Genesis 2:4 , "These are the generations," means the "history."
5:1 , "The book of the generations," means a family register, or history of Adam
37:2 , "The generations of Jacob" = the history of Jacob and his descendants
7:1 , "In this generation" = in this age.
Psalms 49:19 , "The generation of his fathers" = the dwelling of his fathers, i.e., the grave.
Psalms 73:15 , "The generation of thy children" = the contemporary race.
Isaiah 53:8 , "Who shall declare his generation?" = His manner of life who shall declare? or rather = His race, posterity, shall be so numerous that no one shall be able to declare it.
In Matthew 1:17 , the word means a succession or series of persons from the same stock. Matthew 3:7 , "Generation of vipers" = brood of vipers 24:34 , "This generation" = the persons then living contemporary with Christ. 1 Peter 2:9 , "A chosen generation" = a chosen people.
The Hebrews seem to have reckoned time by the generation. In the time of Abraham a generation was an hundred years, thus: Genesis 15:16 , "In the fourth generation" = in four hundred years (Compare verse 13 and Exodus 12:40 ). In Deuteronomy 1:35 and 2:14 a generation is a period of thirty-eight years.
These dictionary topics are from
M.G. Easton M.A., D.D., Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Third Edition,
published by Thomas Nelson, 1897. Public Domain, copy freely.