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The Bible records Methuselah as the oldest person, living to be 969 years old [1]. His lifespan is mentioned in Genesis 5:21-27, placing him as the son of Enoch and the grandfather of Noah [1]. This age is the longest recorded in Scripture, and it is considered by some to be the longest life ever lived [5].
Before the Flood, human lifespans were significantly longer than in later periods [5]. While Methuselah's age is exceptional, the Bible also mentions other individuals who lived to advanced ages. For instance, Jehoiada the priest lived to be 130 years old, which is noted as an unusually old age for his time, even older than Moses [6].
The concept of "age" in the Bible can refer to various periods: a person's entire life (Genesis 47:28), the prime of life (John 9:21), old age (Job 11:17), a generation of people (Job 8:8), or an indefinite period of time (Ephesians 2:7) [2]. In the patriarchal era, a "generation" was sometimes considered to be 100 years, though later it shifted to 30-40 years [4].
Old age was highly respected in Jewish society. The aged were seen as sources of knowledge, and younger individuals were instructed to show them deference [3]. Gray hair was considered a "crown of glory" (Proverbs 16:31), and reaching old age was viewed as a special blessing [3]. The presence of older individuals was considered a blessing for communities [2]. Even in leadership, while Joseph was young when he became governor at thirty, it was considered a singular providence of God that he governed without envy from older men [7].
Sources
- Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Methuselah — Man of the dart, the son of Enoch, and grandfather of Noah. He was the oldest man of whom we have any record, dying at the age of nine hundred and sixty-nine years, in the year of the Flood (Gen. 5:21-27; 1 Chr. 1:3).”
- Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Age — Used to denote the period of a man's life (Gen. 47:28), the maturity of life (John 9:21), the latter end of life (Job 11:17), a generation of the human race (Job 8:8), and an indefinite period (Eph. 2:7; 3:5, 21; Col. 1:26). Respect to be shown to the aged (Lev. 19:32). It is a blessing to communities when they have old men among them (Isa. 65:20; Zech. 8:4). The aged supposed to excel in understanding (Job 12:20; 15:10; 32:4, 9; 1 Kings 12:6, 8). A full age the reward of piety (Job 5:26; Gen. 15:15).”
- Smith's Bible Dictionary “Smith's Bible Dictionary: Age, Old — The aged occupied a prominent place in the social and political system of the Jews. In private life they were looked up to as the depositaries of knowledge, (Job 15:10) the young were ordered to rise up in their presence, (Leviticus 19:32) they allowed them to give their opinion first, (Job 32:4) they were taught to regard gray hair as a "crown of glory," (Proverbs 16:31; 20:29) The attainment of old age was regarded as a special blessing. (Job 5:26) In pubic main qualification of those who acted as the representatives of the people in all matter of difficu”
- Smith's Bible Dictionary “Smith's Bible Dictionary: Generation — In the long-lived patriarchal age a generation seems to have been computed at 100 years, (Genesis 15:16) comp. Genesis15:13 and Eccl 12:40 But subsequently the reckoning was the same which has been adopted by modern civilized nations, viz. from thirty to forty years (Job 42:16) (Generation is also used to signify the men of an age or time, as contemporaries, (Genesis 6:9; Isaiah 53:8) posterity, especially in legal formulae, (Leviticus 3:17) etc.; fathers, or ancestors. (Psalms 49:19)”
- Genesis (Methodist/Wesleyan) “Adam Clarke on Genesis 5:27: The days of Methuselah were nine hundred sixty and nine years - This is the longest life mentioned in Scripture, and probably the longest ever lived; but we have not authority to say positively that it was the longest. Before the flood, and before artificial refinements were much known and cultivated, the life of man was greatly protracted, and yet of him who lived within thirty-one years of a thousand it is said he died; and the longest life is but as a moment when it is past. Though life is uncertain, precarious, and full of natural evils, yet it is a blessing in”
- 2 Chronicles (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on 2 Chronicles 24:13: But Jehoiada waxed old, and was full of days when he died,.... A very old man; few at this time arrived to such an age; he was a rare instance: One hundred and thirty years old was he when he died; the oldest man we read of from the times of Moses, and older than he by ten years.”
- CCEL (Reformed) “Calvin, Commentary on Genesis, Vol. 2 (Gen 24-50), section 18.21: among them the High Priest of On was the most distinguished. Both these points are confirmed by history.” — See Egypt and the Books of Moses, p. 32. — Ed 46. And Joseph was thirty years old . For two reasons Moses records the age at which Joseph was advanced to the government of the kingdom. First, because it is seldom that old men give themselves up to be governed by the young: whence it may be inferred that it was by the singular providence of God that Joseph governed without being envied, and that reverence and majesty were g”