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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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Ambrose of MilanAD 397
On Isaac and the Soul, Chapter I
For it is the mark of a wise man to separate oneself from the pleasures of the flesh, to elevate the soul, and to withdraw from the body; for this is truly to recognize oneself as a human being. He who is called Enos in the Chaldean language is called, in Latin, homo.
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 5:9, a concise yet profound entry in the biblical register of Adam's descendants, chronicles the birth of Cainan to Enos. This verse, embedded within a critical genealogy, underscores God's sovereign preservation of humanity's lineage after the Fall and highlights the continuity of life through procreation, ultimately charting the course toward His redemptive purposes. It serves as a foundational link in the unfolding narrative of salvation history, bridging the antediluvian world with the promise of a coming deliverer.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Genesis 5:9, like the entire chapter, primarily employs Genealogy as its central literary device. This structured list of descendants serves not just as a historical record but as a theological framework, demonstrating God's faithfulness in preserving a chosen line. The Repetition of the formula "X lived Y years and begat Z, and X lived after he begat Z... and he died" creates a rhythmic, almost liturgical, cadence that underscores both the continuity of life and the pervasive reality of death as a consequence of the Fall. The precise Chronology provided by the age at begetting and total lifespan lends an air of historical veracity and precision to the narrative. Furthermore, the Symbolism embedded in the names themselves (e.g., Enos meaning "mortal") adds layers of meaning, often reflecting the human condition or divine purpose within that era.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
The meticulous recording of generations in Genesis 5, including the specific detail of Enos begetting Cainan, profoundly underscores God's sovereignty and faithfulness in sustaining the human race and, more specifically, the promised line through which salvation would eventually come. Despite the pervasive reality of death introduced by sin, God's plan for humanity's redemption continued to unfold through the continuation of life and the preservation of a righteous lineage. This divine oversight ensures that the narrative of redemption remains on course, bridging the gap between the Fall and the eventual arrival of the Messiah.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Genesis 5:9 quietly reminds us that God's grand narrative unfolds through the faithfulness of ordinary lives, generation after generation. It challenges us to consider our own place within this ongoing story, recognizing that our lives, our families, and our spiritual legacies contribute to God's unfolding purposes in history. Just as Enos's life and the birth of Cainan were vital links in a divine chain, so too are our actions and our commitment to passing on a godly heritage significant. We are called to steward the life and faith passed down to us, ensuring that the light of truth continues to shine for those who come after, understanding that our existence is not random but part of a larger, divinely orchestrated plan.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Why are these genealogies so detailed and repetitive in the Bible?
Answer: These genealogies are not mere lists; they serve critical theological and historical purposes. They establish the continuity of God's covenant promises, demonstrate His faithfulness in preserving a chosen line, and provide a historical framework for the unfolding of salvation history, ultimately tracing the lineage to the Messiah. They also emphasize the reality of human mortality following the Fall, making the continuation of life through procreation a testament to God's enduring plan.
What is the significance of the phrase "begat Cainan"?
Answer: The phrase "begat" (Hebrew: yalad) signifies more than just biological reproduction; it emphasizes the continuation of the human race and the specific lineage through which God's redemptive plan would progress. It highlights the fulfillment of God's command to be fruitful and multiply and the passing on of heritage and identity, ensuring the preservation of the messianic line.
What is the meaning of Enos's name, and is it significant?
Answer: The name Enos (Hebrew: 'Enosh) means "man," "mortal," or "frail." This meaning is highly significant as it contrasts with the spiritual revival associated with his time (Genesis 4:26), where men, despite their inherent weakness and mortality, began to call upon the name of the Lord. This underscores humanity's inherent fragility yet profound capacity for spiritual connection and worship.
How does Genesis 5:9 relate to the earlier statement in Genesis 4:26 about men beginning to call upon the name of the LORD?
Answer: Genesis 4:26 states that it was "then began men to call upon the name of the LORD," specifically in the days of Enos, the patriarch mentioned in Genesis 5:9. This suggests that Enos's lifetime was a period of renewed or more public worship and devotion to God. Therefore, the lineage recorded in Genesis 5 is not merely a biological record but also implies a spiritual heritage being passed down through generations, emphasizing the importance of a godly lineage in God's redemptive plan.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Genesis 5:9, as an integral part of the broader genealogy of Adam, directly contributes to the Christ-centered fulfillment of Scripture. This verse meticulously records a crucial link in the unbroken chain of descent that ultimately leads to Jesus Christ. The entire chapter of Genesis 5, including Enos begetting Cainan, underscores God's sovereign preservation of the "seed" promised in Genesis 3:15, the protoevangelium that foretold a deliverer from the woman's offspring. This divinely preserved lineage is essential for establishing the Messiah's human ancestry and His rightful claim as the Son of David and the Son of Man, as meticulously traced in the New Testament genealogies found in Matthew 1:1-17 and Luke 3:23-38. Thus, Enos and Cainan are not mere historical figures, but vital links in the divine plan for humanity's redemption, demonstrating God's unwavering faithfulness to bring forth the Christ who would ultimately redeem humanity from the curse of sin and death. The "seed" promised to Abraham, which is Christ, is ultimately rooted in this very lineage, as affirmed in Galatians 3:16.