Genesis 5:9 - Printer Friendly

ESV: When Enosh had lived 90 years, he fathered Kenan.

NIV: When Enosh had lived 90 years, he became the father of Kenan.

NASB: Now Enosh lived ninety years, and fathered Kenan.

CSB: Enosh was 90 years old when he fathered Kenan.

NLT: When Enosh was 90 years old, he became the father of Kenan.

KJV: And Enos lived ninety years, and begat Cainan:

NKJV: Enosh lived ninety years, and begot Cainan.

Seth's son Enosh now fathers Kenan, bringing us to the fourth generation in Adam's line through Seth. As with other verses in this passage, lifespans and fertility years are long at this point in human history. The ability of men and women to have large numbers of children, combined with the cleaner environment of the early earth, would have resulted in an explosive growth in population. In addition, mankind's original genetics would have been free of corruption, so hereditary diseases would have been rare. Over time, both of these factors—genetics and environment—would have contributed to a drop in mankind's natural lifespan.

The primary purpose of this passage is to document the genealogy of Noah, as a descendant of Seth. Cain's lineage, separate from that of his younger brother, will be cut off at the flood. The other repeated comment, made explicit by the author, is that all of these men died. At this point in the story of Genesis, the fact that mankind experiences death is the primary consequence of the fall.

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 5/8/2024 11:42:23 AM