Bible Commentaries
Genesis 5

Verses 1-32

The Genealogy of Adam The second genealogy found in the book of Genesis is entitled “The Genealogy of Adam” (Genesis 5:1 to Genesis 6:8), which emphasizes the fact that God preserved for Himself a righteous seed in Noah (Genesis 5:1-32) while mankind in general became exceedingly wicked until God repented that He had made man as a part of His creation (Genesis 6:1-8). Hebrews 11:5-6 reveals the central message of this genealogy that stirs our faith in God when it describes Enoch’s translation into Heaven and his acceptance by God. Adam’s destiny, whose name simply means “mankind,” was to begin the multiplication of mankind, which divine commission is seen in Genesis 5:2, “Male and female created he them; and blessed them, and called their name Adam, in the day when they were created.” Of course, God’s plan was for Adam to produce a godly offspring. Thus, we see in the genealogy of Adam this seed of righteous men whom he fathered (Genesis 5:1-32), in which the author of Hebrews particularly Enoch as a fulfillment of this divine commission, who walked with God (Hebrews 11:5), and which list in Genesis closes with Noah, another blessed man (Genesis 5:29-32). Adam’s genealogy also reveals that many other people were born during this time-period who became exceedingly wicked (Genesis 6:1-8), particularly from the seed of Cain; however, this list emphasizes the fulfillment of God’s divine commission to bless Adam and his offspring, who were to father righteous offspring. Thus, the fulfillment of Adam’s genealogy is found in the man Noah, whom God would use to repopulate the earth after destroying all of mankind for their wickedness. In a sense, we have to look far down the generations to see how Adam fulfilled his destiny in the man Noah, so that Adam succeeded in populating the earth with a righteous seed.

Outline Here is a proposed outline:

1. The Descendants of Adam Genesis 5:1-32

2. The Depravity of Mankind Genesis 6:1-8