Genesis 5:19 kjv

And Jared lived after he begat Enoch eight hundred years, and begat sons and daughters:

Genesis 5:19 nkjv

After he begot Enoch, Jared lived eight hundred years, and had sons and daughters.

Genesis 5:19 niv

After he became the father of Enoch, Jared lived 800 years and had other sons and daughters.

Genesis 5:19 esv

Jared lived after he fathered Enoch 800 years and had other sons and daughters.

Genesis 5:19 nlt

After the birth of Enoch, Jared lived another 800 years, and he had other sons and daughters.

Genesis 5 verses

Genesis 5 19 Meaning

This verse describes Jared's life following the birth of his son Enoch. It specifies that Jared continued to live for an additional eight hundred years, and during this extensive period, he fathered more children, both sons and daughters. It emphasizes the significant longevity of humanity in the pre-Flood era and the ongoing fulfillment of God's mandate for humanity to multiply and fill the earth.

Genesis 5 19 Context

Genesis chapter 5 forms "the book of the generations of Adam," presenting a crucial, linear genealogy from Adam through Seth to Noah. This structured record follows a repetitive pattern for each patriarch: "X lived Y years, and begat Z; and X lived after he begat Z W years, and begat sons and daughters; and all the days of X were Y+W years; and he died." This systematic approach emphasizes divine order, chronological continuity, and the preservation of the human line despite the Fall. Jared's entry, including verse 19, adheres to this formula, highlighting his life, the birth of his designated heir Enoch, and his continued procreative activity. Historically and culturally, such detailed genealogies were vital in the Ancient Near East for establishing identity, inheritance rights, tribal affiliations, and historical lineage, underscoring the accuracy and authority of the account. The extraordinarily long lifespans recorded in this chapter are a distinctive feature of the pre-Flood world, setting it apart from all subsequent periods in human history and laying the foundation for understanding the catastrophic shift caused by the Flood.

Genesis 5 19 Word analysis

• And (וַ): The waw-conjunctive, connecting this statement to the previous one about Jared's life and age before Enoch's birth, showing a chronological progression in his life's record.
• Jared (יֶרֶד - Yered): A proper noun, the fifth patriarch in the lineage from Adam. His name means "descent" or "to descend." This could metaphorically refer to the downward spiral of humanity that would lead to the Flood, though it's primarily a name. He is the father of Enoch, who is unique in not experiencing death.
• lived (וַיְחִי - vayechī): From the Hebrew root chayah (חָיָה), meaning "to live" or "to be alive." It denotes continued existence and vitality, emphasizing the sustained life of these early patriarchs, especially in contrast to later, shortened lifespans.
• after (אַחֲרֵי - achare): A preposition indicating temporal sequence, "subsequent to" or "following." It clearly delineates a period in Jared's life following a significant event.
• he begat (הוֹלִידוֹ - holido): From the Hiphil verb yalad (יָלַד), "to bear, bring forth, beget." This is a crucial term throughout Genesis, particularly in genealogies, signifying procreation and the continuity of generations. Here it’s specifically "his begetting" or "when he begat."
• Enoch (אֶת־חֲנוֹךְ - et-Chanoch): A proper noun, the unique son in the Genesis 5 lineage who "walked with God" and was supernaturally "taken" by God without experiencing death (Gen 5:24). Jared is defined, in part, by his paternity of this exceptional figure. His name means "initiated," "dedicated," or "teacher."
• eight hundred years (שְׁמֹנֶה מֵאוֹת שָׁנָה - shmōneh mēʾōt shānāh): A specific duration, quantifying the exceptionally long post-procreative period of Jared's life. "Shanah" (שָׁנָה) means "year." This reinforces the distinctive characteristic of antediluvian longevity in the Genesis record.
• and begat (וַיּוֹלֶד - vayyōled): Again from the verb yalad (יָלַד), reinforcing the continuation of his reproductive capacity. This highlights the ongoing fruitfulness commanded by God in creation.
• sons and daughters (בָּנִים וּבָנוֹת - bānīm ūvānōt): A comprehensive phrase indicating multiple offspring, not just the one named son (Enoch). This is a recurring phrase in Genesis 5, affirming the population growth and God's design for human flourishing through families, ensuring the spreading of humanity across the earth. It indicates that the genealogies are selective, focusing on the main line while acknowledging the larger family.

Genesis 5 19 Bonus section

The profound longevity of patriarchs like Jared, who lived 962 years (Gen 5:20), implies that there was considerable overlap between many of these figures. For example, Jared’s life likely overlapped with that of Adam for over two hundred years, and with Lamech (Noah's father). This generational overlap could have facilitated the direct transmission of historical knowledge, including accounts of creation, the Fall, and early divine instructions, maintaining a strong continuity of revelation without needing extensive written records or symbolic interpretations for lifespans. This literal interpretation suggests a direct, living chain of communication from the very first human to those approaching the Flood. The naming of "sons and daughters" consistently across this chapter, instead of specific individuals beyond the primary heir, points to the selective and teleological nature of biblical genealogies, focused on tracing the primary lineage relevant to God's covenant purposes rather than providing a comprehensive population record.

Genesis 5 19 Commentary

Genesis 5:19 is an integral part of the patriarchal chronicle before the Flood, methodically tracing God's preservation of humanity through the Sethite lineage. This verse is concise yet pregnant with theological and historical implications. It first underscores the extraordinary longevity granted to the early patriarchs, where Jared continued his life for eight centuries after his son Enoch's birth, illustrating a vastly different biological or environmental reality compared to post-Flood humanity. This protracted existence would have allowed for immense collective memory, oral transmission of sacred truths from Adam's time, and the potential for a deeper, continuous generational connection.

Secondly, the phrase "and begat sons and daughters" reaffirms God's original creation mandate for humanity to "be fruitful and multiply" (Gen 1:28). Despite the entrance of sin into the world, God's creational purposes persisted, with life continually affirmed through successive generations. The unceasing birth of children ensures the continuation of the human race and, significantly for redemptive history, the preservation of the Messianic line through which the promised Seed would ultimately come. The selective nature of the biblical genealogies, which names only the prominent son of the covenant line while affirming the birth of other children, highlights the theological purpose: to trace the divine thread of promise and lineage toward Abraham and eventually Christ.

Practically, this verse reminds believers that:

• God's plans for humanity's continuity are robust, enduring across millennia.
• Biblical history is precise, establishing foundational timelines and events.
• Every generation is a testament to God's sustained blessing and command to multiply and fill the earth.