After Cain slew his brother Abel and distanced himself from the presence of the LORD, a contrasting line of descent emerged through Seth, whom Eve bore as a replacement for Abel. Seth, meaning "appointed," became chief over Adam's family. In the days of Enosh, Seth's son, men began to call on the name of the LORD, distinguishing themselves from the godless society of Cain's descendants. These descendants of Seth, referred to as sons of God, stood apart from the sons of men, the line of Cain, who pursued personal enrichment and empowerment. Through Seth's lineage, which included Noah and his family, a godly heritage was preserved, while none of Cain's descendants survived the Flood due to their sinful lifestyle, which necessitated God's judgment to preserve humanity. Ultimately, the sons of God from Seth's line intermarried with the daughters of men from Cain's line, producing mighty men of renown in a corrupt world, which led to God's decision to destroy that wicked generation.

In the account of the pre-Flood world, a significant explanation for the phrase "sons of God" in Genesis 6:2 points to the descendants of Seth, often considered the righteous line upon the earth, in contrast to the corrupted line of Cain. Adam's seed divided into two rival lines of descent, with Seth's progeny faithfully following God's instructions, while Cain's offspring pursued their own desires, moving eastward, building cities, and becoming wicked by excluding God from their lives. At some point, the males of Seth's line noticed the beauty of the women from Cain's line and began to intermarry. This union led to corruption, as the godless ways of Cain's line influenced Seth's descendants, and their children followed the wicked paths of their mothers and maternal kin rather than their righteous fathers. Consequently, the entire world became corrupt, demonstrating that even Seth's line, though perhaps more righteous by degrees, was not immune to the pervasive evil that engulfed humanity. There is an indication in Genesis 4:26 that Seth's line, through Enosh, called upon God's name, suggesting a following of Him, though the passage allows for varied interpretations. Furthermore, Genesis 4 and 5 highlight a distinction between the lines of Cain and Seth, with God tracing Cain's descendants through the evil Lamech and Seth's line through righteous figures like Enoch, Methuselah, and Noah. Despite this apparent split, human nature reveals that Seth's line was not entirely righteous, as all of humanity succumbed to corruption before the Flood. While some, like Enoch and Noah, stood as preachers of righteousness, the overall state of Seth's descendants indicates they too fell into sin, contributing to the widespread wickedness that provoked God's judgment.

In the lineage of Adam and Eve, God blessed Eve with a son, Seth, to replace the righteous Abel, who was murdered by his brother Cain. This act served a dual purpose: it eased Eve's distress over Abel's tragic death and established a distinct line of descendants. Unlike the Cain-Lamech line, which produced no noteworthy individuals in terms of righteousness, Seth's line gave rise to significant figures. Enoch, the first notable person from Seth's lineage, walked with God, indicating his godly character. Following Enoch, Noah emerged as another key figure from this line, finding grace in the eyes of the Lord. This separation of Seth's descendants reflects God's purpose to create a holy line, set apart from others. Through sanctification, God worked with individuals like Enoch and Noah, marking them as distinct and indicating their conversion by His Spirit. This holy line, beginning with Seth, became the foundation for those whom He chose to fulfill His purpose and plan.

In the lineage leading to Noah, we find the descendants of Seth forming what researchers call the 'holy line,' a succession believed to consist of converted men. This line begins with Seth and continues through Enosh, Cainan, Mahalalel, Jared, Enoch, Methuselah, and Lamech, culminating in Noah, who is the tenth in this order. These ancestors, distinct from the line of Cain, are thought to have been sanctified individuals, bearing the Spirit of God. Their naming in this sequence suggests a divine pattern, with the number ten symbolizing the perfection of a divine order and marking the end of one era and the beginning of another. Noah, as the tenth from Adam, signifies a new beginning, becoming a second Adam after the Flood, fathering all mankind anew. Notably, except for Noah, all in this holy line had passed away before the Flood, indicating that no converted person perished in that deluge, as God protects His own. Among these ancestors, Methuselah, named by Enoch, carries a meaning that researchers interpret as 'when he is gone, then it will come,' possibly foretelling the Flood, as Methuselah lived longer than any other human and his death aligned with significant events. Lamech, Noah's father, displayed knowledge of God's curse on the earth from Genesis 3, recognizing that with Noah's birth, relief from the pain of this curse might come, bringing comfort and respite. This awareness among Seth's descendants points to their spiritual understanding and anticipation of significant divine interventions. Enoch, Noah's great-great-grandfather, was a preacher, and Noah followed in this family mold, also serving as a preacher, indicating a continuous work of God through this line from the beginning of creation.

In the antediluvian world, the descendants of Seth, alongside those of Cain, played a significant role in the unfolding of human history as recorded in the early chapters of Genesis. The line of Seth, often considered in contrast to Cain's lineage, intermingled through marriages that contributed to the widespread corruption of humanity before the Flood. These unions, described as the sons of God marrying the daughters of men, led to a profound moral decline across all lines of descent, with no indication that Seth's progeny were inherently more righteous than Cain's. Indeed, the narrative reveals that all of humanity, save for Noah who found grace in the eyes of God, succumbed to carnality and perished in the deluge. This intermingling and subsequent corruption underscore the pervasive degeneration that characterized the pre-Flood era, a time when mankind, despite its potential and longevity, turned away from the divine order established at creation.