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Meaning Chapter 5 Genesis – The Gospel in Names

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The fifth chapter of the first book of the Bible (Genesis) seems to merely fill a gap. The “boring” list of names between Adam and Noah. However, there is far more information contained in this chronology than meets the eye at first glance.

The first four chapters of the Bible

The first chapter of Genesis contains the account of God’s creation within 6 days. Creation came to an end with man. The second chapter defines the seventh day after six days of creation as blessed and sanctified. The creation of man, Adam and Eve, is shown again in detail, as well as the institution of marriage between a man and a woman.
The third chapter contains the fall of man and the consequences of it.
The fourth chapter describes the murder of Abel by his older brother Cain. Cain’s descendants are described and ultimately the birth of Adam and Eve’s third son, Seth.

The fifth chapter – A name chain

The fifth chapter seems to represent a kind of “breather”. The chronology from Adam to Noah is apparently described with a certain degree of boredom. Adam was 130 years old and fathered Seth. Seth in turn fathered Enosh and he in turn fathered Kenan, etc. Plus the respective lifespan of each offspring. This goes all the way back to Noah. “How boring and boring, what’s the point?”. After all, chapter 6 continues with God’s announced judgment on humanity and the building of the ark. In chapter 7, the flood overcomes humanity, except for the eight in the ark.

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Nothing in the Bible is without meaning

In fact, Chapter 5 seems somehow out of character. A series of names, their successors and their respective ages. Adam, Seth, Enosh, Kenan, Mahalaleel, Jared, Enoch, Methuselah, Lamech and Noah. However, there is much more to this chronology than one would expect at first glance. (The chronology graphically – here)

One name – one meaning

Usually people’s names in Hebrew had a meaning or an association. Just as Immanuel means “God with us”, Jesus (“Yehushua”) means “God saves” and Israel means “He who fought with God”, so all the names in the sequence between Adam and Noah each contained a description.

Adam – Earth-born, human
Seth – Replaced, replacement
Enosh – Void, weak, fallen man
Kenan – acquisition, purchase
Mahalaleel – Praise to God, who praises God, the gracious God
Jared – sinking, descending
Enoch – the initiate (anointed one), learned, teacher
Methuselah – man of the branch, his death will bring
Lamech – subversive, strength (interpreted)
Noah – peace, comfort

One possible interpretation

With the “resolution” of the names, the “boring” Chapter 5 becomes much more interesting. Because a statement could be put together directly from the sequence of names or their meanings, for example as follows:
God created (unfallen) man (Adam). The fall occurred. The Fall occurred. With the next generation (Seth) and since then, man has been weak and fallen (Enosh), sold and trapped in sin (Kenan). Yet God shows mercy (Mahalaleel), even as humanity continues to fall (Jared). There will come an anointed one and teacher (Enoch), one to salvation, the other to destruction (Methuselah). After the comprehensive judgment at His (second) coming (Lamech) there will be rest (Noah).

The Gospel in chronology

Variations on these interpretations are also possible. However, this sequence clearly points to the principle of the gospel through the naming, its meaning and the sequence of generations. The only name that is very difficult to interpret is that of Lamech. There is no clear definition of the meaning. Because Lamech appears again in the antediluvian period, as a descendant of Cain. The not exactly “exemplary” godly branch. Furthermore, there was only one person who faithfully followed God before the flood, and that was Noah. His family, namely his wife, three sons and their wives, were saved because of their belonging to Noah.

The Bible is full of allegories

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The Bible – The Word of God for people

The principle of the gospel and elements of it can also be found in numerous other passages in the Bible. Even the ark, a symbol of humanity’s only means of salvation, Jesus Christ, was made of wood, just like the cross on which the Savior was hung. The descent of Jesus Christ from the tribe of Judah is quite well known. Less common is the fact that He is the 40th descendant of Abraham. The number 40 appears very often in the Bible in a specific context (Info). In this way, there are countless such allegories, parallels and connections in the Bible that just need to be discovered.

Be it the report about Joseph, who was sold into Egypt, or Samson, who sacrificed himself tied to two pillars in order to achieve victory, the references to the saving work of Jesus Christ are omnipresent in the Gospel. Jesus Christ is the absolute focus and therefore the attacks on the Gospel are primarily directed against Jesus Christ (Info).

And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.
1 John 4:14

Bible verses from King James Version

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