Bless YHVH the blessed One; Blessed is YHVH, the blessed One for all eternity. Blessed are you, YHVH, our Elohim, King of the Universe, you have selected us from among all the peoples, and have given us your Torah. Blessed are you, YHVH, giver of the Torah. Amein.
‘’It is obvious that Genesis 5 is not like
Genesis 4. However, the two genealogies in chapter four are similar and often
where the second disagrees it disagrees in a way that brings one's attention
back to Cain Adam knows Chawwah (Eve) again, Seth has a child also,
Seth is so called because Cain killed his brother Hevel (Abel).’’
We have here in this Genesis account an
early allusion to two people groups, Qayin would be a prototype of the nations
or ‘’goyim’’ and from the line of Seth would come the Messiah and the nation of
Yisrael.
Most of Qayin’s descendants are destroyed
in the flood. However, scripture seems to indicate that only a remnant of Yisrael
will also be left –
Rom 9:27 And Yeshayahu cries out
on behalf of Yisra’ěl, “Though the number of the children of Yisra’ěl be as the
sand of the sea, the remnant shall be saved. Isa_10:22, Gen_22:17,
Hos_1:10.
Rom 9:29 And as Yeshayahu said before, “If יהוה of hosts had not left us a seed, we would have become like Seḏom, and we would have been made like Amorah.”b Isa_1:9, Deu_29:23. Footnote: bSee Jer_49:18, Jer_50:40, Amo_4:11
This Torah portion reminds us of YHVH’s eternal plan to create one new man from Jew and gentile in Messiah – Eph 2:15. We believe in these last days almost all flesh will be destroyed. However, during the reign of Messiah in the Millennium the earth will be repopulated.
Let’s examine in more depth the nature of these two peoples:
The following approach is based on the
Biblical commentary of Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch a 19th century
commentator who belonged to a movement that sought to make the Bible and
religion more accessible to then modern man. Hirsch followed a long exegetical
line that
biblical names indicate attributes.
Quote: This is seen explicitly at times;
for example Yakov is called Yakov because he grabs his brother (Esav, enemy) by
the heal perhaps symbolic of his life. Using this idea, we see that
Genealogies indicate community life cycles
In other words, each generation has a
certain attribute and the sequence of attributes indicates the life cycle of
the community. Using this idea we can approximately summarize both the life
cycle of Kayin and Seth. There are many similarities and also divergences.
Kayin’s lifecycle is as follows
Possession--> education--> wild-assed---> Forget about Elohim-->
The masses ask/grope for meaning--> leadership
For example, if a previous generation has
possessions, this could naturally lead to the subsequent generation seeking
education (to preserve societal wealth). This education can lead to
self-sufficiency; first there is a generation of wildness (since people are
educated, they know it all) followed by forgetting about Elohim.
In arriving at these translations I have
used pretty standard biblical terms. Chanoch is in fact the biblical root for
education (or training). A transposition of lemech is melech indicating a
search for leadership.
A similar analysis applied to Seth's
genealogy as follows
Foundation--->Helpless man---> possession---> praise ---> Elohim
depression--->education---> masses spread---> leaders
One can then search for parallels in both
community cycles as well as divergences. I personally don’t see one as more
religious than the other
In presenting this idea I regard it as
precisely that: An idea that can be developed in multiple ways but nevertheless
points to certain underlying communal lifecycle patterns.
I believe the above approach presented by
me is serious exegetical work. I therefore have to justify this type of genre.
Before doing so I point out the obvious: It is not a grammatical or linguistic
genre of exegesis. I haven't spoken about the meaning of words in Hebrew or
other languages; nor have I spoken about the conjugation of verbs.
The approach I used is symbolic. Symbolism
may or may not be justified. There are biblical passages which
are clearly symbolic as interpreted by all scholars, all religions, and
all periods’’ end quote.
The ancient haftarah portion has a profound
and somewhat hidden application to our Torah portion as we shall discover.
Isa 30:8 And go, write it before them on a tablet, and
inscribe it on a scroll, that it is for a latter day, a witness forever:
Isa 30:9 that this is a rebellious people, lying
children, children who refuse to hear the Torah of יהוה,
Isa
30:10 who say to the seers, “Do not
see,” and to the prophets, “Do not prophesy to us what is right. Speak to us
what is smooth, prophesy deceits.
Isa
30:11 “Turn aside from the way, swerve
from the path, cause the Set-apart One of Yisra’ĕl to cease from before us.”
Isa
30:12 Therefore thus said the Set-apart
One of Yisra’ĕl, “Because you despise this word, and trust in oppression and
perverseness, and rely on them,
Isa
30:13 therefore this crookedness is to
you like a breach ready to fall, a bulge in a high wall, whose breaking comes
suddenly, swiftly.”
Isa
30:14 And He shall break it like the
breaking of the potter’s vessel, which is broken in pieces, without sparing, so
that there is not found among its fragments a sherd to take fire from the
hearth, or to take water from the cistern. (Jer 2:13)
Isa 30:15 For thus said the Master יהוה (Adonai YHVH), the Set-apart One of Yisra’ĕl, “In returning and rest you are saved, in stillness and trust is your strength.” But you would not,
Despite man’s desperate condition the ancient haftarah also brings a promise of hope and restoration.
Isa
29:18 And in that day the deaf shall hear the words of the book, and the
eyes of the blind shall see out of gloom, and out of darkness.
Isa
29:19 And the meek ones shall increase their joy in יהוה, and the poor among men
rejoice in the Set-apart One of Yisra’ěl.
Isa
29:20 For the ruthless one is brought to naught, the scorner is consumed,
and all who watch for evil shall be cut off,
Isa
29:21 those who make a man to sin in word, and lay a snare for him who
reproves in the gate, and turn aside the righteous with empty reasoning.
Isa
29:22 Therefore thus said יהוה, who ransomed Aḇraham, concerning the
house of Ya‛aqoḇ, “Ya‛aqoḇ is no longer put to shame, no longer does his face
grow pale.
Isa
29:23 “For when he sees his children, the work of My hands, in his midst,
they shall set apart My Name, and set apart the Set-apart One of Ya‛aqoḇ, and
fear the Elohim of Yisra’ěl.
Isa 29:24 “And those who went astray in spirit shall come to understanding, and the grumblers accept instruction.”
Gen 5:1 This is
the book of the genealogy of Aḏam. In the day that Elohim created man, He made
him in the likeness of Elohim.
Gen 5:2 Male and female He created them, and He
blessed them, and called their name ‘Aḏam’ in the day they were created.
Gen 5:3 And Aḏam lived one hundred and thirty years, and brought forth a son in his own likeness, after his image, and called his name Shĕth.
Adam –
(S121&S120) – Man – can be man or woman.
“Sheth” (S8352 & 7896) – “Shyth” – to
place or appoint.
Gen 5:4 And after he brought forth Shĕth, the days of
Aḏam were eight hundred years. And he brought forth sons and daughters.
Gen 5:5 So all the days that Aḏam lived were nine
hundred and thirty years, and he died.
Gen 5:6 And Shĕth lived one hundred and five years, and
brought forth Enosh.
“Enosh”
(S583&582&S605) – Mortal man - desperate, incurable, desperately wicked
– sorrowful or melancholic.
One of the most common
titles for Yashua was the “Son of Adam”. Yahshua is referred to as the Son of
Man/Adam 88 times in the Apostolic scriptures and only 47 times as the Son of
Elohim.
Yahshua is also
referred to as the second man and the last Adam 1 Cor 15:45-48
We could then say that
the names in this Parashah also tell us a story about Messiah.
“The Son of Man is appointed to sorrow” This could also imply that the Son of Man was
appointed
to bear on himself
the wickedness of men.” See also Is/Yes
53:3
Gen 5:7 And after he brought forth Enosh, Shĕth lived
eight hundred and seven years, and brought forth sons and daughters.
Gen 5:8 So all the days of Shĕth were nine hundred
and twelve years, and he died.
Gen 5:9 And Enosh lived ninety years, and brought forth Qĕynan.
“Qeynan” (S7018(not
7014) & S7064 & S7077) – possession – chamber or dwelling – to make a
nest.
“Another
possibility (and favored by us here at Abarim Publications) is that the name Kenan
comes from the verb קין (qin), meaning to chant a dirge (Amos 8:10).
This verb comes from the noun קינה (qina), meaning lamentation, or a sad
poem which is sung (Jeremiah 7:19, Ezekiel 2:10). A strong clue that the name
Kenan (with the troublesome double nun) indeed comes from this word
group lies in the existence of a verb that HAW Theological Wordbook of the Old
Testament gracefully skips but which is well featured in BDB Theological
Dictionary. It's the verb קונן (qwnn), meaning to chant a dirge (Ezekiel
27:32, 1 Samuel 1:17) – see also S7015&6969’’
That way the name
Kenan means Lamenter.
However, through
the apparently related name Kenite, Jones' Dictionary of Old Testament Proper Names
notes a relation to the verb קנן (qinnen), meaning to make a nest
(Isaiah 34:15). That way the name Kenan may mean Nester. Perhaps the cry
of the eagle reminded the Hebrews of lamenting. Perhaps the two have nothing to
do with each other.
When man realized his
state, he realized his only hope was to become YHVH’s possession again. Man
needed YHVH to come and take residence within his life. Man’s heart or inner
chamber needed to be occupied by Messiah, ruled by the Ruach of YHVH and
nourished by His Torah.
The Ruach of YHVH
“nested” in Yahshua – therefore he was called a man of sorrows acquainted with
grief – Is 53:3
Something went wrong with man and could only be
repaired if YHVH could enter into man’s life and restore him again.
Thus far if we add the meaning of the names
together we can assume the following: “Man
was placed in a desperate situation – he needed YHVH to come and “nest” in his
heart..
Gen 5:10 And after he brought forth Qĕynan, Enosh
lived eight hundred and fifteen years, and brought forth sons and daughters.
Gen 5:11 So all the days of Enosh were nine hundred
and five years, and he died.
Gen 5:12 And Qĕynan lived seventy years, and brought forth Mahalal’ĕl.
Mahal-El(S4111) –
Praise of El – Yahshua was the praise of Elohim. Yahshua was our only hope of
becoming reconciled to YHVH so that we could bring YHVH the praise His son gave
Him.
Jer 17:14 Heal me, O יהוה,
so that I am healed. Save me, so that I am saved, for You are my praise.
Gen 5:13 After he brought forth Mahalal’ĕl, Qĕynan
lived eight hundred and forty years, and brought forth sons and daughters.
Gen 5:14 So all the days of Qĕynan were nine hundred
and ten years, and he died.
Gen 5:15 And Mahalal’ĕl lived sixty-five years, and
brought forth Yereḏ.
“Yared/Yered”
(S3382) to go downward.
Gen 5:16 And after he brought forth Yereḏ, Mahalal’ĕl
lived eight hundred and thirty years, and brought forth sons and daughters.
Gen 5:17 So all the days of Mahalal’ĕl were eight
hundred and ninety-five years, and he died.
Gen 5:18 And Yereḏ lived one hundred and sixty-two years, and brought forth Ḥanoḵ.
“Chanok” S2585 – means
dedicated.
Yahshua dedicated
himself to deliver humanity from their frightful predicament.
Gen 5:19 And after he brought forth Ḥanoḵ, Yereḏ
lived eight hundred years, and brought forth sons and daughters.
Gen 5:20 So all the days of Yereḏ were nine hundred
and sixty-two years, and he died.
Gen 5:21 And Ḥanoḵ lived sixty-five years, and
brought forth Methushelaḥ.
Methushelach S4968 –
“man of the dart” or literally “dying he shall send”
“Methuselah (Hebrew: מְתוּשֶׁלַח / מְתוּשָׁלַח, Modern
Metušélaħ / MetušálaħTiberian Məṯûšélaḥ / Məṯûšālaḥ ;
"Man of the dart/spear", or alternatively "his death shall bring
judgment") is the man reported to have lived the longest at the age of 969
in the Hebrew Bible. Extra-biblical tradition maintains that he died on the
11th of Cheshvan of the year 1656AM (Anno Mundi, after Creation), seven days
before the beginning of the Great Flood.”
Gen 5:22 And after he brought forth Methushelaḥ,
Ḥanoḵ walked with Elohim three hundred years, and brought forth sons and
daughters.
Gen 5:23 So all the days of Ḥanoḵ were three hundred
and sixty-five years.
Gen 5:24 And Ḥanoḵ walked with Elohim. Then he was
no more, for Elohim took him.
Gen 5:25 And Methushelaḥ lived one hundred and eighty-seven years, and brought forth Lemeḵ.
Etymology and
meaning of the name Lamech
The word למך (lmk)
does not occur in Hebrew, so we are left to guess at its meaning. BDB remains
silent on the subject, but both Jones' Dictionary of Old Testament Proper Names
and NOBSE Study Bible Name List suggest relations to a Semitic root that
doesn't occur in the Biblical narrative but which also exists in Arabic,
meaning strong and robust young man. Jones' Dictionary of Old Testament Proper
Names reads Powerful
To a creative
audience, the name Lamech may also be seen as a construct of the particle ל (le),
meaning to or towards: ‘’מוך’’ The verb מוך (muk) is used to
denote impoverished Israelites and occurs twice: Leviticus 25:47 and 27:8.
Gen 5:26 And after he brought forth Lemeḵ,
Methushelaḥ lived seven hundred and eighty-two years, and brought forth sons
and daughters.
Gen 5:27 So all the days of Methushelaḥ were nine
hundred and sixty-nine years, and he died.
Gen 5:28 And Lemeḵ lived one hundred and eighty-two
years, and brought forth a son,
Gen 5:29 and called his name Noaḥ, saying, “This one
does comfort us concerning our work and the toil of our hands, because of the
ground which יהוה has
cursed.”
“Noach”
S5146 – Rest or comfort.
Gen
5:30 And after he brought forth Noaḥ,
Lemeḵ lived five hundred and ninety-five years, and brought forth sons and daughters.
Gen
5:31 So all the days of Lemeḵ were
seven hundred and seventy-seven years, and he died.
Gen 5:32 And Noaḥ was five hundred years old, and Noaḥ brought forth Shĕm, Ḥam, and Yepheth.
So now we can read
the sentence coming out of the meaning of all these names of the genealogy of
ADAM: ‘’Man (Adam) is appointed to sorrow - man opened his heart to the praise
of Elohim (Yahshua) came down to earth and dedicated himself to YHVH,
being willing to lay down his life for an impoverished people and so YHVH gave
men rest.’’ Or..
“The Elohim-Man is
appointed, a mortal man of sorrow is born! The Esteem of YHVH shall come down
from heaven and teach men that by means of His death He shall comfort those who
mourn.”
Gen 6:1 And it
came to be, when men began to increase on the face of the earth, and daughters
were born to them,
Gen 6:2 that the sons of Elohim saw the daughters of
men, that they were good. And they took wives for themselves of all whom they
chose.
Gen 6:3 And יהוה
said, “My Spirit shall not strive with man forever in his going astray. He is
flesh, and his days shall be one hundred and twenty years.”
Gen
6:4 The Nephilim were on the earth in
those days, and also afterward, when the sons of Elohim came in to the
daughters of men and they bore children to them. Those were the mighty men who
were of old, the men of name.
Gen
6:5 And יהוה
saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every
inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
Gen
6:6 And יהוה
was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart.
Gen
6:7 And יהוה
said, “I am going to wipe off man whom I have created from the face of the
earth, both man and beast, creeping creature and birds of the heavens, for I am
sorry that I have made them.”
Gen 6:8 But Noaḥ found favour in the eyes of יהוה.
http://www.bible-codes.org/names-bible-code-luke_genealogy-details.htm
http://www.khouse.org/articles/2000/284/
Baruch atah YHVH,
Eloheynu, Melech ha-‘Olam, asher natan lanu Toraht-emet, v’chay-yeh o’lam
nata-b’tochenu. Baruch atah YHVH, noteyn ha-Torah. Ameyn.
Blessed are you
Yahweh, our Elohim, King of the Universe, you have given us your Torah of
truth, and have planted everlasting life within our midst. Blessed are you,
YHVH giver of the Torah – Amein.