Lamech, Noah’s father

Lamech, Noah’s father, is presented in the genealogy of Genesis as the father who gives Noah a name shaped by the hardship of human life. His brief account links the generational record from Adam to the coming flood narrative: he names his son in hope of relief from labor on the cursed ground, then dies at the age of 777.

Identity and Genealogy

Lamech belongs to the line traced from Adam through Seth, Enosh, Kenan, Mahalalel, Jared, and Methuselah. He became Methuselah’s son at the age of 187 and, at 182, fathered a son who would become the central survivor of the flood account.

Noah’s Birth and Name

Lamech named his son Noah, connecting the name with his hope that the child would comfort people in their work and the toil of their hands. He identified that hardship with the ground cursed by the LORD, making the birth announcement look beyond one household to the burden borne by humanity.

Family and Death

After Noah’s birth, Lamech lived another 595 years and had sons and daughters. His total lifespan was 777 years, after which the genealogy records his death. Noah was 500 years old when he fathered Shem, Ham, and Japheth, placing Lamech’s family record directly before the narrative of the flood and its survivors.