5:1 book. The use of the word “book” in this connection strongly implies that reading and writing were abilities commonly shared by the earliest generations of mankind. These records, finally edited and assembled by Moses, must originally have come from eye witnesses, and there is no reason (other than evolutionary presuppositions), why their transmission could not have been by written records instead of orally-repeated tales.

5:1 generations. This is the second of the toledoth statements in Genesis (the first at Genesis 2:4a). Since Adam (and only Adam) could have personal knowledge of all the events in Genesis 2, 3 and 4, it is reasonable to conclude that this section was originally written by him. Genesis 5:1a is thus Adam’s signature at its conclusion.

5:1 made he him. If Genesis 5:1a is the concluding statement of Adam’s record, then Genesis 5:1b is the opening statement of Noah’s record, which concludes with Noah’s signature at Genesis 6:9a. As is true with the corresponding opening statements following the other toledoth endings in Genesis, as well as similar phenomena in Babylonian tablets, each statement ties in to the previous division by keying in to relevant statements. The opening statement in Genesis 5:1,2, obviously refers back to Genesis 1:26-28. Note that God “created” man in His spiritual image, and “made” man in His physical “likeness” (anticipating His future incarnation in human flesh).

5:2 their name Adam. “Adam” and “man” are both translations of the same Hebrew word. Its generic use in this context would perhaps better warrant the translation “...and called their name Man.”

5:3 hundred and thirty years. It is possible that other children were born to Adam, particularly daughters, during this 130-year period, with only Seth being mentioned by name, in view of an implied revelation to Eve that he was the appointed son leading eventually to Christ.

5:3 begat a son. Adam was “created” in God’s likeness (Genesis 5:1), whereas Adam “begat” Seth in his own likeness. Jesus Christ is the only “begotten” Son of God (John 3:16).

5:4 sons and daughters. Probably many children were born to Adam during his long life; the ancient quibble about “Cain’s wife” is easily resolved in terms of brother/sister marriages in the first generation. Close marriages are genetically dangerous today because of the accumulation of harmful mutations in the human genetic system over many generations, and incest has been prohibited since Moses’ time (Leviticus 20:11-20). In the first few generations, including those after the Flood, marriages of near relatives were necessary in order for mankind to obey God’s command to “multiply” (Genesis 1:28; 9:1), and accumulated mutations were few.

5:6 begat Enos. These records provide three items of necessary information nowhere else available: (1) the names of the antediluvian patriarchs in the line of the promised Seed who would ultimately fulfill God’s Protevangelic promise (these names are accepted as authentic and repeated in I Chronicles 1:1-4 and Luke 3:36-38); (2) the chronological framework of primeval history, showing a total of 1656 years from Adam to the Flood (there is no internal evidence to suggest any gaps in these records); (3) the lifespans of the antediluvians averaged over 900 years (912 to be exact, excluding Enoch), indicating vastly superior environmental conditions then.

5:8 nine hundred and twelve years. These great ages have been questioned. However, a “king list” was excavated near Babel, which tells of ten kings who had lived to great ages before the Flood. Although these ages were first deciphered as thousands of years, improved translations have brought them more in line with those in the Bible record. The Egyptians, Chinese, Greeks, and Romans also recorded a tradition that the ancient men lived to great ages.