Genesis 5:6 - Printer Friendly

ESV: When Seth had lived 105 years, he fathered Enosh.

NIV: When Seth had lived 105 years, he became the father of Enosh.

NASB: Now Seth lived 105 years, and fathered Enosh.

CSB: Seth was 105 years old when he fathered Enosh.

NLT: When Seth was 105 years old, he became the father of Enosh.

KJV: And Seth lived an hundred and five years, and begat Enos:

NKJV: Seth lived one hundred and five years, and begot Enosh.

The pattern of this chapter of genealogy is repeated now for the second of the ten generations from Adam to Noah. Seth fathered his son Enosh at 105 years old.

We know from the end of chapter 4 that the birth and life of Enosh was something of a turning point: "At that time people began to call upon the name of the LORD" (Genesis 4:26). We don't know exactly what that means, but Enosh helped establish Seth's line as one characterized by worshipping and depending on God.

Another often-confusing feature of these genealogies are names, or names similar to, those in the lineage of Cain. This is no different from the modern trend of using common names, or derivatives of names. The line leading from Cain and the line leading from Seth are not only separate, they will end in separate dates. Cain's line will be cut off by the upcoming flood.

Besides faster population growth, another advantage of these long lifespans is the testimony of each generation. In this early world, it was possible for a child to hear directly from someone who had seen and lived the events of centuries past.

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.