Old Testament Commentary - Genesis 5

by Don R. Hender

Scriptural Text [& Editorial] Commentary & Explanation Footnotes ~ References ~ JST

            CHAPTER 5
The generations of Adam are: Adam, Seth, Enos, Cainan, Mahalaleel, Jared, Enoch (who walked with God), Mehtuselah, Lamech, and Noah (who begat Shem, Ham, and Japheth).
The generations which carried forth the Patriarchal Order of the Firstborn are: Adam, Seth, Enos, Cainan, Mahalaleel, Jared, Enoch, Mehtuselah, Lamech, and Noah. These are the 'fathers' by whom the promises of God and the covenant of the Firstborn, meaning Jesus Christ, did remain in the earth. Yet the priesthood linage of that endowment was carried forth through Abel, as Abel did live long enough to ordain one after him who evidently also was the one whose priesthood linage ordination Enoch flowed through (D&C 84:14-16).
" ... the lineage of the his fathers, even till Noah; And from Noah till Enoch, through the lineage of their fathers; And from Enoch to Abel ... " ~ D&C 84:14-16

1 This is the ^abook of the ^bgenerations of Adam. In the day that God created man, in the ^clikeness of God made he him;
2 Male and female created he them; and blessed them, and called their name ^aAdam^a, in the day when they were created.

2^a call their name Adam The name given to the man was 'Adam' and the name Adam was also given to the first woman who was Eve, for it was by that name the both Adam and his wive were known, they being the 'their' plural which the scriptures so reference. Now without the understanding of the literal meaning of the name Adam, it may seem particularly strange that after both Adam and Eve had been given their individual names of Adam and Eve, that he then calls both of them by the single name 'Adam'. But with the understanding of the meaning of the word Adam, it becomes most plain. The name Adam means 'Man', meaning the race of man. Thus God is pronouncing that Adam and Eve were both called by the name of Adam, he is but stating that they are both of the race of man. But not only that, God is further setting out once again that 'man' is in the likeness and image of God or of the race of God, which is 'Man'. 4^a Moses 3:4-5; Abr. 5:4-5
   ^b TG Jesus Christ—Jehovah
5^a TG Nature, Earth
   ^b TG Spirit Creation
   ^c TG Creation
   ^d TG Man, Physical Creation of
   ^e Moses 3:5

3 ¶ And Adam lived an hundred and thirty years, and begat a son in his own ^alikeness, after his image; and called his name Seth:
4 And the days of ^aAdam after he had begotten Seth were eight hundred years: and he begat sons and daughters:
5 And all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years: and he died.

4^a Moses 3:4-5; Abr. 5:4-5
   ^b TG Jesus Christ—Jehovah
5^a TG Nature, Earth
   ^b TG Spirit Creation
   ^c TG Creation
   ^d TG Man, Physical Creation of
   ^e Moses 3:5

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.

4^a Moses 3:4-5; Abr. 5:4-5
   ^b TG Jesus Christ—Jehovah
5^a TG Nature, Earth
   ^b TG Spirit Creation
   ^c TG Creation
   ^d TG Man, Physical Creation of
   ^e Moses 3:5

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 ^aCainan 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.

21 ¶ And Enoch lived sixty and five years, and begat Methuselah:
22 And ^aEnoch ^bwalked with God after he begat Methuselah three hundred years, and begat sons and daughters:
23 And all the days of ^aEnoch were three hundred sixty and five years:
24 And ^aEnoch ^bwalked with God: and he was not; for God ^ctook him.

25 And Methuselah lived an hundred eighty and seven years, and begat Lamech:
26 And Methuselah lived after he begat Lamech seven hundred eighty and two years, and begat sons and daughters:
27 And all the days of Methuselah were nine hundred sixty and nine years: and he died.

28 ¶ And Lamech lived an hundred eighty and two years, and begat a son:
29 And he called his name ^aNoah, saying, This same shall ^bcomfort us concerning our work and toil of our hands, because of the ground which the LORD hath ^ccursed.
30 And Lamech lived after he begat Noah five hundred ninety and five years, and begat sons and daughters:
31 And all the days of Lamech were seven hundred seventy and seven years: and he died.

32 And Noah was five hundred years old^a: and Noah ^abegat ^bShem, Ham, and Japheth. 32^a Noah was five hundred years old Certainly Noah, like Adam who had sons and daughters before the births of Cain, Abel and Seth, he had many sons and daughters in the first 500 years of his life prior to the births of Shem, Ham and Japheth. Yet it is Shem, Ham and Japheth, who, by virtue of the compliance to and and willingness to follow the word of God and the direction of their father Noah, who where the only ones with their wives to be save from the great cleansing flood which destroyed the wicked from off of the face of the earth.

Scriptural Text [& Editorial]	Commentary & Explanation	Footnotes ~ References ~ JST
CHAPTER 5 The generations of Adam are: Adam, Seth, Enos, Cainan, Mahalaleel, Jared, Enoch (who walked with God), Mehtuselah, Lamech, and Noah (who begat Shem, Ham, and Japheth).	The generations which carried forth the Patriarchal Order of the Firstborn are: Adam, Seth, Enos, Cainan, Mahalaleel, Jared, Enoch, Mehtuselah, Lamech, and Noah. These are the 'fathers' by whom the promises of God and the covenant of the Firstborn, meaning Jesus Christ, did remain in the earth. Yet the priesthood linage of that endowment was carried forth through Abel, as Abel did live long enough to ordain one after him who evidently also was the one whose priesthood linage ordination Enoch flowed through (D&C 84:14-16).	" ... the lineage of the his fathers, even till Noah; And from Noah till Enoch, through the lineage of their fathers; And from Enoch to Abel ... " ~ D&C 84:14-16
1 This is the ^abook of the ^bgenerations of Adam. In the day that God created man, in the ^clikeness of God made he him; 2 Male and female created he them; and blessed them, and called their name ^aAdam^a, in the day when they were created.	2^a call their name Adam The name given to the man was 'Adam' and the name Adam was also given to the first woman who was Eve, for it was by that name the both Adam and his wive were known, they being the 'their' plural which the scriptures so reference. Now without the understanding of the literal meaning of the name Adam, it may seem particularly strange that after both Adam and Eve had been given their individual names of Adam and Eve, that he then calls both of them by the single name 'Adam'. But with the understanding of the meaning of the word Adam, it becomes most plain. The name Adam means 'Man', meaning the race of man. Thus God is pronouncing that Adam and Eve were both called by the name of Adam, he is but stating that they are both of the race of man. But not only that, God is further setting out once again that 'man' is in the likeness and image of God or of the race of God, which is 'Man'.	4^a Moses 3:4-5; Abr. 5:4-5 ^b TG Jesus Christ—Jehovah 5^a TG Nature, Earth ^b TG Spirit Creation ^c TG Creation ^d TG Man, Physical Creation of ^e Moses 3:5
3 ¶ And Adam lived an hundred and thirty years, and begat a son in his own ^alikeness, after his image; and called his name Seth: 4 And the days of ^aAdam after he had begotten Seth were eight hundred years: and he begat sons and daughters: 5 And all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years: and he died.		4^a Moses 3:4-5; Abr. 5:4-5 ^b TG Jesus Christ—Jehovah 5^a TG Nature, Earth ^b TG Spirit Creation ^c TG Creation ^d TG Man, Physical Creation of ^e Moses 3:5
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.		4^a Moses 3:4-5; Abr. 5:4-5 ^b TG Jesus Christ—Jehovah 5^a TG Nature, Earth ^b TG Spirit Creation ^c TG Creation ^d TG Man, Physical Creation of ^e Moses 3:5
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 ^aCainan 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.
21 ¶ And Enoch lived sixty and five years, and begat Methuselah: 22 And ^aEnoch ^bwalked with God after he begat Methuselah three hundred years, and begat sons and daughters: 23 And all the days of ^aEnoch were three hundred sixty and five years: 24 And ^aEnoch ^bwalked with God: and he was not; for God ^ctook him.
25 And Methuselah lived an hundred eighty and seven years, and begat Lamech: 26 And Methuselah lived after he begat Lamech seven hundred eighty and two years, and begat sons and daughters: 27 And all the days of Methuselah were nine hundred sixty and nine years: and he died.
28 ¶ And Lamech lived an hundred eighty and two years, and begat a son: 29 And he called his name ^aNoah, saying, This same shall ^bcomfort us concerning our work and toil of our hands, because of the ground which the LORD hath ^ccursed. 30 And Lamech lived after he begat Noah five hundred ninety and five years, and begat sons and daughters: 31 And all the days of Lamech were seven hundred seventy and seven years: and he died.
32 And Noah was five hundred years old^a: and Noah ^abegat ^bShem, Ham, and Japheth.	32^a Noah was five hundred years old Certainly Noah, like Adam who had sons and daughters before the births of Cain, Abel and Seth, he had many sons and daughters in the first 500 years of his life prior to the births of Shem, Ham and Japheth. Yet it is Shem, Ham and Japheth, who, by virtue of the compliance to and and willingness to follow the word of God and the direction of their father Noah, who where the only ones with their wives to be save from the great cleansing flood which destroyed the wicked from off of the face of the earth.