And all the days of Lamech were seven hundred seventy
and
seven years, and he died.
] According to the Greek version, he lived but seven hundred and
fifty three; and according to the Samaritan version, only six
hundred and fifty three: but it is best and safest in these, and
all the above numbers, to follow the original Hebrew, and the
numbers in that, with which the Targum of Onkelos exactly agrees,
written about the time of Christ; and these numbers were just the
same when the two Talmuds were composed. Some of the Jewish
writers, and so some Christians, confound this Lamech with the
other Lamech, who was of the race of Cain, spoken of in the
preceding chapter, and say he was a bigamist and a murderer; and
that in his days sins were committed openly, and witchcraft was
throughout the whole world F5: he died, according to Bishop
Usher, A. M. 1651. Eight times in this chapter the phrase is
used, "and he died", to put us in mind of death; to observe that
it is the way of all flesh; that those that live longest die at
last, and it must be expected by everyone.