Dave Burnette's Commentary

Genesis Chapter 5

Written By: God through Inspiration
Penned By: Moses
Date Penned: (1450-1410 BC)
Overview: To Record God's Creation and Identify His Plan (c 1-22)
Theme: The Story of Adam (c 3-5)
Message: Adams Descendants (v 1-26)

Genesis 5 Commentary

(5:1) The Ancestral List Begins -  The Bible contains several lists of ancestors, called genealogies. They are not intended to be exhaustive and may include only famous people or the heads of families. The Hebrew word translated "begat" could refer not just to a son, but also to a more distant descendant. Why are genealogies included in the Bible? The Hebrew people passed on their beliefs through oral tradition. For many years in many places, writing was primitive or nonexistent. Stories were told to children, who passed them on to their children. Genealogies gave a skeletal outline that helped people remember the stories. For centuries these genealogies were added to and passed down from family to family. Even more important than preserving family tradition, genealogies were included in the Bible to confirm God's promise that the coming Messiah, Jesus Christ, would be born into the line of Abraham. Genealogies point out that people are important to God as individuals. Therefore, God refers to people by name, mentioning their life spans and descendants. The next time you feel overwhelmed in a vast crowd, remember that the focus of God's attention and love is on the individual--and on you!

(5:3-5) We are all Family -  All human beings are related, going back to Adam and Eve. All people form a family that shares one flesh and blood. And each person is a valuable and unique creation of God. Remember this when prejudice enters your mind or hatred invades your feelings. 

(5:21-24) Enoch's Path -  At first glance it looks as if Enoch fared worse than the other patriarchs-he lived on earth only 365 years! Hebrews 11:5 explains what Genesis 5:24 means: Enoch was taken directly to heaven without seeing death. Enoch, then, lived longer than any of the other patriarchs, for he never died at all.

(5:25-27) A Long Life - How did these people live so long? Some believe that the ages listed here were lengths of family dynasties rather than ages of individual people. Those who think these were actual ages offer three explanations: (1) The human race was genetically purer in this early time period with less disease to shorten life spans; (2) no rain had yet fallen on the earth, and the "waters which were above the firmament"  kept out harmful cosmic elements.


Dave Burnette's Life Application

God Knows You


Each day we walk through the Bible chapter by chapter, making application of our text to help us grow in the Lord. There are many applications we can make from each day's text. Today we Continue in the book of Genesis with Chapter 5, and in today's text, we see the first of many genealogies in the Bible. Origins point out an attractive characteristic of God, and people are important to Him as individuals, not just as races or nations. Therefore, God refers to people by name and takes time to record it in the Bible. The Bible tells us that He has the hairs on your head numbered, and the Lord loves you very much. God loves you so much that God personally gave his only begotten son for you. In making an application, we see that if He loves me this much, even though He knows I am a sinner, how can I reject such love? I can't help but live for Him. How about you? Do you realize how much He loves you? Is He your Savior, Lord, and Life? You can trust Him because He knows you, and He loves you.

 

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Genesis 5


Genesis 5

 1This is the book of the generations of Adam. In the day that God created man, in the likeness of God made he him;

 2Male and female created he them; and blessed them, and called their name Adam, in the day when they were created.

 3And Adam lived an hundred and thirty years, and begat a son in his own likeness, and after his image; and called his name Seth:

 4And the days of Adam after he had begotten Seth were eight hundred years: and he begat sons and daughters:

 5And all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years: and he died.

 6And Seth lived an hundred and five years, and begat Enos:

 7And Seth lived after he begat Enos eight hundred and seven years, and begat sons and daughters:

 8And all the days of Seth were nine hundred and twelve years: and he died.

 9And Enos lived ninety years, and begat Cainan:

 10And Enos lived after he begat Cainan eight hundred and fifteen years, and begat sons and daughters:

 11And all the days of Enos were nine hundred and five years: and he died.

 12And Cainan lived seventy years and begat Mahalaleel:

 13And Cainan lived after he begat Mahalaleel eight hundred and forty years, and begat sons and daughters:

 14And all the days of Cainan were nine hundred and ten years: and he died.

 15And Mahalaleel lived sixty and five years, and begat Jared:

 16And Mahalaleel lived after he begat Jared eight hundred and thirty years, and begat sons and daughters:

 17And all the days of Mahalaleel were eight hundred ninety and five years: and he died.

 18And Jared lived an hundred sixty and two years, and he begat Enoch:

 19And Jared lived after he begat Enoch eight hundred years, and begat sons and daughters:

 20And all the days of Jared were nine hundred sixty and two years: and he died.

 21And Enoch lived sixty and five years, and begat Methuselah:

 22And Enoch walked with God after he begat Methuselah three hundred years, and begat sons and daughters:

 23And all the days of Enoch were three hundred sixty and five years:

 24And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.

 25And Methuselah lived an hundred eighty and seven years, and begat Lamech.

 26And Methuselah lived after he begat Lamech seven hundred eighty and two years, and begat sons and daughters:

 27And all the days of Methuselah were nine hundred sixty and nine years: and he died.

 28And Lamech lived an hundred eighty and two years, and begat a son:

 29And he called his name Noah, saying, This same shall comfort us concerning our work and toil of our hands, because of the ground which the LORD hath cursed.

 30And Lamech lived after he begat Noah five hundred ninety and five years, and begat sons and daughters:

 31And all the days of Lamech were seven hundred seventy and seven years: and he died.

 32And Noah was five hundred years old: and Noah begat Shem, Ham, and Japheth.