Genesis 5:16

Study note

Setting — The narrator continues the patriarchal genealogy in Genesis 5, recording Mahalalel’s lifespan and offspring immediately after noting his fathering of Jared. The account functions as a chronological bridge between the earlier patriarchs and the flood narrative.

The words — וַיְחִי (va/y.Chi) translates literally as "and he lived," while הוֹלִיד (ho.li.D/o) means "he fathered." These verbs anchor the repeated genealogical formula that structures the chapter.

The thread — This structural pattern of age at fatherhood, subsequent years lived, and mention of other children recurs throughout Genesis 5 (Genesis 5:3–27) and reappears in later genealogical records like 1 Chronicles 1:2–4.

Why it lands — The text demands recognition of a recorded lineage and the passage of time between generations. It requires the reader to track the continuity of human descent without inserting theological commentary.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.