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

Genesis 5:26

EOB (Eastern / Greek Orthodox Bible):

After Methuselah became the father of Lamech, he lived 782 more years, and had more sons and daughters.

EOB Footnote:

The MT reads “Methuselah” where the LXX reads “Mathusala,” reflecting standard transliteration differences between the Hebrew and Greek traditions. The MT gives Lamech’s remaining years after fathering Noah as 595 years, while the LXX gives 565 years. The MT gives Lamech’s total lifespan as 777 years, while the LXX gives 753 years. These numerical differences are part of a systematic pattern of chronological variation between the MT and LXX in the Genesis 5 genealogy.

Other Translations:

KJV (King James Version):

And Methuselah lived after he begat Lamech seven hundred eighty and two years, and begat sons and daughters.

WEB (World English Bible):

After he became the father of Lamech, Methuselah lived eight hundred two years, and became the father of sons and daughters.

Benton LXX (Vaticanus):

And Mathusala lived after his begetting Lamech seven hundred and eighty-two years, and begot sons and daughters.

Douai-Rheims (Vulgate):

And Mathusala lived after he begot Lamech seven hundred and eighty-two years, and begot sons and daughters.

Apostoliki Diakonia (LXX):

After Methuselah had fathered Lamech, he lived seven hundred and eighty-two years and had other sons and daughters.

YLT (Young Literal Translation )(MT):

And Methuselah lives after his begetting Lamech seven hundred eighty and two years, and begets sons and daughters.

BBE (Bible in Basic English):

And after the birth of Lamech, Methuselah went on living for seven hundred and eighty-two years, and he had sons and daughters.

EOB COMMENTARY:

EOB Commentary:

Genesis 5:26

And Methuselah lived after he begat Lamech seven hundred eighty and two years, and begat sons and daughters.

This verse, part of the genealogy from Adam to Noah, appears at first glance to be a simple chronological notation. However, within the Orthodox understanding of Scripture, even such genealogical details carry theological weight.

Typological Significance: The genealogy of Genesis 5 establishes the line through which the promise of Genesis 3:15 would be fulfilled. Methuselah, whose name has been interpreted by some Fathers to mean “when he dies, it shall be sent,” stands as a silent witness to God’s patience. According to traditional chronology, Methuselah died in the very year of the Flood, his extraordinary lifespan of 969 years representing the long-suffering of God who delays judgment to allow for repentance. This theme resonates with the New Testament teaching that God “is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9).

Christological Connection: The genealogy preserved here reappears in Luke 3:37, where the Evangelist traces Christ’s lineage back through Methuselah to Adam and ultimately to God. Thus this seemingly mundane verse participates in the great chain of human generations through which the Word became flesh. The Orthodox Church sees in these genealogies not mere historical record but the preparation of humanity for the Incarnation.

Patristic Reflection: Saint John Chrysostom, commenting on the Genesis genealogies, notes that Scripture records these generations to demonstrate both the continuity of God’s providential care and the reality of human mortality. Despite their remarkable longevity, each patriarch eventually died, fulfilling the sentence pronounced upon Adam. Only through Christ, the New Adam, would death itself be conquered.

Liturgical and Spiritual Themes: The remembrance of the righteous ancestors finds expression in the Orthodox liturgical calendar, particularly on the Sunday of the Holy Forefathers before the Nativity of Christ. The Church commemorates all those who, generation after generation, preserved faith in the coming Redeemer. The patience exhibited across these long lifespans teaches the faithful about perseverance in hope across the generations of the Church’s own pilgrimage toward the Second Coming.

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