Who was the oldest living man in the bible

Questioner

AnswerThe oldest person in the Bible was Methuselah at 969 years, then later God lowered the average life span to 120 years, and then even lower to our current average of 70 to 80 years--and this because of the increasing wickedness of mankind.

Adam lived 930 years, and then he died. [Genesis 5:5]

Seth lived 912 years, and then he died. [Genesis 5:8]

Enosh lived 905 years, and then he died. [Genesis 5:11]

Kenan lived 910 years, and then he died. [Genesis 5:14]

Mahalalel lived 895 years, and then he died. [Genesis 5:17]

Jared lived 962 years, and then he died. [Genesis 5:20]

Methuselah lived 969 years, and then he died. [Genesis 5:27]

Lamech lived 777 years, and then he died. [Genesis 5:31]

Then the LORD said, "My Spirit will not contend with man forever, for he is mortal; his days will be a hundred and twenty years." [Genesis 6:3]

"The length of our days is seventy years - or eighty, if we have the strength; yet their span is but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away." [Psalm 90:10]

Added to Bible Bulletin Board's "Tony Capoccia's Questions and Answers" by:

Tony Capoccia
Bible Bulletin Board
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The oldest man in the Bible was a man named Methuselah, who lived to be 969 years old (Genesis 5:27). He was one of nine men listed in Genesis 5 who lived very long lives. The others are: Adam (the first man), who lived 930 years (Genesis 5:5); Seth (912 years; Genesis 5:8); Enosh (905 years; Genesis 5:11); Kenan (910 years; Genesis 5:14); Mahalalel (895 years; Genesis 5:17); Jared (962 years; Genesis 5:20); Enoch (365 years; Genesis 5:22–24), who was also one of two men in the Bible who was taken to heaven without having to pass through death first (the other was Elijah; 2 Kings 2:11); and Lamech (777 years; Genesis 5:21). Noah lived 950 years (Genesis 9:29).

Methuselah was the son of Enoch, the man who God took. Methuselah was also Noah's grandfather. Lamech was Noah's father. Methuselah's age was astonishing, but extra-Biblical historical sources indicate that Methuselah's age was also significant because of a revelation from God given to Enoch, which we find hidden in Methuselah's name. The name has a dual meaning. It can mean "man of the spear" and it can mean "his death shall bring." It is believed that Enoch received a revelation from God that Methuselah's death would bring a great flood.

The biblical math fits. When Lamech was born, Methuselah was 187 years old (Genesis 5:25). When Noah was born, Lamech was 182 years old (Genesis 5:28). And when the Great Flood occurred, Noah was 600 years old (Genesis 7:6). 187+182+600=969. This means that Methuselah died in the same year that the flood occurred.

We do not know very much about Methuselah. We do know Methuselah was a descendant of Adam, and part of a righteous bloodline which was obedient to God during a wicked time in man's history (Genesis 6). He lived for 969 years and evidently died the same year the Flood occurred. Likely he was a godly man to have been blessed with such a long life.

Why are such long lives recorded in Genesis?

Is there any way to guarantee ourselves a long life on earth?

Does the Bible give a human age limit?

Questions about Noah's ark: How long did it take Noah to build the ark? How long was Noah on the ark?

Was the Noahic flood global?

Recently I celebrated another birthday, which always seems to coincide with discussions around age and reflections on the brevity of life. In the Bible, there are a group of men known as Antediluvian Patriarchs (having lived between Adam and Noah before the flood), who definitely did not experience a short timeline on earth! Here are the 10 oldest people in the Bible, whom all happen to be descendants of Adam and his son, Seth.

1. Methuselah: 969 years
The oldest person in the Bible, Methuselah was Noah’s grandfather and his father walked so closely with God that God took him. Methuselah died the same year as the flood, living to 969 years of age.

2. Jared: 962 years
A descendent of Seth, Jared fathered Enoch at 162 years and lived until he was 962 years old. Genesis 5:18–20

3. Noah: 950 years
The last o the long-living antediluvian patriarchs, Noah lived for 350 years after the flood. At Noah’s birth his father said, “May he bring us relief from our work and the painful labour of farming this ground that the Lord has cursed.”

4. Adam: 930 years
The first human being, who was designed to live forever, Adam ended up only living to 930 years—not very long when compared to eternity!

5. Seth: 912 years
A brother to Cain and Abel and the only other child of Adam and Eve to be mentioned in the Bible by name, Eve named him Seth for she said, “God has granted me another son in place of Abel, whom Cain killed.” Genesis 4:25

6. Kenan: 910 years
A grandson to Seth, he fathered Mahalalel (#8) when he was 70 years old.

7. Enos: 905 years
Enos was the son of Seth (who fathered him when he was 105 years old), which makes him a grandson of Adam and Eve. Genesis 4:26; Luke 3:38

8. Mahalalel: 895 years
An ancestor of Noah and the father of Jared, Mahalalel lived until when Noah was 234 years old.

9. Lamech: 777 years 
The son of Methuselah and father to Noah, Lamech died five years before the flood. According to genealogical accounts, Adam would have still been alive for the first 56 years of Lamech’s life.

10. Enoch: 365 years
The father of Methuselah (see #1), Enoch is described in Genesis 5:24 as someone who was “walking in close fellowship with God. Then one day he disappeared, because God took him.” Because of this, the inclusion of Enoch on the list is contestable, but I think he deserves a mention!

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