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Genesis 11:19

EOB (Eastern / Greek Orthodox Bible):

After Peleg was born, Reu lived 209 years and had more children.

EOB Footnote:

The LXX states that Peleg lived 209 years after fathering Reu, while the MT gives 209 years. The LXX also records Peleg’s total lifespan as 339 years, whereas the MT gives 239 years. This 100-year difference in the total lifespan reflects the LXX’s consistently higher chronology in the genealogies of Genesis 11.

Other Translations:

KJV (King James Version):

And Peleg lived after he begat Reu two hundred and nine years, and begat sons and daughters.

WEB (World English Bible):

“Peleg lived after he became the father of Reu two hundred nine years, and became the father of more sons and daughters.”

Benton LXX (Vaticanus):

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

Douai-Rheims (Vulgate):

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

Apostoliki Diakonia (LXX):

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

YLT (Young Literal Translation )(MT):

And Peleg lived after he begat Reu two hundred and nine years, and begat sons and daughters.

BBE (Bible in Basic English):

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EOB COMMENTARY:

EOB Commentary:

Genesis 11:19

And Peleg lived after he begat Reu two hundred and nine years, and begat sons and daughters.

This verse continues the genealogical record from Shem to Abram, serving primarily as a chronological marker in sacred history. While the verse itself contains no direct theological teaching, its placement within the broader genealogy carries significance for Orthodox understanding of salvation history.

Genealogical Significance:
The genealogies of Genesis 11 demonstrate the continuity of the faithful line through which God’s promises would be fulfilled. Peleg, whose name means “division” (referencing the division of languages at Babel in his father’s time), represents a generation living in the aftermath of humanity’s prideful attempt to reach heaven by human effort alone. The faithful remnant continues quietly, generation after generation, preserving the knowledge of the true God.

Christological Connection:
The Gospel of Luke traces Christ’s genealogy through this very line, including Peleg (Luke 3:35, rendered as Phalek in Greek). For the Orthodox Church, these genealogies are not mere historical records but constitute the preparation for the Incarnation. Each generation mentioned represents a link in the chain leading to the Theotokos and ultimately to Christ. The Fathers understood that God was patiently working through human history, through ordinary births and deaths, to prepare for the extraordinary birth of the God-Man.

Patristic Perspective:
The Church Fathers generally treated these genealogical verses as evidence of God’s providential ordering of history. Saint Augustine noted that the decreasing lifespans recorded in these generations (compared to the antediluvian patriarchs) reflected the changed conditions of human existence after the Flood, yet God’s faithfulness remained constant through each generation.

Liturgical Reflection:
During the preparation for the Nativity of Christ, the Orthodox Church reads the genealogies with great solemnity, recognizing that names like Peleg, though obscure to modern readers, represent real persons through whom God worked His saving plan. The quiet faithfulness of these generations, living ordinary lives of begetting sons and daughters, reminds us that holiness often consists in simple fidelity across time.

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