5This is the list of the descendants of Adam. When God created humankind, adam');" onmouseout="return nd();">* he made them him');" onmouseout="return nd();">* in the likeness of God. 2Male and female he created them, and he blessed them and named them ‘Humankind’ adam');" onmouseout="return nd();">* when they were created.
A bit of review from chapters one and two.
3 When Adam had lived for one hundred and thirty years, he became the father of a son in his likeness, according to his image, and named him Seth. 4The days of Adam after he became the father of Seth were eight hundred years; and he had other sons and daughters. 5Thus all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years; and he died.
When I was a young tyke I asked some adults why people in the old testament were able to live so long without modern medicine. They told me it was because there was much less pollution in those days.
6 When Seth had lived for one hundred and five years, he became the father of Enosh. 7Seth lived after the birth of Enosh for eight hundred and seven years, and had other sons and daughters. 8Thus all the days of Seth were nine hundred and twelve years; and he died.
The first human beings' longevity is what, presumably, allowed them to be so good at populating the world so quickly (though by Cain's words the world seemed to be already populated not by Adam and Eve's progeny). But it's unclear whether these folks were having their first child at these late years or whether the author is just highlighting the birth of Seth, Enosh, and the rest of them.
9 When Enosh had lived for ninety years, he became the father of Kenan. 10Enosh lived after the birth of Kenan for eight hundred and fifteen years, and had other sons and daughters. 11Thus all the days of Enosh were nine hundred and five years; and he died.
12 When Kenan had lived for seventy years, he became the father of Mahalalel. 13Kenan lived after the birth of Mahalalel for eight hundred and forty years, and had other sons and daughters. 14Thus all the days of Kenan were nine hundred and ten years; and he died.
15 When Mahalalel had lived for sixty-five years, he became the father of Jared. 16Mahalalel lived after the birth of Jared for eight hundred and thirty years, and had other sons and daughters. 17Thus all the days of Mahalalel were eight hundred and ninety-five years; and he died.
18 When Jared had lived for one hundred and sixty-two years he became the father of Enoch. 19Jared lived after the birth of Enoch for eight hundred years, and had other sons and daughters. 20Thus all the days of Jared were nine hundred and sixty-two years; and he died.
More genealogy.
21 When Enoch had lived for sixty-five years, he became the father of Methuselah. 22Enoch walked with God after the birth of Methuselah for three hundred years, and had other sons and daughters. 23Thus all the days of Enoch were three hundred and sixty-five years. 24Enoch walked with God; then he was no more, because God took him.
What does "walk with God" mean in this context?
25 When Methuselah had lived for one hundred and eighty-seven years, he became the father of Lamech. 26Methuselah lived after the birth of Lamech for seven hundred and eighty-two years, and had other sons and daughters. 27Thus all the days of Methuselah were nine hundred and sixty-nine years; and he died.
28 When Lamech had lived for one hundred and eighty-two years, he became the father of a son; 29he named him Noah, saying, ‘Out of the ground that the Lord has cursed this one shall bring us relief from our work and from the toil of our hands.’ 30Lamech lived after the birth of Noah for five hundred and ninety-five years, and had other sons and daughters. 31Thus all the days of Lamech were seven hundred and seventy-seven years; and he died.
"Out of the ground hat the Lord has cursed this one shall bring us relief from our work and from the toil of our hands" I suspect that by Lamech's declaration, Noah was the first farmer that didn't have a hard time farming (due to God's curse on Cain and his people). I'm not sure whether God told Lamech that he was going to break the curse, or whether God heard Lamech and made it so. Either way, it's poor writing because it cannot be interpreted accurately.
32 After Noah was five hundred years old, Noah became the father of Shem, Ham, and Japheth.And that's the conclusion of Genesis 5, a chapter of lineage.
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2 comments:
Of course, the other reasons that people used to live so long was that the "waters above the earth" protected people from UV and cosmic rays, and people used to have telomeres that didn't decay.
I'd never heard of either of those explanations before.
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