And Enoch lived sixty and five years, and begot Methuselah:
21. Methuselah ] Possibly = “the man of Shelah”; and, if so, Shelah may indicate the name of a deity; cf. Methushael (Gen 4:18) = “the man of God.”
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Whose name is thought by some learned men to contain a prophecy of the flood, which was to come a thousand years after; for it signifies: He dies, and the dart or arrow of Gods vengeance comes; or, He dies, and the sending forth of the waters comes.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
21. Enoch . . . begatMethuselahThis name signifies, “He dieth, and the sendingforth,” so that Enoch gave it as prophetical of the flood. It iscomputed that Methuselah died in the year of that catastrophe.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And Enoch lived sixty and five years, and begat Methuselah. Here the Septuagint version adds again an hundred years; and that Enoch had a son, whose name was Methuselah, is affirmed by Eupolemus r, an Heathen writer; and Enoch being a prophet gave him this name under a spirit of prophecy, foretelling by it when the flood should be; for his name, according to Bochart s, signifies, “when he dies there shall be an emission”, or sending forth of waters upon the earth, to destroy it,
r Apud Euseb. Evangel. Praepar. l. 9. c. 17. p. 419. s Thaleg. l. 2. c. 13. col. 88. so Ainsworth.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
| Translation of Enoch. | B. C. 3017. |
21 And Enoch lived sixty and five years, and begat Methuselah: 22 And Enoch walked with God after he begat Methuselah three hundred years, and begat sons and daughters: 23 And all the days of Enoch were three hundred sixty and five years: 24 And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.
The accounts here run on for several generations without any thing remarkable, or any variation but of the names and numbers; but at length there comes in one that must not be passed over so, of whom special notice must be taken, and that is Enoch, the seventh from Adam: the rest, we may suppose, did virtuously, but he excelled them all, and was the brightest star of the patriarchal age. It is but little that is recorded concerning him; but this little is enough to make his name great, greater than the name of the other Enoch, who had a city called by his name. Here are two things concerning him:–
I. His gracious conversation in this world, which is twice spoken of: Enoch walked with God after he begat Methuselah (v. 22), and again, Enoch walked with God, v. 24. Observe,
1. The nature of his religion and the scope and tenour of his conversation: he walked with God, which denotes, (1.) True religion; what is godliness, but walking with God? The ungodly and profane are without God in the world, they walk contrary to him: but the godly walk with God, which presupposes reconciliation to God, for two cannot walk together except they be agreed (Amos iii. 3), and includes all the parts and instances of a godly, righteous, and sober life. To walk with God is to set God always before us, and to act as those that are always under his eye. It is to live a life of communion with God both in ordinances and providences. It is to make God’s word our rule and his glory our end in all our actions. It is to make it our constant care and endeavour in every thing to please God, and nothing to offend him. It is to comply with his will, to concur with his designs, and to be workers together with him. It is to be followers of him as dear children. (2.) Eminent religion. He was entirely dead to this world, and did not only walk after God, as all good men do, but he walked with God, as if he were in heaven already. He lived above the rate, not only of other men, but of other saints: not only good in bad times, but the best in good times. (3.) Activity in promoting religion among others. Executing the priest’s office is called walking before God,1Sa 2:30; 1Sa 2:35, and see Zech. iii. 7. Enoch, it should seem, was a priest of the most high God, and like Noah, who is likewise said to walk with God, he was a preacher of righteousness, and prophesied of Christ’s second coming. Jude 14, Behold, the Lord cometh with his holy myriads. Now the Holy Spirit, instead of saying, Enoch lived, says, Enoch walked with God; for it is the life of a good man to walk with God. This was, [1.] The business of Enoch’s life, his constant care and work; while others lived to themselves and the world, he lived to God. [2.] It was the joy and support of his life. Communion with God was to him better than life itself. To me to live is Christ, Phil. i. 21.
2. The date of his religion. It is said (v. 21), he lived sixty-five years, and begat Methuselah; but (v. 22) he walked with God after he begat Methuselah, which intimates that he did not begin to be eminent for piety till about that time; at first he walked but as other men. Great saints arrive at their eminence by degrees.
3. The continuance of his religion: he walked with God three hundred years, as long as he continued in this world. The hypocrite will not pray always; but the real saint that acts from a principle, and makes religion his choice, will persevere to the end, and walk with God while he lives, as one that hopes to live for ever with him, Ps. civ. 33.
II. His glorious removal to a better world. As he did not live like the rest, so he did not die like the rest (v. 24): He was not, for God took him; that is, as it is explained (Heb. xi. 5), He was translated that he should not see death, and was not found, because God had translated him. Observe,
1. When he was thus translated. (1.) What time of his life. It was when he had lived but three hundred and sixty-five years (a year of years), which, as men’s ages went then, was in the midst of his days; for there was none of the patriarchs before the flood that did not more than double that age. But why did God take him so soon? Surely, because the world, which had now grown corrupt, was not worthy of him, or because he was so much above the world, and so weary of it, as to desire a speedy removal out of it, or because his work was done, and done the sooner for his minding it so closely. Note, God often takes those soonest whom he loves best, and the time they lose on earth is gained in heaven, to their unspeakable advantage. (2.) What time of the world. It was when all the patriarchs mentioned in this chapter were living, except Adam, who died fifty-seven years before, and Noah, who was born sixty-nine years after; those two had sensible confirmations to their faith other ways, but to all the rest, who were or might have been witnesses of Enoch’s translation, it was a sensible encouragement to their faith and hope concerning a future state.
2. How his removal is expressed: He was not, for God took him. (1.) He was not any longer in this world; it was not the period of his being, but of his being here: he was not found, so the apostle explains it from the LXX.; not found by his friends, who sought him as the sons of the prophets sought Elijah (2 Kings ii. 17); not found by his enemies, who, some think, were in quest of him, to put him to death in their rage against him for his eminent piety. It appears by his prophecy that there were then many ungodly sinners, who spoke hard speeches, and probably did hard things too, against God’s people (Jude 15), but God hid Enoch from them, not under heaven, but in heaven. (2.) God took him body and soul to himself in the heavenly paradise, by the ministry of angels, as afterwards he took Elijah. He was changed, as those saints will be that shall be found alive at Christ’s second coming. Whenever a good man dies God takes him, fetches him hence, and receives him to himself. The apostle adds concerning Enoch that, before his translation, he had this testimony, that he pleased God, and this was the good report he obtained. Note, [1.] Walking with God pleases God. [2.] We cannot walk with God so as to please him, but by faith. [3.] God himself will put an honour upon those that by faith walk with him so as to please him. He will own them now, and witness for them before angels and men at the great day. Those that have not this testimony before the translation, yet shall have it afterwards. [4.] Those whose conversation in the world is truly holy shall find their removal out of it truly happy. Enoch’s translation was not only an evidence to faith of the reality of a future state, and of the possibility of the body’s existing in glory in that state; but it was an encouragement to the hope of all that walk with God that they shall be for ever with him: signal piety shall be crowned with signal honours.
Fuente: Matthew Henry’s Whole Bible Commentary
Verses 21-24:
“Enoch” means “one dedicated.” His life reflects the faith his father Jared had in Jehovah, and which he transmitted to his son. Enoch is referred to in Lu 3:37, in the genealogy of Jesus; in Heb 11:5, in the “Honor Roll of Faith;” and in Jude 14, as the author of a prophecy of the Second Coming of Christ.
“Walked” is halak. The grammatical structure of the verb denotes a continual or habitual going up and down. The same expression occurs in Mic 6:8, which see. It denotes a lifestyle of habitual fellowship with God. Verse 22 implies that Enoch’s walk with God may have begun with the birth of his son Methuselah.
“He was not; for God took him.” This refers to the translation of Enoch (Heb 11:4), in which God took him unto His presence without his having to experience death, as did his contemporaries. “Took” is laqach, take or receive. It is the same word used in 2 Kings 2:3,5 regarding Elijah and the prophecy of his translation. Enoch was translated (taken) in the same way as Elijah.
Among the sacred writings of the Jews is “The Book of Enoch.” Some regard this as being inspired, but it is not included in the canon of the Scriptures: It is regarded as having been compiled during the time of Herod the Great. In this book Enoch is portrayed as warning the men of his day to repent and turn from their wicked ways. It also lists several prophecies attributed to Enoch, one of which Jude refers to his epistle (verses 14, 15). Among the Arabs is a legend that Enoch was the originator of the science of arithmetic.
The life of Enoch was one of unusual piety and dedication to God. His was not a cloistered life, removed from contact with his fellowmen. He did warn of God’s judgment upon sin, and there is no reason to doubt that he was active in his proclamation of God’s righteousness and His requirements for man. Why would God take Enoch from earth directly to Heaven without his going through the process of death, when He did not do this for others? Heb 11:5 describes Enoch as pleasing God because of his faith, and his lifestyle, because of this faith. This event confirms the sovereignty of God, to do as He sees best under all circumstances.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
From Enoch to Shem, Ham, and Japheth
v. 21. And Enoch lived sixty and five years, and begat Methuselah.
v. 22. And Enoch walked with God, after he begat Methuselah, three hundred years, and begat sons and daughters.
v. 23. And all the days of Enoch were three hundred sixty and five years.
v. 24. And Enoch walked with God; and he was not; for God took him. v. 25. And Methuselah lived an hundred eighty and seven years, and begat Lamech.
v. 26. And Methuselah lived, after he begat Lamech, seven hundred eighty and two years, and begat sons and daughters.
v. 27. And all the days of Methuselah were nine hundred sixty and nine years; and he died. v. 28. And Lamech lived an hundred eighty and two years, and begat a son.
v. 29. And he called his name Noah, saying, This same shall comfort us concerning our work and toil of our hands, because of the ground which the Lord hath cursed. v. 30. And Lamech lived, after he begat Noah, five hundred ninety and five years, and begat sons and daughters.
v. 31. And all the days of Lamech were seven hundred seventy and seven years; and he died.
v. 32. And Noah was five hundred years old; and Noah begat Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
The following list will aid in giving a correct idea of the time of the patriarchs before the Flood.
Adam created 1, died 930 Seth born 130, died 1042 Enos born 235, died 1140 Cainan born 325, died 1235 Mahalaleel born 395, died 1290 Jared born 460, died 1422 Enoch born 622, taken away 987 Methuselah born 687, died 1656 Lamech born 874, died 1651 Noah born 1056, died 2006
Fuente: The Popular Commentary on the Bible by Kretzmann
And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.
Enoch, signifies the dedicated one.- Amo 3:3 . Observe! at the age 65, he is said to have walked with God. May not this be supposed to mean the period of his conversion? Heb 11:5 Sweet testimony to his faith in the promised seed. Psa 104:33
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Gen 5:21 And Enoch lived sixty and five years, and begat Methuselah:
Ver. 21. And begat Methuselah, ] that is, Death’s dart, or piercing death (death is a skilful archer, that never misseth the mark it shoots at); or, He once dead, in comes the dart , i.e., the deluge: and so it did, even in the very year of his death: though the Septuagint miscounts, and make him to live fourteen years after the flood.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Gen 5:21-24
21Enoch lived sixty-five years, and became the father of Methuselah. 22Then Enoch walked with God three hundred years after he became the father of Methuselah, and he had other sons and daughters. 23So all the days of Enoch were three hundred and sixty-five years. 24Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him.
Gen 5:21 Methuselah This means either (1) man of the javelin or (2) man of weapons (BDB 607). He is said to have lived longer than any other person in the Bible but no reason or emphasis is attached to this fact. The rabbis say that the flood came on the day that Methuselah died.
Gen 5:22 Enoch walked with God This Hebrew term (BDB 229, KB 246) is the Hithpael stem denoting intimate fellowship almost to the point of to live with. As with all these ancient Hebrew names, we are simply not sure of their exact meaning (BDB 335). Heb 11:5 describes Enoch’s walk of faith. The only other person this phrase is used for is Noah in Gen 6:9.
Gen 5:24 for God took him These same words (BDB 542, KB 534, Qal PERFECT) are used to describe Elijah in 2Ki 2:3; 2Ki 2:5; 2Ki 2:9-10. This implies translation into God’s presence without facing physical death. Enoch’s relationship with God resulted in intimate personal fellowship. In a chapter replete with the phrase and he died this is a refreshing example of hope (1) of the love of God and (2) for all who trust in Him.
Fuente: You Can Understand the Bible: Study Guide Commentary Series by Bob Utley
Methuselah = when he is dead it shall be sent, i.e. the Deluge.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
am 687, bc 3317
Methuselah: Gr. Mathusala, Luk 3:37
Reciprocal: Gen 4:18 – Lamech Gen 5:24 – walked 1Ch 1:3 – Henoch Mal 2:6 – he walked