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

Genesis 11:18

EOB (Eastern / Greek Orthodox Bible):

When Peleg was thirty years old, he became the father of Reu.

EOB Footnote:

The LXX states that Peleg lived 130 years before fathering Ragau (Reu), while the MT gives 30 years. The LXX also states that Peleg lived 209 years after fathering Ragau, while the MT gives 209 years (agreeing here). The total lifespan in the LXX is 339 years, while the MT gives 239 years. These chronological differences reflect the systematic divergence between the LXX and MT in the genealogies of Genesis 11, where the LXX consistently adds 100 years to the age at which each patriarch fathers his son.

Other Translations:

KJV (King James Version):

And Peleg lived thirty years, and begat Reu:

WEB (World English Bible):

Peleg lived thirty years, and became the father of Reu.

Benton LXX (Vaticanus):

And Phaleg lived and begot Reu.

Douai-Rheims (Vulgate):

And Phaleg lived thirty years, and begot Reu.

Apostoliki Diakonia (LXX):

When Peleg was thirty years old, he became the father of Reu.

YLT (Young Literal Translation )(MT):

When Peleg had lived thirty years, he fathered Reu.

BBE (Bible in Basic English):

When Peleg was thirty years old he became the father of Reu;

EOB COMMENTARY:

EOB Commentary:

Peleg and Reu: The Genealogical Bridge to Abraham

Genesis 11:18 records that Peleg lived thirty years and begot Reu, continuing the genealogy from Shem to Abraham. While this verse appears to be a simple genealogical notation, it carries theological weight within the broader narrative of salvation history.

Christological Significance: This genealogy appears in Luke 3:35, where the Evangelist traces the ancestry of Christ back through Reu and Peleg to Adam and ultimately to God. The inclusion of these patriarchs in Christ’s genealogy demonstrates that the Son of God entered fully into human history, assuming a lineage that passed through every generation from creation to the Incarnation. The Fathers understood these genealogies as demonstrating the reality of Christ’s human nature against docetic heresies that denied His true humanity.

The Name of Reu: The name Reu (in Hebrew, Re’u) is related to the concept of friendship or shepherding. Some patristic commentators saw in the patriarchal names a progressive revelation pointing toward Christ, the Good Shepherd who calls His sheep friends. Saint Ephrem the Syrian, in his commentary on Genesis, noted that even the names preserved in Scripture carry spiritual meaning, as nothing in the inspired text is superfluous.

Liturgical Connection: The genealogies of Genesis are read during the Great Lenten season as part of the continuous reading of Genesis at Vespers. This placement reminds the faithful that the entire sweep of human history from Adam through the patriarchs was a preparation for Christ’s coming. The Church invites us during Lent to see ourselves within this same salvation history, as spiritual descendants of these patriarchs through baptism into Christ.

The Shortening of Years: Attentive readers notice that the lifespans recorded after the Flood progressively decrease. Peleg lived 239 years, and subsequent generations lived even shorter lives. The Fathers interpreted this decline as reflecting humanity’s continued distance from the original blessing of creation, yet also as God’s mercy in limiting the years during which humans might accumulate sin. This gradual diminishment points to humanity’s need for the restoration that would come through Christ, who conquered death itself.

Continuity of the Promise: Each generation recorded in this genealogy represents God’s faithfulness in preserving the line through which blessing would come to all nations. Despite the scattering at Babel recorded just verses earlier, God maintained His covenant purpose. The Orthodox understanding of divine providence sees in these genealogies not mere historical record but the patient working of God across centuries toward the fullness of time when He would send His Son.

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