The ages in the Hebrew and the Greek, and the long lifespans
Says The printed ages are those of the Masoretic Text, which the BSB follows. The Greek ages, from Swete, are a textual fact beside them. For Adam, Seth, Enosh, Kenan, Mahalalel and Enoch, the Greek has a hundred more years before the fathering and a hundred fewer after, with the same total. Jared and Methuselah agree. For Lamech the Greek has 188/565/753 against 182/595/777. At 5:25 Swete prints 187 with the Hebrew; the apparatus lists a correction over an erasure in Alexandrinus. Swete has no 5:32: English 5:32 is the first sentence of Swete 6:1. The Samaritan, in the textual note, agrees with the Masoretic Text except for Jared (62/785/847), Methuselah (67/653/720) and Lamech (53/600/653). See the textual note and the Greek note.
Uncertain Which set of figures is earlier, and whether any was adjusted, is open; no lean is taken among the traditions. Long lifespans: (1) the years are literal chronological data; (2) they are symbolic or schematic, on the ground that some look patterned, Enoch's 365 and Lamech's 777; (3) they may be compared with ancient lists of long-lived kings before a flood, with no claim of borrowing. Possible gaps, including Luke 3:36's Cainan, a fact of the Greek of Genesis 11 and of Luke, not of Swete Genesis 5, are likewise open. No lean is taken here. See the historical notes.
Claims
- SaysThe printed ages are the Masoretic Text; the Greek ages stand beside them as a textual fact. Six generations differ by a hundred years before and after with the same total; Jared and Methuselah agree; Lamech differs. Swete has no 5:32: English 5:32 is the first sentence of Swete 6:1.
- UncertainNo lean is taken among the traditions, on the long lifespans (literal, schematic by the grounds of 365 and 777, or comparison with royal lists without dependence), or on possible gaps, including Luke 3:36's Cainan, a Genesis 11 / Luke fact, not a Swete Genesis 5 plus. The Samaritan figures, given in the textual note, agree with the Masoretic Text except for Jared, Methuselah and Lamech.
Citations
- BSB public domain Gen 5:1–32
- OSHB CC BY 4.0 Gen 5:1–32 (WLC/OSHB), cantillation removed
- LXX (Swete) CC BY-SA 4.0 Gen 5:1–31 and 6:1a, vol. 1, pp. 7–9 (oldtestamentingr01swetuoft, viewer leaves n38–n40); read on the page images
- Skinner, Genesis (ICC) public domain Skinner, Genesis (ICC, 1910): on Gen 5, pp. 128–129 (n229–n230); read on the page images; “meant to be understood literally” and “the author had in his view actual individuals” (p. 128) quoted, otherwise paraphrased
- Keil–Delitzsch, Pentateuch 1 public domain Keil, Pentateuch vol. 1 (Clark, Martin trans., 1868), on Gen 5, pp. 121 and 123 (n124, n126); read on the page images; paraphrased, not quoted
- Calvin, Genesis (King) 1 public domain Calvin, Commentaries on Genesis vol. 1 (King trans.): on Gen 5, pp. 224 and 227 (n233, n236); read on the page images; paraphrased, not quoted
- Augustine, City of God (NPNF1 vol. 2) public domain Civ. 15.10–15.13, pp. 291–295 (n314–n318) (trans. Dods, NPNF¹ 2; CCEL npnf102.iv.XV.10–13); read on the page images; paraphrased
- King, Legends of Babylon and Egypt public domain King, Legends of Babylon and Egypt in Relation to Hebrew Tradition (Schweich Lectures 1916, 1918), pp. 31–34, 38 and 40 (n46–n49, n53, n55); read on the page images; paraphrased
- Rogers, Cuneiform Parallels public domain Rogers, Cuneiform Parallels to the Old Testament (1912), Berossos, pp. 76–79 (n103–n106); read on the page images; paraphrased
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2026-11-10
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