Introduction
Lamech, son of Methuselah, is the father of Noah, the last named figure in the Genesis 5 genealogy before the flood narrative begins.
Note: this Lamech, of the Sethite line, is a different figure from the Lamech of Cain's line, who is recorded as the first polygamist; the two share a name but are distinct individuals in the text.
Family
- Father: Methuselah
- Son: Noah
Naming Noah
Genesis 5:29 records Lamech naming his son Noah, explaining the name (which resembles the Hebrew word for "rest" or "comfort") with the hope that "this one shall bring us relief from our work and from the toil of our hands, out of the ground that the Lord has cursed", a direct reference back to the curse placed on the ground after Adam's disobedience in Eden.
In the genealogy
Genesis records Lamech's total lifespan as 777 years, and he is said to have died five years before the flood, according to the chronology implied by the ages given in the text.