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Genesis 11:21

EOB (Eastern / Greek Orthodox Bible):

After Eber was born, Shelah lived 403 years and had more children.

EOB Footnote:

The MT reads “Reu” while the LXX reads “Ragau” (a Greek transliteration of the Hebrew name). The MT states that Reu lived “two hundred and seven years” after fathering Serug, while the LXX states “two hundred and seven years” — these figures agree. However, some LXX manuscripts show minor variations in the spelling of the name Ragau.

Other Translations:

KJV (King James Version):

And Reu lived after he begat Serug two hundred and seven years, and begat sons and daughters.

WEB (World English Bible):

After Reu was born, Peleg lived two hundred nine years, and became the father of sons and daughters.

Benton LXX (Vaticanus):

And Sala lived after he begot Heber, three hundred and three years, and begot sons and daughters, and died.

Douai-Rheims (Vulgate):

And Reu lived after he begot Sarug, two hundred and seven years, and begot sons and daughters.

Apostoliki Diakonia (LXX):

And Reu lived two hundred and seven years after he became the father of Serug, and he had other sons and daughters.

YLT (Young Literal Translation )(MT):

And Reu lived after he begot Serug two hundred and seven years, and he begot sons and daughters.

BBE (Bible in Basic English):

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EOB COMMENTARY:

EOB Commentary:

Genesis 11:21

And Reu lived after he begot Serug two hundred and seven years, and begot sons and daughters.

This verse continues the genealogical record from Shem to Abram, serving primarily as a chronological marker in the sacred lineage. While it does not contain explicit theological teaching, it participates in the broader significance of the Genesis 11 genealogy.

Christological and New Testament 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). Reu appears in this sacred lineage, making this seemingly mundane verse part of the preparation for the Incarnation. The Church Fathers understood these genealogies as demonstrating that Christ truly assumed human nature, entering into the full history of humanity with all its generations.

Patristic Reflection

The Fathers noted that the lifespans recorded in this chapter show a gradual decline from the antediluvian patriarchs. Saint Augustine observed that this diminishment reflects the continuing effects of the Fall upon human nature, even as God preserved a faithful remnant through whom salvation would come. The shortening of human life also points to the increasing need for divine intervention and redemption.

Liturgical and Spiritual Themes

During the liturgical readings of Genesis in Great Lent, these genealogies remind the faithful that God works through ordinary human generations to accomplish His saving purposes. The repetitive pattern of begetting sons and daughters, living and dying, speaks to the universal human condition that Christ came to transform. Each name represents a life lived in anticipation of the promised Seed who would crush the serpent’s head.

The Orthodox spiritual tradition sees in these genealogies a call to recognize our own place in salvation history. Just as Reu faithfully transmitted life and faith to the next generation, so too are Orthodox Christians called to pass on the apostolic faith to their children and spiritual descendants. The mention of sons and daughters reminds us that the entire human family, male and female, participates in God’s providential plan.

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