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Can you solve this contradiction?

paradox

(㇏(•̀ᵥᵥ•́)ノ)
Genesis 5 shows people lived for several hundred years.
Due to wickedness of people in Genesis 6:3 God limited lifetime of people to 120 years.

Genesis 23:1 which is chronologically later event, is in contradiction because Sarah lived 127 years.
How to scripturally resolve this contradiction?
 

Rival

Si m'ait Dieus
Staff member
Premium Member
Most of the numbers are symbolic.

Sarah was blessed especially by God so she could conceive in her old age; this may have something to do with it.
 
Last edited:

an anarchist

Your local anarchist.
Genesis 5 shows people lived for several hundred years.
Due to wickedness of people in Genesis 6:3 God limited lifetime of people to 120 years.

Genesis 23:1 which is chronologically later event, is in contradiction because Sarah lived 127 years.
How to scripturally resolve this contradiction?
When I was a literalist, I interpreted it like this. After that declaration of mankind living to 120 years, the Bible records a steady decrease of lifespan. By the time Moses dies, he is the ripe old age of 120. After Moses, no one is recorded as living past 120. So I felt that the limit of lifetime was fulfilled, albeit slowly.
 

dybmh

דניאל יוסף בן מאיר הירש
Genesis 5 shows people lived for several hundred years.
Due to wickedness of people in Genesis 6:3 God limited lifetime of people to 120 years.

Genesis 23:1 which is chronologically later event, is in contradiction because Sarah lived 127 years.
How to scripturally resolve this contradiction?
Gen 6:3

And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.​

"Man" & "his" doesn't describe Sarah.
 

nPeace

Veteran Member
Genesis 5 shows people lived for several hundred years.
Due to wickedness of people in Genesis 6:3 God limited lifetime of people to 120 years.

Genesis 23:1 which is chronologically later event, is in contradiction because Sarah lived 127 years.
How to scripturally resolve this contradiction?
It's not a contradiction, if one understands the scriptures in light of context.

God set a limit of “a hundred and twenty years” on the dwelling of the pre-Flood population (excluding Noah and those with him) on the earth, rather than the age of mankind.

The first part of Genesis 6:3 says, Jehovah said: “My spirit will not tolerate man indefinitely,. . .
So the context shows that the following referred to the dwelling of those whom Jehovah was determined to bring an end to.
 

paradox

(㇏(•̀ᵥᵥ•́)ノ)
It's not a contradiction, if one understands the scriptures in light of context.

God set a limit of “a hundred and twenty years” on the dwelling of the pre-Flood population (excluding Noah and those with him) on the earth, rather than the age of mankind.

The first part of Genesis 6:3 says, Jehovah said: “My spirit will not tolerate man indefinitely,. . .
So the context shows that the following referred to the dwelling of those whom Jehovah was determined to bring an end to.
I can't agree with this since already in same chapter 6 there is flood.
Therefore according to you a limit of 120 years applies only to chapter 6, which makes no sense.
 

Jayhawker Soule

-- untitled --
Premium Member
Ibn Ezra notes:

The correct meaning of therefore shall his days be a hundred and twenty years is as Onkelos explained, namely, that God set a time for mankind to repent. ... God gave them one hundred and twenty years in which to repent and save themselves, or to remain unrepentant and perish.​

Commentators such as Rashi, Sforno, and Ramban appear to concur.
 

Jayhawker Soule

-- untitled --
Premium Member
Gen 6:3

And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.​

"Man" & "his" doesn't describe Sarah.
That's just silly. What were the purported lifespans of the Patriarchs?
 

nPeace

Veteran Member
I can't agree with this since already in same chapter 6 there is flood.
Therefore according to you a limit of 120 years applies only to chapter 6, which makes no sense.
There is no flood in Chapter 6. I don't know where you are getting that from.

Verse 3 - God is declaring his intentions concerning pre-flood conditions, described in verses 2 and 4 - The wicked activity, and the results.
Clearly, Jehovah is referring to those living at that time.
Whom does verses 5 to 8 refer to?
"the wickedness of man". That does not refer to all mankind.
"I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth"
"Man" in those verses do not refer to all men.

You say it doesn't make sense. Why not?
Maybe you want a contradiction, where there is none?
Then, have fun. :smiley:
 

Bree

Active Member
Genesis 5 shows people lived for several hundred years.
Due to wickedness of people in Genesis 6:3 God limited lifetime of people to 120 years.

Genesis 23:1 which is chronologically later event, is in contradiction because Sarah lived 127 years.
How to scripturally resolve this contradiction?

I dont think the numbers are meant to be taken as 'absolutes'
Moses also wrote this “In themselves the days of our years are seventy years; and if because of special mightiness they are eighty years, yet their insistence is on trouble and hurtful things.” (Ps 90:10)

Genesis 6:3 was spoken long before the flood when humans were living for several hundred years. It shows that Gods plan was to reduce the lifespan of humans at a later date. We can see that after the flood of Noahs day, people are said to be dying at much younger ages then the time before the flood.

And today it is very unusual for a person to even make it to 120 years. I think it is solved by not considering the number 120 to be an absolute....there are always exceptions to the rule although they be very few.
 

paradox

(㇏(•̀ᵥᵥ•́)ノ)
I dont think the numbers are meant to be taken as 'absolutes'
Moses also wrote this “In themselves the days of our years are seventy years; and if because of special mightiness they are eighty years, yet their insistence is on trouble and hurtful things.” (Ps 90:10)

Genesis 6:3 was spoken long before the flood when humans were living for several hundred years. It shows that Gods plan was to reduce the lifespan of humans at a later date. We can see that after the flood of Noahs day, people are said to be dying at much younger ages then the time before the flood.

And today it is very unusual for a person to even make it to 120 years. I think it is solved by not considering the number 120 to be an absolute....there are always exceptions to the rule although they be very few.
I like your quote from psalms, here is another one from Sirach 18:9 mentioning 100 years for man as long.
The number of their days seems great if it reaches a hundred years.


Psalms 90:10 and Sirach 18:9 however are not hard limits nor they exceed a limit of 120 years, therefore not contradictory to Genesis 6:3.
I don't agree with you that 120 should not be taken as absolute because the word of God cannot be abolished, that absolute my be however lengthen by God only, how?
1 Kings 3:14 and Proverbs 10:27 and as such it's no longer a contradiction, it's solved at least for me.
 

wellwisher

Well-Known Member
Gen 6:3

And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.​

"Man" & "his" doesn't describe Sarah.

Man describes humans, with all their variety. There is a subset of humans, who have an extra layer of the divine, beyond just average human. In the case of Sarah, her divine side gave her some extra life since she was human+. Before then, human++ was more common.

The analogy is the entrepreneur who changes the world. Their children, who are born to entitlement, spend too much time being shallow and pretentious in the country club party circuit. Burning the candle at both ends, has a long term impact on their health and attitudes; human-. Humans were responsible for the lowering of their own life expectancy. But every now and then a new person appears with that divinely boosted spirit; Sarah and human+.

Science behind long life

Neurons, as a rule, do not replicate very often. Many of our neurons are as old as we are. Some neuron can and do replicate, but this is not as common as old neurons. The brain beside supporting consciousness, also plays a role in the body's cellular differentiation control system, for all other cells. As we age, the brain and most of our old neurons do not recover, like other cells, since cellular replication is not as common for that solution. The entire cellular control system starts to break down; old age causes other cells to deviate.

Back in the ancient days, the stories seem to suggest that neurons could and did replicate more often. If this had occurred, in a sequential way, it would allow a continuity of memory for consciousness, as well as a longer life, due to refreshing the cellular differentiation control system.

The human brain has two centers of consciousness; inner self and ego. The willpower of the ego is a large energy draw from the brain; burning the candle from both ends. This discourages neuron replication. Mother cells. to make two daughter cells, will needs to store sufficient food and energy. However the ego, by its extra energy draw, causes more firing of the neurons, beyond natural. This causing many neurons to eat the stockpile of food needed for replication. They are stuck unable to replicate.

By the time of Sarah, the human ego had become very strong and had a sizable energy draw, that limited life. It ate away at the neuron food stockpiles for replication. Sarah was more selfless; weaker ego, so she had some extra neuron replication for her human plus.

Science suggest that aging is connected to the telomere aspect of chromosomes. These are located at the end of chromosomes and shorten each replication cycle. After enough shortening of the telomere, duplication of the DNA gets more compromised.

Neuron do not have this telomere problem, since they rarely replicate. Neurons conserved their telomere so they telomere have the potential to last much longer, than the rest of the cells of the body. They can be used by the neurons to help to refresh other cells, via the control system. But neurons are extremely energy intensive; 90% energy used maintaining the membrane potential. This makes it harder for them to replicate for the needs of longer life via cellular differentiation control.
 

Bree

Active Member
I like your quote from psalms, here is another one from Sirach 18:9 mentioning 100 years for man as long.



Psalms 90:10 and Sirach 18:9 however are not hard limits nor they exceed a limit of 120 years, therefore not contradictory to Genesis 6:3.
I don't agree with you that 120 should not be taken as absolute because the word of God cannot be abolished, that absolute my be however lengthen by God only, how?
1 Kings 3:14 and Proverbs 10:27 and as such it's no longer a contradiction, it's solved at least for me.


yeah they are both good scriptures... and yes agreed if God wants to lengthen a persons days he certainly can.

Your explanation was so much simpler then mine :)
 

Truth in love

Well-Known Member
Genesis 5 shows people lived for several hundred years.
Due to wickedness of people in Genesis 6:3 God limited lifetime of people to 120 years.

Genesis 23:1 which is chronologically later event, is in contradiction because Sarah lived 127 years.
How to scripturally resolve this contradiction?
people we’re living many hundred years. So 127 while not young by our standards is still way shorted than say 600z
 
Genesis 5 shows people lived for several hundred years.
Due to wickedness of people in Genesis 6:3 God limited lifetime of people to 120 years.

Genesis 23:1 which is chronologically later event, is in contradiction because Sarah lived 127 years.
How to scripturally resolve this contradiction?


God's long-suffering was seen in Noah’s day. Over a century before the Flood, “God saw the earth and, look! it was ruined, because all flesh had ruined its way on the earth.” (Genesis 6:12) Still, for a limited time, He showed long-suffering toward mankind. He said: “My spirit shall not act toward man indefinitely in that he is also flesh. Accordingly his days shall amount to a hundred and twenty years.” (Genesis 6:3) The 120 years did not refer to a person longevity, but to an appoint time when the flood would occur. This period of time allowed faithful Noah time to produce a family and-when informed of God’s decree-to build an ark, time to warn his contemporaries of the coming destruction.
 

Soapy

Son of his Father: The Heir and Prince
Gen 6:3

And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.​

"Man" & "his" doesn't describe Sarah.
Sarah is ‘Man’ because ‘man’ in the context is not ‘male’ and ‘female’ but just a short word for ‘Mankind’.
 

Subduction Zone

Veteran Member
Genesis 5 shows people lived for several hundred years.
Due to wickedness of people in Genesis 6:3 God limited lifetime of people to 120 years.

Genesis 23:1 which is chronologically later event, is in contradiction because Sarah lived 127 years.
How to scripturally resolve this contradiction?
Easy, it is fiction and not meant to be taken literally.

We know the stories are not true. They still work as morality tales.
 

Soapy

Son of his Father: The Heir and Prince
God's long-suffering was seen in Noah’s day. Over a century before the Flood, “God saw the earth and, look! it was ruined, because all flesh had ruined its way on the earth.” (Genesis 6:12) Still, for a limited time, He showed long-suffering toward mankind. He said: “My spirit shall not act toward man indefinitely in that he is also flesh. Accordingly his days shall amount to a hundred and twenty years.” (Genesis 6:3) The 120 years did not refer to a person longevity, but to an appoint time when the flood would occur. This period of time allowed faithful Noah time to produce a family and-when informed of God’s decree-to build an ark, time to warn his contemporaries of the coming destruction.
You have opened another branch off the tree of truth that might bear fruit. I agree that your interpretation is a seemingly valid one.
 
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