This chapter gives the family line of mankind through Seth down to the year of the Flood. King James Bibles from 100 years ago used to mark the years beside certain verses until doubts about the veracity of the creation account caused by the Theory of Evolution appear to have unsettled the publishers so that they began to leave them out. As shown in the notes for chapter 1, Christians ought to stop apologising for their faith, and put the dates back in.
Genesis timeline
| Birth | Death | |
| Adam | 0 | 930 |
| Seth | 130 | 1042 |
| Enosh | 235 | 1140 |
| Kenan | 325 | 1235 |
| Mahalalel | 395 | 1290 |
| Jared | 460 | 1422 |
| Enoch | 622 | 987 |
| Methuselah | 687 | 1656 |
| Lamech | 874 | 1651 |
| Noah | 1056 |
Above is a table for you to see what the dates given show us. Most remarkable of all is that Adam knew his great great great great great great great grandson! Adam was still alive when Lamech was born and Lamech was the father of Noah.
Adam was the first patriarch who had direct dealings with the Lord (Genesis 1:28-10, 2:15-17, 3:17-19). Then in the time of Enosh his grandson, men began to call upon the name of the Lord. The seventh generation man, Enoch, walked with God for 300 years, and he never died because God took him! Enoch’s son was Methuselah meaning “When he dies, it is sent” (that is the Flood.) Methusaleh lived 243 years with Adam and 600 years with Noah and so he formed the bridge between these two first patriarchs and the world before and the world after the Flood.
Father, may I consider how Enoch, who spent the shortest time with men, still lives with You. May I spend more time with You.