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08 - Commentary on The Book of Genesis · Commentary on The Book of Genesis

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Chapter five. This chapter is the only authentic history extent of the First Age
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of the world, from the creation to the flood, containing, according to
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the verity of the Hebrew text, sixteen hundred and fifty six years, as
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may be easily computed by the ages of the patriarchs before they beget that Sun,
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through whom the line went down to Noah. This is one of those
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which the Apostle calls endless genealogies one Timothy Chapter one, verse four. For
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Christ, who was the end of the Old Testament law, was also the
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end of the Old Testament genealogies. Towards him they looked, and in him
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they centered. The genealogy here recorded is inserted briefly in the Pedigree of our
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Savior Luke chapter three, verses thirty six to thirty eight, and is of
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great use to show that Christ was the seed of the woman that was promised.
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We have here an account Roman I concerning Adam Verses one to five,
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two Seth verses six to eight, Roman three, Enos verses nine to eleven,
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Roman four, Canan verses twelve to fourteen, Roman five, Mahalalael verses
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fifteen to seventeen Roman six. Jared verses eighteen to twenty Roman seven, Enoch
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verses twenty one to twenty four. Roman eight, Methuselah verses twenty five to
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twenty seven, Roman nine, Laimek and his son Noah Verses twenty eight to
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thirty two. All scripture being given by inspiration of God is profitable, though
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not all alike profitable. Genealogies b c. Thirty eight fifty two, Verses
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one two five. This is the book of the generations of Adam. In
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the day that God created man in the likeness of God, made he him
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male and female, created he them and blessed them and called their name Adam.
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In the day when they were created, and Adam lived one hundred and
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thirty years, and begat a son in his own likeness after his image,
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and called his name Seth. And the days of Adam after he had begotten
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Seth were eight hundred years, and he begat sons and daughters. And all
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the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years, and he died.
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The first words of the chapter are the title or argument of the whole
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chapter. It is the book of the generations of Adam. It is the
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list or catalog of the posterity of Adam, not of all, but only
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of the Holy Seed, who were the substance thereof Isaiah chapter six, verse
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thirteen, and of whom, as concerning the flesh Christ came Romans chapter nine,
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verse five, the names, ages, and deaths of those that were
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the successors of the first Adam in the custody of the promise, and the
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ancestors of the Second Adam. The genealogy begins with Adam himself. Here is
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Roman one his creation, Verses one and two, where we have a brief
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rehearsal of what was before at large related concerning the creation of man. This
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is what we have frequently to hear of and carefully to acquaint ourselves with.
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Observe here One that God created man. Man is not his own maker.
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Therefore he must not be his own master, but the author of his being
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must be the director of his motions and the center of them. Two that
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there was a day in which God created man. He was not from eternity,
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but of yesterday. He was not the first born, but the junior
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of the creation. Three. That God made him in his own likeness,
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righteous and holy, and therefore undoubtedly happy. Man's nature resembles the divine nature
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more than any of the other creatures of this lower world. Four That God
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created them male and female Verse two, for their mutual comfort, as well
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as for the preservation and increase of their kind. Adam and Eve were both
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made immediately by the hand of God, both made in God's likeness, And
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therefore between the sexes there is not that great distance and inequality which some imagine.
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Five that God bless them. It is usual for parents to bless their
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children, So God the common Father blessed his But earthly parents can only beg
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a blessing. It is God's prerogative to command it. It refers chiefly to
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the blessing of increase, not excluding other blessings. Six That he called their
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name Adam. Adam signifies earth, red Earth, now sub one. God
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gave him this name. Adam had himself named the rest of the creatures.
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But he must not choose his own name, lest he should assume some glorious,
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pompous title. But God gave him a name which would be a continual
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memorandum to him of the meanness of his original and oblige him to look unto
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the rock. Whence he was hewn and the whole of the pit, whence
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he was digged Isaiah chapter fifty one, Verse one. Those have little reason
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to be proud who are so near akin to dust. So two. He
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gave this name both to the man and to the woman, being at first
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one by nature and afterwards one by marriage. It was fit that they should
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both have the same name in token of their union. The woman is of
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the earth, earthy, as well as the man. Roman Io the birth
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of his son Seth verse three. He was born in the one hundred and
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thirtieth year of Adam's life, and probably the murder of Abel was not long
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before. Many other sons and daughters were born to Adam besides Cain and Abel
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before this, but no notice is taken of them, because an honorable mention
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must be made of his name only in whose loins Christ in the Church were.
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But that which is most observable here concerning Seth is that Adam begat him
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in his own likeness after his image. Adam was made in the image of
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God, but when he was fallen and corrupt, he begat a son in
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his own image, sinful and defiled, frail, mortal and miserable like himself,
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not only a man like himself, consisting of body and soul, but
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a sinner like himself, guilty and obnoxious, degenerate and corrupt. Even the
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man after God's own heart owns himself conceived and born in sin Psalm fifty one,
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verse five. This was Adam's own likeness, the reverse of that divine
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likeness in which Adam was made. But having lost it himself, he could
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not convey it to his seed. Note Grace does not run in the blood,
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but corruption does. A sinner begets a sinner, but a saint does
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not beget a saint. Roman three His age and death. He lived in
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all nine hundred and thirty years, and then he died according to the sentence
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passed upon him to dost thou shalt return. Though he did not die in
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the day he ate the forbidden fruit, Yet in that very day he became
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mortal. Then he began to die. His whole life afterwards was but a
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reprieve of forfeited, condemned life. Nay, it was a wasting, dying
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life. He was not only like a criminal sentenced, but as one already
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crucified, that dies slowly and by degrees Verses six to twenty and Seth lived
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a hundred and five years, and begat Enus and Seth lived after he begat
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Enus eight hundred and seven years and begat sons and daughters, and all the
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days of Seth were nine hundred and twelve years, and he died, and
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Enus lived ninety years, and begat Canaan, and Enus lived after he begat
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Canon eight hundred and fifteen years and began sons and daughters, and all the
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days of Enos were nine hundred and five years, and he died, and
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Canon lived seventy years, and begat Mahalalael, and Canon lived after he begat
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Mahalalayal eight hundred and forty years and begat sons and daughters, and all the
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days of Canon were nine hundred and ten years, and he died. Emmahalalel
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lived sixty and five years, and begat Jared Andmahalalal lived after he begat Jared
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eight hundred and thirty years and begat sons and daughters, and all the days
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of Mahalalaeal were eight hundred, ninety and five years, and he died,
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and Jared lived one hundred sixty and two years, and he begat Enoch,
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and Jared lived after he begat Enoch eight hundred years, and begat sons and
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daughters, and all the days of Jared were nine hundred sixty and two years,
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and he died. We have here all that the Holy ghosts thought fit
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to leave upon record concerning five other patriarchs before the flood, Enos, Canon,
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Mahalalael, and Jared. There is nothing observable concerning any of these,
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particularly though we have reason to think that they were men of eminence both for
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prudence and piety in their day. But in general Roman I observe how largely
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and expressly their generations are recorded. This matter one would think might have been
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delivered in fewer words, But it is certain that there is not one idle
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word in God's books. Whatever there is in men's. It is thus plainly
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set down one to make it easy and intelligible to the meanest capacity. When
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we are informed how old they were when they begat such a son, and
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how many years they lived afterwards. A very little skill in arithmetic will enable
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a man to tell how long they lived in all. Yet the Holy Ghost
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sets down the sum total for the sake of those that have not even so
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much skill as this two. To show the pleasure God takes in the names
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of his people, we found Cain's generation numbered in hate A Chapter four,
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verse eighteen. But this account of the Holy Seed is enlarged upon and given
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in words at length, and not in figures. We are told how long
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those lived that lived in God's fear, and when those died that died in
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his favor. But as for others, it is no matter. The memory
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of the just is blessed, but the name of the wicked shall rot.
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Roman two. Their life is reckoned by days verse eight all the days of
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Seth, and so of the rest, which intimates the shortness of the life
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of man when it is at the longest, and the quick revolution of our
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times on earth. If they reckoned by days, surely we must reckon by
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hours, or rather make that our frequent prayer. Psalm ninety, verse twelve
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teach us to number our days. Roman three. Concerning each of them,
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except Enoch, it is said, and he died. It is implied in
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the numbering of the years of their life, that their life, when those
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years were numbered and finished, came to an end. And yet it is
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still repeated, and he died to show that death passed upon all men without
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exception, and that it is good for us, particularly to observe and improve
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the deaths of others for our own edification. Such a one was a strong,
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healthful man, but he died. Such a one was a great and
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rich man, but he died. Such a one was a wise politic man,
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but he died. Such a one was a very good man, perhaps
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a very useful man, but he died, et cetera. Rowan four.
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That which is especially observable is that they all lived very long. But not
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one of them died till he had seen the revolution of almost eight hundred years.
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And some of them lived much longer, a great while for an immortal
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soul to be imprisoned in a house of clay. The present life surely was
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not to them such a burden as commonly it is now, else they would
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have been weary of it. Nor was the future life so clearly revealed to
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them as it is now under the Gospel, else they would have been impatient
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to remove to it. Long life, to the pious patriarchs was a blessing
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and made them blessings one. Some natural causes may be assigned for their long
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life. In those first ages of the world. It is very probable that
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the earth was more fruitful, that the productions of it were more strengthening,
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that the air was more healthful, and that the influences of the heavenly bodies
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were more benign before the plot than afterwards. Though man was driven out of
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paradise, yet the earth itself was then paradisiacal, a garden in comparison with
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its present wilderness state. And some think that their great knowledge of the creatures
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and of their usefulness both for food and medicine, together with their sobriety and
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temperance, contributed much to it. Yet we do not find that those who
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were intemperate, as many were Luke, Chapter seventeen, verse twenty seven,
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were as short lived as intemperate men generally are now two. It must chiefly
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be resolved into the power and providence of God. He prolonged their lives both
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for the more speedy replenishing of the earth and for the more effectual preservation of
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the knowledge of God and religion than when there was no written word, but
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tradition was the channel of its conveyance. All the patriarchs here except Noah,
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were born before Adam died so that from him they might receive a full and
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satisfactory account of the creation, Paradise, the Fall, the Promise, and
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those divine precepts which concerned religious worship and a religious life, and if any
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mistake arose, they might have recourse to him while he lived, as to
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an oracle for the rectifying of it, and after his death to Methuselah and
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others that had conversed with him. So great was the care of Almighty God
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to preserve in his church the knowledge of his will and the purity of his
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worship. Translation of Enoch b. C. Thirty seventeen, verses twenty one
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to twenty four. And Enoch lived sixty and five years, and begat Methuselah.
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And Enoch walked with God. After he begat Methuselah three hundred years,
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and begat sons and daughters. And all the days of Enoch were three hundred
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sixty and five years. And Enoch walked with God, and he was not
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for God took him. The accounts here run on for several generations without anything
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remarkable or any variation, but of the names and numbers. But at length
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there comes in one that must not be passed over, so of whom special
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notice must be taken. And this is Enoch the seventh from Adam. The
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rest we may suppose did virtuously, but he excelled them all, and was
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the brightest star of the patriarchal age. It is but little that is recorded
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concerning him, But this little is enough to make his name great, greater
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than the name of the other Enoch, who had a city called by his
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name. Here are two things concerning him. One his gracious conversation in this
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world, which is twice spoken of. Enoch walked with God after he begat
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Methuselah verse twenty two. And again Enoch walked with God verse twenty four.
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Observe one the nature of his religion and the scope and tenor of his conversation.
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He walked with God, which denotes sub one true religion. What is
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godliness but walking with God. The ungodly and profane are without God in the
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world. They walk contrary to Him. But the godly walk with God,
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which presupposes reconciliation to God. For two cannot walk together except they be agreed.
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Amos chapter three, verse three, and includes all the parts and instances
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of a godly, righteous and sober life. To walk with God is to
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set God always before us, and to act as those that are always under
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his eye. It is to live a life of communion with God, both
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in ordinances and providences. It is to make God's word ours rule, and
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his glory our end in all our actions. It is to make it our
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constant care and endeavor in everything to please God, and nothing to offend him.
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It is to comply with His will, to concur with his designs,
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and to be workers together with him. It is to be followers of Him
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as dear children. Sub. Two. Eminent religion. He was entirely dead
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to this world, and did not only walk after God as all good men
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do, but he walked with God as if he were in heaven already.
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He lived above the rate, not only of other men, but of other
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saints, not only good in bad times, but the best in good times.
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P. Sub Three. Activity in promoting religion among others, executing the
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priest's office is called walking before God. For Samuel chapter two, verses thirty
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and thirty five, and see Zechariah chapter three, verse seven. Enoch,
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it should seem was a priest of the Most High God and like Noah,
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who is likewise said to walk with God. He was a preacher of righteousness
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and prophesied of Christ's second coming. Jude verse fourteen. Behold the Lord cometh
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with his holy myriads, now the Holy Spirit. Instead of saying Enoch lived,
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says Enoch walked with God. For it is the life of a good
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man to walk with God. This was one the business of Enoch's life,
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his constant care and work. While others live to themselves and to the world,
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he lived to God. And two it was the joy and support of
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his life. Communion with God was to him better than life itself to me
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to live is Christ. Philippians, Chapter one, verse twenty one two.
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The date of his religion, it is said verse twenty one he lived sixty
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five years and begat Methuselah. But verse twenty two he walked with God after
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he begat Methuselah, which intimates that he did not begin to be eminent for
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piety till about that time. At first he walked, but as other men,
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great saints arrive at their eminence by degrees three the continuance of his religion,
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he walked with God three hundred years as long as he continued in this
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world. The hypocrite will not pray always. But the real saint that acts
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from a principle and makes religion his choice, will persevere to the end and
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walk with God while he lives as one that hopes to live forever with him
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Psalm one hundred and four, verse thirty three, Roman Io. His glorious
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removal to a better world, as he did not live like the rest,
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so he did not die like the rest verse twenty four. He was not,
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for God took him. That is as it is explained Hebrews, Chapter
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eleven, verse five. He was translated that he should not see death and
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was not found because God had translated him. Observe one. When he was
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thus translated one, what time of his life? It was? When he
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had lived but three hundred and sixty five years, a year of years,
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which, as men's ages went, then was in the midst of his days.
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For there was none of the patriarchs before the flood that did not more
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than double that age. But why did God take him so soon? Surely
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because the world, which had now grown corrupt, was not worthy of him,
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or because he was so much above the world and so weary of it
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as to desire a speedy removal out of it, or because his work was
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done and done the sooner for his minding it so closely. Note, God
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often takes those soonest whom he loves best, and the time they lose on
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earth is gained in heaven to their unspeakable advantage. So Two, what time
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of the world it was when all the patriarchs mentioned in this chapter were living,
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except Adam, who died fifty seven years before, and Noah, who
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was born sixty nine years after. Those two had sensible confirmations to their faith
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other ways, but to all the rest, who were or might have been
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witnesses of Enoch's translation, it was a sensible encouragement to their faith and hope
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concerning a future state. Two, how his removal is expressed, He was
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not, for God took him. Sub one, He was not any longer
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in this world. It was not the period of his being, but of
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his being here. He was not found, So the apostle explains it from
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the seventy not found by his friends who sought him, as the sons of
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the Prophet sought Elijah. Second Kings, Chapter two, Verse seventeen, not
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found by his enemies, who some think were in quest of him to put
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him to death in their rage against him for his eminent piety. It appears
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by his prophecy that there were then many ungodly sinners who spoke hard speeches,
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and probably did hard things too, against God's people Jude verse fifteen. But
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God hid Enoch from them, not under heaven, but in heaven. So
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two. And God took him body and soul to himself in the heavenly paradise
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by the ministry of angels. As afterwards he took Elijah. He was changed,
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as those saints will be that shall be found alive at Christ's second coming.
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Whenever a good man dies, God takes him, fetches him, hence
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and receives him to himself. The Apostle adds concerning Enoch that before his translation
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he had this testimony that he pleased God, and this was the good report
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he obtained. Note one, walking with God pleases God. Two we cannot
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walk with God so as to please him, but by faith. Three God
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himself will put an honor upon those that, by faith walk with him so
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as to please him. He will own them now and witness for them before
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angels and men at the great day. Those that have not this testimony before
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the translation, yet shall have it afterwards. Four Those whose conversation in the
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world is truly holy, he shall find their removal out of it truly happy.
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Enoch's translation was not only an evidence to faith of the reality of a
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future state and of the possibility of the bodies existing in glory in that state,
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but it was an encouragement to the hope of all that walk with God,
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that they shall be forever with him signal piety shall be crowned with signal
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honors Verses twenty five to twenty seven. And Methuselah lived one hundred eighty and
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seven years, and begat Laymek, and Methuselah lived after he begat Lamek seven
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hundred eighty and two years, and beget sons and daughters. And all the
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days of Methuselah were nine hundred sixty and nine years, and he died.
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Concerning Methuselah observed one the signification of his name, which some think was prophetical
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his father Enoch, being a prophet. Methuselah signifies he dies or there is
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a dart or ascending forth, namely of the deluge, which came the very
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year that Methuselah died. If indeed his name was so intended and so explained,
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it was fair warning to a careless world a long time before the judgment
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came. However, this is observable that the longest liver that ever was carried
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death in his name, that he might be reminded of its coming. Surely,
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though it came slowly two his age. He lived nine hundred and sixty
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nine years, the longest we read of that ever any man lived on earth,
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and yet he died. The longest liver must die at last. Neither
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youth nor age will discharge from that war, for that is the end of
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all men. None can challenge life by long prescription, nor make that a
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plea against the arrests of death. It is commonly supposed that Methuselah died a
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little before the flood, the Jewish writers say seven days before, referring to
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chapter seven, verse ten, and that he was taken away from the evil
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to come, which goes upon this presumption which is generally received, that all
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the patriarchs mentioned in this chapter were wholly good men. I am loath to
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offer any surmise to the contrary. And yet I see not that this can
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be any more inferred from their enrollment here among the ancestors of Christ, than
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that all those kings of Judah were so whose names are recorded in his genealogy,
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many of whom we are sure were much otherwise. And if this be
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questioned, it may be suggested as probable that Mathuselah was himself drowned with the
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rest of the world. For it is certain that he died that year.
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Account of Noah b. C. Twenty four forty eight Verses twenty eight,
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two thirty two. And Lamik lived a hundred eighty and two years, and
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begat a son, and he called his name Noah, saying the same shall
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comfort us concerning our work and toil of our hands, because of the ground
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which the Lord hath cursed. And Lamik lived after he begat Noah five hundred
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ninety and five years, and begat sons and daughters, and all the days
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of Laymak were seven hundred seventy and seven years, and he died, and
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Noah was five hundred years old, and Noah begat shem Ham and Jafith.
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Here we have the first mention of Noah of whom we shall read much more
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in the following chapters. Observe Roman I his name. With the reason of
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it, Noah signifies rest his parents gave him that name with the prospect of
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his being a more than ordinary blessing to his generation. This same shall comfort
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us concerning our work and toil of our hands, because of the ground which
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the Lord hath cursed. Here is one Lemik's complaint of the calamitous state of
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human life. By the entrance of sin and the entail of the curse for
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sin, our condition has become very miserable. Our whole life is spent in
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labor, and our time filled up with continual toil. God having cursed the
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ground, it is as much as some can do, with the utmost care
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and pains, to fetch a hard life out of it. He speaks as
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one fatigued with the business of this life, and grudging that so many thoughts
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and precious minutes, which otherwise might have been much better employed, are unavoidably
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spent for the support of the body. Two his comfortable hopes of some relief
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by the birth of this son. This same shall comfort us, which denotes
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not only the desire and expectation which parents generally have concerning their children, that
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when they grow up, they will be comforts to them and helpers in their
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business, though they often prove otherwise. But an apprehension and prospect of something
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more. Very probably there were some prophecies that went before of him as a
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person that should be wonderfully serviceable to his generation, which they so understood as
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to conclude that he was the promised Seed, the Messiah that should come.
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And then it intimates that a covenant interest in Christ as ours, and the
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believing expectation of his coming furnish us with the best and surest comforts, both
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in reference to the wrath and curse of God which we have deserved, and
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to the toils and troubles of this present time of which we are often complaining.
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Is Christ ars is heaven ours, This same shall comfort us Roman too.
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His children, shem Ham and Japhath. These Noah begat the eldest of
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these, when he was five hundred years old. It should seem that Japath
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was the eldest Chapter ten, verse twenty one. But Shem is put first
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because on him the covenant was entailed, as appears by chapter nine, verse
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twenty six, where God is called the Lord God of Shem. To him
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it is probable the birthright was given, and from him it is certain both
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Christ the head and the Church the body were to descend. Therefore he is
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called Shem, which signifies a name, because in his posterity the name of
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God should always remain till he should come out of his loins, whose name
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is above every name, so that in putting Shem first, Christ was in
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effect put first, who in all things must have the pre eminence. And
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of chapter five