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Genesis 11:15

EOB (Eastern / Greek Orthodox Bible):

After Shelah had a son named Eber, he lived for 403 more years and had more children.

EOB Footnote:

The MT reads “Shelah” while the LXX reads “Sala,” reflecting standard transliteration differences between the Hebrew and Greek traditions. The MT and LXX are in substantial agreement on the content of this verse, with Shelah/Sala living 403 years after fathering Eber and having other sons and daughters. No DSS manuscript witness exists for this verse.

Other Translations:

KJV (King James Version):

And Salah lived after he begat Eber four hundred and three years, and begat sons and daughters.

WEB (World English Bible):

After he became the father of Eber, Shelah lived four hundred three years, and became the father of sons and daughters.

Benton LXX (Vaticanus):

And when Sala lived after he had begotten Heber four hundred and thirty years, he begot sons and daughters.

Douai-Rheims (Vulgate):

And Sale had lived after he begot Heber, four hundred and three years, and begot sons and daughters.

Apostoliki Diakonia (LXX):

After Shelah was born, Eber lived four hundred and three years and had other sons and daughters.

YLT (Young Literal Translation )(MT):

And Salah lived after he begot Eber four hundred and three years, and he begot sons and daughters.

BBE (Bible in Basic English):

And after the birth of Salah, Arpachshad went on living for four hundred and three years, and had sons and daughters.

EOB COMMENTARY:

EOB Commentary:

Genesis 11:15

This verse records that Salah lived four hundred and three years after begetting Eber, and begot sons and daughters. As part of the genealogical record connecting Noah to Abraham, this passage belongs to the lineage through which the promise of salvation would be transmitted to all humanity.

Christological Significance:
The genealogy in which this verse appears finds its ultimate fulfillment in the Gospel of Luke, where the evangelist traces the ancestry of Christ back through these very patriarchs to Adam and to God Himself (Luke 3:35-36). Salah appears in this sacred lineage, demonstrating that even these seemingly mundane genealogical notices serve the divine economy of salvation. Each generation preserved the line through which the Messiah would come, making every birth recorded here an act of providential significance.

Patristic Interpretation:
The Church Fathers generally viewed these genealogies as demonstrating God’s patient preparation for the Incarnation across many generations. Saint Augustine noted that the gradual shortening of human lifespans after the Flood reflected both the consequences of sin and God’s mercy in limiting human capacity for evil while still preserving sufficient time for repentance and the transmission of faith.

Liturgical Connection:
During the preparation for the Nativity of Christ, the Church reads the genealogies that connect the patriarchs to our Lord. The commemoration of the Holy Forefathers on the Sunday before Nativity honors all the ancestors of Christ according to the flesh, including those named in Genesis 11. This liturgical practice transforms what might appear as dry historical record into living testimony of God’s faithfulness across generations.

Spiritual Reflection:
The extended lifespans recorded in this chapter remind Orthodox Christians that time itself is in God’s hands. The patience of God in working through centuries of human history to accomplish salvation teaches us to trust in His timing. Just as Salah faithfully lived his years and transmitted life to the next generation, so too are we called to faithful perseverance in our own generation, contributing to the ongoing work of God in history through our prayers, our witness, and our participation in the life of the Church.

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