Genesis 5
1 This is the book of the generations of Adam. In the day that God created man, in the likeness of God made he him;
2 Male and female created he them; and blessed them, and called their name Adam, in the day when they were created.
3 And Adam lived an hundred and thirty years, and begat a son in his own likeness, after his image; and called his name Seth:
4 And the days of Adam after he had begotten Seth were eight hundred years: and he begat sons and daughters:
5 And all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years: and he died.
6 And Seth lived an hundred and five years, and begat Enos:
7 And Seth lived after he begat Enos eight hundred and seven years, and begat sons and daughters:
8 And all the days of Seth were nine hundred and twelve years: and he died.
9 And Enos lived ninety years, and begat Cainan:
10 And Enos lived after he begat Cainan eight hundred and fifteen years, and begat sons and daughters:
11 And all the days of Enos were nine hundred and five years: and he died.
12 And Cainan lived seventy years, and begat Mahalaleel:
13 And Cainan lived after he begat Mahalaleel eight hundred and forty years, and begat sons and daughters:
14 And all the days of Cainan were nine hundred and ten years: and he died.
15 And Mahalaleel lived sixty and five years, and begat Jared:
16 And Mahalaleel lived after he begat Jared eight hundred and thirty years, and begat sons and daughters:
17 And all the days of Mahalaleel were eight hundred ninety and five years: and he died.
18 And Jared lived an hundred sixty and two years, and he begat Enoch:
19 And Jared lived after he begat Enoch eight hundred years, and begat sons and daughters:
20 And all the days of Jared were nine hundred sixty and two years: and he died.
21 And Enoch lived sixty and five years, and begat Methuselah:
22 And Enoch walked with God after he begat Methuselah three hundred years, and begat sons and daughters:
23 And all the days of Enoch were three hundred sixty and five years:
24 And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.
25 And Methuselah lived an hundred eighty and seven years, and begat Lamech:
26 And Methuselah lived after he begat Lamech seven hundred eighty and two years, and begat sons and daughters:
27 And all the days of Methuselah were nine hundred sixty and nine years: and he died.
28 And Lamech lived an hundred eighty and two years, and begat a son:
29 And 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.
30 And Lamech lived after he begat Noah five hundred ninety and five years, and begat sons and daughters:
31 And all the days of Lamech were seven hundred seventy and seven years: and he died.
32 And Noah was five hundred years old: and Noah begat Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
World Behind This Chapter
Explore the people, places, language, history, and material world connected to Genesis 5.
How should the long lifespans in Genesis 5 be studied?
The genealogy gives extraordinarily long ages and a tightly patterned sequence. Comparative ancient king lists and genealogical conventions can provide context, but they do not by themselves determine how the biblical numbers should be interpreted.
Why does Enoch break the repeated pattern?
Most entries end with the formula “and he died.” Enoch instead “walked with God” and “was not.” The interruption is visible simply by comparing the repeated structure of the genealogy.
What does “walked with God” mean in the Hebrew Bible?
The expression used for Enoch appears in a small set of contexts and is worth tracing across the Hebrew Bible rather than assuming it carries a single later theological meaning.
How is Genesis 5 connected to Genesis 1?
The genealogy repeats creation vocabulary about humanity in God’s likeness and male and female, then moves into a lineage formula. The literary connection can be observed directly without deciding what larger compositional theory must explain it.
Sources to ExploreCurated research paths for this chapter 6
History & Daily Life2
- Adam's Genderless Lineage—Until Noah, the First SonTheTorah.com
Replacement for the broken antediluvian ages link; connects Genesis 5 with ancient Near Eastern genealogy and the Sumerian King List.
- EnochBible Odyssey
Directly relevant to Genesis 5:21-24; explores why Enoch is unusual in the genealogy and later Jewish traditions around him.
Maps & Timeline1
- Timeline: SumerWorld History Encyclopedia
Includes a dated timeline for Sumer, Eridu, Uruk, early temples, and early civilization; useful for antediluvian and ancient city background.
Language & Literature2
- Hebrew Interlinear Layout for Genesis 5:24Blue Letter Bible
Verse-specific Hebrew study for the phrase Enoch walked with God; focuses on a meaningful phrase rather than a random chapter link.
- The Sumerian King List: Text and TranslationLivius
Browser-readable translation of the Sumerian King List, including its sequence of rulers before the flood, extraordinarily long reigns, recurring genealogical structure, and transition to post-flood kingship. It allows readers to compare ancient Mesopotamian ways of organizing primeval time with the generation formula used in Genesis 5.
Artifacts & Manuscripts1
- 4Q GenesisLeon Levy Dead Sea Scrolls Digital Library
Dead Sea Scrolls manuscript record for Genesis from Qumran Cave 4; use as a visual manuscript witness if it displays clearly.
WORTH A CLOSER LOOK
From Adam to Noah
Genesis 5 is structured as a genealogy rather than a datable historical timeline. The visual helps track the literary sequence without assigning calendar dates the text cannot securely establish.

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