Gen 5:1-6:8 | TNotes | STEP | Summary for Gen 5:1-32: 5:1-32 The genealogies of Genesis go beyond simply recording history. By selective information and by structure, they communicate spiritual truth. The genealogies highlight God’s blessing, authenticate the family heritage of important individuals, and hold the Genesis narrative together by showing familial continuity. Adam’s genealogy through Seth traces ten generations to Noah (see 1 Chr 1:1-4 ; Luke 3:36-38 ), with the flood intervening before another ten generations from Noah to Abram. The number ten indicates completeness (ten plagues, Exod 7:8–11:10 ; Ten Commandments, Exod 20:2-17 ). Noah closed history before the flood, and Abram inaugurated a new era. Summary for Gen 5:1-2: 5:1-2 This is the prologue to the second account in Genesis (5:1–6:8 ; see study note on 2:4); it connects God’s purpose in creation with Seth’s line rather than Cain’s (4:17-24 ). 5:1 written account: Although the previous account (2:4–4:26 ) focused on Adam, Eve, and their first children, it was technically “the account of the . . . heavens and the earth.” Genesis 5:1-32 is a more typical genealogy. • like himself: See 1:26 and study note.

Summary for Gen 5:1-32: 5:1-32 ^a The genealogies of Genesis go beyond simply recording history. By selective information and by structure, they communicate spiritual truth. The genealogies highlight God’s blessing, authenticate the family heritage of important individuals, and hold the Genesis narrative together by showing familial continuity. Adam’s genealogy through Seth traces ten generations to Noah (see 1 Chr 1:1-4 ^b; Luke 3:36-38 ^c), with the flood intervening before another ten generations from Noah to Abram. The number ten indicates completeness (ten plagues, Exod 7:8–11:10 ^d; Ten Commandments, Exod 20:2-17 ^e). Noah closed history before the flood, and Abram inaugurated a new era.
Summary for Gen 5:1-2: 5:1-2 ^f This is the prologue to the second account in Genesis (5:1–6:8 ^g; see study note on 2:4); it connects God’s purpose in creation with Seth’s line rather than Cain’s (4:17-24 ^h). 5:1 ⁱ written account: Although the previous account (2:4–4:26 ^j) focused on Adam, Eve, and their first children, it was technically “the account of the . . . heavens and the earth.” Genesis 5:1-32 ^k is a more typical genealogy.

• like himself: See 1:26 ^l and study note.
5:2 ^m male and female ... “human” (Hebrew ’adam): See 1:27 ⁿ and study note.

• blessed them: See 1:28 ^o and study note.
5:3 ^p just like him—in his very image: The image and likeness of God (see note on 1:26 ^q) is preserved in human beings despite sin. Adam’s sinful nature was also carried forward (Rom 5:12-14 ^r).
5:5 ^s he died: Death indeed came to Adam (see 2:17 ^t; 3:18-19 ^u) and his descendants (see Rom 5:12-14 ^v). Cain’s violence is omitted (see Gen 4:8 ^w, 15 ^x, 23-24 ^y) and key figures in Seth’s line live in hope (5:29 ^z).
5:6 ^aa the father of: Or the ancestor of; Hebrew genealogies do not necessarily list every single generation.
5:22 ^ab Enoch lived in close fellowship with God (literally Enoch walked with God; also in 5:24 ^ac): Enoch’s position as seventh from Adam in the genealogy strikes a contrast with Lamech, the seventh from Adam in the line of Cain (see study note on 4:17–5:32).
5:24 ^ad Unlike all other sons of Adam, Enoch did not succumb to death; rather, he disappeared, because God took him (cp. 2 Kgs 2:9-12 ^ae; see also Heb 11:5 ^af).
5:27 ^ag 969 years: This statement and the numbers given in 5:25 ^ah, 28 ^ai and 7:6 ^aj mean that Methuselah died in the year of the flood.
Summary for Gen 5:28-29: 5:28-29 ^ak As with Enoch (5:21-24 ^al), the normal genealogical formula is interrupted to highlight important theological information about Noah. Noah sounds like Hebrew nakham, “relief” or “comfort,” and nuakh, “rest.” As the first person born after Adam’s death (see study note on 5:5), Noah prompted his father Lamech to hope that the curse brought on by Adam’s sin (3:17 ^am) might be lifted. See 8:21 ^an; 2 Cor 1:3-7 ^ao; 2 Thes 2:16-17 ^ap.

‏ Genesis 6:1-8

Summary for Gen 6:1-8: 6:1-8 ^aq Human wickedness reached a climax, prompting God to send the flood to destroy all living things. A glimmer of hope appears in God’s favor toward Noah (6:8 ^ar).
Summary for Gen 6:1-2: 6:1-2 ^as The sons of God have generally been understood as fallen angels (cp. the same Hebrew phrase in Job 1:6 ^at; 2:1 ^au; 38:7 ^av; Pss 29:1 ^aw; 89:7 ^ax). This interpretation is prominent in ancient Jewish and Christian literature (e.g., 1 Enoch 6:1–7:6; Justin Martyr, Apology 2.5) and is apparently supported by the New Testament (see 1 Pet 3:18-20 ^ay; 2 Pet 2:4 ^az; Jude 1:6-7 ^ba). Some interpreters do not believe that God would permit angels to procreate with humans and doubt that the above New Testament texts should be read in this way. Another possibility is that sons of God refers to the righteous descendants of Seth, while the beautiful women were female descendants of Cain’s wicked line. This interpretation is in harmony with Gen 4:17–5:32 ^bb but is weakened by the language of 6:1-2 ^bc, which seems to refer to the daughters of humanity in general, not the daughters of Cain specifically. Others believe that sons of God refers to tyrannical human kings (possibly demon-possessed) who took Lamech’s polygamy (4:19 ^bd) to a new height of wickedness by seizing the daughters of the righteous. Language reminiscent of 3:6 ^be (saw ... took) shows the rebellious nature of this act.
6:3 ^bf will not put up with: Many think that this is an announcement of God’s decision to withdraw the restraining influence of his Spirit from human society and allow human wickedness to run its full course. Others think it means that God would withdraw his life-giving breath from humans at an earlier age (ruakh, the Hebrew term for “spirit,” can also mean “breath”; see 6:17 ^bg; 7:22 ^bh; see also Ps 104:29-30 ^bi).

• normal lifespan will be no more than 120 years (literally his days will be 120 years): It is possible that this was a new restriction on the number of years individuals would generally be allowed to live (so the NLT). However, for generations after the flood, humans lived well beyond 120 years (see, e.g., Gen 11:10-26 ^bj). An alternative interpretation sees this as a 120-year grace period before the arrival of the flood (see Jon 3:4 ^bk; Matt 24:37-38 ^bl; 1 Pet 3:20 ^bm; 2 Pet 2:5 ^bn).
6:4 ^bo giant Nephilites (Hebrew nepilim): The term may mean “fallen ones.” The context implies that they were the offspring of the “sons of God” and would be destroyed in the flood. Numbers 13:31-33 ^bp uses the same term to describe other giants who were hostile toward God’s people and would also be destroyed (see also Deut 2:11 ^bq, which connects the Anakite nepilim with another group called the repa’im).
6:5 ^br everything they thought or imagined (literally every intention of the thoughts of their hearts): In the Old Testament, the heart is the core of volition, thought, and morality (see Prov 4:23 ^bs). Wicked actions stem from a corrupt inner life.

• consistently and totally evil: Strong language captures the pervasiveness, depth, and persistence of human wickedness. Human nature continued to be corrupt even after the flood (see Gen 8:21 ^bt).
6:6 ^bu the Lord was sorry: The extent of human wickedness made the Lord regret having created them (see also 6:7 ^bv; cp. 1 Sam 15:11 ^bw, 35 ^bx).

• It broke his heart: The evil in humanity’s heart (Gen 6:5 ^by) pained God greatly. Sending the flood was a heart-wrenching act on God’s part.
6:7 ^bz wipe ... from the ... earth: As Adam and Eve were banished from the garden-sanctuary (3:23 ^ca), all of humankind would be expunged from God’s good creation.

• every living thing: Human sin had so corrupted the earth that judgment fell on the animals and birds over which they had dominion (see 1:28 ^cb and study note). The special role of humans in the created order (1:28-30 ^cc) means that nature is affected by human moral choices (see 8:1 ^cd; Job 38:41 ^ce; Hos 4:3 ^cf; Rom 8:19-22 ^cg).
6:8 ^ch Noah and his godly life stand in stark contrast to the sinfulness of the rest of the people.