Mahalalel
Pronounced mah-HAL-uh-lel
- Meaning
- "Praise of God; The glory of God"
- Origin
- Hebrew
Mahalalel means "praise of God" or "the glory of God" in Hebrew. He was the fourth generation from Seth, the son of Kenan, and the father of Jared — continuing the godly line that would eventually produce Noah. Mahalalel lived 895 years in the pre-Flood world. His name — a declaration of divine praise — stands in the genealogy like a hymn embedded in a historical record. Where Cain's line produced boasts of violence (Lamech's sword-song), Seth's line produced names that glorified God. Some scholars have noted that the names in Seth's genealogy, read in sequence, form a message: Adam (man), Seth (appointed), Enosh (mortal), Kenan (sorrow), Mahalalel (the blessed God), Jared (shall come down), Enoch (teaching), Methuselah (his death shall bring), Lamech (the despairing), Noah (comfort/rest). Together: "Man is appointed mortal sorrow, but the blessed God shall come down teaching. His death shall bring the despairing comfort and rest." Whether or not this pattern was intentional, Mahalalel's name — "praise of God" — sits at the center of this message, declaring God's blessed nature even in the midst of humanity's mortal sorrow.
Spiritual meaning
Mahalalel — 'praise of God' — is a name that turns genealogy into worship. Even in a simple list of births and deaths, this name declares that God is worthy of praise in every generation.
Related verses (KJV)
"And Mahalaleel lived sixty and five years, and begat Jared: And Mahalaleel lived after he begat Jared eight hundred and thirty years, and begat sons and daughters."
Genesis 5:15-16 (KJV) →"And all the days of Mahalaleel were eight hundred ninety and five years: and he died."
Genesis 5:17 (KJV) →