What does Genesis 5:11 mean?
The fact that man is destined for physical death is, at this point in human history, the most visible impact of the fall. Over and over, this passage will repeat the fate common to all men: "he died." Whether at the end of centuries, decades, naturally or by some mysterious cause (Genesis 5:24), all men are destined to leave this life and come face-to-face with God.Enosh died at 905 years old, compared to his father Seth at 912 years old and his grandfather Adam at 930 years old. As stated repeatedly in this chapter, these are not the only sons (or daughters) of these men. That, combined with long lives, means that children of this time had access to an extremely long line of ancestors. By the time we arrive at verse 32, we will see that Noah's father, Lamech, was born before Adam died. This means Noah, and his son Shem, had the opportunity to speak with someone who was just one step removed from a direct eye-witness to the origins of mankind!
Genesis 5:1-32 is a bridge of genealogy connecting the time of Adam and his son Seth to the time of Noah. This brings the Bible's historical record to the era of the flood. It provides a small, but helpful set of details: early humans lived a long time, had many children, and all died as a result of ubiquitous human sin. Enoch is the exception that proves the rule, commended for walking with God and seemingly taken away before his physical death. Despite the presence of early God-worshippers such as Adam and Seth, man will quickly descend into extraordinary wickedness, as seen in chapter 6. The coming of Noah at the end of this chapter prepares us for God's response to the sins of humankind.
Chapter 5 uses a simple genealogy of Adam's descendants through Seth to link the earliest humans with the time of Noah and the flood. In the generations after the garden, human beings live extraordinarily long lives, have great numbers of children, and continue to be in relationship with God though separated from Him physically and spiritually. The description of Enoch being ''taken'' by God is the exception that proves the rule: No matter how long a person lives, sin always leads to death.
