Genesis 5:18 - Printer Friendly

ESV: When Jared had lived 162 years, he fathered Enoch.

NIV: When Jared had lived 162 years, he became the father of Enoch.

NASB: Now Jared lived 162 years, and fathered Enoch.

CSB: Jared was 162 years old when he fathered Enoch.

NLT: When Jared was 162 years old, he became the father of Enoch.

KJV: And Jared lived an hundred sixty and two years, and he begat Enoch:

NKJV: Jared lived one hundred and sixty-two years, and begot Enoch.

Jared fathers Enoch at the age of 162. Enoch becomes the seventh generation from Adam through the line of Seth. Jared and Enoch will be the last of the patriarchs to depart well in advance of the flood. The next two men in line, Methuselah and Lamech, will both pass shortly before—or, in the case of Methuselah, possibly when (Genesis 5:27)—God sends His epic judgment to earth.

Given the long lifespans of these patriarchs, most of the men listed died a (relatively) short time after their fathers. Jared and Enoch are the notable exception, in that Enoch will be "taken" by God in some way long before Jared's death (Genesis 5:24).

The next verses will repeat the common themes of this chapter. Jared will have more sons and daughters than just Enoch, meaning the population of earth must have grown extremely quickly. Also, Jared will die, like all men since the fall. The only patriarch not explicitly said to die will be Enoch, and even he will be "taken" by God. Regardless of long life, each person is destined to meet God someday.

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 5/6/2024 6:07:05 AM