Genesis 5
From Adam to Noah
1 This is the book of the generations of Adam. When God created man, he made him in the likeness of God.
2 Male and female he created them, and he blessed them and named them Man when they were created.
3 When Adam had lived 130 years, he fathered a son in his own likeness, after his image, and named him Seth.
We are very quick to say that we are created in the likeness of God, and by that we really mean the good things about ourselves, but notice here that the Bible distinguishes between Adam's "likeness of God" in v.1 and Seth's likeness of Adam here in v.3. This is significant because Adam's likeness was been spoilt by sin, and he would've passed his marred image to all his children, including Seth. But God himself still states that we are made in his image in Genesis 9:6 despite the fact that we are all marred by sin.
4 The days of Adam after he fathered Seth were 800 years; and he had other sons and daughters.
5 Thus all the days that Adam lived were 930 years, and he died.
This is the first natural death mentioned in the Bible. We shouldn't be surprised at the long lifespan of Adam. He was perfect genetically and the deterioration of the human body will take time to take effect. As the Biblical accounts continue, we will see how human lifespan shortens from almost a thousand years to around a hundred.
6 When Seth had lived 105 years, he fathered Enosh.
7 Seth lived after he fathered Enosh 807 years and had other sons and daughters.
8 Thus all the days of Seth were 912 years, and he died.
9 When Enosh had lived 90 years, he fathered Kenan.
10 Enosh lived after he fathered Kenan 815 years and had other sons and daughters.
11 Thus all the days of Enosh were 905 years, and he died.
12 When Kenan had lived 70 years, he fathered Mahalalel.
13 Kenan lived after he fathered Mahalalel 840 years and had other sons and daughters.
14 Thus all the days of Kenan were 910 years, and he died.
15 When Mahalalel had lived 65 years, he fathered Jared.
16 Mahalalel lived after he fathered Jared 830 years and had other sons and daughters.
17 Thus all the days of Mahalalel were 895 years, and he died.
18 When Jared had lived 162 years he fathered Enoch.
19 Jared lived after he fathered Enoch 800 years and had other sons and daughters.
20 Thus all the days of Jared were 962 years, and he died.
21 When Enoch had lived 65 years, he fathered Methuselah.
22 Enoch walked with God after he fathered Methuselah 300 years and had other sons and daughters.
23 Thus all the days of Enoch were 365 years.
24 Enoch walked with God, and he was not, for God took him.
25 When Methuselah had lived 187 years, he fathered Lamech.
26 Methuselah lived after he fathered Lamech 782 years and had other sons and daughters.
27 Thus all the days of Methuselah were 969 years, and he died.
Methuselah is the oldest person in the Bible. Some say his name means "His death will bring", but others dispute this. His name is said to prophesy that upon Methuselah's death, God will bring the global flood. Methuselah was the grandfather of Noah, and if we do the maths it seems the flood arrived in the same year as Methuselah's death. Methuselah was 187 when he had Lamech, who was 182 when he had Noah, who was 600 when the flood came. Thus, 187 + 182 + 600 = 969, which is the exact age of Methuselah when he died. We can safely assume that God brought the flood after Methuselah's death. Similar to the later destruction of Sodom, God did not bring judgment upon the Earth until there were fewer than 10 righteous people remaining.
28 When Lamech had lived 182 years, he fathered a son
29 and called his name Noah, saying, "Out of the ground that the LORD has cursed this one shall bring us relief from our work and from the painful toil of our hands."
30 Lamech lived after he fathered Noah 595 years and had other sons and daughters.
31 Thus all the days of Lamech were 777 years, and he died.
32 After Noah was 500 years old, Noah fathered Shem, Ham, and Japheth.