Genesis 5 in plain modern English. New Ground English Translation.
Time Period
Primeval history, covering ten generations from Adam to Noah
Location
No location given, an unbounded early world
Audience
Israelites who ordered their world by family lines and inheritance
Situation
A formal genealogy runs from Adam through Seth to Noah and his three sons, each entry giving an age at fatherhood, remaining years, total lifespan, and the note that the man died. Enoch breaks the pattern by walking with God and simply being taken.
Key Background
Ancient Mesopotamian king lists give pre-flood rulers reigns of tens of thousands of years, so these lifespans of several hundred are strikingly modest by comparison, and the shared literary form suggests a deliberate response to those lists. The repeated phrase and he died beats like a drum through the chapter, answering the warning given in Eden. Genealogies in this culture were not neutral records but arguments about legitimacy and continuity, tracing the line through Seth rather than Cain and setting up Noah as the hinge of what follows.
This is the of Adam's line. When God created humanity, he made them in the of God.
He created them male and female, and he them and called them on the day they were created.
When Adam had lived 130 years, he fathered a son in own to and named him
After Seth was born, Adam lived another 800 years, and he had other sons and daughters.
Adam lived a total of 930 years, and then he died.
When Seth had lived 105 years, he fathered
After Enosh was born, Seth lived another 807 years, and he had other sons and daughters.
Seth lived a total of 912 years, and then he died.
When Enosh had lived 90 years, he fathered
After Kenan was born, Enosh lived another 815 years, and he had other sons and daughters.
Enosh lived a total of 905 years, and then he died.
When Kenan had lived 70 years, he fathered
After Mahalalel was born, Kenan lived another 840 years, and he had other sons and daughters.
Kenan lived a total of 910 years, and then he died.
When Mahalalel had lived 65 years, he fathered
After Jared was born, Mahalalel lived another 830 years, and he had other sons and daughters.
Mahalalel lived a total of 895 years, and then he died.
When Jared had lived 162 years, he fathered
After Enoch was born, Jared lived another 800 years, and he had other sons and daughters.
Jared lived a total of 962 years, and then he died.
When Enoch had lived 65 years, he fathered
After Methuselah was born, Enoch with for 300 years, and he had other sons and daughters.
Enoch lived a total of 365 years.
Enoch walked with God, and then he was no more, because God
When Methuselah had lived 187 years, he fathered
After Lamech was born, Methuselah lived another 782 years, and he had other sons and daughters.
Methuselah lived a total of 969 years, and then he died.
When Lamech had lived 182 years, he fathered a son.
He named him saying, "This one will bring us from our work and from the painful labor of our hands, caused by the ground that has
After Noah was born, Lamech lived another 595 years, and he had other sons and daughters.
Lamech lived a total of 777 years, and then he died.
After Noah had lived 500 years, he fathered and