Methuselah -Oldest Person In The Bible – 996 Years Old

The oldest person in the Bible was Methuselah. The Bible does not directly record the genealogies of all of the people who have ever lived, but God did record the great lifespans of some of the antediluvian patriarchs. The term “antediluvian” refers to the time before the great flood of Noah. That time in history, and the world itself, was very different to what it is now, and because of various climate conditions, it was normal for people to have a very long lifespan. 

The oldest man, according to the Old Testament Book of Genesis, was Methuselah, who died before the flood at 969 years of age. This is recorded in the book of Genesis 5:27 “And all the days of Methuselah were nine hundred sixty and nine years: and he died.” (KJV)

Methuselah’s age is interesting since he did not quite live to be 1,000 years old, but this was prophesied back in the Garden of Eden. God told the first man, Adam, if he would eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, he would die that very day. God said in Genesis 2:17, “But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” (KJV)

The Book of Genesis records the story of Adam and Eve and how they disobeyed God by eating the forbidden fruit. Although they were cast out of the Garden of Eden, they did not die that very day. At least, not physically. Rather, they lived and had children, and of all of the children they had only the names of three are recorded. Methuselah was a descendant of Adam’s son, Seth.

When God said, “in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die,” (Genesis 2:17) He was referring to what I will call “God’s time.” God views time differently than we do. The Apostle Peter clarifies the concept of God’s time in this verse: “But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.” 2 Peter 3:8 (KJV)

Therefore, with Methuselah in mind, God did not allow him, or anyone else, despite the normalcy of their long lives, to live an entire “day” according to God’s time, which would be 1,000 years. Methuselah, the oldest man recorded in the Bible, was the closest to reach that milestone. 

Oldest Person in the Bible — Genealogy of Jesus Christ

Methuselah is also in the biblical family tree of Jesus Christ. He is mentioned in Christ’s family line in the Book of Luke.

“Which was the son of Cainan, which was the son of Arphaxad, which was the son of Sem, which was the son of Noe, which was the son of Lamech, Which was the son of Mathusala, which was the son of Enoch, which was the son of Jared, which was the son of Maleleel, which was the son of Cainan, Which was the son of Enos, which was the son of Seth, which was the son of Adam, which was the son of God.” Luke 3:36-38 (KJV)

The variation of the spelling of the names is due to the New Testament written in Greek and the transliteration from the Hebrew to the Greek.

Oldest Person in the Bible — His Notable Father, Enoch

Tracing Methuselah back to Adam is not hard. With the great ages of these people, Methuselah, despite being the seventh generation from Adam, lived while Adam was yet alive. Seth was the third son of Adam, which is recorded in the Bible. Not much is known of the descendants of Adam, especially the long-lived individuals of Seth’s children and grandchildren, until we reach the Biblical figure Enoch.

Enoch was Methuselah’s father, and he was a Godly man. God was so pleased with this righteous man that He did not allow him to die. At the “very young” age of 365, God simply took him to be with Him. Here is the brief biography of Methuselah’s father, Enoch, according to the Book of Genesis.

“And Enoch lived sixty and five years, and begat Methuselah: And Enoch walked with God after he begat Methuselah three hundred years, and begat sons and daughters: And all the days of Enoch were three hundred sixty and five years: And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.” Genesis 5:21-24 (KJV)

The writer of Hebrews expounded upon the faith of Enoch. “By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.” Hebrews 11:5 (KJV)

Another reason why Enoch is an important figure was because he was a prophet, according to the New Testament writer Jude. As Enoch walked with God, God revealed the future to him. Not much is known about what God told Enoch, and what Enoch told others, except for this interesting verse. “And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints” Jude 1:14 (KJV)

God may have revealed the coming worldwide judgement of the flood to Enoch because Enoch named one of his son’s Methuselah, which, according to some Bible scholars, means “When he is dead, then it shall come.” Or according to other Bible scholars, “When he is dead, then judgment.” The ominous word “it” is related to the other ominous word “judgment.” Enoch knew that when Methuselah died God would unleash His great judgment.

God rewarded and protected Enoch by taking him to Himself before this great judgment came.

Oldest Person in the Bible — Father of Lamech; Grandfather of Noah

Methuselah had many children. “And Methuselah lived an hundred eighty and seven years, and begat Lamech. “And Methuselah lived after he begat Lamech seven hundred eighty and two years, and begat sons and daughters” Genesis 5:25 (KJV) Some of these descendants of Methuselah were some of the oldest people who ever existed. 

Of all of Methuselah’s children, the most famous one was Lamech. The name Lamech is very difficult to translate from its Hebrew origins because Bible scholars don’t agree on the meaning of his name. Not much is known about Lamech except that he was Noah’s father.

Lamech, no doubt, heard the prophecies of his grandfather Enoch about the coming judgment of God, and he knew the meaning of his father’s name. Lamech had many children, but one particular son he named Noah. The reasoning behind this particular name is recorded in Genesis 5:28-29 (KJV). “And Lamech lived an hundred eighty and two years, and begat a son: And he called his name Noah, saying, This same shall comfort us concerning our work and toil of our hands, because of the ground which the LORD hath cursed.”

The name “Noah” means “comfort.” Lamech knew that this particular son was born for a very special purpose. Noah’s birth brought hope to this violent time.

Many years later, before the coming judgment of God, Lamech died. Perhaps he died the year of the flood. “And Lamech lived after he begat Noah five hundred ninety and five years, and begat sons and daughters: And all the days of Lamech were seven hundred seventy and seven years: and he died.” Genesis 5:30:31 (KJV)

The years of Lamech were shorter than those of his father. When Lamech died, Methuselah was still living. As long as Methuselah was living, God would not bring judgment. Noah’s grandfather must have watched his grandson build the ark and heard him preach. Yet, Methuselah may have certainly known that as soon as he died God’s judgment would come. Maybe Methuselah saw the ark nearly completed, even as he knew his own time was short. Biblical scholars believe Methuselah died the same year the flood came. 

Methuselah, the oldest person in the Bible, and a contemporary of Adam, nearly spanned the entire dispensation called “conscience.” He knew the first man, must have heard stories of Paradise, and knew the prophecies of God’s coming judgment in the form of a worldwide flood. 

To learn about the oldest woman in the Bible, check out this article: Who Is the Oldest Woman in the Bible?

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