The generations from Adam to Abraham, remarks on Genesis 5 and Genesis 11

So how did we get from Adam, the first man, to Abraham, the first Jew?

The short-winded version is this:

Adam to Seth to Enos to Cainan to Mahalaleel to Jared to Enoch to Methuselah to Lamech to Noah  - Methusaleh was Noah grandfather -  to Shem to Arphaxad. To Shelah to Eber to Peleg to Reu to Serug to Nahor to Terah to Abram – Abraham the first Jew.

All told it was 20 generations from Adam to Abraham.

Here is the detailed version.

God created man in the likeness of God, and the man he created was Adam.

Adam and Eve

This work is in the public domain in the United States because it was published before January 1, 1931.

Adam and Eve has two sons, Cain and Abel. Cain killed Abel, and was banished by G-d. When Adam was 130 years old, he had a son, a third son, named Seth. Adam on to have more sons and daughters. He lived to be 930.

When Adam’s son Seth was 150 years old, he had a son Enos. Seth went on to have more sons and daughters. Seth died at the age of 912.

At age 90, Enos has a son Cainan; Enos lived to be 905 years old.

At age 70. Cainan had a son, Mahalaleel; Cainan died at the age of 910.

Now let’s start keeping track: so now we are up to at Adam to Seth to Enos to Cainan to Mahalaleel.

Mahalaleel had a son Jared; Mahalaleel lived to the age of 895.

So now we are up to Adam to Seth to Enos to Cainan to Mahalaleel to Jared.

Jared has a son Enoch; Jared lived to the age of 962.

So now we are up to Adam to Seth to Enos to Cainan to Mahalaleel to Jared to Enoch.  

Enoch has a son Methuselah; Enoch lived to the age of 365.

So now we are up to Adam to Seth to Enos to Cainan to Mahalaleel to Jared to Enoch to Methusaleh.

Methuselah has a son Lamech; Methuselah lived to the age of 969. He is the world’s oldest man.

So now we are up to Adam to Seth to Enos to Cainan to Mahalaleel to Jared to Enoch to Methusaleh to Lamech.

Lamech had a son Noah; Lamech lived to the age of 777.

So now we are up to Adam to Seth to Enos to Cainan to Mahalaleel to Jared to Enoch to Methusaleh to Lamech to Noah.

Noah has 3 sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

So now we are up to Adam to Seth to Enos to Cainan to Mahalaleel to Jared to Enoch to Methuselah to Lamech to Noah - Methusaleh was Noah grandfather - to Shem.

Noah boarded the ark with his 3 sons. When the flood was over, they departed the ark and it was Shem whose children were the descendants of Abraham, the first Jew. The Hebrews descend from Shem. Noah lived to be 950 years old.

And now from Shem to Abram: This is the account of Shem’s family line.

Two years after the flood, Shem has a son Arphaxad.

So now we are up to Adam to Seth to Enos to Cainan to Mahalaleel to Jared to Enoch to Methuselah to Lamech to Noah to Shem to Arphaxad.

Arphaxad had a son Shelah.

So now we are up to Adam to Seth to Enos to Cainan to Mahalaleel to Jared to Enoch to Methuselah to Lamech to Noah to Shem.

Shelah had a son Eber.

So now we are up to Adam to Seth to Enos to Cainan to Mahalaleel to Jared to Enoch to Methuselah to Lamech to Noah to Shem to Arphaxad to Shelah to Eber.

Eber has a son Peleg.

So now we are up to Adam to Seth to Enos to Cainan to Mahalaleel to Jared to Enoch to Methuselah to Lamech to Noah to Shem to Arphaxad to Shelah to Eber to Peleg.

Peleg has a son Reu.

So now we are up to Adam to Seth to Enos to Cainan to Mahalaleel to Jared to Enoch to Methuselah to Lamech to Noah to Shem to Arphaxad to Shelah to Eber to Peleg to Reu.

Reu had a son Serug.

So now we are up to Adam to Seth to Enos to Cainan to Mahalaleel to Jared to Enoch to Methuselah to Lamech to Noah to Shem to Arphaxad to Shelah to Eber to Peleg to Reu to Serug.

Serug had la son Nahor.

So now we are up to Adam to Seth to Enos to Cainan to Mahalaleel to Jared to Enoch to Methuselah to Lamech to Noah to Shem to Arphaxad to Shelah to Eber to Peleg to Reu to Serug to Nahor.

Nahor had a son Terah.

So now we are up to Adam to Seth to Enos to Cainan to Mahalaleel to Jared to Enoch to Methuselah to Lamech to Noah to Shem to Arphaxad to Shelah to Eber to Peleg to Reu to Serug to Nahor to Terah.

And at the age of 70, Terah has a son Abram.

Here are the generations – 20 generations -  from Adam, the first man, to Abram who is Abraham, the first Jew.

The first man, Adam to Seth to Enos to Cainan to Mahalaleel to Jared to Enoch to Methuselah to Lamech to Noah to Shem to Arphaxad. To Shelah to Eber to Peleg to Reu to Serug to Nahor to Terah to Abram – Abraham the first Jew.