The Narrow Path Ministries

In Steve's genesis lectures (i think) I remember him talking about how if you take the meanings of the names in the long genealogy in Genesis that they form a picture of the Gospel message.

I was wondering if anyone happened to have that down in writing anywhere. If not I guess I will have to listen and do it myself.

TK

Genesis 5

1. Adam (Adam)
2. Appointed (Seth)
3. Mortal Man (Enosh)
4. [Shall] Suffer (Cainan)
5. Blessed God (Mahalaleel)
6. Came down (Jared)
7. Teach[ing] (Enoch)
8. His death shall bring (Methuselah)
9. [The] Despairing (Lamech)
10. Comfort (Noah)

There is little controversy over the meaning of about half of these names.

The meaning of Methuselah ("his death shall bring [it]") is hard to document, though, for some reason, most preachers have said this is its meaning.

On the meanings of some of the names there is little agreement among lexical sources.

I first heard this from Ray Stedman.

Awesome- thanks Steve!

According to the Online Bible Program Hebrew, the NASB Hebrew, and Strong's Hebrew, "Methuselah" means "Man of the dart."
According to the Greek form of the word, the meaning is "When he dies, there shall be an emission."

The Exhaustive Dictionary of Bible Names, by Stelman Smith and Judson Cornwall, says:

Mathusala (ma-thu'-sa-lah) = When he is dead it shall be sent. Greek form of Methuselah = When he is dead it shall be sent; i.e., the flood; (root = to send; to dismiss; to stretch out; to be cast out). Messenger of death. A man of the javelin. It shall be sent (deluge).

I once asked an Orthodox Jewish rabbi friend of mine for his view of these name meanings. Below are the ones he took issue with and supplied a different meaning. I post this out of interest, but I would certainly not uncritically defer to this friend, who is strongly hostile to the Gospel and has an interest in downplaying anything that could support a Christian interpretation of the OT.

adam= similar(to G-D)
noach-PLEASANT restful,pleasing
key non (Cainan)-establisher
mesushelach-death is cast away(from him)
lamech-to make others impoverished-probably because he was a hunter
mehalalE-L one who causes praise to G-D or one who praises

CThomas

Any further discussion on other threads about this topic? I tried to do a search but I didn't see anything.

I was wondering when were the names associated with the definitions or vice versa? I guess what I'm wondering is we have a name, like Adam, but was the definition first man attributed to that name afterwards. Adam wasn't named "Adam" because it meant first man. Adam was his name and the definition of being the first man is now associated with his name. Is that kinda clear? Anyways would love some input on this.

For some time now, I have understood "adam" to simply mean "man."

I just looked it up now. The Hebrew word "aw-dawm" (adam—Strongs 120) found in Genesis 2, is translated consistently as "man" by the NKJV until verse 19, where it is translated as "Adam" for the first time. In the Greek Septuagint, it is also translated as "ανθρωπος" (man) until verse 16, where it is translated as "αδαμ" (Adam).

Arriving late to this conversation...

I believe I first read this in a book by G.H. Pember:

Adam - (Hebrew אָדַם Greek- Ἀδάμ) red/earth/mud/man

Pember claimed it was similar to the name "Edom".