Meaning of Ancient Names

Meaning of Ancient Names

Even the most mundane parts of Scripture can have great significance. An example is the list of ancestors leading from Adam to Noah which can be found in Genesis Chapter 5. Ancient names were not just randomly selected but chosen with a purpose. For instance Adam means "man" and his son Seth means "appointed" because he was appointed to take the place of Abel. Looking at the entire list:

Adam means "Man"
Seth means "Appointed"
Enosh means "Mortal"
Kenan means "Sorrow"
Mahalalel means "The Blessed God"
Jared means "Shall come down"
Enoch means "Teaching"
Methuselah means "His death shall bring"
Lamech means "The Despairing"
Noah means "Comfort (or rest)"

Putting it all together we find that the very names of the first 10 generations of mankind form the promise of our coming Savior. "Man (is) appointed mortal sorrow; (but) the Blessed God shall come down, Teaching (that) His death shall bring the despairing comfort (or rest)."

Could this be a coincidence or can we see that the Holy Spirit truly directed both history and the writing of every detail of Scripture?1

This article is from the Feb.20th entry on the subject of "Evidence From Prophecy" taken from the book, A Closer Look At The Evidence, by Richard & Tina Kleiss.2 Although this amazing book contains evidence, researched from over 70 expert sources, for the existence of a Creator, for the reliability of the Holy Bible, and for the trustworthiness of Christianity, the information in this article was condensed from the book, Hidden Treasures in the Biblical Text, by Chuck Missler.

1. Hidden Treasures in the Biblical Text, by Chuck Missler, Ph. D., Koinonia House, Coeur d’ Alene, ID, 2000. pp. 11-18.

2. A Closer Look At The Evidence, Richard L. & Christina (Tina) E. Kleiss, Search for the Truth Pub., Midland, MI.