Gen 5:29 | KingComments | STEP | Lamech begot Noah, and sons and daughters, and lived to be seven hundred and seventy-seven years old, “and he died”. As with Enoch, the repeated course of events of birth, life, having children and dying is interrupted with Lamech. This is done here to communicate the motive of his son’s naming. Lamech lives in a world where violence and corruption are increasing ( ). He notices that. He realizes and acknowledges that the earth is cursed. In the midst of this situation, he seeks peace. In faith he calls the son who is born “Noah”, which means ‘rest’. The rest that Lamech speaks about when giving this name is also connected with comfort. There is a link between rest and comfort. It is not to be seen in English, but there is a play on words between the name Noah (‘rest’) and the Hebrew word for ‘comfort’. His longing for that rest is the longing of a God-fearing soul. But that rest can only come after judgment. Nor can Noah give that rest, and Lamech is mistaken when he says that “this one” will give him and others rest. It is the mistake that Eve also made, when she gets Cain ( ) and sees in him the promised (or seed) offspring ( ). While Enoch is taken away before judgment ( ), Noah is kept through judgment, save in the ark. Noah is a picture of the faithful remnant of Israel that is kept by God during the great tribulation that will come upon the whole earth. With the naming of the sons of Noah, the genealogy of faith ends. There is no mention here of how old Noah eventually became. Noah’s three sons are mentioned – and not just one as in all previous cases – by whom the genealogy is continued. This also points forward to the further course that will make it clear that a new beginning is being made by these three sons. Shem is mentioned first. Through him the lineage continues to Abraham, the ancestor of God’s earthly people Israel. God is called “the God of Shem” ( ). Through him, finally, the Christ will be born ( ). The flood came over the earth in the six hundredth year of Noah ( ) that is, in the year 1656 after the creation of Adam.

‏ Genesis 5:29

Noah

Lamech begot Noah, and sons and daughters, and lived to be seven hundred and seventy-seven years old, “and he died”. As with Enoch, the repeated course of events of birth, life, having children and dying is interrupted with Lamech. This is done here to communicate the motive of his son’s naming. Lamech lives in a world where violence and corruption are increasing (Gen 6:12-13). He notices that. He realizes and acknowledges that the earth is cursed. In the midst of this situation, he seeks peace. In faith he calls the son who is born “Noah”, which means ‘rest’.

The rest that Lamech speaks about when giving this name is also connected with comfort. There is a link between rest and comfort. It is not to be seen in English, but there is a play on words between the name Noah (‘rest’) and the Hebrew word for ‘comfort’. His longing for that rest is the longing of a God-fearing soul. But that rest can only come after judgment. Nor can Noah give that rest, and Lamech is mistaken when he says that “this one” will give him and others rest. It is the mistake that Eve also made, when she gets Cain (Gen 4:1) and sees in him the promised (or seed) offspring (Gen 3:15).

While Enoch is taken away before judgment (Gen 5:24), Noah is kept through judgment, save in the ark. Noah is a picture of the faithful remnant of Israel that is kept by God during the great tribulation that will come upon the whole earth.

With the naming of the sons of Noah, the genealogy of faith ends. There is no mention here of how old Noah eventually became. Noah’s three sons are mentioned – and not just one as in all previous cases – by whom the genealogy is continued. This also points forward to the further course that will make it clear that a new beginning is being made by these three sons.

Shem is mentioned first. Through him the lineage continues to Abraham, the ancestor of God’s earthly people Israel. God is called “the God of Shem” (Gen 9:26). Through him, finally, the Christ will be born (Lk 3:23 ; 36).

The flood came over the earth in the six hundredth year of Noah (Gen 7:6) that is, in the year 1656 after the creation of Adam.