Genesis 5

Genesis 5

There really isn’t much to talk about in this chapter.  It’s just a listing of the male lineage from Adam to Noah’s 3 sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

There really are only 3 things notable about this narrative:

  1. There is no mention of Cain or Able.  I understand not mentioning Able, since he didn’t have children.  Cain did get a big mention in the last chapter, so I guess he’s covered, but it’s all so inconsistent.
  2. Only sons seem deserve mentioning.  And only the first born.  “other sons and daughters” is repeated for most in the lineage, but the only names named are sons.
  3. The people lived very long lives.  I’m very curious where this longevity claim originates.  I highly doubt anyone actually lived 900+ years, so why would they be attributed that way.  A couple simple conjectures come to mind, such as glorifying of venerated figures or wanting to show how much better people must have been so close to creation.

In any event, this is a boring chapter.  The only thing that might be good to take away is the number of generations and maybe the supposed time that has passed.  The age of the universe since creation is often quoted as 6,000-10,000 years.  That number comes, in part, from the ages of the people mention in this chapter.  I calculate that at the end of this chapter the universe is 1557 years old over 12 generation.  Adam would have been alive to see Methuseluh born, his Great, Great, Great, Great, Great, Great, Great grandson.  I think I got that right.

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