Genesis 5:14Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

The account of others similarly ends with death, underscoring the effectiveness of God’s warning to Adam: "In this day if thou eat of the tree of the commandment thou shalt die by death” (Gen. 2:17). This phrase, "and thou shalt die," recurrent throughout Scripture, acts as a hammer striking a stone, embedding the awareness of mortality deep within us and breaking the callousness of our hearts. If such long-lived individuals of the early world could not evade death, how much more certain is death for us, fleeting as our lives are on earth? Those who lived for centuries awaited their demise, yet for us, near the end of our lifespan, how soon must we confront it? Do we not recite nightly in our prayers, “Behold, my tomb approaches; behold, my death draws near”?

Let us, as mortals, reflect on what death truly is, its essence and purpose, and why a constant awareness of it is imperative. Death signifies the separation of the soul from the body, the dissolution of their natural union, and the disintegration of the elements that constitute humanity: the cessation of bodily function, the loss of sensation, the end of life, and the breakdown of human composition. A person is formed of both soul and body. In death, while the physical remains may still be present, they no longer constitute a person, since the immortal soul is now separated; thus, the body becomes merely a corpse and no longer a living being. The inherent nature of the living is to dread death, fearing the loss of existence, so that they cease to be as they were when alive. This marks the total eradication of the person, even before the Day of Judgment and the trumpet of the archangel that will awaken the dead.

Death, indeed, approaches silently, despite being universally acknowledged. What is more certain in our existence than death? As the apostle reminds us, “It lies with man alone to die” (Hebrews 9:27). Yet, when it may arrive remains a mystery; the Lord teaches us in the Gospel, “You do not know the day or the hour in which the Son of Man will come” (Matt. 25:13). While death is an undeniable certainty for every individual, its timing remains uncertain; it does not announce its arrival, nor does it adhere to the calendar, bypassing neither youth nor old age. Death does not inquire about one's readiness and will not delay an unprepared soul for even a single moment upon its arrival.

It is understood that as humans we are susceptible to death, since we are made from opposing elements—earth, water, air, and fire—whose perpetual struggle renders mortality unavoidable. Yet, the exact moment of death varies, often coming unexpectedly when one element surpasses the others. Fire may consume the moisture within, leading to fever; moisture may extinguish the heat, resulting in overwhelming sicknesses such as dropsy or paralysis, which can swiftly culminate in death. While it’s evident that all born into this world are destined to traverse the path to death, the time at which this occurs is unknown, as no one can predict when or where it will find them. We understand that the soul is destined to separate from the body, but the manner of this separation—whether naturally or through some force—remains elusive. Everyone acknowledges their inevitable demise yet remains ignorant of how it will transpire.

Death is recognized as a consequence of divine justice, imposed on humanity as retribution for ancestral sin; however, the specific timing of death eludes us, hidden within the mysteries of God’s will. We are assured of our eventual death but not of its timing—now or later, by day or night. Numerous individuals have gone to sleep at night only to awaken no more, their rest forever being a deathly slumber. Others have arisen only to pass away before the dusk. Belshazzar, the Chaldean king, reveled through the night until an invisible hand inscribed a decree of death on the wall, and he was slain that very night (Dan. 5:1-5, 30). Did he possess any foreknowledge of the time of his end? Holofernes, the Assyrian leader, fell into lethargy filled with wine, only to be murdered during his slumber (Judith 13:2, 6-8). He boasted of capturing the Hebrew city at dawn but succumbed to death, ensnared as easily as a bird. The affluent man, brimming with harvest, pondered how to store his abundance and sought to build larger granaries for years of feasting and joy. God responded, “Madman, this night your soul shall be taken from you!” (Luke 12:20). Thus, one who anticipated many years before him perished without even witnessing a single night. The arrival and timing of death remain profoundly uncertain. The Lord counsels us to be vigilant and prayerful, for we do not know when the hour will come (Mark 13:33).

The impact of death is profound: it strips humanity of all worldly possessions—wealth, honor, glory, beauty, and every pleasure. When one dies, all accompanies them to the grave, as both kin and affections are severed, obliterating all human bonds and hopes. It opens the gateway to eternity, initiating a final chapter, either joyous or sorrowful. For the righteous, it leads to the bliss of eternal life in Heaven, while for the unrepentant, it ushers in an eternity of torment in Hell. The way one lives here dictates the reward received thereafter. It is vital for us, as mortal beings, to maintain a constant awareness of death, that we might learn to act righteously and remain prepared for our inevitable end. St. John of the Ladder emphasizes that for those longing for salvation, the remembrance of death is as crucial as sustenance is for the living: just as life cannot be sustained without bread, so too is it impossible to transform one’s life without the memory of death (Word 6, Ch. 4). As the body weakens without bread, the spirit becomes feeble devoid of death's remembrance. “Bread strengthens the heart of man” (Psalm 103:15), and the memory of death fortifies a virtuous life. The one who possesses bread does not starve, and the one who continually remembers death does not allow their soul to be consumed by sinful decay.

The same St. John narrates the story of Isikhia Chorevit, who once lived carelessly and fell ill, ultimately dying. After lying dead for an hour, he revived when his soul returned by divine command. He then secluded himself for twelve years, speaking to no one, relying solely on modest sustenance while shedding tears in solitude. As his death approached, his brethren entered and implored him to share wisdom, receiving only this: “Pardon me, no one can ever sin who has truly learned the memory of mortality.” He passed away in the Lord shortly thereafter. Those who knew of his former negligence were astonished by how fear of death had transformed his life. May we also strive to remember our mortality and amend our ways while we still have time, lest death catch us unprepared. Let us take to heart the sage advice of the Chronicler, who counsels, “Let the remembrance of death always accompany you, both in sleep and in waking.”

When these figures are totaled, they amount to 1287 years. Additionally, beyond what we are examining here, we add 969 years until the flood (Gen. 5:26-32, Gen. 7:6). Thus, from the creation of the world to the Flood, there were 2256 years. This timeline aligns with the chronology found in the Greek and Church Slavonic texts of the Bible, corroborated by the ancient Samaritan account and Josephus Flavius. The Greek version indicates approximately 600 more years in the pre-Flood timeline than the Hebrew account, where the initial six patriarchs are shown to become fathers a century earlier than in the Hebrew narrative. The challenge of fully understanding this discrepancy does not detract from the essential teachings found in the Holy Scriptures.

The extended lifespans of the patriarchs prior to and until Abraham’s time, a period during which human life began to dwindle, have raised questions. Some have found it unbelievable that individuals could live for 900, 800, 700, 600, 500, 400, 300, and even 200 years. They speculate that Moses might have used a method similar to that of the ancient Egyptians, converting years into months, implying that the patriarchs' ages should be interpreted as months. However, the text of Moses provides no support for this interpretation. In his account of the Flood, he clearly differentiates between a year and a month of 30 days, noting, “In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, ... on the seventeenth day of the month, all the fountains of the deep were broken up” (Gen. 7:11). Furthermore, it cannot be inferred that the Flood year could be shortened to three months before the event and eight months after. While detailing the Flood, Moses specifies around 12 months of duration. The Flood began on the 17th day of the second month (which might correspond to our November) in Noah’s 600th year and concluded on the 27th day of that same month in his 601st year (Gen. 8:13-14). Between the onset and cessation of the Flood, Moses counts 150 days (five months) of its prevalence, followed by detailing the gradual receding of the waters starting on the 17th day of the seventh month in April, then on the 1st day of the tenth month in July, and finally marking the earth’s release from water on the first day of the first month. If we were to suppose that the patriarchs’ years equated to our months, it would result in some patriarchs fathering children extremely early—for instance, Arphaxad, who is said to have lived 500 years, would have fathered Salah at merely 12 years old (though Genesis states he did so at 135 years old) (Gen. 11:12-13). Likewise, Farrah, Abraham’s father, who lived 205 years, would have had a son just six years into his life (Gen. 11:26-32). Another inconsistency arises with Jacob, who, at 130 years, expresses to Pharaoh his concern over the brevity of his life, stating that his years pale in comparison to those of his forefathers (Gen. 47:9). This concern loses meaning if the lifespans of his ancestors were merely counted in months rather than years; if that were true, Jacob would have surpassed not just his direct ancestors but even the patriarchs before the Flood in longevity.

The remarkable lifespans of the patriarchs reflect a divine purpose: the longer these patriarchs lived, the more rapidly humanity multiplied, and the more profound their experiences and wisdom became. This enabled them to effectively lead younger generations, which was vital during humanity’s early, undeveloped state. Additionally, it ensured the faithful preservation of divine revelation and sacred traditions among those who worshipped the true God. In a time when the Scriptures were not yet written, the patriarchs themselves served as living embodiments of God's revelations. The same individual could relay the same divine truths across generations for centuries. For instance, Noah, who lived almost 600 years before the Flood, had conversations with Maleel, who in turn could converse with Adam. Methuselah, who died in the year of the Flood, was able to share what he had learned from Enos, Seth's son. This continuity allowed not only later revelations but also the original truths that Adam received in Paradise to be passed into the world post-Flood, preserved in their original form and purity. Natural factors, combined with divine providence, contributed to the longevity of the patriarchs. The rich vitality of the natural world, not yet marred to the same extent by sin, along with their simpler, nature-connected lives and the optimal condition of the human body, which retained more primitive qualities, offered advantages to humanity in those early times.

The historian, while recounting the pre-Flood patriarchs, notes the timing of each one's birth, the duration of life leading to their son’s birth, and the complete life of each patriarch, with the consistent conclusion: "and he died." This reflects an immutable truth: though humanity does not vanish, life continually renews through new generations. The lineage that prepared for the holy Seed, meant for the spiritual rebirth of all humankind, was preserved. Nevertheless, the decree made to Adam, "For dust you are, and to dust you shall return," was to be executed upon individuals, despite them not having transgressed in the same manner as Adam (Rom. 5:14). Among all the patriarchs, one man stands apart from this universal law: Enoch. Of him, it is said, “And Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him” (Gen. 5:24). More precisely translated, "And Enoch pleased God" implies that he shared a close spiritual relationship with the Lord, drawing near through faith and love, which earned him unique favor, possibly even appearances from God akin to those enjoyed by Adam in Eden. "And he was not," indicates that he was no longer present, "for God had transfigured him." The Apostle further elucidates this transformation: “By faith Enoch was translated, that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him” (Heb. 11:5). Enoch underwent a departure similar to that of the prophet Elijah, who was taken up alive (2 Kings 2:10), and a future event that will occur for those who are alive at Christ’s second coming, when they will be transformed without experiencing death, alongside those who will be resurrected, in a moment, at the last trumpet, becoming incorruptible (1 Cor. 15:21-22). Enoch was taken directly into glory, bypassing death and suffering. This miracle serves a distinct purpose: to inspire some amid the widespread reality of death and decay and to reinforce faith in eternal life and hope for immortality. Additionally, the son of Sirach notes that “Enoch was taken as a pattern of repentance for his contemporaries” (Sir. 44:15). This means that those of Enoch's generation could see that a life of repentance, dedicated to overcoming sin, yielded great reward. Enoch’s life not only served as an example of repentance but also included his preaching, making him a prophet. The apostle Jude cites Enoch's prophetic message: “Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, to execute judgment upon all and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him” (Jude 1:14-15). There exists a similar prophecy in an apocryphal work attributed to Enoch, which contains a mixture of inaccuracies and unfounded speculations regarding celestial bodies and angelic marriages with humans. However, the prophetic declarations of Enoch referenced by Jude were certainly handed down through tradition rather than sourced from that book, which intermingled truth with distortion.