Person Old and New Testament
Mahalalel
Also known as Mahalalel =ESV, NIV; Mahalaleel =KJV, Mahalaleel =ESV; Maleleel =KJV; Mahalalel =NIV
Mahalalel was a descendant of Seth and an ancestor of Noah, living before the flood. Mentioned in 7 verses across 3 books, first at Genesis 5:12.
Why it matters. Descendant of Seth; ancestor of Noah
- Primary passages
- Last reviewed
- 2026-08-30 by the FaithGraph team
About Mahalalel
Mahalalel is mentioned in the genealogies of Genesis 5, 1Chronicles 1, and Luke 3 as a descendant of Seth, the third son of Adam and Eve. He is an ancestor of Noah and is part of the lineage that leads to Abraham, David, and ultimately, Jesus Christ. According to Genesis 5, Mahalalel was the son of Kenan and the father of Jared (Gen.5.12,15). He lived for 895 years, which was typical of the long lifespans recorded for the pre-flood patriarchs (Gen.5.13,16,17). The genealogies in Genesis 5 and 1Chronicles 1 focus on the line of descent from Adam to Noah, highlighting the continuity of the godly lineage before the flood. The genealogy in Luke 3 traces Jesus' ancestry back to Adam, emphasizing His connection to all of humanity. Mahalalel's inclusion in these genealogies serves to establish the historical and theological context of God's plan of redemption through the descendants of Seth, ultimately leading to the birth of Jesus Christ.
Description from STEPBible TIPNR (Tyndale House, Cambridge), CC BY 4.0, lightly reformatted. This is background reference material, not Scripture and not a FaithGraph editorial claim.
Connections
No reviewed connections yet.
Family
Family links from STEPBible TIPNR (CC BY 4.0). Where the dataset marks an identification as uncertain, the mark is kept. Matthew and Luke give different genealogies for Jesus; see the Lineage page, which never merges them.
Appears in Scripture
Named in 7 verses across 3 books. Occurrence data from STEPBible TIPNR (CC BY 4.0); references only, no translation text.