The early chain of human generations continues to unfold, marking the passage of time from a father's birth to the arrival of his son. Kenan lived seventy years before his son was born. This specific age is not a random detail but represents a familiar, round number. It can be understood as ten times seven, or alternatively as two sets of seven units, with each unit consisting of sixty months [קאסוטו].
The son is given the distinctly Hebrew name Mahalalel, which carries a simple meaning: a person who praises God. This name remained firmly rooted in tradition long after this early generation. It appears in later historical records, such as the Book of Nehemiah, and was even carried by a well-known scholar from the period of the Mishnah, Akiva ben Mahalalel [קאסוטו].