EOB: Official Site of the Eastern / Greek Orthodox Bible (Old and New Testament)

Genesis 5:5

EOB (Eastern / Greek Orthodox Bible):

Adam lived a total of nine hundred and thirty years before passing away.

EOB Footnote:

The MT reads “all the days that Adam lived” whereas the LXX reads simply “all the days of Adam,” omitting the verb “lived” in the first clause. The MT includes the proper name “Adam” explicitly, while some LXX manuscripts use only the article with the name. The total lifespan of 930 years is consistent across all textual traditions. No DSS manuscript witness exists for this specific verse.

Other Translations:

KJV (King James Version):

And all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years: and he died.

WEB (World English Bible):

All the days that Adam lived were nine hundred thirty years, then he died.

Benton LXX (Vaticanus):

And all the days of Adam which he lived were nine hundred and thirty years, and he died.

Douai-Rheims (Vulgate):

And all the days that Adam lived, were nine hundred and thirty years, and he died.

Apostoliki Diakonia (LXX):

And all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years, and he died.

YLT (Young Literal Translation )(MT):

So all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years, and he died.

BBE (Bible in Basic English):

And all the years of Adam’s life were nine hundred and thirty: and he came to his end.

EOB COMMENTARY:

EOB Commentary:

Genesis 5:5 – Commentary

The Death of Adam and Its Theological Significance

This verse records the death of Adam at nine hundred and thirty years, marking the first fulfillment of God’s warning that transgression would bring death. The phrase “and he died” echoes throughout this chapter like a funeral bell, a solemn refrain that underscores the universal consequence of the Fall. Saint John Chrysostom observes that Moses deliberately repeats this phrase to remind us that death entered the world through sin, and that no length of years could ultimately preserve humanity from its grip.

Typological Connection to Christ

The Apostle Paul draws upon Adam’s death to illuminate the work of Christ, declaring that “as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive” (1 Corinthians 15:22). Adam’s death at 930 years, though remarkably long by our standards, demonstrates that even the first man, created directly by God’s hands, could not escape mortality once sin had entered. The Church Fathers consistently present Adam as the type whose failure necessitated the coming of the New Adam. Saint Irenaeus of Lyon emphasizes that Christ recapitulated Adam’s life, succeeding where Adam failed and thereby opening the path to immortality.

Liturgical and Spiritual Reflections

In the Orthodox funeral service, we acknowledge that death came through Adam’s transgression while proclaiming the resurrection through Christ. The kontakion “With the saints give rest” and the prayers for the departed reflect this understanding that Adam’s death inaugurated the reign of mortality, which Christ’s Resurrection has now overthrown. During Forgiveness Sunday and throughout Great Lent, the Church recalls Adam’s expulsion from Paradise and subsequent mortality, inviting the faithful to repentance and renewal.

The Longevity of the Patriarchs

The extended lifespans of the antediluvian patriarchs have prompted much patristic reflection. Some Fathers suggest that God granted such longevity to allow for the multiplication of humanity and the preservation of knowledge. Others see in these great ages a gradual diminishment of the original vitality given to creation, a slow fading that reflects the progressive effects of sin upon human nature. Saint Ephrem the Syrian notes that even these remarkable years were but a shadow compared to the eternal life that Adam forfeited and that Christ restores.

The Paschal Mystery Foreshadowed

Ultimately, this verse points forward to Pascha. Adam’s death, the first human death, finds its answer in Christ’s voluntary death and glorious Resurrection. The Orthodox Church celebrates this mystery annually, proclaiming that Christ has “trampled down death by death,” transforming the curse pronounced upon Adam into the doorway to eternal life.

Introduction to the book of Leviticus

The Book of Leviticus receives its English title from the Latin Vulgate, which is derived from the Greek Septuagint (LXX) title Leuitikon (Λευιτικόν), meaning “Levitical” or “pertaining to the Levites.”

Read More »

Introduction to the book of Exodus

The Book of Exodus receives its English title from the Greek Septuagint (LXX), where it is called Exodos (Ἔξοδος), meaning “departure” or “exit.” This name was chosen because the central

Read More »