Genesis 5:20 (KJV)

What does Genesis 5:20 mean?

Genesis 5:20 records that Jared lived a total of 962 years and then died. This verse is part of a genealogy listing the ages and deaths of early descendants of Adam.

Genesis 5:20 is found in a section where the writer, traditionally understood to be Moses, is documenting the generations from Adam to Noah. The verse simply notes the remarkable lifespan of Jared, one of the patriarchs, and marks his death, continuing the pattern seen throughout Genesis 5 where each person’s lifespan and death are carefully recorded.

The Hebrew behind Genesis 5:20

• "days" (יָמִים, yamim): This word refers to the total span of Jared’s life, not just literal days but the full count of his years.
• "died" (מֵת, met): This is the standard Hebrew word for physical death, emphasizing that even these long-lived figures eventually died, reinforcing the theme of mortality after the fall.

Why Genesis 5:20 matters

• Genesis 5:20 highlights the extraordinary ages attributed to early biblical figures, which often raises questions about how time and lifespans were understood in ancient texts.
• The verse is part of a repeated pattern in Genesis 5, emphasizing that despite long lives, every person listed ultimately dies, underlining the reality of death introduced in Genesis 3.
• This genealogy sets the stage for the coming story of Noah, showing the continuity of the human line and the faithfulness of the record-keeping in the biblical narrative.