Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Bryant J. Williams III" <bjwvmw AT com-pair.net>]

Dear Dianne,

I noticed that the links embedded in the verse quotes were from the NET. It
would probably be better to give those links = sources after the quotes and 
your
question. It clutters the message a little too much.

The time table or chronology of the various groups represented in the text is
addressed; maybe not to the standards of us, moderns, but it is addressed. The
details of that chronology to the point of your question is really not
addressed. This is the problem of "modern" minds. Modern minds will ask a
question that is actually NOT addressed by the text at all.

Basically, the text will state something up to a certain point, but give 
nothing
afterwards. There are several reasons for this, of which, three are
    1)    It is not germane to the story; or
    2)    It is beyond the knowledge/source of the author; or
    3)    Confusion with consecutive time with simultaneous time.

Genesis 4, after the death of Abel, and the condemnation of Cain, gives the
lineage of Cain; while Genesis 5 gives the lineage of Adam, through Seth after
the death of Abel. It must be remembered that Genesis 4 & 5 are concurrent
(simultaneous time) not consecutive time. True, there is some logical order, 
but
that is a part of the narrative and overall scheme found within Semitic
storytelling.

Example: Genesis 1 gives the overall view of Creation; while Genesis 2 deals
specifically with Day 6 and the creation of Man and Woman, the Commandment
regarding the tree of in the midst of the Garden and the Establishing of the
Institution of Marriage between a Man and a Woman. Genesis 3 discusses the 
Fall
of Man (Adam), the Serpent, the Curse and the Promise and Expulsion from the
Garden. Finally, Genesis 4 & 5 now deal with the separate lines of Cain and 
Seth
descending from Adam both the good and the bad parts leading up to Genesis 6-9
with Noah and the Flood and the Noahic Covenant.

Rev. Bryant J. Williams III

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Dianne Burke" <biblestudy.burke AT gmail.com>
To: <b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org>
Sent: Wednesday, December 16, 2009 9:22 AM
Subject: [b-hebrew] Genesis 5:3-5


> Hello everyone.
>
> This passage has haunted me for a long long time.
>
> >From the (NET)
>
> Genesis 5
> <http://net.bible.org/verse.php?book=Gen&chapter=5&verse=3>
>
> 5:3 <http://net.bible.org/verse.php?book=Gen&chapter=5&verse=3> When
> <http://net.bible.org/bible.php?book=Gen&chapter=5#n6>Adam had lived
> 130 years he fathered a son in his own likeness, according to
> his image, and he named him Seth.
>
> 5:4 <http://net.bible.org/verse.php?book=Gen&chapter=5&verse=4> The length
> of time Adam lived
> <http://net.bible.org/bible.php?book=Gen&chapter=5#n7> after he became
> the father of Seth was 800 years;
> * during this time he
>
had<http://net.bible.org/bible.php?book=Gen&chapter=5#n8>other<http://net.bible.
org/bible.php?book=Gen&chapter=5#n9>sons
> and daughters
> *.
> <http://net.bible.org/verse.php?book=Gen&chapter=5&verse=5>
>
> 5:5 <http://net.bible.org/verse.php?book=Gen&chapter=5&verse=5> The entire
> lifetime <http://net.bible.org/bible.php?book=Gen&chapter=5#n10> of Adam was
> 930 years, and then he died.
>
> <http://net.bible.org/bible.php?book=Gen&chapter=5#n11>
>  <http://net.bible.org/verse.php?book=Gen&chapter=5&verse=6>
> The orthodox view is that Cain, in the previous Chapter left the presence of
> God and married one of his sisters.  However from the verse above, it seems
> that only after Seth was born THEN Adam and Eve had other sons and
> daughters, which means that there is a possibility that there were other
> people who existed outside the primal family designated by God.
>
> My question is:  Is the NET rendering of Genesis 5:4 correct?  Specifically,
> what I underlined.  Because if this is the correct reading and Genesis is to
> be taken somewhat literally then Cain could not have married his sister.
>
> My apologies if this has been brought up recently.
>
> I look forward to hearing from you.
>
> Dianne "Deni" Burke
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