What is the meaning of Genesis 5:20? So Jared lived • The phrase “So Jared lived” signals continuity in the Genesis genealogy (Genesis 5:3–19) and affirms that Jared was a historical man, not a myth. • Scripture presents these patriarchs as literal ancestors of Noah and, ultimately, of Christ (Luke 3:34–38). • Like the earlier names—Adam, Seth, Enosh, Kenan, Mahalalel—Jared’s life anchors God’s unfolding redemptive storyline (Genesis 3:15; Galatians 4:4). a total of 962 years • Genesis records unusually long life spans before the Flood—Adam 930, Seth 912, Methuselah 969 (Genesis 5:5, 8, 27). • These numbers underscore God’s original design for human vitality and the gradual encroachment of death that would accelerate after the Flood (Genesis 6:3; Psalm 90:10). • Long lives allowed early generations to transmit firsthand revelation about creation and the Fall across centuries, preserving truth until Moses compiled Genesis (Deuteronomy 31:24–26). • The precise figure “962” reminds us that God tracks every day of a person’s existence (Psalm 139:16), reinforcing the reliability of the biblical record. and then he died • Despite a lengthy life, Jared “died,” echoing God’s warning in Genesis 2:17 and confirming that “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). • Each genealogy entry ends the same way—“and he died” (Genesis 5:5, 8, 11, 14, 17)—highlighting the universality of mortality (Hebrews 9:27). • The lone exception, Enoch, who “walked with God, and then he was no more” (Genesis 5:24), points to hope beyond the grave, culminating in Christ’s resurrection victory (1 Corinthians 15:22). • Jared’s death prepares readers for the judgment of the Flood, where sin’s consequences move from individuals to the whole world (Genesis 6:5–7). summary Genesis 5:20 shows that Jared truly lived, enjoyed an extraordinarily long God-given life, and still succumbed to death. The verse confirms the accuracy of Scripture’s genealogical record, illustrates the steady march of mortality introduced by sin, and prepares us to look to God’s promise of ultimate deliverance from death through the coming Savior. |
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