5 Adam lived 930Â years, and then he died.
6 When Seth was 105Â years old, he became the father of Enosh. 7 After the birth of Enosh, Seth lived another 807Â years, and he had other sons and daughters. 8 Seth lived 912Â years, and then he died. 9 When Enosh was 90Â years old, he became the father of Kenan. 10 After the birth of Kenan, Enosh lived another 815Â years, and he had other sons and daughters. 11 Enosh lived 905Â years, and then he died. 12 When Kenan was 70Â years old, he became the father of Mahalalel. 13 After the birth of Mahalalel, Kenan lived another 840Â years, and he had other sons and daughters. 14 Kenan lived 910Â years, and then he died. 15 When Mahalalel was 65Â years old, he became the father of Jared. 16 After the birth of Jared, Mahalalel lived another 830Â years, and he had other sons and daughters. 17 Mahalalel lived 895Â years, and then he died. 18 When Jared was 162Â years old, he became the father of Enoch. 19 After the birth of Enoch, Jared lived another 800Â years, and he had other sons and daughters. 20 Jared lived 962Â years, and then he died.
21 When Enoch was 65Â years old, he became the father of Methuselah. 22 After the birth of Methuselah, Enoch lived in close fellowship with God for another 300Â years, and he had other sons and daughters. 23 Enoch lived 365Â years, 24 walking in close fellowship with God. Then one day he disappeared, because God took him.
25 When Methuselah was 187Â years old, he became the father of Lamech. 26 After the birth of Lamech, Methuselah lived another 782Â years, and he had other sons and daughters. 27 Methuselah lived 969Â years, and then he died.
28 When Lamech was 182Â years old, he became the father of a son. 29 Lamech named his son Noah, for he said, "May he bring us relief from our work and the painful labor of farming this ground that the Lord has cursed." 30 After the birth of Noah, Lamech lived another 595Â years, and he had other sons and daughters. 31 Lamech lived 777Â years, and then he died. 32 After Noah was 500Â years old, he became the father of Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Genesis 5:5-32
Commentary on Genesis 5:1-5
(Read Genesis 5:1-5)
Adam was made in the image of God; but when fallen he begat a son in his own image, sinful and defiled, frail, wretched, and mortal, like himself. Not only a man like himself, consisting of body and soul, but a sinner like himself. This was the reverse of that Divine likeness in which Adam was made; having lost it, he could not convey it to his seed. Adam lived, in all, 930 years; and then died, according to the sentence passed upon him, "To dust thou shalt return." Though he did not die in the day he ate forbidden fruit, yet in that very day he became mortal. Then he began to die; his whole life after was but a reprieve, a forfeited, condemned life; it was a wasting, dying life. Man's life is but dying by degrees.
Commentary on Genesis 5:6-20
(Read Genesis 5:6-20)
Concerning each of these, except Enoch, it is said, "and he died." It is well to observe the deaths of others. They all lived very long; not one of them died till he had seen almost eight hundred years, and some of them lived much longer; a great while for an immortal soul to be prisoned in a house of clay. The present life surely was not to them such a burden as it commonly is now, else they would have been weary of it. Nor was the future life so clearly revealed then, as it now under the gospel, else they would have been urgent to remove to it. All the patriarchs that lived before the flood, except Noah, were born before Adam died. From him they might receive a full account of the creation, the fall, the promise, and the Divine precepts about religious worship and a religious life. Thus God kept up in his church the knowledge of his will.
Commentary on Genesis 5:21-24
(Read Genesis 5:21-24)
Enoch was the seventh from Adam. Godliness is walking with God: which shows reconciliation to God, for two cannot walk together except they be agreed, Hebrews 11:5. He had lived but 365 years, which, as men's ages were then, was but the midst of a man's days. God often takes those soonest whom he loves best; the time they lose on earth, is gained in heaven, to their unspeakable advantage. See how Enoch's removal is expressed: he was not, for God took him. He was not any longer in this world; he was changed, as the saints shall be, who are alive at Christ's second coming. Those who begin to walk with God when young, may expect to walk with him long, comfortably, and usefully. The true christian's steady walk in holiness, through many a year, till God takes him, will best recommend that religion which many oppose and many abuse. And walking with God well agrees with the cares, comforts, and duties of life.
Commentary on Genesis 5:25-32
(Read Genesis 5:25-32)
Methuselah signifies, 'he dies, there is a dart,' 'a sending forth,' namely, of the deluge, which came the year that Methuselah died. He lived 969 years, the longest that any man ever lived on earth; but the longest liver must die at last. Noah signifies rest; his parents gave him that name, with a prospect of his being a great blessing to his generation. Observe his father's complaint of the calamitous state of human life, by the entrance of sin, and the curse of sin. Our whole life is spent in labour, and our time filled up with continual toil. God having cursed the ground, it is as much as some can do, with the utmost care and pains, to get a hard livelihood out comfort us." It signifies not only that desire and expectation which parents generally have about their children, that they will be comforts to them and helpers, though they often prove otherwise; but it signifies also a prospect of something more. Is Christ ours? Is heaven ours? We need better comforters under our toil and sorrow, than the dearest relations and the most promising offspring; may we seek and find comforts in Christ.