בְּרֵאשִׁית

BeReshit/Genesis

CHAPTER 5

With Commentaries

“And Khanokh went/walked with ELOHIM, and he was not, for ELOHIM took him.”

Listen to this chapter in Hebrew

This is the scroll/book of the generations of Adam. On the day that ELOHIM created ADAM, in the likeness of ELOHIM created him.

1 זֶה סֵפֶר תּוֹלְדֹת אָדָם בְּיוֹם בְּרֹא אֱלֹהִים אָדָם בִּדְמוּת אֱלֹהִים עָשָׂה אֹתוֹ׃

א

COMMENTARIES VERSE 1

בִּדְמוּת אֱלֹהִים עָשָׂה אֹתוֹ/Bid’Mut ELOHIM Asa Oto

In the Likeness of Elohim

What does it mean to be created in the likeness of God? Does it mean God has a physical body, a head, and limbs? The answer is no. Rabi Tovia Singer has said that the reason why we are created in His image is not because HaShem has a physical body like us. What we have that is precisely like HaShem is our thinking process. We think and reason; we experience life as He does. It is like when someone says, “You are so like your dad.” This does not mean that you look like him but that you inherit some of his behavioral traits and ways of thinking. Because of this, we, mankind, have a connection with HaShem that no other living being has. We have this wavelength that connects us directly to Him. I have said it before in previous chapters: we are the only creation that instinctively knows that there is something or someone bigger than us out there. We all do, whether we believe it is God or a high power. Some people may deny it, and some may not accept it, but we all do to some extent. We also are the only creation that, from a very young age, we realize that we are going to die someday. We are special. HaShem loves us so much that He made us like Him. We are rational thinkers and emotional beings capable of so much goodness yet so much evil simultaneously. Since we are created in His image, we must strive daily to be more like HaShem. We must grow to be like Him, like old couples that finish each other’s sentences. We must know what He likes and dislikes and work to like and dislike what He does, just like old couples who have grown together to make their bond and love even more profound. A love that, instead of diminishes, grows with the years.

Male and female created them, and He blessed them and called their name ADAM on the day they were created.

2 זָכָר וּנְקֵבָה בְּרָאָם וַיְבָרֶךְ אֹתָם וַיִּקְרָא אֶת־שְׁמָם אָדָם בְּיוֹם הִבָּרְאָם׃

ב

COMMENTARIES VERSE 1-2

What are these two verses telling us? It says that Elohim created Adam and said “him,” referring to Adam in the singular form. It continues in verse two, saying that HaShem created “them” male and female. The Torah still talks about Adam, but now the Torah refers to Adam as “them.” In the plural form. Remember that Khava was taken out of Adam, and so are we. Through countless generations, we all come from Adam. You and I were created on that sixth day of creation, and we were meant to be born in our respectful time. With a vision, a plan. Whether we grow up to be the kind of person that we choose to be is a different story. All this will be seen starting with this chapter. A genealogy will be given from the time of Adam to Noah, which takes place in a period of time of 1,056 years in length when Noah was born and 1,656 years to the Great Flood.

Talmud comments

The Talmud comments that a man without a wife is not an Adam, for it is said that He created them male and female…and called their name Adam [i.e., only when a man (ish in Hebrew) is united with his wife (a woman, isha in Hebrew) can we be called Adam].

We are all people searching for our partner, and only together can we be called ADAM, a being created in the image of GOD, Whose name is everlasting eternity. His name is Y-H-V-H, and there is no other.

And Adam lived 130 years, when he begot a son in his own likeness, like his image, and called his name Shet.

3 וַיְחִי אָדָם שְׁלֹשִׁים וּמְאַת שָׁנָה וַיּוֹלֶד בִּדְמוּתוֹ כְּצַלְמוֹ וַיִּקְרָא אֶת־שְׁמוֹ שֵׁת׃

ג

COMMENTARIES VERSE 3

We are Adam, and just like Adam, we are created in the image of HaShem, just like Adam was. We are by no means perfect, and God knows it. That is why. Just like HaShem called out to Adam when he and Khava ate from the fruit and sinned, HaShem waits for us to repent and come back to Him. So does HaShem call out to you so that you repent and may return to Him? Yes, He does.

Ezekiel 18:21-23

But if a wicked person turns away from all the sins they have committed, keeps all my decrees, and does what is just and right, that person will surely live; they will not die. None of the offenses they have committed will be remembered against them. Because of the righteous things they have done, they will live. Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked? Declares the Lord YHVH. Rather, am I not pleased when they turn from their ways and live?

Name Meaning

שֵׁת/Shet

This name means “compensation.” For he was given to Adam and Khava in Hevel’s stead.

The days of Adam after he begot Shet were 800 years, and he begot sons and daughters.

4 וַיִּהְיוּ יְמֵי־אָדָם אַחֲרֵי הוֹלִידוֹ אֶת־שֵׁת שְׁמֹנֶה מֵאֹת שָׁנָה וַיּוֹלֶד בָּנִים וּבָנוֹת׃

ד

ADAM

Adam had Shet in the year 130 from creation and died in the year 930 from creation.

And all the days of Adam which he lived were 930 years, and he died.

5 וַיִּהְיוּ כָּל־יְמֵי אָדָם אֲשֶׁר־חַי תְּשַׁע מֵאוֹת שָׁנָה וּשְׁלֹשִׁים שָׁנָה וַיָּמֹת׃

ה

When Shet was 105 years, he begot Enosh.

6 וַיְחִי־שֵׁת חָמֵשׁ שָׁנִים וּמְאַת שָׁנָה וַיּוֹלֶד אֶת־אֱנוֹשׁ׃

ו

Name Meaning

אֱנוֹשׁ/Enosh

The name means man/mankind/individual that is weak but social from the noun אנוש “Enosh,” which means man, from the verb אנש “nash,” which means to be weak and social.

And Shet lived after he begot Enosh 807 years and begot sons and daughters.

7 וַיְחִי־שֵׁת אַחֲרֵי הוֹלִידוֹ אֶת־אֱנוֹשׁ שֶׁבַע שָׁנִים וּשְׁמֹנֶה מֵאוֹת שָׁנָה וַיּוֹלֶד בָּנִים וּבָנוֹת׃

ז

And all the days of Shet were 912 years, and he died.

8 וַיִּהְיוּ כָּל־יְמֵי־שֵׁת שְׁתֵּים עֶשְׂרֵה שָׁנָה וּתְשַׁע מֵאוֹת שָׁנָה וַיָּמֹת׃

ח

And Enosh lived 90 years, and begot Keynan.

9 וַיְחִי אֱנוֹשׁ תִּשְׁעִים שָׁנָה וַיּוֹלֶד אֶת־קֵינָן׃

ט

Name Meaning

קֵינָן/Keynan

Meaning “a nest.”

The name Keynan obviously derives from the root קנן (qanan), which describes the act of weaving any strands into dynamic networks: These strands may be reeds and twigs that a bird weaves into a nest, or it may be acts of trade and routes of commerce that together combine into a bustling economy.

Verb קנה (Kana) means to obtain, i.e., to acquire or, in some instances, to create. It's the regular verb for a commercial purchase.

Noun קנין (qinyan) describes an item acquired (or created).

Noun מקנה (migneh) means cattle (as unit of commerce).

Noun מקנה (miqna) means purchase or purchase-price.

Noun קנה (qaneh) denotes some herb on a stalk, or any rod, reed, branch- or stalk-like item (in this sense, a plant "acquires" its branches).

I think that this name, at this point in time (about the year 325 and on), is when a need for trade began as the people of the earth started growing and expanding into different communities and towns.

And Enosh lived after he begot Keynan 815 years and begot sons and daughters.

10 וַיְחִי אֱנוֹשׁ אַחֲרֵי הוֹלִידוֹ אֶת־קֵינָן חֲמֵשׁ עֶשְׂרֵה שָׁנָה וּשְׁמֹנֶה מֵאוֹת שָׁנָה וַיּוֹלֶד בָּנִים וּבָנוֹת׃

י

And all the days of Enosh were 905 years, and he died.

11 וַיִּהְיוּ כָּל־יְמֵי אֱנוֹשׁ חָמֵשׁ שָׁנִים וּתְשַׁע מֵאוֹת שָׁנָה וַיָּמֹת׃

יא

And Keynan lived 70 years, and begot Ma’Halal’El.

12 וַיְחִי קֵינָן שִׁבְעִים שָׁנָה וַיּוֹלֶד אֶת־מַהֲלַלְאֵל׃

יב

Name Meaning

מַהֲלַלְאֵל/Ma’Halal’El

This name means “Praise of God.”

And Keynan lived after he begot Ma’Halal’El 840 years and begot sons and daughters.

13 וַיְחִי קֵינָן אַחֲרֵי הוֹלִידוֹ אֶת־מַהֲלַלְאֵל אַרְבָּעִים שָׁנָה וּשְׁמֹנֶה מֵאוֹת שָׁנָה וַיּוֹלֶד בָּנִים וּבָנוֹת׃

יג

And all the days of Keynan were 910 years, and he died.

14 וַיִּהְיוּ כָּל־יְמֵי קֵינָן עֶשֶׂר שָׁנִים וּתְשַׁע מֵאוֹת שָׁנָה וַיָּמֹת׃

יד

And Ma’Halal’El had lived 65 years, he begot Yared.

15 וַיְחִי מַהֲלַלְאֵל חָמֵשׁ שָׁנִים וְשִׁשִּׁים שָׁנָה וַיּוֹלֶד אֶת־יָרֶד׃

טו

Name Meaning

יָרֶד/Yared

This name means “descent.”

And Ma’Halal’El lived after he begot Yered 830 years and begot sons and daughters.

16 וַיְחִי מַהֲלַלְאֵל אַחֲרֵי הוֹלִידוֹ אֶת־יֶרֶד שְׁלֹשִׁים שָׁנָה וּשְׁמֹנֶה מֵאוֹת שָׁנָה וַיּוֹלֶד בָּנִים וּבָנוֹת׃

טז

And all the days of Ma’Halal’El were 895 years, and he died.

17 וַיִּהְיוּ כָּל־יְמֵי מַהֲלַלְאֵל חָמֵשׁ וְתִשְׁעִים שָׁנָה וּשְׁמֹנֶה מֵאוֹת שָׁנָה וַיָּמֹת׃

יז

And Yered lived 162 years, he begot Khanokh.

18 וַיְחִי־יֶרֶד שְׁתַּיִם וְשִׁשִּׁים שָׁנָה וּמְאַת שָׁנָה וַיּוֹלֶד אֶת־חֲנוֹךְ׃

יח

Name Meaning

חֲנוֹךְ/Khanokh

This name means “dedicated/disciplined.” Interestingly enough, this descendant of Shet, son of Adam, is named just like the son of Kayin, also son of Adam. They both share the same name.

And Yered lived after he begot Khanokh 800 years and begot sons and daughters.

19 וַיְחִי־יֶרֶד אַחֲרֵי הוֹלִידוֹ אֶת־חֲנוֹךְ שְׁמֹנֶה מֵאוֹת שָׁנָה וַיּוֹלֶד בָּנִים וּבָנוֹת׃

יט

And all the days of Yered were 962 years, and he died.

20 וַיִּהְיוּ כָּל־יְמֵי־יֶרֶד שְׁתַּיִם וְשִׁשִּׁים שָׁנָה וּתְשַׁע מֵאוֹת שָׁנָה וַיָּמֹת׃

כ

And Khanokh lived 65 years, and he bego M’Tushalakh.

21 וַיְחִי חֲנוֹךְ חָמֵשׁ וְשִׁשִּׁים שָׁנָה וַיּוֹלֶד אֶת־מְתוּשָׁלַח׃

כא

Name Meaning

מְתוּשָׁלַח/M’Tushalakh

There are two possible interpretations for this name.

One

According to Strong, the root for metu is the word mat (#4962) which means "man" and the word Shelach (#7973) means a weapon or missile (hence the translation of dart).

Two

The word metu may be derived from the word mot, meaning death, and the "u" is a suffix that means "their" - "their death." There is no way to know for certain if the final vowel in metu was an "o" or an "u" as the vowel pointing to that make that distinction are of fairly recent origin. If it was originally an "o" then the suffix would change to "his" - "his death".”

The word shelach (missile or weapon) is the noun form of the verb shalach meaning "to send" (a missile or weapon that is sent). Shelach has the more literal meaning of "to send something.”

This ties into the dates that the year M’Tushalakh died was the year of the Great Flood in 1656. When his life ended also, all life on earth ended as well (except Noakh’s life and his family’s lives).

So, if we put all this into the context of the Bible, this name can well mean:

“Their death was sent”

The Name could refer to HaShem sending the Great Flood to end all life on earth in the same year that M’Tushalakh died.

And Khanokh went/walked with THE ET ELOHIM after he begot Me’Tushelakh 300 years and begot sons and daughters.

22 וַיִּתְהַלֵּךְ חֲנוֹךְ אֶת־הָאֱלֹהִים אַחֲרֵי הוֹלִידוֹ אֶת־מְתוּשֶׁלַח שְׁלֹשׁ מֵאוֹת שָׁנָה וַיּוֹלֶד בָּנִים וּבָנוֹת׃

כב

אֶת/Et

This word has no translation into English. It is a bit of a complicated word, but in this case, it is to signal that this Elohim is THE ELOHIM. It's kind of when you have many of the same things, like a group, and you are trying to refer to a specific something or someone within that group. A single and specific one within the group. In this case, it is referring to the ONE and only Elohim. The people of the world had made for themselves many gods, and this verse tries to bring this fact to light and also says that the real Elohim of Creation took Khanokh. In the present, if you talk to someone about God, you must specify which god you are referring to because of all the religions in the world.

Went/Walked with Elohim

This tells me that of all the descendants of Adam, Khanokh was, at this point, the only one who obeyed, followed the law of God, and loved HaShem as the only God of the world. Up to this point, the world was increasingly getting full of evil intent, murder, corruption, self-gratification, idolatry, and wars. Everything that HaShem despises, they were doing it. And it was getting worse.

And they wore the days of Khanokh 365 years.

23 וַיְהִי כָּל־יְמֵי חֲנוֹךְ חָמֵשׁ וְשִׁשִּׁים שָׁנָה וּשְׁלֹשׁ מֵאוֹת שָׁנָה׃

כג

And Khanokh went/walked with THE ET ELOHIM, and he was not, for ELOHIM took him.

24 וַיִּתְהַלֵּךְ חֲנוֹךְ אֶת־הָאֱלֹהִים וְאֵינֶנּוּ כִּי־לָקַח אֹתוֹ אֱלֹהִים׃

כד

Rashi (1040-1105) Commentary: Although Khanokh was righteous, he was liable to go astray. To avert this, God cut his life short, as implied by the expression he was no more, rather than he died — i.e., he was no more in the world to complete his allotted years.

TargumYonasan Commentary: It paraphrases the verse as follows: And Khanokh served in truth before God, and behold he was not with the sojourners of earth, for he was withdrawn and ascended to heaven by the word of God.

I have always wondered in which manner God took Khanokh. Did God take him as He did Elijah? Or did God take his life? The wording makes me think that there is more to this verse.

2 Kings 2:9-10

When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, “Ask what I shall do for you before I am taken from you.” And Elisha said, “Please let there be a double portion of your spirit on me.” And he said, “You have asked a hard thing; yet, if you see me as I am being taken from you, it shall be so for you, but if you do not see me, it shall not be so.”

In both these passages, the Hebrew word for taken was used, “לקח.” So yes, Khanokh was taken by God, maybe not in the same manner (with fire) as Elijah, but taken alive nonetheless. So, it is needless to say that Khanokh was as righteous as Elijah but in a world nearing its end.

And M’Tushelakh was 187 years, when he begot Lamekh.

25 וַיְחִי מְתוּשֶׁלַח שֶׁבַע וּשְׁמֹנִים שָׁנָה וּמְאַת שָׁנָה וַיּוֹלֶד אֶת־לָמֶךְ׃

כה

Name Meaning

לָמֶךְ/Lamekh

As stated before with Kayin’s descendant, as they share the same name, this name is very difficult to translate as the root of this word, למך is not used anywhere else in the Biblical text, and therefore, the meaning of this root/word/name is impossible to determine with any degree of accuracy. One possible interpretation is that this name is from the verb מוך (mok), meaning "low," and prefixed by the letter ל, meaning "to" – "to be low." Other suggested meanings for this root/word/name are powerful, robust, and priest.

There are some parallels with the two genealogy lines of Adam. The line of Kayin and the line of Shet, the two sons of Adam. They both had two descendants that had the same names. And regarding the Torah, I do not think there are any coincidences. The descendant of Kayin, his firstborn (Khanokh), nothing is known. We only know that he is Kayin’s firstborn son and that Kayin built a city and named it after his, Khanokh. Now, this chapter is a genealogy timeline, and maybe this is to tell us that the time of both genealogies is in sink with one another. Now I know that Kayin’s son was the second generation of Adam, and Khanokh from Shet’s line is the sixth generation of Adam. That is a significant amount of time separated in generations between the two since Shet’s Khanokh was born in the year 622. That would mean then that Kayin waited 600 years to have his firstborn. How is that possible? And I say that it is very possible. See, Kayin was not only driven from the earth and the presence of God but also left his parent's side to wander the earth by himself. There is no mention of him taking anyone with him. Also, we know that only three people were alive at that time. Adam, Khava, and Kayin since Kayin killed his brother Hevel. So, there was no woman or child to take with him. So what I think happened is that Kayin wandered the earth by himself for 600 years with no one until the sixth generation of Adam passed through his son Shet, and with each generation of Shet, the Torah says “he had sons and daughters and died” of every generation. So, while Shet’s line grew and expanded, moved away from each other, and built communities, after 600 years, Kayin found a distant relative he would not know from Shet’s descendants. Six hundred years is a long time for mankind that lived over 500 years each and had many offspring.

Another thing I noticed is that the name Khanokh has two meanings to it, “dedicated and disciplined.” Kayin built a city and named it after his son, “Khanokh,” hence the meaning “dedicated.” Shet’s line Khanokh was a man of God, and he was “disciplined” in the way of God. Or, you can say that he was dedicated and disciplined in the way of God. But you can’t say that of Kayin’s son Khanokh, that he was disciplined, as we know nothing of him—two different meanings for two people.

To continue with this timeline parallelity, we come to the two Lamekhs, but now about 800 years have passed from Adam or about 250 years from the two Khanokhs. From Kayin’s Khanokh, there were six generations, and from Shet’s Khanokh, there were three generations. And I hope that we all know (and if not, we will find out) that Noah and his three sons, with their wives, were the only survivors of the Great Flood, and I will tell you that Noah is Lamekjs’s son from Shet’s line. Also, we touched on the subject that Noah’s wife was Naamah, the daughter of Kayin’s descendant Lamekh. Noah, from Shet’s Lamekh, and Naamah, from Kayin’s Lamekh, married, putting them in the same time period, and that puts the two Lamekhs on the same timeline from Adam to the Great Flood. Also, they share the same name and meaning; they were in the same period, right in the year of the Great Flood, and probably died close to the same time from one another. By the meaning of their names, HaShem wanted to convey the state of the world in both Lamekh's time and what the name means. Mankind was low in spiritual power but had built civilizations and were powerful but social and great in numbers.

As you can see, you don’t just read the Bible. You study the Bible. By reading the Bible, you are just grasping the very outermost layer of the Bible, but just like HaShem. The Torah is HaShem’s letter to us, and his letter can be as simple as can be. That even a child can comprehend, or as you grow in the knowledge of the Torah, you grasp the more profound meaning that only people who have studied all their lives can grasp. Having said that, I do not consider myself a smart man, but I love HaShem with all my heart, and if I, as a not-so-knowledgeable man, can grasp this. Just imagine how much more the Torah has to offers if we studied and shared the knowledge we each gained. So, maybe a person who can grasp all the knowledge in the Torah does not exist, and maybe that is why the whole world has to study it. And together, sharing and putting together all the combined knowledge we each gain, we can get closer to HaShem. Get closer to Him together than we could ever do independently.

And M’Tushelakh lived after he begot Lemekh 782 years and begot sons and daughters.

26 וַיְחִי מְתוּשֶׁלַח אַחֲרֵי הוֹלִידוֹ אֶת־לֶמֶךְ שְׁתַּיִם וּשְׁמוֹנִים שָׁנָה וּשְׁבַע מֵאוֹת שָׁנָה וַיּוֹלֶד בָּנִים וּבָנוֹת׃

כו

And all the days of M’Tushelakh were 969 years, and he died.

27 וַיִּהְיוּ כָּל־יְמֵי מְתוּשֶׁלַח תֵּשַׁע וְשִׁשִּׁים שָׁנָה וּתְשַׁע מֵאוֹת שָׁנָה וַיָּמֹת׃

כז

And Lemekh lived 182 years, and begot a son

28 וַיְחִי־לֶמֶךְ שְׁתַּיִם וּשְׁמֹנִים שָׁנָה וּמְאַת שָׁנָה וַיּוֹלֶד בֵּן׃

כח

and called his name Noakh, saying, “He will be relief from our work and from the painful toil of our hands, from the ground that YHVH has cursed.”

29 וַיִּקְרָא אֶת־שְׁמוֹ נֹחַ לֵאמֹר זֶה יְנַחֲמֵנוּ מִמַּעֲשֵׂנוּ וּמֵעִצְּבוֹן יָדֵינוּ מִן־הָאֲדָמָה אֲשֶׁר אֵרְרָהּ יְהֹוָה׃

כט

Name Meaning

נֹחַ/Noakh

Noakh means “Rest.”

Rashi (1040-1105) commentary: This one will bring us rest. Noah means “rest” in the sense of relief…from the toil of our hand.” This was said [prophetically] about the invention of farming tools, which was attributed to Noakh. Until his time, in consequence of the course decreed upon Adam, the earth produced thorns and thistles when one planted wheat. In Noakh’s days, this ceased.

And Lemekh lived after he begot Noakh 595 years and begot sons and daughters.

30 וַיְחִי־לֶמֶךְ אַחֲרֵי הוֹלִידוֹ אֶת־נֹחַ חָמֵשׁ וְתִשְׁעִים שָׁנָה וַחֲמֵשׁ מֵאֹת שָׁנָה וַיּוֹלֶד בָּנִים וּבָנוֹת׃

ל

And all the days of Lemekh were 777 years, and he died.

31 וַיְהִי כָּל־יְמֵי־לֶמֶךְ שֶׁבַע וְשִׁבְעִים שָׁנָה וּשְׁבַע מֵאוֹת שָׁנָה וַיָּמֹת׃

לא

After Noakh was 500 years old, Noakh begot Shem, Kham, and Yafet.

32 וַיְהִי־נֹחַ בֶּן־חֲמֵשׁ מֵאוֹת שָׁנָה וַיּוֹלֶד נֹחַ אֶת־שֵׁם אֶת־חָם וְאֶת־יָפֶת׃

לב

The ten generations from Adam to Noakh

אָדָם/Adam: was born at Creation - 930

שֵׁת/Shet: 130 - 1042

אֱנוֹשׁ/Enosh: 235-1140

קֵינָן/Keynan: 325-1235

מַהֲלַלְאֵל/Ma’Halal’El: 395-1290

יָרֶד/Yared: 460-1422

חֲנוֹךְ/Khanokh: 622-987—Kayin’s Khanokh lived in this same time period.

מְתוּשָׁלַח/M’Tushalakh: 687-1656

לָמֶךְ/Lamekh: 874-1651—Kayin’s Lamekh lived in this same time period.

נֹחַ/Noakh: 1056-2006

שֵׁם/Shem, חָם/Kham, and יָפֶת/Yafet: 1,556-? All three of them sons of Noakh.

Thus, Noakh was born 126 years after Adam died; Lamekh was the farthest descendant Adam lived to see.