Go to Related Reading
About this book

Neofiti Genesis

About this book

The Generations from Adam to Noah

Chapter 5

1 This is the book of the line and generations of Adam. On the day the Lord created Adam, he created him in a likeness from before the Lord. 2 Male and female he created them, and he blessed them and called their name Adam on the day he created them. 3 And Adam lived a hundred and thirty years and fathered a son in his likeness, resembling him, and called his name Seth. 4 And the days of the life of Adam after he fathered Seth were eight hundred years, and during those years he fathered sons and daughters. 5 And all the days of the life of Adam were nine hundred and thirty years, and he died and was gathered from the midst of the world. 6 And Seth lived a hundred and five years and fathered Enosh. 7 And Seth lived after he fathered Enosh eight hundred and seven years, and during those years he fathered sons and daughters. 8 And all the days of the life of Seth were nine hundred and twelve years, and he died and was gathered from the midst of the world. 9 And Enosh lived ninety years and fathered Kenan. 10 And Enosh lived after he fathered Kenan eight hundred and fifteen years, and during those years he fathered sons and daughters. 11 And all the days of the life of Enosh were nine hundred and five years, and he died and was gathered from the midst of the world. 12 And Kenan lived seventy years and fathered Mahalalel. 13 And Kenan lived after he fathered Mahalalel eight hundred and forty years, and during those years he fathered sons and daughters. 14 And all the days of the life of Kenan were nine hundred and ten years, and he died and was gathered from the midst of the world. 15 And Mahalalel lived sixty-five years and fathered Jared. 16 And Mahalalel lived after he fathered Jared eight hundred and thirty years, and during those years he fathered sons and daughters. 17 And all the days of the life of Mahalalel were eight hundred and ninety-five years, and he died and was gathered from the midst of the world. 18 And Jared lived a hundred and sixty-two years and fathered Enoch. 19 And Jared lived after he fathered Enoch eight hundred years, and during those years he fathered sons and daughters. 20 And all the days of the life of Jared were nine hundred and sixty-two years, and he died and was gathered from the midst of the world. 21 And Enoch lived sixty-five years and fathered Methuselah. 22 And Enoch served in truth before the Lord after he fathered Methuselah three hundred years, and during those years he fathered sons and daughters. 23 And all the days of the life of Enoch were three hundred and sixty-five years. 24 And Enoch served in truth before the Lord, and no one knows where he is,⁠ because he was drawn away by a word from before the Lord. 25 And Methuselah lived a hundred and eighty years and fathered Lamech. 26 And Methuselah lived after he fathered Lamech seven hundred and eighty-two years, and during those years he fathered sons and daughters. 27 And all the days of the life of Methuselah were nine hundred and sixty-nine years, and he died and was gathered from the midst of the world. 28 And Lamech lived a hundred and eighty-two years and fathered a son. 29 And he called his name Noah, saying, “This one will comfort us for our evil deeds and for the robbery of our hands, from the earth that was cursed by a word from before the Lord.” 30 And Lamech lived after he fathered Noah five hundred and ninety-five years, and during those years he fathered sons and daughters. 31 And all the days of Lamech were seven hundred and seventy-seven years, and he died and was gathered from the midst of the world. 32 And Noah was five hundred years old, and Noah fathered Shem, Ham and Japheth.

Texts in conversation

Compare Genesis 5:24 and 1 Enoch 12:1 and Neofiti Genesis 5:24

Hebrew Bible · Pseudepigrapha, Apocalypses · Targum

Share:

Summary

Genesis says Enoch “walked with God” and then mysteriously “God took him.” This description is expanded in 1 Enoch, which says nobody knew what happened to him. The Aramaic translation of Genesis in Targum Neofiti repeats this depiction of ignorance.

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

1 Enoch 12:1

Pseudepigrapha, Apocalypses
1 Before these things, Enoch was hidden, and no one among the children of men knew where he was hidden, where he lived, or what had happened to him. 2 His dealings were with the Watchers, and he spent his days among the holy ones. 3 And I, Enoch, was praising the Lord of majesty and the King of the ages, and look! the Watchers called me - Enoch the scribe - and said to me:
300 BCE – 100 CE (scholarly estimate) Read in 1 Enoch

Neofiti Genesis 5:24

Targum
22 And Enoch served in truth before the Lord after he fathered Methuselah three hundred years, and during those years he fathered sons and daughters. 23 And all the days of the life of Enoch were three hundred and sixty-five years. 24 And Enoch served in truth before the Lord, and no one knows where he is, because he was drawn away by a word from before the Lord. 25 And Methuselah lived a hundred and eighty years and fathered Lamech.
300–600 CE (scholarly estimate) Read in Neofiti Genesis

References

"... 1 Enoch 12:1 ... verse 1 paraphrases Genesis 5:24, “And Enoch walked with God, and he was not because God took him” The Greek (“was taken”) here corresponds to the Hebrew of Genesis 5:24 ([“was translated”] in LXX). A paraphrase similar to 1 Enoch 12:1 occurs in Targum Neofiti Genesis 5:24, where “and he was not” is rendered “and it was not known where he was” ..."
George W. E. Nickelsburg, A Commentary on the Book of 1 Enoch Chapters 1-36, 81-108 (Minneapolis: Fortress, 2001), 233.

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

Your feedback

Genesis 5:24 and 1 Enoch 12:1 and Neofiti Genesis 5:24

Leave a comment

Your questions and comments are welcome!

Comments

Glossary

Search the Library