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Genesis 5 - Simple English

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Read Genesis Chapter 5

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1This is the book of the family line of Adam. On the day that God created man, he made him in the likeness of God.

2He created them male and female. He blessed them, and called their name Adam, on the day when they were created.

3Adam lived a hundred and thirty years, and was the father of a son in his own likeness, after his image. He called his name Seth.

4After Seth was born, Adam lived eight hundred years, and he had more sons and daughters.

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

6Seth lived a hundred and five years, and was the father of Enos.

7After Enos was born, Seth lived eight hundred and seven years, and he had more sons and daughters.

8So all the days of Seth were nine hundred and twelve years, and he died.

9Enos lived ninety years, and was the father of Cainan.

10After Cainan was born, Enos lived eight hundred and fifteen years, and he had more sons and daughters.

11So all the days of Enos were nine hundred and five years, and he died.

12Cainan lived seventy years, and was the father of Mahalaleel.

13After Mahalaleel was born, Cainan lived eight hundred and forty years, and he had more sons and daughters.

14So all the days of Cainan were nine hundred and ten years, and he died.

15Mahalaleel lived sixty-five years, and was the father of Jared.

16After Jared was born, Mahalaleel lived eight hundred and thirty years, and he had more sons and daughters.

17So all the days of Mahalaleel were eight hundred and ninety-five years, and he died.

18Jared lived a hundred and sixty-two years, and was the father of Enoch.

19After Enoch was born, Jared lived eight hundred years, and he had more sons and daughters.

20So all the days of Jared were nine hundred and sixty-two years, and he died.

21Enoch lived sixty-five years, and was the father of Methuselah.

22After Methuselah was born, Enoch walked with God three hundred years, and he had more sons and daughters.

23So all the days of Enoch were three hundred and sixty-five years.

24Enoch walked with God, and he was not there any more, for God took him.

25Methuselah lived a hundred and eighty-seven years, and was the father of Lamech.

26After Lamech was born, Methuselah lived seven hundred and eighty-two years, and he had more sons and daughters.

27So all the days of Methuselah were nine hundred and sixty-nine years, and he died.

28Lamech lived a hundred and eighty-two years, and was the father of a son.

29He called his name Noah, and said, "This one will comfort us in our work and in the toil of our hands, because of the ground which the LORD has cursed."

30After Noah was born, Lamech lived five hundred and ninety-five years, and he had more sons and daughters.

31So all the days of Lamech were seven hundred and seventy-seven years, and he died.

32Noah was five hundred years old, and Noah was the father of Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

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Explanation

Genesis 5

In short

Genesis 5 traces the family line from Adam down to Noah, showing ten generations with remarkably long lifespans. The chapter repeatedly notes that each person "died," reminding the reader that death is the consequence of sin, while one man, Enoch, is taken by God without experiencing death.

Context

This chapter opens the second major section of Genesis, beginning with "the book of the generations of Adam." It comes after Genesis 4, which records Adam and Eve's children and the early human story. The chapter provides the genealogy that leads from Adam to Noah, who will be central to the next part of the narrative. God speaks throughout Genesis as the one who created humanity and oversees their line.

What the text says

Verse 1 introduces this as a record of Adam's descendants, created in God's likeness. Adam fathered Seth at 130 years old (verse 3) and lived 930 years total before dying (verse 5). The same pattern repeats: each man lived a certain number of years, fathered a son, lived additional years, and died. The chain continues through Seth, Enos, Cainan, Mahalaleel, Jared, and Methuselah, each living hundreds of years. Enoch (verses 21-24) differs: he lived only 365 years and "walked with God" before being taken by God without dying. Methuselah reaches 969 years, the longest lifespan listed. The chapter ends with Lamech (verse 31) dying at 777 years, and Noah, his son, introduced at age 500 with three sons named (verse 32).

Takeaways

  • Death recurs as the constant ending for each generation, marking humanity's fallen condition.
  • Enoch's removal by God without death stands out as a sign of divine favor within a pattern of mortality.
  • Noah appears at the chapter's close as the one through whom the story will continue.

Explanation written with the help of AI. The Bible text above is not changed. Context and interpretation are flagged as such; always come back to the text itself.