1This is the book of the generations of Adam. In the day when God created man, He made him in the likeness of God. 2He created them male and female, and He blessed them and named them Man in the day when they were created.

Notice that in Genesis 5:1, Moses says, “and them Man (adam)” Adam is Hebrew for man or mankind. This means that adam is being used to describe the species, not the first human male.

Also, Moses develops his narration of God’s redemptive plan generationally (the Hebrew word is “toledoth”) down to the time of Jacob and his family. There are 10 such “generations” listed in Genesis.

As you may be aware, today’s passage is difficult to interpret. Therefore, Pastor Jim explains this important hermeneutical (interpretive) principle: “The best interpretation [assuming it is already consistent with the rest of Scripture] is the one that explains the most and leaves the fewest problems.”

The primary issue concerns what the term “sons of God” means. There are several possible options that Pastor Jim explores, but each has drawbacks. In the end, he concludes that a hybrid view (of options 2 & 3) is the best option.

Option #1 “sons of God” means Sethites.

Option #2 “sons of God” means fallen angels

Option #3 “sons of God” means a dynasty of Lamech-type tyrants or giants (the Euhemerus view)

Hybrid 2 & 3 view: Lamech-type men or giants who were demonically possessed:

“mighty rulers of gigantic stature and strength, epic warriors, who were extraordinarily lusty and demonically occupied and driven. That explanation seems to explain the most and leave us with the fewest problems.”

[By the way, Pastor Jim makes reference to “a famous OT scholar” and later, “some scholars,” in this program. In both cases, he is referring to Dr. Bruce Waltke, whose commentary on Genesis was a resource in preparing this study. As explained in a previous Study Guide, this work is sound, but Dr. Waltke recently embraced evolution, so his name has been deleted.]

In v. 4, Moses expands on verse 1. “Nephilim” comes from a Hebrew that means “to fall,” then evolves into this noun form which refers to those who fall upon (others).

Also in v. 4, Moses uses the Hebrew word “giborim.” The word means strong, mighty. Then it comes to mean in the more positive sense, a chief, a military leader. Finally in the negative sense, it meant a proud tyrant, i.e. a heavy-weight criminal dictator who pushes everybody around, and takes what he wants from whomever.

v. 7 The Hebrew word for regret, “nacham,” means to lament, grieve. Human transgression grieves the heart of God. And God is not the author of sin, which is contrary to His holiness. But God was not surprised or “sorry” in a self-critical way.

v. 8 The name ‘Noah’ sounds like ‘comfort’ in Hebrew

v. 9 “This is the [toledoth] account of Noah and his family.” This word means “generations,” and this is the third such structural marker by this name in Genesis; first was the account of the heavens and the earth, then the account of Adam and Eve, and now the account of Noah and his family.

In v. 11, the Hebrew word for corrupt means “destroyed” or “ruined” morally.

The English term, post-Diluvian, means “after the flood.”

In v. 12, the Hebrew noun for “the earth” includes not only animal life but the physical appearance and features of the earth as it then existed.

This is the account (toledoth = generations) —- a regular marker of the organizational divisions of Genesis. The first was the heavens and the earth, the second the generations of Adam and his family, now the generations of Noah and his family. This book is the beginning of the history of redemption in which God performs His redemptive work through certain families.

[By the way, Pastor Jim makes reference to “a famous OT scholar” and later, “some scholars,” in this program. In both cases, he is referring to Dr. Bruce Waltke, whose commentary on Genesis was a resource in preparing this study. As explained in a previous Study Guide, this work is sound, but Dr. Waltke recently embraced evolution, so his name has been deleted.]

In v. 4, Moses expands on verse 1. “Nephilim” comes from a Hebrew that means “to fall,” then evolves into this noun form which refers to those who fall upon (others).

Also in v. 4, Moses uses the Hebrew word “giborim.” The word means strong, mighty. Then it comes to mean in the more positive sense, a chief, a military leader. Finally in the negative sense, it meant a proud tyrant, i.e. a heavy-weight criminal dictator who pushes everybody around, and takes what he wants from whomever.

v. 7 The Hebrew word for regret, “nacham,” means to lament, grieve. Human transgression grieves the heart of God. And God is not the author of sin, which is contrary to His holiness. But God was not surprised or “sorry” in a self-critical way.

v. 8 The name ‘Noah’ sounds like ‘comfort’ in Hebrew

v. 9 “This is the [toledoth] account of Noah and his family.” This word means “generations,” and this is the third such structural marker by this name in Genesis; first was the account of the heavens and the earth, then the account of Adam and Eve, and now the account of Noah and his family.

In v. 11, the Hebrew word for corrupt means “destroyed” or “ruined” morally.

The English term, post-Diluvian, means “after the flood.”

In v. 12, the Hebrew noun for “the earth” includes not only animal life but the physical appearance and features of the earth as it then existed.

In his discussion of Capital Punishment, Pastor Jim references Pope Francis’s 2018 reversal of the Roman Catholic Church’s teaching on the subject. Here is an excerpt from a Catholic author, Dr. Edward Feser https://www.firstthings.com/web-exclusives/2018/08/pope-francis-and-capital-punishment :

If Pope Francis really is claiming that capital punishment is intrinsically evil, then either scripture, the Fathers and Doctors of the Church, and all previous popes were wrong—or Pope Francis is. There is no third alternative. Nor is there any doubt about who would be wrong in that case. The Church has always acknowledged that popes can make doctrinal errors when not speaking ex cathedra—Pope Honorius I and Pope John XXII being the best-known examples of popes who actually did so. The Church also explicitly teaches that the faithful may, and sometimes should, openly and respectfully criticize popes when they do teach error. The 1990 CDF document Donum Veritatis sets out norms governing the legitimate criticism of magisterial documents that exhibit “deficiencies.” It would seem that Catholic theologians are now in a situation that calls for application of these norms.

Edward Feser is co-author of By Man Shall His Blood Be Shed: A Catholic Defense of Capital Punishment.

This reminds us, once again, that our Protestant faith does not rest on the words of men, but of God. “God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent [change His mind]; Has He said, and will He not do it? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?” Numbers 23:19

Chapter 10 informs us about all the peoples who sprung from Noah and were in the larger geographical neighborhood during that general period. This is a narration of roots that has been dubbed “the Table of Nations.” In such genealogies, the most important is usually reserved for the last mention and treated more expansively.

An eponymous name of a place means that it was named for, or self-named by, the one who founded it.

One of the descendants of Ham was Mizraim, which means “two Egypts” [Upper & Lower].

Chapter 11:

Post-Diluvians are those people who lived after the flood.

The word “babel” means “confusion.”

The term “immanent” means “present in” or “close to and involved in” His creation.

The term “anthropomorphic” means “man-like” or “accommodated language so man can understand.” This type of language is used in v. 5, “but the Lord came down. . .” Obviously, this is not to be understood literally, as if an all-knowing God had to exit His throne in Heaven and come down to earth to figure out what on earth these people were up to. I say obviously, because so interpreting it would violate one of the great laws of biblical interpretation, which is that the inspired word, rightly understood, does not contradict itself (God does not exist in human form–(John 4—and God is omniscient, unlike ourselves.

Editor’s Note: Pastor Jim will occasionally exchange the name Abraham for Abram by accident prior to his name change in Genesis 17:5. This is also true for the names Sarah and Sarai.

v.6 The great tree of Moreh (means “teacher”) was not just a spectacular tree, but was also, for that very reason, the site of pagan worship. Canaanites in their heathen way may have been accustomed to seeking ‘light’ or guidance from their idol priests.

Several times God saw fit to appear in some theophanic (a visual appearance of God, who is pure spirit) form to the patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac and Jacob), Moses, and some others (Isaiah, Ezekiel). Such appearances were rare, not regular, and reserved for critical moments in their lives or mission. All this was before there was written revelation and before the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit.

v.9 “The Negev” means “the south,” where Beersheba was located. This was wilderness country, dry and hot, sometimes above 120 degrees. This territory will figure prominently in the experiences of the patriarchs—Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

Pastor Jim quotes this from Dr. Bruce Waltke toward the end of the program, “Abraham’s logic was: better her [Sarai] defiled than me [Abram] dead.” As noted in a previous Study Guide, Dr. Waltke’s name has been removed from this series, though his content remains (since it is sound).