Q. God had made human lives to be 120 years before the Flood in Gen 6:3. Why is it that men still live so long after the Flood (e.g., Gen 11:10-23, at least up to Serug)? I notice they continued to decrease in life span from generation to generation.
A. First, what does the text say?
· NASB95 Gen 6:3 Then the Lord said, “My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, because he also is flesh; nevertheless his days shall be one hundred and twenty years.”
Second, what does it mean? You interpreted “his days shall be 120 years” to mean human life span, which is what some contemporary translations have done, e.g.:
· CJB Adonai said, “My Spirit will not live in human beings forever, for they too are flesh; therefore, their life span is to be 120 years.”
· CEV Then the Lord said, “I won’t let my life-giving breath remain in anyone forever. No one will live for more than 120 years.”
· ERV Then the Lord said, “People are only human. I will not let my Spirit be troubled by them forever. I will let them live only 120 years.”
Other versions include EXB, GW, GNT, ICB, ISV, MSG, NCB, NCV, NLT, and VOICE.
The problem with this interpretation is that, as you have noticed, Noah’s descendants lived much longer than 120 years for twelve generations, e.g.:
· Shem: 100+500=600 years, Gen 11:10-11;
· Arpachshad: 35+403=438 years, Gen 11:12-13;
· Shelah: 30+403=433 years, Gen 11:14-15;
· Eber: 34+430=464 years, Gen 11:16-17;
· Peleg: 30+209=239 years, Gen 11:18-19;
· Reu: 32+207=239 years, Gen 11:20-21;
· Serug: 30+200=230 years, Gen 11:22-23;
· Nahor: 29+119=148 years, Gen 11:23-25;
· Terah: 205 years, Gen 11:32;
· Abraham: 175 years, Gen 25:7;
· Isaac: 180 years, Gen 35:28;
· Jacob: 147 years, Gen 47:28.
It was not until Joseph (110 years, Gen 50:22, 26) that men’s longevity dropped below 120 years. Now, would God say something He does not mean? Of course not!
Next, let us note the context:
· Gen 6:1-2 Now it came about when men began to multiply on the face of the land, and daughters were born to them, that the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful; and they took wives for themselves, whomever they chose.
· Gen 6:5-7 Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. The Lord was sorry that He had made man on the Earth, and He was grieved in His heart. The Lord said, “I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, from man to animals to creeping things and to birds of the sky; for I am sorry that I have made them.”
The problem was the sons of God (fallen angels) taking wives from the daughters of men and engaging in prohibited sexual union. The cause was Noah’s and prior generations. The punishment was the blotting out of man. If Gen 6:3 refers to shortening man’s life span to 120 years, then the punishment would extend to generations not even born and have not contributed to the problem, which would be unjust.
Accordingly, an alternative interpretation is that the 120 years refers not to man’s life span but to the period God gave warning to Noah’s generation to repent or face the consequences. This meaning was chosen by The Living Bible:
· Then Jehovah said, “My Spirit must not forever be disgraced in man, wholly evil as he is. I will give him 120 years to mend his ways.”
This would be fair and conforms to God’s stated principle:
· Deut 24:16 Fathers shall not be put to death for their sons, nor shall sons be put to death for their fathers; everyone shall be put to death for his own sin. Also, 2 Kings 14:6b, 2 Chron. 25:4b.
· Ezk 18:20 The person who sins will die. The son will not bear the punishment for the father’s iniquity, nor will the father bear the punishment for the son’s iniquity; the righteousness of the righteous will be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked will be upon himself.
Lastly, let us deal with an objection based on:
· Gen 5:32 Noah was five hundred years old, and Noah became the father of Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
· Gen 7:6 Now Noah was six hundred years old when the flood of water came upon the Earth.
Some critics assumed that since Gen 6:3 is between Gen 5:32 and 7:6, there were only at most one hundred years for God’s Flood warning, not 120 years. However:
· Gen 6:8-9 But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord. These are the records of the generations of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his time; Noah walked with God.
Could God have pre-determined to punish mankind in Noah’s 480th year, 20 years before the birth of his sons? The text did not say, but it is a possibility. This is a solution with fewer difficulties, and my position is based on all available biblical data.
RayKLiu 