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

Genesis 11:25

EOB (Eastern / Greek Orthodox Bible):

After Terah was born, Nahor lived 119 years and had more sons and daughters.

EOB Footnote:

The MT reads “Nahor” where LXX-A has the equivalent name in Greek transliteration. No significant textual variants exist between the major LXX witnesses (Alexandrinus, Vaticanus, Sinaiticus) for this verse. No DSS manuscript witness exists for Genesis 11:25.

Other Translations:

KJV (King James Version):

And Nahor lived after he begat Terah an hundred and nineteen years, and begat sons and daughters.

WEB (World English Bible):

Nahor lived one hundred nineteen years after he became the father of Terah, and became the father of more sons and daughters.

Benton LXX (Vaticanus):

And Nachor lived after he begot Tharrha, an hundred and nineteen years, and begot sons and daughters.

Douai-Rheims (Vulgate):

And Nachor lived after he begot Thare a hundred and nineteen years, and begot sons and daughters.

Apostoliki Diakonia (LXX):

And Nahor lived after he became the father of Terah one hundred and nineteen years, and he had other sons and daughters.

YLT (Young Literal Translation )(MT):

And Nahor lived after he fathered Terah one hundred and nineteen years, and he had sons and daughters.

BBE (Bible in Basic English):

After Nahor became the father of Terah, Nahor lived for one hundred and nineteen years and had sons and daughters.

EOB COMMENTARY:

EOB Commentary:

Genesis 11:25

This verse records that Nahor lived one hundred and nineteen years after begetting Terah and had other sons and daughters. As part of the genealogical record connecting Noah to Abraham, this passage serves a primarily transitional function in the sacred narrative.

Genealogical Significance

The genealogies of Genesis 11 bridge the post-flood world with the calling of Abraham, demonstrating God’s providential preservation of the messianic line. Nahor stands as an ancestor of Abraham, and through this lineage, the promise of salvation would eventually be fulfilled. The Church Fathers understood these genealogies as demonstrating that God’s plan of redemption unfolds through real human history and actual persons.

Christological Connection

While this specific verse does not directly prefigure Christ, it belongs to the broader genealogical framework that Saint Matthew draws upon in his Gospel. The careful preservation of these ancestral records testifies to God’s faithfulness across generations, preparing the way for the Incarnation. Every link in this chain, including Nahor, participates in the divine economy that culminates in the birth of the Savior.

Patristic Perspective

The Fathers generally treated such genealogical verses as evidence of Scripture’s historical reliability and as demonstrations that salvation history involves concrete persons and places. Saint John Chrysostom noted that the detailed recording of lifespans and descendants shows God’s care for human memory and continuity.

Spiritual Reflection

For Orthodox spirituality, even seemingly mundane genealogical details remind us that holiness is worked out within families and across generations. The faith passed from parents to children represents the living tradition of the Church. Nahor’s role as father and grandfather reflects the vocation of all believers to transmit the knowledge of God to future generations, a theme echoed in Orthodox baptismal and marriage services where the continuity of faith through family life is blessed and encouraged.

Introduction to the book of Leviticus

The Book of Leviticus receives its English title from the Latin Vulgate, which is derived from the Greek Septuagint (LXX) title Leuitikon (Λευιτικόν), meaning “Levitical” or “pertaining to the Levites.”

Read More »

Introduction to the book of Exodus

The Book of Exodus receives its English title from the Greek Septuagint (LXX), where it is called Exodos (Ἔξοδος), meaning “departure” or “exit.” This name was chosen because the central

Read More »