Methuselah
Pronounced meh-THOO-zuh-luh
- Meaning
- "Man of the dart; When he dies, it shall come"
- Origin
- Hebrew
Methuselah means "when he dies, it shall be sent" or "man of the dart" in Hebrew. He holds the remarkable distinction of being the longest-lived person in the Bible — dying at 969 years of age. His death year, according to biblical chronology, coincides with the year of the great Flood. Methuselah was the son of Enoch, who "walked with God and was not, for God took him." His grandson was Noah, whom God chose to build the ark. The genealogical placement of Methuselah between Enoch and Noah gives him a pivotal position in the antediluvian narrative. Many scholars see prophetic significance in Methuselah's extraordinary lifespan — his long life represented God's patience, giving humanity centuries to repent before the Flood. Every year Methuselah lived was another year of divine mercy extended to a wicked generation.
Spiritual meaning
Methuselah's extraordinary lifespan embodies God's patience. Every year he lived was another year God waited for humanity to turn back. His story reveals a God who is slow to anger and rich in mercy.
Related verses (KJV)
"And all the days of Methuselah were nine hundred sixty and nine years: and he died."
Genesis 5:27 (KJV) →"And Methuselah lived an hundred eighty and seven years, and begat Lamech."
Genesis 5:25 (KJV) →