The Pulpit Commentary — Genesis — Section 173

the benefit of both the Church and the world. from the root of faith (Hcb. xi. 5). Yot And he died. "'fhe eolemn toll of the though pre-eminently spiritual and contem- po.trinrchnl funernl bell" (Bon11r). I ta con- plative, Jude tells us (vers. 14, 15) the patri- eto.nt recurronce nt the close of ea.eh biography arch's life had it~ active and aggressive out- proves the dominion of death from Adam look towards the evil times in which he lived. onward, ns nn immuto.ble law (Rom. v. 11 ; After he begat Methuselah. "Which inti Bo.umgnrton, Keil, Lange); "warns ue that mates that he did not begin to be eminent doo.th ,vas not denounced in vain against for piety till about that time, ; at first he men" (Calvin); "is a standing demonstra- walked as other men" (Henry). Procopius tion of the effect of disobedience" (Murphy); Gazcus ~oes beyond this, and thinks that "was intended to show what the condition before Ins son's birth Enoch was "a wlcke,l of all mankind wne after .Adam's fall" liver," but then repented. The bistorinn's (Willet). The exfrcssion is not appended language, ho,vever, does not necessarily im- to the genenlogica list of the Fathers after ply that his piety was so late in commencing, the Flood, doubtless o.s being then sufficiently and it is more pleasing to think that from understood; and it is not said of the descend- his youth upwards he was "as a shining ants of Cain that they died, "as if the in- star for virtue and holiness" (Willet). Three heritance of the sons of Goel were not here hundred ye2,:rs. As his piety began early, so on earth, but in death, as the days of the likewise did it continue long ; it was not deaths of martyrs are held in honour by the intermittent and fluctuating, but steadfast Church as their birthdays" (Wordsworth). and persevering (cf. Job xvii. 9; Prov. iv. Vera. 6-20,:---The lives of the succeeding 18; 1 Cor. xv. 58). And begat sons and patriarchs a.re framed upon the model of this daughters, "Hence it is undeniably evident .Adamic biography, and do not call for that the state and use of matrimony doth separate notice. The names of the next six very well agree with the severest course of were Seth (ver. 6; vide eh. iv. 25); Enos (ver. holiness, and with the office of a prophet or 9; vide eh. iv. 26); Caina.n, possession (Gese- preacher" (Poole). And all the days of nius) ; a child, one begotten (Furst); a created Enoch were three hundred and sixty-five thing, a creature, a young man (Ewald) ; years. " A year of years" (Henry) ; " the possessor, or spcn.rsman (Jllurphy; ver. 12) ; same period as that of the revolution of tha Ma.he.laleel, praise of God (Gesenius, Fiirst, earth round the sun. After he had finished Murphy; ver.15); Jared, descent (Gesenius); his course, revolving round him who is the low ground, water, or marching down (Furst); true light, which is God, in the orbit of duty, going down (Murphy; ver. 18); Enoch, dedi- he was approved by God, and taken to him'· cated, initiated (ver. 19; cf. eh. iv. 17). • (Wordsworth). Modern c1itics have dis- Ver. 21. - The dedicated and initiated covered in the age of Enoch traces of a child grew up, like a.n Old Testament Timothy mythical origin. They conclude the entire -let us hope, .to possess, illustrate, and pro- list of names to be not older than the tirno claim the piety which was the distinguishing of the Babylonian Nabonassar, o.nd believe characteristic of the holy line. At the compar- it to be not improbable that "the Babylo- atively early age of sixty-five be begat (" for- nians regulated the calendar with the assist- bidding to ma1Ty" being unknown then) ance of a.n Indian astrologer or ganaka Methuselah. Man of a dart (Gesenius), man (arithmetician) of the town of Chanoge" (Yon of military arms (Fiirst), man of the missile Bohlen). nut " it would. be strange indeed (Murphy), man of the sending forth-sc. of if just in the life of Enoch, which represents water (Wordsworth), man of growth (De- the purest and sublimest unity with God, a litzsch). And Enoch walked with God heathen and astrological element were inten- (Elohim). T1ie phrase, used also of Noah, tionally introduced;" and, besides, "it is (eh. vi. 9), o.nd by lllicah (eh. vi. 8. Cf. the almost generally admitted that our list con- eimilar expressions, " to walk before God," tains no astronomical numbers ; that the eh. xvii. 1 ; Ps. cxvi. 9, and " to walk after years which it specifics refer to the lives of God," Deut. xiiL 4 ; Ephes. v. 1), portrnys individuals, not to periods of the world.; anJ n lifo of singularly elevated piety; not merely that none of all these figures is in any way o. constant realisation of the Divine presence, reducible to n chronological system" (Ka- or even a perpetual effort a.t holy obedience, lisch). And Enoch walked with God. "Non but also "a. maintenance of the most con- otiosa ravro~oyia," but an emphatic repeti- fidential intercourse with the personal God" tion, indicative of the ground of what follows. (Keil). It implies a situation of nenrness to And he wns not. Literally, and not he (cf. God, if not in place at leo.st in spirit ; a eh. xii. 36 ; Jer. xxxi. 15 ; ,ea, oux Eupirr- cha.rac~r of likeness t~ God (Amos iii. 3), «Ero, LXX.). "Not absolutely ho was not, a.ml a life of converse with God. Followina but relntively he w:is not extnnt iu the sphere tb~ LXX. (d,qpforq<rE ol 'Ev,ax r,; Otrp°), th~ of sense." "Non amplius inter mortales wntcr to the Hebrews llescribes it 11s 1t life npparuit" (Roscnmiiller). "If this plmlse Joes that was " plc,ising to Go,\," as springing not Jcnoto l\lmihilation, much less doc~ the  96 THE BOOK OF GENESIS. [CH, V, 1-82,