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Genesis 5:12

EOB (Eastern / Greek Orthodox Bible):

When Kenan was seventy years old, he became the father of Mahalalel.

EOB Footnote:

The MT reads “Kenan” while LXX manuscripts consistently read “Kainan,” reflecting standard transliteration differences between Hebrew and Greek forms of the name. No DSS manuscript witness exists for this verse.

Other Translations:

KJV (King James Version):

And Cainan lived seventy years, and begat Mahalaleel:

WEB (World English Bible):

Kenan lived seventy years, and became the father of Mahalalel.

Benton LXX (Vaticanus):

And Cainan lived seventy years, and begot Malaleel.

Douai-Rheims (Vulgate):

And Cainan lived seventy years, and begot Malaleel.

Apostoliki Diakonia (LXX):

When Kenan had lived seventy years, he became the father of Mahalalel.

YLT (Young Literal Translation )(MT):

And Kenan lives seventy years, and begets Mahalalel.

BBE (Bible in Basic English):

And Kenan was living seventy years when he became the father of Mahalalel.

EOB COMMENTARY:

EOB Commentary:

Genesis 5:12

Cainan lived seventy years and begot Mahalalel.

This verse continues the genealogical record of the line of Seth, tracing the ancestry from Adam through to Noah. While appearing as a simple chronological notation, this passage carries significance within the broader theological framework of Orthodox Christianity.

Christological and New Testament Significance:
The importance of Cainan in this genealogy becomes evident when we turn to the Gospel of Luke. In Luke 3:37, the evangelist includes Cainan (rendered as Kainan or Cainam in various manuscripts) in the genealogy of our Lord Jesus Christ, tracing His lineage back through the patriarchs to Adam and ultimately to God. This demonstrates that every name in the Genesis genealogies participates in the sacred history of salvation, forming links in the chain that connects the first Adam to the Second Adam, Christ our Lord. The Orthodox Church understands these genealogies not merely as historical records but as testimonies to God’s providential care in preserving the messianic line through which the Savior would come.

Patristic Reflection:
The Church Fathers, including Saint Augustine and others, noted that the genealogies of Genesis chapter five stand in deliberate contrast to the genealogy of Cain in chapter four. While Cain’s line culminates in Lamech’s boast of violence and vengeance, Seth’s line through figures like Cainan leads ultimately to Noah, the righteous one through whom humanity would be preserved. This typological reading sees in the Sethite genealogy a foreshadowing of the Church—the community of the faithful preserved through the waters of judgment, just as believers are saved through the waters of baptism.

Liturgical and Spiritual Themes:
The naming of Mahalalel, whose name means “praise of God,” reminds the faithful that even in genealogical records, the praise of the Creator remains central. Orthodox spirituality recognizes that human generations exist not merely for biological continuation but for the glorification of God. Each generation carries forward the divine image and the hope of restoration.

The extended lifespans recorded in this chapter have been understood by Orthodox interpreters as reflecting both the relative proximity to the original creation and the gradual effects of the Fall upon human nature. These long lives allowed for the transmission of sacred tradition from Adam through relatively few generations to Noah and beyond, preserving the knowledge of God and His promises.

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