Genesis 5 – Skeptic's Annotated Bible answered

A response and reply to the notes on Genesis 5 in the Skeptic's Annotated Bible (SAB).

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King James Version

SAB comment

My comment


1 This is the book of the generations of Adam. In the day that God created man, in the likeness of God made he him;

2 Male and female created he them; and blessed them, and called their name Adam, in the day when they were created.

(5:2) "He ... called their name Adam."
God created a man and a woman, and he "called their name Adam." So the woman's name was Adam, too!
The word Adam means earth. Both man and woman are from the earth and are the same in every substance. Women are not inferior human beings.

3 And Adam lived an hundred and thirty years, and begat a son in his own likeness, after his image; and called his name Seth:

4 And the days of Adam after he had begotten Seth were eight hundred years: and he begat sons and daughters:

(5:4) "And the days of Adam after he had begotten Seth were eight hundred years: and he begat sons and daughters."
Finally, sometime in the next 800 years, Adam begat some daughters. These nameless ones are the first (and nearly the last) girls to be born in the Bible.
The author of the SAB is mistaken that these daughers were born after the facts described in the previous chapter. As per the toledoth rule this clay tablet was not written by Adam, but by Noah who gives an account of what had gone on before him. The phrase “he begat sons and daughters” does not mean he didn't get daughters before Seth, just as it doesn't mean he did get his first son before Seth. It simply means he got many sons and daughters after Seth. Obviously he also had gotten some daughters before Seth, but we do not know their name.
I'm not sure why the author of the SAB claims these were nearly the last girls to be born in the Bible.

5 And all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years: and he died.


(5:5) "And all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years: and he died."
Adam finally dies -- 930 years after eating from the tree of knowledge, contrary to God's false prophecy that Adam would die the day that he ate the forbidden fruit (2:17). 
When did Adam die?
The author of the SAB wrongly interprets “shall die” as only physical death. Man's original righteous died first, his ability to choose freely between good and evil died. He was subject to suffering, he acquired the possibility of physical death. Adam died morally when he ate from the tree, and his physical death was only a sign he had died such a death.

6 And Seth lived an hundred and five years, and begat Enos:

7 And Seth lived after he begat Enos eight hundred and seven years, and begat sons and daughters:

8 And all the days of Seth were nine hundred and twelve years: and he died.


(5:8) Seth lived 912 years.
It is interesting to note that the old Sumerians knew that people lived far longer before The Flood. As they only had a distorted version of the truth, they attributed tens of thousands of years to them. Raúl Erlando López suggested that this is because the Sumerian scribe wrongly assumed that on the clay tablet he had access to the ages were written in the sexagesimal system.

9 And Enos lived ninety years, and begat Cainan:

10 And Enos lived after he begat Cainan eight hundred and fifteen years, and begat sons and daughters:

11 And all the days of Enos were nine hundred and five years: and he died.

(5:11) Enos lived 905 years.

12 And Cainan lived seventy years, and begat Mahalaleel:

13 And Cainan lived after he begat Mahalaleel eight hundred and forty years, and begat sons and daughters:

14 And all the days of Cainan were nine hundred and ten years: and he died.

(5:14) Cainan lived 910 years.

15 And Mahalaleel lived sixty and five years, and begat Jared:

16 And Mahalaleel lived after he begat Jared eight hundred and thirty years, and begat sons and daughters:

17 And all the days of Mahalaleel were eight hundred ninety and five years: and he died.

(5:17) Mahalaleel lived 895 years.

18 And Jared lived an hundred sixty and two years, and he begat Enoch:

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

20 And all the days of Jared were nine hundred sixty and two years: and he died.

(5:20 Jared lived 962 years.

21 And Enoch lived sixty and five years, and begat Methuselah:

(5:21-24) "Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him."
Must everyone die?
Did Enoch die?
Has anyone ever ascended into heaven?
Was Enoch the seventh from Adam?
Everyone is subject to spiritual death. But that it is appointed that everyone will die, it does not mean that God cannot make an exception. See also Heb. 9:27.
On if Enoch died, see Heb. 11:13.
On if anyone has ever ascended into heaven, see John 3:13.
On the seventh from Adam, see Jude 1:14.

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.

25 And Methuselah lived an hundred eighty and seven years, and begat Lamech:

(5:25) "And Methuselah lived an hundred eighty and seven years, and begat Lamech."
When Lamech was born, nine generations were alive at once. Adam, Seth, Enos, Cainan, Mahalaleel, Jared, Enoch, Methuselah, and Lamech were all alive at the time of Lamech's birth. Adam lived to see his great-great-great-great-great-great-grandson.
Which is indeed true, and not unscientific. It's a mockery to use the term scientific here, as science deals with the here and now, and with the testable. But science has become a religion in our days, meaning everything scientists say is true, be it about events they cannot know about, nor will ever know about, but purporting to answering what was and what shall be.

26 And Methuselah lived after he begat Lamech seven hundred eighty and two years, and begat sons and daughters:

27 And all the days of Methuselah were nine hundred sixty and nine years: and he died.


(5:27) Methuselah lived 969 years. (World record holder.)
And true.

28 And Lamech lived an hundred eighty and two years, and begat a son:

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.

Noah is Born

30 And Lamech lived after he begat Noah five hundred ninety and five years, and begat sons and daughters:

31 And all the days of Lamech were seven hundred seventy and seven years: and he died.

(5:31) Lamech lived 777 years.

32 And Noah was five hundred years old: and Noah begat Shem, Ham, and Japheth.


(5:32) "And Noah was five hundred years old: and Noah begat Shem, Ham, and Japheth."
When Noah was 500 years old, he had three sons.
[Thee sons in one year? Was that with one (nameless) wife or several?]
There is no reason to read here that Noah got his three sons in one year, and obviously one cannot read here it was in one year as this is logically impossible. But the author of the SAB wants to score very cheap point. This verse simply mentions when he got the first child, when he was five hundred and their names. Interestingly the order in this verse is not the order in which they were born, but in the order of excellency, as is not uncommon the Bible. Jafeth was the eldest son, born when Noah was 501. Shem was born when Noah was 502, see chapter 11:10. Ham was the youngest, see chapter 9:24, but we don't know exactly in what year he was born.

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