Verse 4 gives the next section of the report, the statement of other births.

The days of Adam after he became the father of Seth: days here refers in idiomatic terms to how long Adam lived after Seth was born. For speakers of some languages it will be confusing to hear days used in this manner, and so it may be necessary to follow the example of Good News Translation. See 3.14, 17. Good News Translation translates “After that…,” meaning after the birth of Seth, so we may also translate “After Seth was born….” Were eight hundred years gives the number of years Adam lived after Seth was born; so we may say, for example, “After Seth was born, Adam lived 800 years more” or “… lived another 800 years” (Good News Translation). Hence Adam was altogether 930 years old when he died.

And he had other sons and daughters is the next element in Adam’s genealogical report. Had translates the same verb rendered “he became the father of” in Gen 5.3. In many languages “other children” (Good News Translation) is more natural than other sons and daughters.

Quoted with permission from Reyburn, William D. and Fry, Euan McG. A Handbook on Genesis. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1997. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .