Genesis 5:25Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Regarding the discrepancies in numbers observed between the Hebrew texts and our manuscripts, this does not undermine the longevity attributed to the ancients. When the differences are so significant that both cannot be accepted as accurate, we should seek historical validity in the original language from which our translation derives. This exploration is accessible to anyone who desires it. However, this does not grant permission for arbitrary corrections of the Septuagint based on the Jewish manuscripts in instances where their contents diverge. Such variations should not be classified as errors, and it is crucial to refrain from labeling them as such.

The question of how many years Methuselah lived after the Flood is a well-known and widely debated topic among all Christian denominations. Upon careful examination, it is evident that Methuselah lived for 14 years following the Flood. Methuselah fathered Lamech when he was 167 years old, and Lamech had Noah at the age of 188. Thus, from Methuselah’s birth until Noah’s arrival, there are a total of 355 years. The Flood took place during Noah's 600th year. Through this calculation, we find that the Flood happened in the 955th year of Methuselah’s life. Since it has been noted that he lived for 969 years, it is clear he indeed lived for 14 years after the Flood. This raises the question of how it can be true that only eight souls were saved in the ark (1 Pet. 3:20; 2 Pet. 2:5).

In the fifth century of the second millennium, Methuselah, the son of Enoch, fathered his firstborn son, Lamech. The accounts regarding the year of Lamech's birth by Methuselah vary among chroniclers. The Russian Bibles state that "Methuselah lived 187 years, gave birth to Lamech." Conversely, Russian chronographs and the extensive Chetya-Minya compiled by the esteemed Macarius, Metropolitan of Moscow, indicate that "Methuselah lived approximately 167 years from his birth and then fathered Lamech." Similarly, the Latin chronicle of John, known as Na-vkler, asserts that Methuselah conceived Lamech in the 167th year of his life. This chronicle was published in Colonia on Christmas Day in 1544.