When Adam had lived 130 years, he fathered a son in his own likeness, after his image, and named him Seth.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The phrase "in his own likeness, after his image" is a crucial echo of creation, but it highlights Adam's fallen nature being passed down, not the original divine image he once possessed. This emphasizes that every generation, by natural birth, inherits imperfection and sin from their ancestors.
When Adam had lived 130 years, he fathered a son in his own likeness, after his image, and named him Seth.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This passage introduces the genealogy of humanity after Adam and Eve's expulsion from Eden, focusing on the lineage that would eventually lead to Noah. It follows the loss of Cain and the grief surrounding Abel's death, highlighting Adam fathering Seth as a replacement. This chapter systematically traces the lives and ages of Adam's descendants, emphasizing their longevity and eventual death, a stark contrast to the original perfection.
Adam was first created in God's likeness. But when he had children, something significant shifted. What does it mean to be 'in his own likeness, after his image'?
The text draws a direct parallel between Adam's creation and his fathering of Seth.
After the tragedy of Cain and Abel, a new son is born. Why is this birth specifically noted, and what does his name signify?
The naming of Seth and the context of Genesis 5 highlight a crucial turning point:
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Understand the original words
tselem · Hebrew Noun
The representative or visible representation of an original. Being made in God's image implies humans are created to be God's representatives, possessing intellectual, moral, and spiritual capacities that reflect His nature.
Sheth · Hebrew Proper Noun
Name meaning 'appointed' or 'placed.' He is identified as the descendant who carries the line of promise and the hope of the promised offspring of the woman.
The birth of Seth, described as being in Adam's 'likeness' and 'image,' powerfully highlights the transmission of a fallen nature after humanity's disobedience, contrasting with the original creation in God's image.
~4004 BC
Creation of Adam and Eve
God creates Adam and Eve in His image and likeness, granting them a unique position among His creation.
~4003 BC
The Fall of Humanity
Adam and Eve disobey God, resulting in the loss of their original righteousness and the introduction of sin and mortality into the human race.
~3990 BC
Birth of Cain and Abel
Adam and Eve's first children are born. Cain later murders Abel, marking the first instance of human bloodshed and further demonstrating the effects of sin.
~3874 BC— this verse
Birth of Seth
Adam, now 130 years old, fathers Seth. This birth is significant as Seth is presented as the one in Adam's image, reflecting the fallen nature passed down through generations.
~3769 BC
Birth of Enos
Seth fathers Enos, and it is at this time that people begin to call on the name of the LORD, signifying a continued lineage of faith.
~3074 BC
Death of Adam
Adam dies at 930 years old, fulfilling God's pronouncement of mortality after the Fall and illustrating the wages of sin.
This passage highlights the original creation of humanity in God's image, setting the stage for the contrast presented in Genesis 5:3, where Adam fathers a son in his own fallen likeness.
Genesis 4:1This verse introduces Seth's older brother, Cain, and the narrative of his birth, which immediately precedes the account of Seth's birth and establishes a contrast in their lineage and nature.
Romans 5:12This verse directly links sin and death to the entire human race through Adam, underscoring the theological significance of Adam begetting children 'in his own likeness' after the Fall, signifying the inherited nature of sin.
1 Corinthians 15:47-49This passage draws a parallel between the first Adam, who was earthly and from whom earthly descendants come, and Christ, the second Adam, from whom heavenly descendants come, echoing the theme of likeness passed down through generations.
ellicottGenesis 5:3: "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) In his own likeness, after his image. —That is, Adam handed down to his posterity that Divine likeness which he had himself received. Seth.—See on Genesis 4:25.
clarkeGenesis 5:3: "And Adam lived an hundred and thirty years, and begat a son in his own likeness, after his image; and called his name Seth:"
And Adam lived a hundred and thirty years, etc. - The Scripture chronology especially in the ages of some of the antediluvian and postdiluvian patriarchs, has exceedingly puzzled chronologists, critics, and divines. The printed Hebrew text, the Samaritan, the Septuagint, and Josephus, are all different, and have their respective vouchers and defenders. The f…
The phrase "in his own likeness, after his image" is a crucial echo of creation, but it highlights Adam's fallen nature being passed down, not the original divine image he once possessed. This emphasizes that every generation, by natural birth, inherits imperfection and sin from their ancestors.
This passage introduces the genealogy of humanity after Adam and Eve's expulsion from Eden, focusing on the lineage that would eventually lead to Noah. It follows the loss of Cain and the grief surrounding Abel's death, highlighting Adam fathering Seth as a replacement. This chapter systematically traces the lives and ages of Adam's descendants, emphasizing their longevity and eventual death, a stark contrast to the original perfection.
This passage introduces the genealogy of humanity after Adam and Eve's expulsion from Eden, focusing on the lineage that would eventually lead to Noah. It follows the loss of Cain and the grief surrounding Abel's death, highlighting Adam fathering Seth as a replacement. This chapter systematically traces the lives and ages of Adam's descendants, emphasizing their longevity and eventual death, a stark contrast to the original perfection.
"When Adam had lived 130 years, he fathered a son in his own likeness, after his image, and named him Seth." — The phrase "in his own likeness, after his image" is a crucial echo of creation, but it highlights Adam's fallen nature being passed down, not the original divine image he once possessed. This emph…
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Last reviewed October 2026