First part.
Of the genealogical register of men and of the glory of the Cainites.
V. 1. This is the book of man's generation.
Genesis counts here and counts the generations for two reasons: First, because of the promise of the blessed seed that happened to Adam; second, because of Enoch. And although he also keeps such an account in the tenth chapter, he does it in a much different way than here. For here he reckons the years, how long each one has lived, and says of each one, out of special counsel and concern, that he has died.
(2) It seems as if these words, "He died," were too much and unnecessary. For what need is there that, after he has said that Adam's whole age was nine hundred and thirty years, he adds, "And died? For since the number of years he lived is put, the time he died is also put; for if he had lived longer, he would have counted the same years. But Moses does this with special concern, namely, that he wants to hold before us the unspeakable wrath of God and unavoidable punishment, which is laid upon the whole human race because of sin; as Paul Rom. 5, 12. disputes from this text and says: "Through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and so death has come to all men, because they have all sinned." For this is a standing conclusion: Adam died, therefore he was a sinner; Seth died, therefore he was a sinner; the little children die, therefore they have sin and are sinners. Moses wants to tell us
He says of the whole order of patriarchs that they died whether they were sanctified and renewed by faith.
(3) But under this story of the deceased, like a lovely and beautiful star, the pleasant light of immortality shines out, that Moses tells of Enoch that he was no longer seen among men after his years, and yet he did not die, but was taken away by God. For with this he indicates that although the human race is condemned to death because of sin, nevertheless the hope of life and immortality is left to us, so that we shall not remain in death.
For this reason God not only promised life to the first world, but also had to prove immortality with an example. And therefore Moses says of every patriarch that he lived so many years and died, that is, he bore the punishment of sins and was a sinner. But of Enoch he does not say this. Not that he was not a sinner, but that even sinners are left with the hope and comfort of living forever for the sake of the blessed seed. Therefore also the patriarchs, who died in faith and trust in this seed, kept the hope of eternal life. And so this is the other example that shows that God wants to give us eternal life after this life. For of Abel, who was strangled, the Lord says above that he lived and cried out; so it says here that Enoch was taken up by the Lord Himself.
5 Therefore we should not despair, because we see how death was introduced and brought from Adam into the whole human race. For we suffer this death because we are sinners; but in death we shall not abide, for we have made ourselves sinners.
We are comforted by the divine providence that God intends to destroy this death through the blessed seed, as He began with the promise of the blessed seed and the examples of Abel and Enoch show. Therefore we have the firstfruits of immortal life, Rom. 8:23, in hope until the perfection of the last day comes, in which we will feel and see the life we have believed and hoped for.
6 Flesh and blood do not understand this, but think that a man dies like an unreasonable animal. That is why the philosophers, who were among the best, thought that through death the soul would be released from the body, and after it was released from the body, as from a dwelling place, it would come into the assembly of the gods and would be rid of all bodily burdens. The philosophers dreamed of such immortality, although they did not consider it certain enough, nor could they defend it. The holy scriptures, however, teach differently about the resurrection and eternal life, and present us with the hope of the same so certainly that we cannot doubt it.
After this part, this chapter gives us a picture and form of the whole first world. For here are counted ten patriarchs with their descendants until the Flood, who belong to the Lord's line or lineage. And would it not be a useless effort for someone to write down on a piece of paper this account as Moses sets it here, so that he could see from it how long and with whom each patriarch would have lived, as I have done for myself at leisure. For Cain also has his lineage, as Moses indicated in the previous chapter, and I have no doubt that his lineage will have been much greater than Six the Righteous.
(8) And of these two tribes or families the whole world was filled until the Flood, in which the branches that came from both families, that is, the descendants of both the wicked and the pious, were destroyed and cut off, except eight men, among whom nevertheless one was wicked and ungodly. How the
he same is seen from this chapter as a beautiful picture and form of the first world: so this is also an exuberant wrath of God and exceedingly terrible case, that one sees that of these ten patriarchs the whole lineage perished and only eight people of them remained.
(9) But this sad history let us save to its place, and now undertake this, that Moses may deal in this chapter, namely, that he would have us consider the honor and supreme majesty of the first world. Adam outlived his grandson Enoch, and died not very long before Noah was born: for there are but an hundred and six and twenty years between them; but Seth died but fourteen years sooner than Noah was born; but Enos and the other patriarchs, except Enoch, lived with Noah. Whoever therefore adds up the years, will find that so many old patriarchs, who reached some seven hundred, some nine hundred years, lived with each other and taught and ruled with each other of the pious church.
(10) This is the highest honor of the first world, that it has had so many pious, wise and holy men together. For we are not to think that these were common names of simple and common people; but they were the greatest heroes that ever came into this world after Christ and John the Baptist, and we shall see their majesty at the last day and marvel at it, as we shall also see their glorious stories and deeds. For then it will be revealed what Adam, what Seth, what Methuselah and others did; what they suffered from the old serpent, how they comforted and sustained themselves with the hope of the seed against the violence and persecution of the world or Cainites, and how they experienced and endured all kinds of danger and deceit; item, how great envy, hatred and contempt they endured for the sake of the honor of the blessed seed that was to be born from their tribe. For let no one take it for granted that they lived without the greatest misfortune and infinite cross. All this will become clear and evident on the last day.
Now it is useful and very funny to look with the mind, as it were with the eyes, at that blessed first world, in which so many patriarchs lived at the same time with each other, who almost all saw their first father Adam, except Noah.