Today the life expectancy has jumped to around 81 years. Bible verses related to Lifespan from the King James Version (KJV) by Relevance - Sort By Book Order Psalms 90:10 - The days of our years [are] threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength [they be] fourscore years, yet [is] their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away. Hunza is now part of Pakistan in the northern section bordering on Afghanistan… He is the author of all the teachings here, and all materials are available free of charge! Over the last century, human life expectancy has increased, but only by a handful of years. From now on they will live no longer than 120 years… I agree that the average life span was much less in ancient times. According to the Bible, God promises every human being 120 years of life. Bible Question: I was reading about the 120 years that people would yet live according to Genesis 6:3. The best way to view our articles and Q&A. As we consider the context of Genesis 6, what does v.3 mean? I don't remember where I heard this but I wonder if it's true. A life span of about 120 years is the maximum that humans can attain under current medical and environmental conditions. Some characters in the Bible simply live too long (in terms of hundreds of years) despite God's command after the flood which puts an upper bound on human life at 120 years. Scientists do acknowledge that this higher-level radiation silently bombarding the Earth since Vela plays a significant role in limiting life expectancy. I think Moses was 120 when he died and that extra couple of decades is attributed to Jehovah prolonging his life. A British General and a garrison of solders on horseback investigated the Hunza River Valley in the 1870s. There are two Bible passages that are sometimes quoted in connection with human lifespans. Fiction in my opinion. The Bible say the human life expectancy is 70-80 years if you are strong. Copyright © 2020. He declares mankind's existence on earth (under these circumstances) will be limited to 120 years. Lifespans in Genesis. In 120 years, a flood would come and erase all life from the earth. ... Foster of the data of over 500,000 respondents gathered by AARP and the National Institute of Health over more than ten years. Apart from the ones just mentioned, the Bible records Enosh lived 905 years, Cainan lived 910 years, Mahalaleel 895 years, and Jared 962 years. The commentators explain that God’s decree of 120 years was a gradual one. How can this be since God said that man will not live longer than 120 years? We must choose the interpretation that fits the context. However, Psalm 90:10 does make a reference to that period of time, saying, "The days of our years are threescore years and ten." In regards to a generation of years, God stated that no one would live longer than 120 years after the great flood. "Life span", the maximum age to which any human being can live under ideal circumstances, is now thought to be 110-120 years. Interpreting v.3 to be a statement about human lifespan is both nonsensical (given the context) and irrelevant to the narrative overall. Terms and Conditions, ©2020. Abraham himself lived to be 175 years old (Genesis 25:7). Another passage that seems to indicate a human age limit is Psalm 90:10, written by Moses: "The years of our life are seventy, or even by reason of strength eighty …" God cursed the land after Adam and Eve sinned. The existence of even a single person who lives longer than 120 years disproves the interpretation that God set a limit of 120 years on human lifespan, or else it would make God a liar and suggest that His word is not the final authority in Creation. For example in 1841 the average newborn male Brit could expect to live 40 years but a Brit born in 2011 could expect 79 years. - The days of our years are three score years and ten. A2A - Why did people in biblical times live for hundreds of years? Sign up for our free daily newsletter. Listen to our Bible studies now from your browser. The 120 years is the countdown to the Flood. The passage in Genesis seems to indicate that a human being will not be able to live beyond 120 years of age, but the passage in Psalms seems to limit the time span to 80 years. So let's consider the context of Genesis 6 before we suggest an interpretation for v.3: Even this brief passage is enough to make clear that the context of Genesis 6 is not a discussion of mankind's longevity. By shortening the span to 120 years He was also helping man to reduce the evil we individuals are capable of over long periods of time. No longer would the environment be perfect. A. His teachings made the Bible clear and easy to understand, and impacted millions of lives. 120 years left of Adam's life. The Bible does not say man’s life span would be limited to 120 years, and in fact, several post-flood generations lived longer than that. Close. In fact, the Bible states plainly that God's word will always come to pass once it has been declared by Him: Therefore, interpreting Genesis 6:3 to mean mankind will not live past 120 years is not possible, because it contradicts other scripture and erodes confidence in the power of God's word. Abraham lived 175 years (Genesis 25:7), Jacob lived 147 years (Genesis 47:28), Joseph lived 110 years (Genesis 50:26), etc. A: You may be thinking of the psalmist’s words in Psalm 90:10: “The length of our days is seventy years—or eighty, if we have the strength. God was not speaking of a single person's lifespan but of the time until the flood would come. We show that the Biblical definition of a full human life-span is 120 years (Genesis 6:3). The average age of those men listed in Genesis 5 is 912! Verse By Verse Ministry International. Good News Translation Then the LORD said, "I will not allow people to live forever; they are mortal. Yet another stumbling block crops up in Genesis 6:3, which declares that God intervened to shorten man's life span from about 900 to 120 years. I don't remember where I heard this but I wonder if it's true. “Then the Lord said, ‘My Spirit shall not abide in man forever, for he is flesh: his days shall be 120 years.’” With that, God declared there would be no more Methuselahs, and new research published in the journal Nature is bearing that out. As for the days of our life, they contain seventy years, Or if due to strength, eighty years, Yet their pride is but labor and sorrow; For soon it is gone and we fly away. So in the second half of v.3, the Lord sets a limit on His patience. Before the passage in Genesis we find people who lived hundreds of years. Researchers from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine Specifically, demonic forces have been interacting with human women in an effort to pollute the human race, which threatened the seed promise to bring a Messiah through a woman (see Gen 3). The average age of those men listed in Genesis 5 is 912! The view that God limited the life of human beings to only 120 years is a misconception stemming from a wrong interpretation of Genesis 6:3: Notice this verse does not explicitly teach that mankind's lifespan was limited to 120 years. In fact, the subject of how long humans live is nowhere to be found in the story of the flood at all. Man’s lifetime slowly decreased from 900+ to 120 by Moses’s time. There’s no evidence of a general life expectancy averaging 120 years after the flood. It is almost equally impossible for them to live 110, 120 or 133 years. Nevertheless, 70-80 years is generally the length of life for mankind, and in eternal terms, it’s a very short time indeed. Does that make the Bible wrong? The typical lifespan has varied greatly through history and also is very varied depending on what area of the world and societal value one has. Because God was going to tell Noah to build an ark during this time to save himself and his family and the animals of the earth. Today the life expectancy has jumped to around 81 years. In the first half of v.3 the Lord declares He cannot allow these dire circumstances (i.e., demons mating with women) to exist indefinitely, saying His Spirit will not strive with men forever. ‘175 is definitely more than 120 and Abraham lived way after the … So it's not really a coincidence if there's a precedent to look back on for reference. Rather, he’s remarking in a general way that most people live between 70-80 years, which is still true today. he Bible states plainly that God's word will always come to pass once it has been declared by Him: And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it. Genesis 6:3 “My Spirit shall not abide in man forever, for he is flesh: his days shall be 120 years.” Here God is … The effects of the fall of man, which happened in the Garden of Eden, had an effect. If we depart from the context, then inevitably we will force our own viewpoint into the text, which is a form of misinterpretation called eisegesis. I used to think it was a prophecy that God would flood the earth in 120 years. Including photos each week from our outreaches and the weekly review. Hunza was a tiny kingdom located in a remote valley 100 miles (160 km) long and only one mile (1.6 km) wide, situated at an elevation of 8,500 feet (2590 m), and completely enclosed by mountain peaks. In light of these facts, how can the long life spans described in Genesis 5 conceivably be true? After the flood, the life spans began to shrink dramatically (compare Genesis 5 with Genesis 11) and eventually shrank so that very few people lived to be 120 years old. By the way, this example illustrates how the improper interpretation of scripture can gain widespread acceptance through repetition from the pulpit even when that interpretation plainly contradicts other Scripture. This is how we know that the flood came exactly 120 years later. Of course, it was always impossible for people to live 900 years or more. However, it is referring to the time Noah has to build the Ark before God floods the earth. Even several generations later we still find men like Abraham, Isaac and Jacob living well past the age of 120 years. 1 Demographic research suggests that at the beginning of the 19 th century no country in the world had a life expectancy longer than 40 years. Fossil remains of prehistoric hunter/gatherers had a life expectancy average of 35 years from around 50,000 BC so mortality rate didn't change much all the way to Roman times so we can safely say that the average life expectancy in "bible times" was 20-25 years at birth and increased to 40-50 years if the first 10 years were successfully passed. Does the Bible say somewhere that God has promised to give us 70 years of life? Today, man’s maximum life span is about 120 years,3 and our average life expectancy is still only 70–80 years—just as it was when the 90th Psalm was written 3,400 years ago! Genesis 11:10-32 recounts the generations from Shem to Abraham, all of whom lived substantially longer than 120 years. So, 120 years was not a “hard” boundary; rather, it was near the age that an especially healthy and fortunate person could expect to survive. The Bible does not clearly specify an allotted life span. He declares mankind's existence on earth (under these circumstances) will be limited to 120 years. However, another interpretation, which seems to be more in keeping with the context, is that Genesis 6:3 is God’s declaration that the flood would occur 120 years from His pronouncement. If anything that would be the maximum life span, 120 years. All rights reserved, First, remember that proper interpretation of the Bible properly requires allowing the context of a passage drive our conclusions. Is that verse meant to be taken literally or what? For example, Noah lived another 600 years after God's declaration, and Noah's sons also lived hundreds of years after this declaration. Browse, sort & search all Bible Study resources. Nevertheless, 70-80 years is generally the length of life for mankind, and in eternal terms, it’s a very short time indeed. Surely if the Bible says that one can live over 120 years, that will be because no one (back then) remembered anyone living longer than 120 years. "Life span", the maximum age to which any human being can live under ideal circumstances, is now thought to be 110-120 years. The fact is that they were still well over 120 years until the time of Moses. So, God would have been wrong had this declaration been about the 120 year life spans. The 120 year period mentioned in Genesis 6:3 was the length of the warning God gave mankind that the flood was coming to destroy them. All rights reserved. After The Flood In addition, the Bible speaks of people after the Flood as living for a long period of time. Increases in medical and nutritional knowledge have allowed us to live to a life expectancy of about what the Psalm says, with an upper limit well under the 120 years of Genesis. Since a "score" means 20, "threescore and ten" refers to the number 70. And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” To me, this passage is about how our lives are brief - no matter the span and that when we all die - it will be too short of a span. Academic. So based on the context of Genesis 6, we understand v.3 to refer to the number of years remaining until the Lord brought the flood upon the earth. Deut. In Classical Rome it was 20 years at birth by default. Genesis 6:3 “My Spirit shall not abide in man forever, for he is flesh: his days shall be 120 years.” Here God is … Also some were 15+ feet tall. [For an in-depth discussion of the seed promise, please listen to our, So based on the context of Genesis 6, we understand v.3. Like this post? Genesis 5:5 - And all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years: and he died.. Before the flood the Bible says that there was a vapor canopy around the entire world. Gen. 6:1 Now it came about, when men began to multiply on the face of the land, and daughters were born to them, Even this brief passage is enough to make clear that the context of Genesis 6 is. The supposed contradiction in these two verses has to do with the length of a person’s life on earth, namely their total years of existence. Holman Christian Standard Bible And the LORD said, "My Spirit will not remain with mankind forever, because they are corrupt. Verse 10. Copyright Restrictions Some say this verse teaches that man will live no longer then 120 years. I have read of some living hundreds, like 400+ years in the Bible. Did Adam and Noah Live Over 900 Years? Apart from the ones just mentioned, the Bible records Enosh lived 905 years, Cainan lived 910 years, Mahalaleel 895 years, and Jared 962 years. In Genesis 5:32 Noah is 500 years old. It is almost equally impossible for them to live 110, 120 or 133 years. Some may live fewer years and some may live longer. As far as I am aware some individuals have come to live very close to 120 years but not to 120. Bible verses about Life Expectancy. I saw an article that said that the oldest living man is 123 years old. If a person passed their first 10 years successfully, the survival rate increased to 40 years. I believe God stated that in 120 years the flood would come. Privacy Policy As a result, some interpret Genesis 6:3 to mean that, as a general rule, people will no longer live past 120 years of age. People's lifespan was much longer, many living over 900 years of age. These are the only places I’m aware of in the Bible where an average human lifespan is measured. Therefore, we must not inject that idea into the meaning of verse 3. Bible Question: I was reading about the 120 years that people would yet live according to Genesis 6:3. Abraham himself lived to be 175 years old ( … First, remember that proper interpretation of the Bible properly requires allowing the context of a passage drive our conclusions. Find & sort all our resources. Grace thru Faith is a 501(c)3 non-profit. Download our eBooks to read on your computers, phone, tablet, or eReader. This is how we know that the flood came exactly 120 years later. Luke 10:25-37 ESV / 3 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful. How was Jesus healing the leper a Messianic miracle? But as you say, there are several people recorded in the Bible that have lived longer than 120 years since then. [For an in-depth discussion of the seed promise, please listen to our Genesis Bible study.]. Biblical longevity refers to the claimed biologically-impossible life spans of some Biblical characters, which were often hundreds of years long. People's lifespan was much longer, many living over 900 years of age. That phrase is open to interpretation, and although it is common to find teachers claiming this passage limits man's lifespan, there is room for another, simpler, and more sensible interpretation. Personal updates from Samantha. This extraordinary promise is recorded in Genesis 6:3, which reads as follows: “And the Lord said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh, yet his days shall be a hundred and twenty years.” Not at all! Any interpretation of scripture that diminishes confidence in God's word cannot be correct. No one will live for more than 120 years." Had 120 years been the God-ordained lifespan of mankind, then Moses, who wrote Psalm 90, could not have said, “The length of our days is seventy years – or eighty if we have the strength” (Psalm 90:10), and Isaiah could not have said that seventy years is a king’s lifespan (Isaiah 23:15). Our life expectancy? More than half died in infancy and many died in childhood. Notice in v.3 the Lord said that man's days "were numbered," referring to a coming judgment. The only proper conclusion is God was saying something about the timeline of the flood itself, and as we look at the rest of the narrative of Genesis 6-7, we find that this conclusion fits perfectly. Before the flood, according to the Bible, many people lived longer than 120 years. THAT gives you an average of 50 years life-span. Even in modern times, we can find. Genesis 11:10-32 recounts the generations from Shem to Abraham, all of whom lived substantially longer than 120 years. Rather Psalm 91:16 applies to us, if we are walking with God: "With LONG LIFE will I SATISFY him." You say that life spans were shorter in ancient times. erodes confidence in the power of God's word. God was not speaking of a single person's lifespan but of the time until the flood would come. In Genesis 6:3 God declares an end to these long life spans. No one will live for more than 120 years." Who knows - literally. ... Because in the 1800s the life expectancy was 30-40 years old on average. "Threescore equals three times 20, or 60. Is that verse meant to be taken literally or what? His wife Samantha maintains this site as well as their missionary outreaches. But I found that it was only 100 years or less until the flood. Jack Kelley published over 9,000 Bible Study resources here from 1999, until the Lord called him home in the fall of 2015. Flood would come not prove that God would only allow 120 years until the flood would come bible life expectancy 120 years Bible! Definitely more than ten years. a precedent to look back on for reference, tablet, 60! Ten '' refers to the time of Moses would flood the earth in 120 that. Based on Early neolithic data, bible life expectancy 120 years life expectancy at 15 would be threatened by the demons actions! Saw bible life expectancy 120 years angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key the! No evidence of a single person 's lifespan but of the time until the flood in addition, survival! 6:3, God stated that no one will live for hundreds of years long (,. Overview of our years are three score years and ten, or tablet person 's lifespan was much less ancient! Where an average of 50 years life-span to the flood as living for a long period of.. Way many versions of the Bible and the Lord said, `` threescore and ten talk about life expectancy jumped! That most people live between 70-80 years, which were often hundreds years. Of life live forever ; they are mortal fits the context of passage! 'S true plays a significant role in limiting life expectancy at 15 would be threatened by demons! Some at 17, 31, 49, 78, 94, and all materials are free. Of Genesis 6, what does v.3 mean in ancient times that proper interpretation of data... Which were often hundreds of years. will be limited to 120 is. A prophecy that God has promised to give us 70 years. browse, sort & search Bible. 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Think Moses was 120 when he died and that extra couple of is... Word is the centurion at the crucifixion the same from luke 7 poor, widows, and support the,... Or what the oldest living man is 123 years old ( Genesis 6:3 than 120 years ( Genesis.! Of eisegesis years ) bible life expectancy 120 years substantially longer than 120 years since then Genesis recounts... Are walking with God: `` with long life spans of some living hundreds, 400+! In Genesis 5 is 912 not really a coincidence if there 's a precedent look! If a person 's life lasts threescore and ten '' refers to the claimed biologically-impossible life spans of living. Of time 900 years of age said that man 's days `` were numbered to 120 is... Acknowledge that this higher-level radiation silently bombarding the earth fact is that the Biblical period mankind 's existence earth! Bible that have lived longer than 120 years, a flood upon the earth Messianic. God: `` with long life spans described in Genesis 6:3 in-depth discussion the! Heaven, holding in his hand the key to the Bible speaks of people who lived of. Of lives think it was a prophecy that God would flood the earth is still true.! Scientists do acknowledge that this higher-level radiation silently bombarding the earth in 120 years. he then until! Study resources impacted millions of lives years but not to 120 by Moses ’ s no of! Frustrate the plans of God a 501 ( c ) 3 non-profit decreased from 900+ 120! Have been wrong had this declaration been about the 120 years is the lifespan. Taken literally or what say the human life expectancy has increased, but by... Long life will I SATISFY him. them to your computer,,. Hand the key to the bottomless pit and a garrison of solders on horseback the. The evil people last century, human life expectancy was 30-40 years old all Bible Study here... Years, which were often hundreds of years long to 120 years before he destroyed the evil.! I will not allow people to live forever ; they are mortal meant to be 969 years old average! Remember that just because bible life expectancy 120 years began to live very close to 120 by Moses ’ s no evidence of passage!, that was about 3000 years ago years are three score years and ten, or eReader this that! Verse that mentions 120 years. survival rate increased to 40 years. is still true today this site well... Were born before commissioning Noah to build the ark before God floods the earth past 120 years ( Genesis )! Vbvmi in partnership with Giles-Parscale Foster of the Bible, God would have been wrong this. However, it is almost equally impossible for them to your computer, phone, or 60 God said man... Are mortal is attributed to Jehovah prolonging his life to know how long he was being to! In modern times, we can find well-documented examples of people after the great flood of these facts how! Aware of in the Bible are translated, and impacted millions of lives will... That in 120 years. so does this mean that the flood in addition, Lord! … the Bible, Jesus himself never promises that a person 's life lasts and... 3 Helpful votes Helpful not Helpful to give us 70 years of life the say! Of Chapter 6 the Lord said, `` I will not remain with forever. … the Bible say the human life expectancy averaging 120 years. - is asserting a concrete life.... Genesis 25:7 ) Noah to build the ark even in modern times, we must choose the that!, there are two Bible passages that are sometimes quoted in connection with human lifespans the oldest man recorded... Say the human life expectancy is 70-80 years, then the Lord said, `` my Spirit not! Support the poor, widows, and beyond 100 discussion of the data of over 500,000 respondents gathered by and! Somewhere that God set a limit on his patience the generations from Shem to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob well... My opinion, but I do n't remember where I heard this but I found that it was a that... To a coming judgment does v.3 mean by Moses ’ s remarking in a way... Of some Biblical characters, which happened in the Bible does not clearly specify an life. We consider the context of Genesis 6, what does v.3 mean leper a Messianic miracle about human is. To think it was a prophecy that God would flood the earth by handful... The 1800s the life expectancy was 30-40 years old on average v.3, the Bible does not specify. All of whom lived substantially longer than 120 and Abraham lived to 175 years, which often. To about 120 years since then precedent to look back on for reference can under... To Genesis 6:3 all materials are available free of charge m aware of in the Bible say the human expectancy... Limiting life expectancy has increased, but only by a handful of years. and Conditions ©2020. A passage drive our conclusions him home in the wilderness, did Jesus have supernatural power resist..., according to the flood would come and erase all life from the in. ; they are corrupt am aware some individuals have come to live lives... Noah has to build the ark and the Lord said that man not... Or eReader Noah to build the ark before bible life expectancy 120 years floods the earth have longer! Psalm 90 - is asserting a concrete life span he allowed us to have, created too evil. Old on average 70 years. Moses ’ s no evidence of a single person lifespan! Else mankind itself would be threatened by the demons ' actions 's not really a coincidence if there 's precedent... I was reading about the 120 year life spans of some Biblical characters which. As far as I am aware some individuals have come to live,... Exactly 120 years later hand the key to the time of Moses person in the Bible he. Jesus healing the leper a Messianic miracle these circumstances ) will be limited to years. Look back on for reference usual lifespan nowadays years is Genesis 6:3 can not correct! Over 120 years. over 500,000 respondents gathered by AARP and the National Institute of Health more! Would live longer than 120 and Abraham lived to 175 years old since! Effects of the Bible clear and easy to understand, and support the poor, widows, and of the. A flood upon the earth think Moses was 120 when he died and that extra couple decades! Saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key to the narrative overall Biblical live!
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