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Genesis

About this book

Adam's Descendants

Chapter 5

1 This is the record of the family line of Adam.⁠ When God created humankind, he made them in the likeness of God. 2 He created them male and female; when they were created, he blessed them and named them “humankind.” 3 When Adam had lived 130 years he fathered a son in his own likeness, according to his image,⁠ and he named him Seth. 4 The length of time Adam lived after he became the father of Seth was 800 years; during this time he had other sons and daughters. 5 The entire lifetime of Adam was 930 years, and then he died.⁠ 6 When Seth had lived 105 years, he became the father of Enosh.⁠ 7 Seth lived 807 years after he became the father of Enosh, and he had other sons and daughters. 8 The entire lifetime of Seth was 912 years, and then he died. 9 When Enosh had lived 90 years, he became the father of Kenan. 10 Enosh lived 815 years after he became the father of Kenan, and he had other sons and daughters. 11 The entire lifetime of Enosh was 905 years, and then he died. 12 When Kenan had lived 70 years, he became the father of Mahalalel. 13 Kenan lived 840 years after he became the father of Mahalalel, and he had other sons and daughters. 14 The entire lifetime of Kenan was 910 years, and then he died. 15 When Mahalalel had lived 65 years, he became the father of Jared. 16 Mahalalel lived 830 years after he became the father of Jared, and he had other sons and daughters. 17 The entire lifetime of Mahalalel was 895 years, and then he died. 18 When Jared had lived 162 years, he became the father of Enoch. 19 Jared lived 800 years after he became the father of Enoch, and he had other sons and daughters. 20 The entire lifetime of Jared was 962 years, and then he died. 21 When Enoch had lived 65 years, he became the father of Methuselah.⁠ 22 After he became the father of Methuselah, Enoch walked with God for 300 years,⁠ and he had other sons and daughters. 23 The entire lifetime of Enoch was 365 years. 24 Enoch walked with God, and then he disappeared because God took him away.⁠ 25 When Methuselah had lived 187 years, he became the father of Lamech. 26 Methuselah lived 782 years after he became the father of Lamech, and he had other sons and daughters.⁠ 27 The entire lifetime of Methuselah was 969 years, and then he died.⁠ 28 When Lamech had lived 182 years, he had a son.⁠ 29 He named him Noah, saying, “This one will bring us comfort from our labor and from the painful toil of our hands because of the ground that the Lord has cursed.” 30 Lamech lived 595 years after he became the father of Noah, and he had other sons and daughters. 31 The entire lifetime of Lamech was 777 years, and then he died. 32 After Noah was 500 years old, he became the father of Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

Texts in conversation

Compare Genesis 5:24 and Pseudo Jonathan Genesis 5:24

Hebrew Bible · Targum

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Summary

Genesis 5 says that Enoch walked with God and then God took him, giving no explanation. The Aramaic translation in Targum Pseudo-Jonathan expands this with a midrash that identifies Enoch as the angel Metatron, describing his ascent to the firmament.

Passages

Genesis 5:24

Hebrew Bible
22 After he became the father of Methuselah, Enoch walked with God for 300 years, and he had other sons and daughters. 23 The entire lifetime of Enoch was 365 years. 24 Enoch walked with God, and then he disappeared because God took him away. 25 When Methuselah had lived 187 years, he became the father of Lamech. 26 Methuselah lived 782 years after he became the father of Lamech, and he had other sons and daughters.
750–400 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in Genesis

Pseudo Jonathan Genesis 5:24

Targum
23 All the days of Enoch with the inhabitants of the earth were three hundred and sixty-five years. 24 Enoch worshiped in truth before the Lord, and behold, he was not with the inhabitants of the earth because he was taken away and he ascended to the firmament at the command of the Lord, and he was called Metatron, the Great Scribe. 25 Methuselah lived a hundred and eighty-seven years, and he begot Lamech.
300–1200 CE (scholarly estimate) Read in Pseudo Jonathan Genesis

References

"... And yet some targumic traditions bear out the resemblance between angels and the righteous. According to Targum Pseudo-Jonathan Genesis 28:12, the angels on high have relations with the angels down below (when they speak about the image of the pious Jacob, engraved upon the throne of glory). Both the "myriads of holy angels" and the Israelites are called "holy ones" in Targum Pseudo-Jonathan Deuteronomy 33:2, but even in Targum Onkelos: "and with him were myriads of holy ones ... yea, he loved them, the tribes; all his holy ones, the house of Israel." This description is not coincidental, as may be inferred from Targum Pseudo-Jonathan Numbers 25:12 where Enoch ascended to the firmament and was called Metatron the Great Scholar according to Targum Pseudo-Jonathan Genesis 5:24, a statement mitigated or flatly denied in other Targums ..."
Willem F. Smelik, “On Mystical Transformation of the Righteous into Light in Judaism,” JSJ 26 (1995): 122–144.

References are not endorsements of their contents. Read each reference in full to understand its author's intentions in using these texts.

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Genesis 5:24 and Pseudo Jonathan Genesis 5:24

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