How does Genesis 5:15 connect to the genealogy of Jesus in Matthew 1?

Genesis 5:15 in its own words

“When Mahalalel was 65 years old, he became the father of Jared.”

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Where Mahalalel fits

• Adam → Seth → Enosh → Kenan → Mahalalel → Jared → Enoch → Methuselah → Lamech → Noah

• Mahalalel is the fifth generation after Adam and the great-great-grandfather of Noah.

• His appearance in Genesis 5 cements an unbroken, literal bloodline stretching from Creation to the Flood.

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From Mahalalel to Abraham

1. Jared → Enoch → Methuselah → Lamech → Noah

2. Noah → Shem

3. Shem → Arphaxad → Shelah → Eber → Peleg → Reu → Serug → Nahor → Terah → Abraham

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Matthew 1 picks up the same family line

• Matthew 1 starts with “Abraham was the father of Isaac…” (v. 2), presuming every link from Adam to Abraham as established fact.

• Because Genesis 5:15 stands in that pre-Abraham chain, Mahalalel is an ancestor of all the names Matthew lists.

• In other words, the genealogy in Matthew rests on the earlier, detailed framework laid down in Genesis; the two passages interlock.

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Why this matters for Jesus’ identity

• Scripture testifies that the Messiah must descend from the historical people of God.

• By anchoring Jesus to Abraham (Matthew 1) and, through Genesis 5, ultimately back to Adam, the Bible shows Him as

– Heir of the covenant promises (Abraham),

– Legitimate Son of David (later in Matthew 1),

– Second Adam who redeems the fall (Romans 5 echoes this chain).

• The accuracy of a single verse like Genesis 5:15 reinforces the trustworthiness of the whole lineage that leads to Christ.

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Take-home truths

• Genealogies are not filler; they stitch together God’s redemptive story from Eden to Bethlehem.

• Each name, including Mahalalel, bears witness to the precision of God’s plan.

• Jesus’ family record is grounded in real history, affirming both His humanity and His divine mission to save.