The beginning of the generations starts with Adam and his son Seth. Adam was 930 years old when he died. Seth was the father of Enosh. Seth died at the age of 912. Enosh was the father of Kenan. Enosh lived to be 905 years old.
The chapter opens presenting the generations (genealogy) of Adam. The main purpose of the genealogies is to keep a record of the direct line through which the promised seed (Christ) was to come (Genesis 3:15). We are reminded in verse 1 that man was made in the likeness of God (Genesis 1:27). One of the primary ways in which humanity is made in God’s image is that we can make moral choices. Unfortunately, to this point we have seen many poor moral choices. But it will get worse.
The genealogy begins with Adam’s son, Seth. When Adam was 130 years old, Seth was born in his likeness (just a God had made man in His likeness). Adam had other sons and daughters. It seems clear that the environment and the human body had major differences during this era. Psalm 90:10, written roughly three thousand years ago, says that life expectancy is seventy or eighty years, similar to what we experience today. But during the period of history prior to Noah’s flood things were very different.
Eight times in Genesis chapter 5 we see the phrase, and he died. Death was now a part of mankind because of Adam’s sin, as the New Testament book of Romans explains: Just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men (Romans 5:12). The first recorded deaths were murders, but eventually people began to die from age.
After Abel was murdered by his brother, Seth was born. At 105 years of age, Seth had a son and named him Enosh, whose name means “human being.”
Biblical Text
1 This is the book of the generations of Adam. In the day when God created man, He made him in the likeness of God. 2 He created them male and female, and He blessed them and named them Man in the day when they were created. 3 When Adam had lived one hundred and thirty years, he became the father of a son in his own likeness, according to his image, and named him Seth. 4 Then the days of Adam after he became the father of Seth were eight hundred years, and he had other sons and daughters. 5 So all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years, and he died. 6 Seth lived one hundred and five years, and became the father of Enosh. 7 Then Seth lived eight hundred and seven years after he became the father of Enosh, and he had other sons and daughters. 8 So all the days of Seth were nine hundred and twelve years, and he died. 9 Enosh lived ninety years, and became the father of Kenan. 10 Then Enosh lived eight hundred and fifteen years after he became the father of Kenan, and he had other sons and daughters. 11 So all the days of Enosh were nine hundred and five years, and he died.
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