John Calvin on Genesis 4:26

26. Then began men to call upon the name of the Lord . In the verb ‘to call upon,’ there is a synecdochee , for it embraces generally the whole worship of God. But religion is here properly designated by that which forms its principal part. For God prefers this service of piety and faith to all sacrifices, (Psalm 50:14.) Yea, this is the spiritual worship of God which faith produces. This is particularly worthy of notice, because Satan contrives nothing with greater care than to adulterate, with every possible corruption, the pure invocation of God, or to draw us away from the only God to the invocation of creatures. Even from the beginning of the world he has not ceased to move this stone, that miserable men might weary themselves in vain in a preposterous worship of God. But let us know, that the entire pomp of adoration is nothing worth, unless this chief point of worshipping God aright be maintained. Although the passage may be more simply explained to mean, that then the name of God was again celebrated; yet I approve the former sense, because it is more full, contains a useful doctrine, and also agrees with the accustomed phraseology of Scripture. It is a foolish figment, that God then began to be called by other names; since Moses does not here censure depraved superstitions, but commends the piety of one family which worshipped God in purity and holiness, when religions among other people, was polluted or extinct. And there is no doubt, that Adam and Eve, with a few other of their children were themselves true worshippers of God; but closes means, that so great was then the deluge of impiety in the world that religion was rapidly hastening to destruction; because it remained only with a few men, and did not flourish in any one race. We may readily conclude that Seth was an upright and faithful servant of God. And after he begat a son, like himself, and had a rightly constituted family, the face of the Church began distinctly to appear, and that worship of God was set up which might continue to posterity. Such a restoration of religion has been effected also in our time; not that it had been altogether extinct; but there was no certainly defined people who called upon God; and, no sincere profession of faith, no uncorrupted religion could anywhere be discovered. Whence it too evidently appears how great is the propensity of men, either to gross contempt of God, or to superstition; since both evils must then have everywhere prevailed, when Moses relates it as a miracles that there was at that time a single family in which the worship of God arose.

CHAPTER 5.

Genesis 5:1-32

1. This is the book of the generations of Adam. In the day that God created man, in the likeness of God made he him;

1. Iste est liber generationum Adam: in die qua creavit Deus hominem, ad similitudinem Dei fecit illum.

2. Male and female created he them; and blessed them, and called their name Adam, in the day when they were created.

2. Masculum et foeminam creeavit eos, et benedixit eis: et vocavit nomen eorum Hominem, in die qua creati sunt.

3. And Adam lived an hundred and thirty years, and begat a son in his own likeness, after his image; and called his name Seth:

3. Et vixit Adam triginta et centum annos: et genuit ad similitudinem suam, ad imaginem suam filium , et vocavit nomen ejus Seth.

4. And the days of Adam after he had begotten Seth were eight hundred years: and he begat sons and daughters:

4. Et fuerunt dies Adam postquam genuit Seth, octingenti anni: et genuit filios et filias.

5. And all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years: and he died.

5. Fuerunt itaque omnes dies Adam quibus vixit, nongenti anni et triginta anni: et mortuus est.

6. And Seth lived an hundred and five years, and begat Enos:

6. Et vixit Seth quinque annos et centum annos, et genuit Enos.

7. And Seth lived after he begat Enos eight hundred and seven years, and begat sons and daughters:

7. Et vixit Seth postquam genuit Enos, septem annos et octingentos annos: et genuit filios et filias.

8. And all the days of Seth were nine hundred and twelve years: and he died.

8. Fuerunt itaque omnes dies Seth, duodecim anni et nongenti anni: et mortuus est.

9. And Enos lived ninety years, and begat Cainan:

9. Et vixit Enos nonaginta annos, et genuit Kenan.

10. And Enos lived after he begat Cainan eight hundred and fifteen years, and begat sons and daughters:

10. Et vixit Enos postquam genuit Kenan, quindecim annos et octingentos annos, et genuit filios et filias.

11. And all the days of Enos were nine hundred and five years: and he died.

11. Fuerunt igitur omnes dies Enos, quinque anni et nongenti anni: et mortuus est.

12. And Cainan lived seventy years, and begat Mahalaleel:

12. Et vixit Kenan septuaginta annos, et genuit Mahalaleel.

13. And Cainan lived after he begat Mahalaleel eight hundred and forty years, and begat sons and daughters:

13. Et vixit Kenan postquam genuit Mahalaleel, quadraginta annos et octingentos annos: et genuit filios et filias.

14. And all the days of Cainan were nine hundred and ten years: and he died.

14. Fuerunt itaque omnes dies Kenan, decem anni et nongenti anni: et mortuus est.

15. And Mahalaleel lived sixty and five years, and begat Jared:

15. Et vixit Mahalaleel quinque annos et sexaginta annos, et genuit Jered.

16. And Mahalaleel lived after he begat Jared eight hundred and thirty years, and begat sons and daughters:

16. Et vixit Mahalaleel postquam genuit Jered, triginta annos et octingentos annos: et genuit filios et filias.

17. And all the days of Mahalaleel were eight hundred ninety and five years: and he died.

17. Fuerunt igitur omnes dies Mahalaleel, quinque anni et octingenti anni: et mortuus est.

18. And Jared lived an hundred sixty and two years, and he begat Enoch:

18. Et vixit Jered duos et sexaginta annos et centum annos, et genuit Hanoch.

19. And Jared lived after he begat Enoch eight hundred years, and begat sons and daughters:

19. Et vixit Jered postquam genuit Hnoch octingentos annos: et genuit filios et filias.

20. And all the days of Jared were nine hundred sixty and two years: and he died.

20. Fuerunt ergo omnes dies Jered duo et sexaginta anni et nongenti anni: et mortuus est.

21. And Enoch lived sixty and five years, and begat Methuselah:

21. Et vixit Hanoch quinque et sexaginta annos, et genuit Methuselah.

22. And Enoch walked with God after he begat Methuselah three hundred years, and begat sons and daughters:

22. Et ambulavit Hanoch cum Deo, postquam genuit Methuselah, trecentos annos: et genuit filios et filias.

23. And all the days of Enoch were three hundred sixty and five years:

23. Fuerunt itaque omnes dies Hanoch, quinque et sexaginta anni et trecenti anni.

24. And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.

24. Et ambulavit Hanoch cum Deo: et non fuit, quia tulit eum Deus.

25. And Methuselah lived an hundred eighty and seven years, and begat Lamech:

25. Et vixit Methuselah septem et octoginta annos et centum annos, et genuit Lemech.

26. And Methuselah lived after he begat Lamech seven hundred eighty and two years, and begat sons and daughters:

26. Et vixit Methuselah postquam genuit Lemech, duos et octoginta annos et septingentos annos: et genuit filios et filias.

27. And all the days of Methuselah were nine hundred sixty and nine years: and he died.

27. Fuerunt igitur omnes dies Methuselah novem et sexaginta anni et nongenti anni: et mortuus est.

28. And Lamech lived an hundred eighty and two years, and begat a son:

28. Et vixit Lemech duos et octoginta annos et centum annos: et genuit filium.

29. And he called his name Noah, saying, This same shall comfort us concerning our work and toil of our hands, because of the ground which the LORD hath cursed.

29. Et bocavit nomen ejus Noah, dicendo, Iste consolabitur nos ab opere nostro, et a dolore manuum nostrarum de terra cui maledixit Jehova.

30. And Lamech lived after he begat Noah five hundred ninety and five years, and begat sons and daughters:

30. Et vixit Lemech postquam genuit ipsum Noah, quinque et nonaginta annos et quingentos annos et quingentos annos: et genuit filios et filias.

31. And all the days of Lamech were seven hundred seventy and seven years: and he died.

31. Fuerunt itaque omnes dies Lemech septem et septuaginta anni et septingenti anni: et mortuus est.

32. And Noah was five hundred years old: and Noah begat Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

32. Et erat Noah quingentorum annorum, et genuit ipse Noah, Sem, Cham, et Jepheth.