Bible Word Study
מְתוּשֶׁלַח
Mᵉthûwshelach · Methushelach, an antediluvian patriarch
מְתוּשֶׁלַח
Methushelach, an antediluvian patriarch
Definition
מְתוּשֶׁלַח (Methushelach) is the name of the longest-lived human recorded in the Bible, an antediluvian patriarch who lived 969 years (Genesis 5:27). He was the son of Enoch and the grandfather of Noah, forming a crucial link in the genealogical line from Adam to Noah (Genesis 5:21-27, 1 Chronicles 1:3). The name itself, meaning 'man of a dart' or possibly 'man of sending,' is prophetic, as his death in the year of the Flood connects his lifespan directly to God's judgment.
Biblical Usage
The name occurs exclusively in genealogical contexts, listing the patriarchs before the Flood. It appears six times: five times in the Genesis 5 genealogy (verses 21, 22, 25, 26, 27) detailing his birth, fathering of Lamech, and death, and once in the condensed genealogy of 1 Chronicles 1:3. Its usage is strictly as a proper name for this specific individual.
Etymology
The name is a compound, derived from מַת (math, H4962), meaning 'man,' and שֶׁלַח (shelach, H7973), meaning 'dart,' 'weapon,' or 'sending.' Thus, it is traditionally interpreted as 'man of a dart' or 'man of sending.' Some scholars suggest 'his death shall bring sending,' linking it thematically to the coming Flood.
Semantic Range
Methushelach is profoundly significant as a chronological marker of God's patience. His extraordinary lifespan—the longest in Scripture—symbolizes the extended period of grace God afforded humanity before the Flood (1 Peter 3:20). His death in the very year the Flood came (based on biblical chronology) is seen by many as a sign that God's judgment was withheld until the death of this patriarch, emphasizing the connection between prophetic names and divine purpose. In ancient Near Eastern culture, lengthy lifespans in pre-Flood genealogies established authority and antiquity. A name's meaning was not merely descriptive but often carried prophetic or characteristic weight. The name Methushelach, likely understood as 'man of the dart,' might have conveyed notions of strength or martial skill, which were valued attributes, though its deeper, more ominous connection to the 'sending' of judgment would have been revealed by later events. None. As a unique proper noun, it has no direct synonyms. It is part of the antediluvian patriarch series: אֱנוֹשׁ (Enosh, H583) — man; חֲנוֹךְ (Chanok, H2585) — dedicated; לֶמֶךְ (Lemek, H3929) — powerful.
Word Details
How this works
Definitions are from the Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (BDB, 1906, public domain). Concordance and morphology data are from the OSHB (Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible).
Full methodology & sources →References
- Abbott-Smith, G. (1921) A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament. Edinburgh: T&T Clark. [Public Domain]
- Brown, F., Driver, S.R. and Briggs, C.A. (1906) A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament. Oxford: Clarendon Press. [Public Domain]
- Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Tyndale Brief lexicon of Extended Strongs for Greek (TBESG). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
- Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Translators Formatted full LSJ (TFLSJ). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
- Thayer, J.H. (1889) A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament. [Public Domain]
- Gesenius, W. (1846) Gesenius' Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon to the Old Testament. [Public Domain]
- Dodson, J. (2010) Greek Lexicon. Biblical Humanities. [CC0]