Q. In Genesis 5, why are Cain and Abel not listed in the “Generations of Adam”?
The genealogy that the book of Genesis describes as the “Generations of Adam” is not intended to list all of his descendants. Rather, it traces one line of his descent, the one that leads to Noah, who becomes the main character in the narrative right after this genealogy. After the story of Noah, there is another genealogy, the “Generations of Shem” (Noah’s son), which traces one line of his descent, the one that leads to Abraham, who who becomes the main character in the narrative right after it. And so forth. That is how the book of Genesis is structured. I hope this explanation is helpful.
Author: Christopher R Smith
The Rev. Dr. Christopher R. Smith is an an ordained minister, a writer, and a biblical scholar. He was active in parish and student ministry for twenty-five years. He was a consulting editor to the International Bible Society (now Biblica) for The Books of the Bible, an edition of the New International Version (NIV) that presents the biblical books according to their natural literary outlines, without chapters and verses. His Understanding the Books of the Bible study guide series is keyed to this format. He was also a consultant to Tyndale House for the Immerse Bible, an edition of the New Living Translation (NLT) that similarly presents the Scriptures in their natural literary forms, without chapters and verses or section headings.
He has a B.A. from Harvard in English and American Literature and Language, a Master of Arts in Theological Studies from Gordon-Conwell, and a Ph.D. in the History of Christian Life and Thought, with a minor concentration in Bible, from Boston College, in the joint program with Andover Newton Theological School.
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Good Question 