ENOSH

(Eʹnosh), Enos [man].

The son of Seth, born to him at the age of 105. Enosh was 90 years old when he became father to Kenan, and lived a total of 905 years. (Gen. 5:6-11) His name is also listed in the genealogies at 1 Chronicles 1:1 and Luke 3:38. In his day “a start was made of calling on the name of Jehovah.” (Gen. 4:26) This was evidently not a calling on Jehovah in faith and pure worship as Abel had done more than a hundred and five years before Enosh’s birth. Hebrew scholars contend that the text should read “began profanely,” or “then profanation began.” With reference to Enosh’s day the Targum of Palestine says: “That was the generation in whose days they began to err, and to make themselves idols, and surnamed their idols by the name of the word of the Lord.” According to Maimonides’ Treatise on Idolatry, “Enos himself was (one) of them that erred.” Apparently Jehovah’s name was then misused or improperly applied. Men may have applied His name to themselves or to other men through whom they pretended to approach God in worship; or else they applied His name to idol objects.