Humanity [Adam], created by God [Elohim] the Ruler of all creation, is appointed a substitute [Seit] for its mortal [Enosh] condition, which due to sin, resulted in a temporary life (dwelling) of lament [Keiynan]. But strength from God [Mahalaleil] descended [Yared] to disciple humanity [Chanoch], He was a branch who was speared/pierced [Metushalach] and was made low, sent to die [Lamech], He brings rest and comfort [Noach], and His name has become renowned [Sheim], He delivers humanity from hot punishment [Cham] and deception [Yafet]. Introduction:
When reading the תורה Torah in English we often become weary of the listing of names. To our own detriment we sometimes avoid chapters that, due to their genealogies, seem tiresome or in some way less important to us. In Hebrew, as in many other languages the names of individuals carry deep meaning and reflect not only the named individual, but also the community, history and future of those named. With regard to the literal historical lineage of the Jewish people and the subsequent literal historical lineage of the Messiah, these seemingly unimportant chapters of genealogies become essential elements in the meta-narrative of God’s story. If we glean nothing else, we must understand that from these lists of personal names God is conveying His deep love and concern for each and every individual in His creation. When the meanings of individual names within a genealogy are joined together they often tell a story of their own. This story will submit to the פְּשָׁט p’shat (plain meaning) in the same way that all interpretation must, however, the meaning in the names is a רֶמֶז remez (a hint) at something deeper. It produces from the פְּשָׁט p’shat (plain meaning) a further layer to our interpretation that illuminates the greater mystery of the entirety of Scripture. This is especially true of Genesis 5. What is clear is that this genealogy is intended to communicate the importance of Adam’s righteous son (progeny), Noach (rest, comfort), through Seit (Appointed, substitute), those who are associated with Noach’s righteousness (comfort, rest) will come to be known as, “B’nei HaElohim” (Sons/children of God). The wicked, on the other hand, are those who will wear the title, “B’not ha-adam” (daughters/children of humanity) [Gen. 6:2]. Chapter 4 ended by naming the ultimate fruit of the wicked, who began to “desecrate the Name of יהוה HaShem,” a Hebrew idiom indicating the root of all evil, which is idolatry. Chapter 5 now juxtaposes the wickedness of the majority against the righteousness of the few, and in turn leads the reader to the judgement of the flood. It is at the flood that the line of Kayin ends but the line of the appointed substitute, Seit continues through Noach (rest). Thus the text hints at the greater mystery of the redemption of humanity through the ultimate appointed substitute, ישוע Yeshua our Messiah. Bereishit בְּרֵאשִית Genesis 5 (Translated by Yaakov ben Yehoshua) Gen 5:1 This is the scroll of the תּוֹלְדֹת generations of אָדָם Adam (man, red, of the earth). In the day that אֱלֹהִים Elohim (Creator, Judge, Ruler) בְּרֹא created from nothing (bara), אָדָם Adam (man, red, of the earth), in the likeness of אֱלֹהִים Elohim (Creator, Judge, Ruler) made He him; The chapter begins by explaining in true Hebrew ambiguity, that this is a record of the generations of both the individual אָדָם Adam and of humanity, also אָדָם Adam. In the same way that Genesis 2 establishes its account in the beginning by referencing the creation, Genesis 5 establishes itself in the sixth day as an accurate record of the literal genealogy that proceeds from אָדָם Adam (the man and the humanity). God (אֱלֹהִים Elohim) the Creator is named as Judge and Ruler of the generations of humanity, just as He is Judge and Ruler over all creation. Gen 5:2 Remembering זָכָר (zachar) male and female created He them; blessing them, and calling their name אָדָם Adam (man, humanity, red, of the earth), in the day when they were בְּרָאָם created from nothing (bara). The Hebrew word, זכר (zachar) which is translated male, also means to, “remember”. The creation of humanity is being remembered here. This sets in place an important rhythm of spiritual and physical convergence that will one day be given and codified as תורה Torah through the events that will occur on Mt Sinai. The Talmud explains that a man without a woman is incomplete: “For it is said, ‘He created them male and female… and called their name Adam (man)’” –Talmud Bavliy Yevamos 63a Simply put, we need each other. The Rav Shaul (Paul the Apostle) affirms the Talmudic understanding in his letter to the Corinthian body of believers (ecclesia). “Nevertheless, neither is a wife separate from her husband, nor a husband separate from his wife, in the Lord.” –1 Corinthians 11:11 Gen 5:3 And אָדָם Adam (man, red, of the earth) lived an hundred and thirty years, and begat a son in his own likeness, after his image; and called his name שֵת Seit (appointed, substitute): The account of the birth of שֵת Seit makes an important distinction by rendering, “in his own likeness” as a reference to Adam himself. This means that whereas Adam and Chavah were created directly from nothing through earth matter, “in the image and likeness” of God, שֵת Seit is a product of their already created substance and is therefore born in the image and likeness of his parents, as represented by Adam. Therefore, שֵת Seit is a foreshadowing of the appointed substitute ישוע Yeshua is A unity (echad) of God’s Spirit and the womb of humanity. The years lived until the birth of שֵת Seit are understood to refer to the years Adam lived from the inception of his being created. The subsequent births recorded in this chapter can also be calculated to relate to the point of creation by adding the 130 years lived by Adam up till this point to the number of years each person had lived at the birth of the respective child. Gen 5:4 And the days of אָדָם Adam (man, red, of the earth) after he had begotten שֵת Seit (appointed, substitute) were eight hundred years: and he begat sons and daughters: Gen 5:5 And all the days that אָדָם Adam (man, humanity, red, of the earth) lived were nine hundred and thirty years: and he died. Gen 5:6 And שֵת Seit (appointed, substitute) lived an hundred and five years, and begat אֱנוֹשׁ Enosh (mortal): Gen 5:7 And שֵת Seit (appointed, substitute) lived after he begat אֱנוֹשׁ Enosh (mortal) eight hundred and seven years, and begat sons and daughters: Gen 5:8 And all the days of שֵת Seit (appointed, substitute) were nine hundred and twelve years: and he died. Gen 5:9 And אֱנוֹשׁ Enosh (mortal) lived ninety years, and begat קֵינָן Keiynan (fixed, dwelling, room, lament): Gen 5:10 And אֱנוֹשׁ Enosh (mortal) lived after he begat קֵינָן Keiynan (fixed, dwelling, room, lament) eight hundred and fifteen years, and begat sons and daughters: Gen 5:11 And all the days of אֱנוֹשׁ Enosh (mortal) were nine hundred and five years: and he died. Gen 5:12 And קֵינָן Keiynan (fixed, dwelling, room, lament) lived seventy years, and begat מַהֲלַלְאֵל Mahalaleil (Praise, fame, strength of God): Gen 5:13 And קֵינָן Keiynan (fixed, dwelling, room, lament) lived after he begat מַהֲלַלְאֵל Mahalaleil (Praise, fame, strength of God) eight hundred and forty years, and begat sons and daughters: Gen 5:14 And all the days of קֵינָן Keiynan (fixed, dwelling, room) were nine hundred and ten years: and he died. Gen 5:15 And מַהֲלַלְאֵל Mahalaleil (Praise, fame, strength of God) lived sixty and five years, and begat יָרֶד Yared (descend, come down): Gen 5:16 And מַהֲלַלְאֵל Mahalaleil (Praise, fame, strength of God) lived after he begat יָרֶד Yared (descend, come down) eight hundred and thirty years, and begat sons and daughters: Gen 5:17 And all the days of מַהֲלַלְאֵל Mahalaleil (Praise, fame, strength of God) were eight hundred ninety and five years: and he died. Gen 5:18 And יָרֶד Yared (descend, come down) lived an hundred sixty and two years, and he begat חֲנֽוֹךְ Chanoch (initiate, discipline, narrow, dedicate, train up): Gen 5:19 And יָרֶד Yared (descend, come down) lived after he begat חֲנֽוֹךְ Chanoch (initiate, discipline, narrow, dedicate, train up) eight hundred years, and begat sons and daughters: Gen 5:20 And all the days of יָרֶד Yared (descend, come down) were nine hundred sixty and two years: and he died. Gen 5:21 And חֲנֽוֹךְ Chanoch (initiate, discipline, narrow, dedicate, train up) lived sixty and five years, and begat מְתוּשָלַח Metushalakh (man who is a branch, shoot, spear, forsaken; or, death and sent) The meaning of מְתוּשָלַח Metushalakh, is difficult because the Hebrew is somewhat ambiguous. This is why we are wise to include all the meanings associated with the name. Some have concluded a scribal error or manipulation that gives birth to the reading, “Death and Sent”. From the Hebrew, מָוֶת Mavet (Death) and the verb, שלח shalach (Send). However, the vav (Hebrew Character) is placed between the two other consonants in the Hebrew root form of מָוֶת Mavet, making the reading difficult at best. The subsequent meanings of the list of names follow the respective Hebrew root forms. The writer of the New Testament book of Y’hudah (Jude) speaks of the historical figure Chanoch, using him as an example of godly conduct as it pertains to prophetic rebuke. He writes: “Moreover, Chanoch, in the seventh generation from Adam, also prophesied about these people, saying, “Behold! ADONAI came with tens of thousands of His holy ones to execute judgment upon all, and to convict all the ungodly of all their works of ungodliness, which they have done in such a godless way, and for all the harsh words these godless sinners have spoken against Him.” –Y’hudah/Jude 14-15 Some suppose that this scripture from Y’hudah (Jude) indicates that the prophecy in question is written in the meaning of the name Chanoch gave to מְתוּשָלַח Metushalakh. This is a tenuous assertion at best but does nothing to diminish the clear story of redemption being told through the succession of names given in the genealogy of Genesis 5. Gen 5:22 And חֲנֽוֹךְ Chanoch (initiate, discipline, narrow, dedicate, train up) walked הַלֵּךְ (haleikh) with הָאֱלֹהִים the Elohim after he begat מְתוּשָלַח Metushalakh (man who is a branch, shoot, spear; or, death and sent) three hundred years, and begat sons and daughters: Gen 5:23 And all the days of חֲנֽוֹךְ Chanoch (initiate, discipline, narrow, dedicate, train up) were three hundred sixty and five years: Gen 5:24 And חֲנֽוֹךְ Chanoch (initiate, discipline, narrow, dedicate, train up) walked הַלֵּךְ (haleikh) with הָאֱלֹהִים the Elohim (the God): וְאֵינֶנּוּ ve’einenu and he was not; for אֱלֹהִים Elohim took לָקַח (lakakh: accepted, brought, purchased, carried away, drew, fetched, got, infolded, mingled, placed, received, reserved, seized, sent for, took away, won) him. The seemingly constant reprise, “And he died” is broken here by the phrase, “he was not”. We are told, not that חֲנֽוֹךְ Chanoch died but that God infolded him and took him away. This is a powerful living story of hope and the promise of intimate and eternal relationship with God. It’s interesting to note that the Hebrew הלך halakh, “to walk” shares its root with לָקַח lakakh, “to take, infold”. When we walk with God we are participating in the present reality of his infolding us and receiving us into eternity through His Son Yeshua the King Messiah. “By faith and trust Chanoch was transported that he should not see death; and he was not found, because God transported him: for he has had witness borne to him that before his transportation he had been well-pleasing unto God:” –Hebrews 11:5 Chanoch, the one who is dedicated to God and disciples others, is now taken up. This illuminates the already obvious story being told in the meanings of each of the names recorded in this genealogy. יָרֶד Yared had come down, חֲנֽוֹךְ Chanoch goes up and מְתוּשָלַח Metushalakh, is a branch who is speared/pierced. This רֶמֶז remez (hint) found in the names, explains the work of the Messiah so clearly and succinctly we could almost say it disqualifies itself as a רֶמֶז remez (hint) or a סוֹד sod (mystery). Gen 5:25 And מְתוּשָלַח Metushalakh (man who is a branch, shoot, spear, forsaken; or, death and sent) lived an hundred eighty and seven years, and begat לָמֶךְ Lamech (lowering, humbled, powerful): Gen 5:26 And מְתוּשָלַח Metushalakh (man who is a branch, shoot, spear, forsaken; or, death and sent) lived after he begat לָמֶךְ Lamech (lowering, humbled, powerful) seven hundred eighty and two years, and begat sons and daughters: Gen 5:27 And all the days of מְתוּשָלַח Metushalakh (man who is a branch, shoot, spear, forsaken; or, death and sent) were nine hundred sixty and nine years: and he died. Gen 5:28 And לָמֶךְ Lamech (lowering, humbled, powerful) lived an hundred eighty and two years, and begat a son: Gen 5:29 And he called his name נֹחַ Noach (rest, comfort), saying, this one shall comfort us concerning our work and toil of our hands, because of the ground which יהוה HaShem has cursed. The naming of נֹחַ Noach seems to indicate a prophetic affirmation of the promised seed of Genesis 3:17. This emphasizes the covering and atoning role of the flood and its symbolic relevance to the Messianic allegory set in place from the beginning. Gen 5:30 And לָמֶךְ Lamech (lowering, humbled, powerful) lived after he begat נֹחַ Noach (rest, comfort) five hundred ninety and five years, and begat sons and daughters: Gen 5:31 And all the days of לָמֶךְ Lamech (lowering, humbled, powerful) were seven hundred seventy and seven years: and he died. The number 777 stands out among the other lifespans listed as being of symbolic significance. לָמֶךְ Lamech represents those who blaspheme the name of the LORD יהוה and the completion of their wickedness is seen in the years of his life. In other words, at the flood (approximate time of לָמֶךְ Lamech’s death) the evil of humanity has reached a pinnacle of sinful perfection (777) and must be wiped out for the sake of its own redemption. (For other examples of numbers being used in this way please refer to my articles on Revelation). Gen 5:32 And נֹחַ Noach (rest, comfort) was five hundred years old: and נֹחַ Noach (rest, comfort) begat שֵׁם Sheim (name, renowned), חָם Cham (hot), and יָפֶת Yafet (expansion, open, deceive, flatter, entice). The Story of Redemption is in the genealogical list of Names of Bereishit Genesis 5: There is an obvious prophetic story being told in the meanings of the names recorded in this chapter. There is room for some expansion of this story and slight variations are inevitable due to the multiple English meanings for the Hebrew names and their root forms. I have endeavoured to give a paraphrase based on the wider meanings of the names as follows: אָדָם Adam (man, humanity, red, of the earth) אֱלֹהִים Elohim (Creator, judge, ruler) שֵת Seit (appointed, substitute) אֱנוֹשׁ Enosh (mortal) קֵינָן Keiynan (fixed, dwelling, room, lament) מַהֲלַלְאֵל Mahalaleil (Praise, fame, strength of G-d) יָרֶד Yared (descend, come down): חֲנֽוֹךְ Chanoch (initiate, discipline, narrow, dedicate, train up, teach) מְתוּשָלַח Metushalach (man who is a branch, shoot, spear, forsaken, man of the javelin) לָמֶךְ Lamech (lowering, humbled, powerful) נֹחַ Noach (rest, comfort) שֵׁם Sheim (name, renowned) חָם Cham (hot, intense, passionate) יָפֶת Yafet (expansion, open, deceive, flatter, entice) Humanity [Adam], created by God [Elohim] the Ruler of all creation, is appointed a substitute [Seit] for its mortal [Enosh] condition, which due to sin, resulted in a temporary life (dwelling) of lament [Keiynan]. But strength from God [Mahalaleil] descended [Yared] to disciple humanity [Chanoch], He was a branch who was speared/pierced [Metushalach] and was made low, sent to die [Lamech], He brings rest and comfort [Noach], and His name has become renowned [Sheim], He delivers humanity from hot punishment [Cham] and deception [Yafet]. © 2023 Yaakov ben Yehoshua Brown
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AuthorYaakov (Brown) Ben Yehoshua, founder and spiritual leader of the Beth Melekh International Messiah Following Jewish Community, presents a series of in depth studies of books of the Bible. Yaakov approaches the text from a Messianic Jewish perspective, revealing seldom considered translational alternatives and unique insights into the timeless nature of the Word of God as it applies to the redemptive work of the King Messiah Yeshua. Archives
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