Genesis 5:25-32 · Bible study

Genesis 5:25-32 Commentary: Noah, Rest, and the Curse

Hebrew · 9 what the commentators say

Meaning in one sentence

Explore the genealogy of Methuselah, Lamech, and Noah. What does Methuselah's name mean for the Flood? How does Noah point to rest from the curse?

Research Summary

Meaning: Death runs through the long lives of the patriarchs, but Noah’s birth announces hope for rest from the curse.
Key words: Methuselah (“man of the dart” / “when he dies, it comes”), Noah (“rest”), nacham (“comfort”), curse (ground cursed by Yahweh, Genesis 3:17).
Main debate: Whether Methuselah’s name was a direct prophecy of the flood or a later interpretation; and whether his death indeed coincided with the flood year.
Theological theme: Judgment and grace intertwine: the genealogy shows the wages of sin (death), but Noah points to a coming deliverance.
Best use: A somber but hopeful reminder that God’s patience endures long (Methuselah’s 969 years) before judgment, and that comfort comes through His chosen servant (Noah, prefiguring Christ).

Translation Comparison

BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020

²⁵When Methuselah was 187 years old, he became the father of Lamech.

²⁶And after he had become the father of Lamech, Methuselah lived 782 years and had other sons and daughters.

²⁷So Methuselah lived a total of 969 years, and then he died.

²⁸When Lamech was 182 years old, he had a son.

²⁹And he named him Noah, saying, “May this one comfort us in the labor and toil of our hands caused by the ground that the LORD has cursed.”

³⁰And after he had become the father of Noah, Lamech lived 595 years and had other sons and daughters.

³¹So Lamech lived a total of 777 years, and then he died.

³²After Noah was 500 years old, he became the father of Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

WEB World English Bible 2000

²⁵Methuselah lived one hundred eighty-seven years, then became the father of Lamech.

²⁶Methuselah lived after he became the father of Lamech seven hundred eighty-two years, and became the father of other sons and daughters.

²⁷All the days of Methuselah were nine hundred sixty-nine years, then he died.

²⁸Lamech lived one hundred eighty-two years, then became the father of a son.

²⁹He named him Noah, saying, “This one will comfort us in our work and in the toil of our hands, caused by the ground which Yahweh has cursed.”

³⁰Lamech lived after he became the father of Noah five hundred ninety-five years, and became the father of other sons and daughters.

³¹All the days of Lamech were seven hundred seventy-seven years, then he died.

³²Noah was five hundred years old, then Noah became the father of Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

KJV King James Version 1769

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

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

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

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

²⁹And 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.

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

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

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

ASV American Standard Version 1901

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

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

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

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

²⁹and he called his name Noah, saying, This same shall comfort us in our work and in the toil of our hands, which cometh because of the ground which Jehovah hath cursed.

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

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

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

YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898

²⁵And Methuselah liveth an hundred and eighty and seven years, and begetteth Lamech.

²⁶And Methuselah liveth after his begetting Lamech seven hundred and eighty and two years, and begetteth sons and daughters.

²⁷And all the days of Methuselah are nine hundred and sixty and nine years, and he dieth.

²⁸And Lamech liveth an hundred and eighty and two years, and begetteth a son,

²⁹and calleth his name Noah, saying, `This one doth comfort us concerning our work, and concerning the labour of our hands, because of the ground which Jehovah hath cursed.'

³⁰And Lamech liveth after his begetting Noah five hundred and ninety and five years, and begetteth sons and daughters.

³¹And all the days of Lamech are seven hundred and seventy and seven years, and he dieth.

³²And Noah is a son of five hundred years, and Noah begetteth Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

Darby Darby Bible 1890

²⁵And Methushelah lived a hundred and eighty-seven years, and begot Lemech.

²⁶And Methushelah lived after he had begotten Lemech seven hundred and eighty-two years, and begot sons and daughters.

²⁷And all the days of Methushelah were nine hundred and sixty-nine years; and he died.

²⁸And Lemech lived a hundred and eighty-two years, and begot a son.

²⁹And he called his name Noah, saying, This [one] shall comfort us concerning our work and concerning the toil of our hands, because of the ground which Jehovah has cursed.

³⁰And Lemech lived after he had begotten Noah five hundred and ninety-five years, and begot sons and daughters.

³¹And all the days of Lemech were seven hundred and seventy-seven years; and he died.

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

Verse in Context

23 All the days of Enoch were three hundred sixty-five years.

24 Enoch walked with God, and he was not found, for God took him.

25 Methuselah lived one hundred eighty-seven years, then became the father of Lamech.

26 Methuselah lived after he became the father of Lamech seven hundred eighty-two years, and became the father of other sons and daughters.

27 All the days of Methuselah were nine hundred sixty-nine years, then he died.

28 Lamech lived one hundred eighty-two years, then became the father of a son.

29 He named him Noah, saying, “This one will comfort us in our work and in the toil of our hands, caused by the ground which Yahweh has cursed.”

30 Lamech lived after he became the father of Noah five hundred ninety-five years, and became the father of other sons and daughters.

31 All the days of Lamech were seven hundred seventy-seven years, then he died.

32 Noah was five hundred years old, then Noah became the father of Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)

Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Genesis 5:25

וַ/יְחִ֣י va/y.Chi H2421 and/ he lived

מְתוּשֶׁ֔לַח me.tu.She.lach H4968 Methuselah

שֶׁ֧בַע She.va' H7651 seven

וּ/שְׁמֹנִ֛ים u./she.mo.Nim H8084 and/ eighty

שָׁנָ֖ה sha.Nah H8141 year[s]

וּ/מְאַ֣ת u./me.'At H3967 and/ one hundred

שָׁנָ֑ה sha.Nah H8141 year[s]

וַ/יּ֖וֹלֶד va/i.Yo.led H3205 and/ he fathered

אֶת\־ 'et- H0853 <obj.>

לָֽמֶךְ\׃ La.mekh H3929 Lamech

Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.

Scholars' Consensus

Commentators across traditions agree this passage marks the close of the antediluvian age. The repeated formula, years lived, son born, further years, other children, total years, death, underscores the curse of sin from Genesis 3. Methuselah's 969 years represent the longest recorded human life (Adam Clarke; John Wesley). Wesley notes the name Methuselah likely means “when he dies, it (the deluge) will come,” and the biblical chronology places his death in the flood year, a sign of impending judgment. Lamech’s naming of his son Noah (from nuach, “rest”) uses a pun on nacham (“comfort”), expressing hope for relief from the ground’s curse (Calvin, Cambridge Bible). All agree this hope looks forward to Noah, who later finds favor with God and becomes the agent of preservation (Genesis 6:8). The final verse lists Noah’s three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth, with Shem named first because the messianic line runs through him (Jean Calvin, Matthew Henry).

How settled is the interpretation?

Interpretive difficulty: Low

What is clear: Methuselah lived 969 years, the longest recorded human life, and his death occurred in the same year as the Flood according to the biblical chronology.

What Scholars Agree and Debate

Topic	Agreed	Debated
Meaning of Methuselah's name	The name is often understood to mean 'man of the dart' or 'when he dies, the sending forth comes.'	Some (Wesley) take this as a direct prophecy of the flood; others see the flood connection as a later tradition, not inherent in the name itself.
Chronology of Methuselah's death and the flood	The Hebrew text places his death at 969 years, and calculations place it in the year of the flood.	Whether this was intentional in the original text or coincidental; some point to variant numbers in the Septuagint and Samaritan that shift the dates.
Etymology of Noah's name and Lamech's statement	Noah means 'rest' (nuach); Lamech uses the verb 'to comfort' (nacham) in a wordplay.	Whether Lamech's words are a human hope or a divinely inspired prophecy. Calvin calls it a prophecy; others see it as a natural parental wish.
Order of Noah's sons	Shem is listed first because of the messianic line (Wesley, Calvin).	Whether Japheth was actually the oldest. Some argue from Genesis 10:21 that Japheth is the elder, but Shem is given precedence.
Textual variants in ages	The Hebrew (Masoretic) text records specific numbers; the Septuagint and Samaritan Pentateuch differ.	Which tradition preserves the original numbers; the changes may have been harmonistic or due to scribal error.

Historical & Cultural Context

This passage concludes the formal genealogy of the Sethite line that began in Genesis 5:1. Each patriarch is listed with a fixed pattern: age at fatherhood, remaining years, total lifespan, and the solemn refrain “and he died.” The exception is Enoch (verses 21, 24), who “walked with God” and was taken, interrupting the refrain. This contrast highlights both the reach of death under the curse and the possibility of fellowship with God.

Methuselah’s lifespan, 969 years, stands at the summit of the biblical ages. Ancient Jewish tradition, echoed by Wesley, saw his name as a silent prophecy: “He dies, and the sending forth comes.” The flood chronology suggests his death occurred in the very year the waters fell. The long lives before the flood are consistently treated as literal in the Hebrew text, though some ancient versions (Septuagint, Samaritan) adjust the numbers. Ellicott’s Commentary on the Old Testament notes that this longevity is woven into the narrative tradition and supported by early traditions outside the Bible.

The ground’s curse (Genesis 3:17, 19) dominates the background. Lamech’s words at Noah’s birth, comfort from “the toil of our hands, caused by the ground which Yahweh has cursed”, recall the burden of farming a resistant soil. Noah’s name, “rest,” points to a coming relief, even if Lamech could not foresee its full form: the ark that would deliver a remnant and, after the flood, a renewed creation and a covenant that paused the curse (Genesis 8:21).

Textual Notes

The supplied sources note textual variants in the ages of Methuselah and Lamech between the Hebrew (Masoretic) text, the Septuagint, and the Samaritan Pentateuch. For example, Gill’s exposition records that the Septuagint gives Methuselah 167 years at Lamech’s birth (instead of 187) and 802 further years (instead of 782), while the Samaritan has only 67 and 653, reducing his total to 720 years. For Lamech, the same variants occur: the Septuagint gives 188 years at Noah’s birth; the Samaritan only 53. The Cambridge Bible notes that the Hebrew and Samaritan place Lamech’s death five years before the flood, while the Samaritan text coincides it with the flood. These differences affect chronological schemes but do not alter the theological message of death, judgment, and hope.

Reception History

Early Jewish and Christian interpreters saw Methuselah as the longest-lived human, a sign of God’s patience before the flood. The name’s supposed prophecy was widely cited: the Palestinian Targums explain that he died just before the deluge, as a warning ignored by his generation. John Wesley (in his Explanatory Notes) popularized the interpretation that the flood came the very year Methuselah died. Lamech’s naming of Noah was read across traditions as a comfort: the Septuagint renders Noah as “rest,” and later Christian interpreters from Augustine to Calvin saw in Noah a type of Christ, who gives true rest from the curse of sin. The names Shem (meaning “name”) and Japheth (“enlargement”) were also allegorized, but the plain sense remained primary for most Reformation-era commentators. In modern study, this passage is valued for its chronological framework and its theological tension between judgment and deliverance.

Preaching This Verse

Three-point outline

Death stalks the longest life. Methuselah lives nearly a millennium, yet still “he died.” Sin brings unavoidable mortality (Romans 5:12).
Hope is named in a weary world. Lamech calls his son Noah, “rest, comfort”, voicing the ache for deliverance from the ground’s curse.
God preserves a remnant. Noah’s three sons survive the flood and repopulate the earth; through Shem, the Messiah will come.

Five-point outline

The generations that precede judgment (vv. 25, 27).
A father’s prophecy of comfort (vv. 28, 29).
The last days of Lamech (vv. 30, 31).
The birth of a new era’s patriarch (v. 32).
The quiet sovereignty of God over history.

Illustration hooks

An old tree. A giant redwood lives for thousands of years, but even it eventually falls. Methuselah’s long life reminds us that no creature escapes the curse, but God’s patience lasts longer.
Naming a child with hope. Like Lamech naming Noah, parents often choose names that express their desires for a child, rest, peace, blessing. That longing points to the true Rest-giver.

Questions your congregation is asking

Did people really live nearly a thousand years? What does that tell us about the world before the flood?
Was Methuselah’s name really a prophecy about the flood, or is that reading too much into it?
If Noah brought comfort from the curse, in what sense does that apply to us today?

Leading a Discussion

This passage takes us to the threshold of the flood. Notice how the genealogy slows down at Noah’s birth, giving space to a personal hope, comfort from the curse. What does that tell us about how God works in the middle of judgment? Let the questions guide your group.

Discussion questions

Observation: What is the repeated pattern in the genealogy? Which element breaks the pattern (Enoch), and why might that matter?
Interpretation: Lamech’s words about Noah use a pun, “rest” (noach) and “comfort” (nacham). What does he expect from his son? How does that connect to the curse in Genesis 3:17?
Interpretation: Some commentators note that Methuselah’s name may mean “when he dies, the flood comes.” How does this shape your reading of his long life?
Application: The verse repeats “and he died” for each patriarch. How does facing mortality affect the way you live today?
Application: Noah is introduced as a man who will bring comfort. In what ways did Jesus bring ultimate rest from the curse? (See Matthew 11:28, 30.)
Community: Noah’s family was saved together. How can your small group support one another through times of difficulty or looming judgment?
Hope: Even in a genealogy stamped with death, there is hope. Where do you see hints of God’s mercy in this passage?

What the Commentators Say

9 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.

Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826

Clarke argues that Noah's name is better derived from the Hebrew word for "rest" than for "comfort." He sees a prophetic link in this: the rest Noah provided through the ark, and the divine rest God found in Noah's sacrifice, set the pattern for a stable earth and a shorter human lifespan afterward.

Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564

Calvin reads Lamech's naming of Noah as a hopeful prophecy extending beyond agriculture to all human misery caused by sin and God's curse. He also warns against assuming Noah remained celibate until age five hundred; Moses simply records when the sons who entered the ark were born.

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880

The commentary notes that verse 29, with its poetic wordplay on Noah's name and comfort, appears to be a later insertion from a different source tradition. This verse interrupts the genealogical list, refers back to the curse on the ground, and uses the divine name Jehovah instead of Elohim, suggesting it may come from traditions that associated Noah with farming rather than the Flood.

Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599

The notes highlight Lamech’s naming of Noah as a prophetic declaration that his son would bring comfort from the curse placed on the earth. This view frames Noah not merely as a survivor but as a divine agent of relief for human toil and sorrow. The summary presents this specific theological reading of the name’s meaning as offered by the Geneva Bible editors.

Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748

Gill sees Lamech's naming of Noah as a prophecy spoken by divine inspiration. Noah would bring comfort from the earth's curse through agricultural advances like the plow, and as a type of Christ delivering from the curse of the law. Gill also notes that the repeated phrase "and he died" throughout the genealogy underscores human mortality.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown link Lamech’s naming of Noah to an early hope for relief from the curse, seeing it as a reference to the promise of a Deliverer. They argue this expectation stemmed from divine communication rather than mere human optimism. The note also suggests Moses skipped generations in this genealogy to focus on the line leading to Abraham.

Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857

Lange treats this genealogy as a continuous record preserving the pious line from Adam through Noah, contrasting it with the Cainic line lost in the flood. He highlights how each name reflects spiritual realities, noting Seth represents compensation for Abel and Noah promises rest from earthly toil. The repeated refrain "and he died" underscores human mortality, while Enoch’s translation signals a unique communion with God that breaks this pattern.

Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710

Henry highlights how Methuselah’s name serves as a prophetic warning, linking his death to the coming flood. He notes that Lamech named Noah for rest, expressing deep weariness with life’s toil under God’s curse while hoping their son would bring relief from this heavy burden.

Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754

Wesley sees prophetic meaning in the names themselves: Methuselah's name foretold the flood, and he died just as judgment arrived. Shem's name, meaning "name," points forward to Christ, whose name is above every name, which is why Shem is listed first. For Wesley, even these genealogical details display God's justice and the coming Redeemer.

Word Study

The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.

אֵת et [Obj.] H0853 · Hebrew → חָיָה cha.yah to live H2421 · Hebrew → יָלַד ya.lad to beget H3205 · Hebrew → לֶ֫מֶךְ le.mekh Lamech H3929 · Hebrew → מֵאָה me.ah hundred H3967 · Hebrew → מְתוּשֶׁ֫לַח me.tu.she.lach Methuselah H4968 · Hebrew → שֶׁ֫בַע she.va seven H7651 · Hebrew → שְׁמֹנִים she.mo.nim eighty H8084 · Hebrew → שָׁנָה sha.neh year H8141 · Hebrew →

Cross-References

Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)

Genesis 4:18	Irad was born to Enoch. Irad became the father of Mehujael. Mehujael became the father of Methushael. Methushael became the father of Lamech.
Genesis 3:17	To Adam he said, “Because you have listened to your wife’s voice, and have eaten from the tree, about which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat of it,’ the ground is cursed for your sake. You will eat from it with much labor all the days of your life.
Genesis 3:19	You will eat bread by the sweat of your face until you return to the ground, for you were taken out of it. For you are dust, and you shall return to dust.”
Genesis 4:11	Now you are cursed because of the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand.
Genesis 4:12	From now on, when you till the ground, it won’t yield its strength to you. You will be a fugitive and a wanderer in the earth.”
Genesis 6:8	But Noah found favor in Yahweh’s eyes.
Genesis 6:9	This is the history of the generations of Noah: Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time. Noah walked with God.
Genesis 7:23	Every living thing was destroyed that was on the surface of the ground, including man, livestock, creeping things, and birds of the sky. They were destroyed from the earth. Only Noah was left, and those who were with him in the ship.

Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.

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