hundred and thirty years, and begat sons and daughters:
Complete Jewish Bible
After Yered was born, Mahalal’el lived another 830 years and had sons and daughters.
Berean Standard Bible
And after he had become the father of Jared, Mahalalel lived 830 years and had other sons and daughters.
American Standard Version
and Mahalalel lived after he begat Jared eight hundred and thirty years, and begat sons and daughters:
World English Bible Messianic
Mahalalel lived after he became the father of Jared eight hundred thirty years, and became the father of other sons and daughters.
Geneva Bible (1599)
Also Mahalaleel liued, after he begate Iered, eight hundreth and thirtie yeeres, and begate sonnes and daughters.
Young's Literal Translation
And Mahalaleel liveth after his begetting Jared eight hundred and thirty years, and begetteth sons and daughters.
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In the KJVVerse 122 of 31,102
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Commentary on Genesis 5 verses 6–20
6 ¶ And Seth lived an hundred and five years, and begat Enos:
7 And Seth lived after he begat Enos eight hundred and seven years, and begat sons and daughters:
8 And all the days of Seth were nine hundred and twelve years: and he died.
9 And Enos lived ninety years, and begat Cainan:
10 And Enos lived after he begat Cainan eight hundred and fifteen years, and begat sons and daughters:
11 And all the days of Enos were nine hundred and five years: and he died.
12 And Cainan lived seventy years, and begat Mahalaleel:
13 And Cainan lived after he begat Mahalaleel eight hundred and forty years, and begat sons and daughters:
14 And all the days of Cainan were nine hundred and ten years: and he died.
15 And Mahalaleel lived sixty and five years, and begat Jared:
16 And Mahalaleel lived after he begat Jared eight hundred and thirty years, and begat sons and daughters:
17 And all the days of Mahalaleel were eight hundred ninety and five years: and he died.
18 And Jared lived an hundred sixty and two years, and he begat Enoch:
19 And Jared lived after he begat Enoch eight hundred years, and begat sons and daughters:
20 And all the days of Jared were nine hundred sixty and two years: and he died.
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 certain that there is not one idle word in God's books, whatever there is in men's. It is thus plainly set down, 1. To make it easy and intelligible to the meanest capacity. When we are informed how old they were when they begat such a son, and how many years they lived afterwards, a very little skill in arithmetic will enable a man to tell how long they lived in all; yet the Holy Ghost sets down the sum total, for the sake of those that have not even so much skill as this. 2. To show the pleasure God takes in the names of his people. We found Cain's generation numbered in haste (Gen 4:18), but this account of the holy seed is enlarged upon, and given in words at length, and not in figures; we are told how long those lived that lived in God's fear, and when those died that died in his favour; but as for others it is no matter. The memory of the just is blessed, but the name of the wicked shall rot.
II. Their life is reckoned by days (Gen 5:8): All the days of Seth, and so of the rest, which intimates the shortness of the life of man when it is at the longest, and the quick revolution of our times on earth. If they reckoned by days, surely we must reckon by hours, or rather make that our frequent prayer (Psa 90:12), Teach us to number our days.
III. Concerning each of them, except Enoch, it is said, and he died. It is implied in the numbering of the years of their life that their life, when those years were numbered and finished, came to an end; and yet it is still repeated, and he died, to show that death passed upon all men without exception, and that it is good for us particularly to observe and improve the deaths of others for our own edification. Such a one was a strong healthful man, but he died; such a one was a great and rich man, but he died; such a one was a wise politic man, but he died; such a one was a very good man, perhaps a very useful man, but he died, etc.
IV. That which is especially observable is that they all lived very long; not one of them died till he had seen the revolution of almost eight hundred years, and some of them lived much longer, a great while for an immortal soul to be imprisoned in a house of clay. The present life surely was not to them such a burden as commonly it is now, else they would have been weary of it; nor was the future life so clearly revealed then as it is now under the gospel, else they would have been impatient to remove to it: long life to the pious patriarchs was a blessing and made them blessings. 1. Some natural causes may be assigned for their long life in those first ages of the world. It is very probable that the earth was more fruitful, that the productions of it were more strengthening, that the air was more healthful, and that the influences of the heavenly bodies were more benign, before the flood, than afterwards. Though man was driven out of paradise, yet the earth itself was then paradisiacal - a garden in comparison with its present wilderness-state: and some think that their great knowledge of the creatures, and of their usefulness both for food and medicine, together with their sobriety and temperance, contributed much to it; yet we do not find that those who were intemperate, as many were (Luk 17:27), were as short-lived as intemperate men generally are now. 2. It must chiefly be resolved into the power and providence of God. He prolonged their lives, both for the more speedy replenishing of the earth and for the more effectual preservation of the knowledge of God and religion, then, when there was no written word, but tradition was the channel of its conveyance. All the patriarchs here, except Noah, were born before Adam died; so that from him they might receive a full and satisfactory account of the creation, paradise, the fall, the promise, and those divine precepts which concerned religious worship and a religious life: and, if any mistake arose, they might have recourse to him while he lived, as to an oracle, for the rectifying of it, and after his death to Methuselah, and others, that had conversed with him: so great was the care of Almighty God to preserve in his church the knowledge of his will and the purity of his worship.
Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 6–20. Public domain.
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BedeAD 735
Commentary on Genesis (Hexaemeron)
Adam lived for one hundred and thirty years, and he begot a son in his own likeness and image, and he named him Seth. Adam indeed was created in the likeness and image of God, because he was made immortal in both soul and body. However, after he corrupted the image and likeness of God in himself by sinning, he begot a son in his own likeness and image, that is, mortal, corruptible, capable of reason, bound by the guilt of his transgression, and to be freed only by the grace of his Creator. It should be noted that where our Codices, translated from the Hebrew source, say Adam lived for one hundred and thirty years and begot Seth, the ancient translation has, instead of one hundred and thirty, two hundred and thirty; where our Codices continue, "And the days of Adam after he begot Seth were eight hundred years, and he begot sons and daughters," that one has seven hundred instead of eight hundred. And where it concludes, "And all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years, and he died," it places the same total, and such a distinction of numbers is preserved in all generations up to the flood between the two editions, so that before the birth of a son each one in the Septuagint is said to have had one hundred years more, and after the birth one hundred years less than in the Hebrew truth. But in the conclusion, both editions place an equal number; except only in the sixth generation; where in both Codices, Jared is found to have begotten Enoch at one hundred and sixty-two years, and after his birth to have lived eight hundred years: and in the ninth, where, according to the Hebrew truth, Lamech begot Noah when he was one hundred and eighty years old, and after he was born, he is found to have survived for five hundred and ninety-five years. However, in the Septuagint, the years before Noah was born are found to be one hundred and eighty-eight, and after he was born, five hundred sixty-five; thus it happens that Lamech is found to have lived twenty-four years longer in Hebrew than in the Septuagint Codices: by which difference of interpretations, it is made that the lifetime of Methuselah seems to extend fourteen years beyond the flood, and so the years before the flood according to the Hebrews are one thousand five hundred and fifty-six; according to the Septuagint, which the chronographers follow, two thousand two hundred and forty-two: although the most learned Augustine professes that even in the Septuagint translation, Methuselah is found in fewer but more accurate Codices to have died six years before the flood: who, when he most diligently investigated the cause of the aforementioned discord in interpretations, and did not wish to derogate from the faith of the Septuagint translators, whom the apostles and evangelists are proven to have followed in many places; and he himself believed they used more a prophetic gift than the office of interpretation in translating the Scriptures; he concluded in this way, saying: "Therefore it is more credible for someone to say that when these first began to be copied from the library of Ptolemy; at that time, something like this could have happened in one Codex, but first copied from there, from which it spread more widely, where indeed the error of the scribe could have happened. However, it is not absurd to suspect this in that question about the life of Methuselah." And after some: "I would not doubt at all that it is rightly done, he says, when something different is found in both Codices, since both cannot be according to the faith of the transactions, that the truth be believed rather to the language from which it is translated into another by interpreters." Therefore, according to Hebrew truth, Adam lived one hundred and thirty years and begot Seth. Seth lived one hundred and five years and begot Enos. Enos lived ninety years and begot Cainan. Cainan lived eighty years and begot Mahalalel. Mahalalel lived sixty-five years and begot Jared. Jared lived one hundred and sixty-two years and begot Enoch.
Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
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SUMMARY
Genesis 5:16 precisely records Mahalaleel's continued life after the birth of Jared, stating that he lived an additional eight hundred and thirty years and fathered more children. This verse, an integral part of the antediluvian genealogy in Genesis 5, serves to meticulously document the unbroken lineage from Adam, underscoring God's faithful preservation of humanity and the continuity of the redemptive line despite the pervasive effects of sin, ensuring the unfolding of His divine plan through successive generations.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
The primary literary device at play in Genesis 5:16, as throughout the entire chapter, is Formulaic Structure or Repetition. The consistent pattern of "X lived Y years, and begat Z; and X lived after he begat Z A years, and begat sons and daughters; and all the days of X were B years: and he died" creates a rhythmic and predictable flow that emphasizes the passage of time and the continuity of generations. This Genealogy serves as a vital historical and theological framework, linking Adam to Noah and providing a chronological backbone for early biblical history. The use of Onomastics (the study of names) is also significant, as Mahalaleel's name, "Praise of God," subtly weaves a thread of spiritual meaning into the otherwise factual record, potentially reflecting a prevailing sentiment or spiritual orientation within this particular lineage.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Genesis 5:16, as part of the patriarchal lineage, offers profound theological insights. It testifies to God's unwavering Sovereignty in Preservation, demonstrating His active role in maintaining a chosen line through which His redemptive purposes would unfold, even amidst a world increasingly steeped in sin. The consistent mention of "begat sons and daughters" underscores the Persistence of the Creation Mandate, revealing God's enduring will for humanity to populate the earth and continue His created order. While not explicitly stated in this verse, the overarching pattern of Genesis 5, which concludes each patriarch's entry with "and he died," serves as a stark reminder of the Universality of Mortality and the ultimate consequence of sin, echoing the truth that it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment. This genealogical record is thus foundational to understanding the Importance of Lineage in Redemptive History, establishing the historical framework for the unfolding of God's covenant promises and the eventual arrival of the Messiah.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
This ancient record of Mahalaleel's life, though seemingly a mere list of numbers, invites us to contemplate the vast sweep of God's faithfulness across generations. It serves as a powerful reminder that even in the seemingly mundane details of life and the quiet progression of family lines, God is meticulously working out His grand purposes. For us today, it underscores the profound importance of intergenerational faithfulness – the sacred responsibility to pass down spiritual heritage, godly values, and the knowledge of God's truth to those who come after us. It encourages us to trust God's long-term plan, even when our own lives feel brief or our contributions seem small, knowing that we are part of a much larger, divine narrative that spans millennia. Our lives, like Mahalaleel's, are significant within God's unfolding story, contributing to the continuity of His people and the advancement of His kingdom.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Why are the lifespans in Genesis 5 so much longer than lifespans today?
Answer: The extraordinary longevity of the antediluvian patriarchs, including Mahalaleel, is a unique feature of the pre-Flood world. Various theories attempt to explain this, including a less corrupted environment closer to creation's original state, different atmospheric conditions (perhaps a "water canopy" as some propose), or a greater genetic purity and resilience before the full effects of the Fall and the global cataclysm of the Flood took hold. The biblical text presents these ages as literal and historical, underscoring a distinct era of human existence where human lifespans were vastly different from those recorded after the Flood in Genesis 11.
What is the significance of the phrase "begat sons and daughters"?
Answer: This recurring phrase is highly significant as it emphasizes the ongoing fulfillment of God's initial creation mandate to "be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth" (Genesis 1:28). It highlights the continuity of the human race and, more specifically, the preservation of a particular lineage through which God's redemptive plan would progress. While a specific son (like Jared) is named to trace the direct line to Noah and ultimately the Messiah, the mention of "sons and daughters" indicates the broader family unit and the general population growth, signifying that the named patriarchs were part of an expanding human society.
Does Mahalaleel's name ("Praise of God") have any special meaning here?
Answer: While the text does not explicitly comment on Mahalaleel's character or actions, his name, meaning "Praise of God" or "God is praise," carries inherent theological weight. In a lineage that would eventually lead to Noah and, ultimately, the Messiah, a name expressing devotion or praise to God could subtly indicate a spiritual inclination or a prevailing sentiment within this particular branch of Adam's descendants. This stands in contrast to the more secular or violent lineage of Cain, where the name of the Lord was not initially invoked (Genesis 4:17-24). It suggests that even in a fallen world, there was a line that continued to acknowledge and perhaps worship God.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Though Genesis 5:16 appears as a simple entry in a genealogical list, it plays a crucial role in the Christ-centered narrative of Scripture by meticulously establishing the unbroken human lineage through which the Messiah would ultimately come. This verse, like the entire chapter, demonstrates God's unwavering commitment to preserving the "seed" promised in Genesis 3:15, a lineage that culminates directly in Jesus Christ. The historical reality of Mahalaleel's life and the subsequent generations underscore the genuine humanity of Christ, showing that He entered a real, historical family line, not a mythical one, as explicitly detailed in the Gospels' genealogies (e.g., Matthew 1:1-17 and Luke 3:23-38). Thus, even in the seemingly dry details of ancient lifespans and procreation, we witness God's sovereign hand guiding human history toward the Incarnation, ensuring the arrival of the One who would redeem humanity and fulfill all of God's promises.