Genesis 5:17 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Thus all the days of Mahalalel were 895 years, and he died.

NIV: Altogether, Mahalalel lived a total of 895 years, and then he died.

NASB: So all the days of Mahalalel were 895 years, and he died.

CSB: So Mahalalel's life lasted 895 years; then he died.

NLT: Mahalalel lived 895 years, and then he died.

KJV: And all the days of Mahalaleel were eight hundred ninety and five years: and he died.

NKJV: So all the days of Mahalalel were eight hundred and ninety-five years; and he died.

The ages at death of the patriarchs listed in this book of Adam thus far are as follows: Adam-930, Seth-912, Enosh-905, Kenan-910, and now Mahalalel-895. The presence of physical death is, so far, the most obvious consequence of the fall. Regardless of how long these early patriarchs lived, they all died. The only exception seems to be Enoch, who found himself gone from this life and face-to-face with God all the same (Genesis 5:24). The repetitive comment, "and he died" is no accident.

When one lines up the birth and death dates of these patriarchs, it becomes clear that there is a significant overlap. In fact, other than Enoch, the only men in this line who are not still alive when Noah is born are Adam and his son, Seth! And, as we will see later on, Noah's father, Lamech, was born more than 50 years before Adam's death. This is crucial for understanding how deep the effects of sin were in the pre-flood world. Despite having eyewitnesses to God's creation, or their direct descendants, mankind will spiral out of control until God removes nearly everyone (Genesis 6:5–8).

Genesis 5:1-32 is a bridge of genealogy connecting the time of Adam and his son Seth to the time of Noah. This brings the Bible's historical record to the era of the flood. It provides a small, but helpful set of details: early humans lived a long time, had many children, and all died as a result of ubiquitous human sin. Enoch is the exception that proves the rule, commended for walking with God and seemingly taken away before his physical death. Despite the presence of early God-worshippers such as Adam and Seth, man will quickly descend into extraordinary wickedness, as seen in chapter 6. The coming of Noah at the end of this chapter prepares us for God's response to the sins of humankind.

Chapter 5 uses a simple genealogy of Adam's descendants through Seth to link the earliest humans with the time of Noah and the flood. In the generations after the garden, human beings live extraordinarily long lives, have great numbers of children, and continue to be in relationship with God though separated from Him physically and spiritually. The description of Enoch being ''taken'' by God is the exception that proves the rule: No matter how long a person lives, sin always leads to death.

Genesis 4 ends with the birth of Seth's son Enosh, and a statement that people had begun to call on the Lord's name. Chapter 5 details the generations from Adam through Seth to Noah, connecting the time of Adam and Seth with the time of Noah and his sons as described in chapter 6. This sets the stage for God's judgment of mankind's pervasive sin in the flood.

The book of Genesis establishes fundamental truths about God. Among these are His role as the Creator, His holiness, His hatred of sin, His love for mankind, and His willingness to provide for our redemption. We learn not only where mankind has come from, but why the world is in its present form. The book also presents the establishment of Israel, God's chosen people. Many of the principles given in other parts of Scripture depend on the basic ideas presented here in the book of Genesis. Within the framework of the Bible, Genesis explains the bare-bones history of the universe leading up to the captivity of Israel in Egypt, setting the stage for the book of Exodus.

Accessed 4/28/2024 11:58:02 PM